Mikku

Winter Olympic bump! ❄️

Sale pending! 👍

Thanks for the reply and feedback. Good to hear. If I can find one with reasonable shipping to Japan, I think I'm going to pull the trigger. That's not as easy as it sounds, so gives me time to remove the centre console to make sure that I've got a stock shifter before I go and order the wrong version! 🤪

I’m thinking about fitting a short shift to my 2005 WRX Wagon. I’ve seen and read lots of stuff online about the Cobb and Kartboy versions but they both use a replacement shift stick, whereas the Perrin one is basically an adapter which slips over the stock, OEM shifter. This doesn’t allow any adjustment of the gear knob height but I’m happy with the standard height, so that’s not a problem for me. Am therefore looking for feedback from Perrin users regarding any installation or subsequent issues. Thanks in advance.

I’ve seen some of these fitted to Hawkeyes and must admit that I really like the look of them. Seeing as though my headlights have the familiar haziness issue, I was thinking of buying some of the “C-bar” headlights rather than spending money trying to refurbish my current set. At least that's how I would justify the purchase!! 😁 Just wondering if anyone here has fitted these and if so, how are you getting on with them? Thanks in advance for any replies.

After a couple of evenings searching the ol' www, I decided to order some struts from 2SP Performance Parts. Not as pricey as GrimmSpeed and I liked the fact that the mounting brackets use both bolts of the bonnet hinges, not just a single one as many of the other designs do. The only worry is that they're coming from Ukraine, so I'm hoping that Putin doesn't throw a spanner in the works!! Will update this thread with pics as and when they arrive and I fit them but in the meantime, below is a stock pic.

Plus one on all of the above though can I add a couple of superficial but nonetheless important (to me) reasons:- 1. Rallying heritage. I know, I know but I was well into rallying in the McRae/Burns era, so that's kind of ingrained in me. 2. The exhaust note. Gets me every time! 😍

I’m thinking about fitting a WRX badge to the front grill of my 2005 JDM Hawkeye. Everyone knows the STi badge, as pictured below, but I want to highlight that my ride is a WRX not an STi! 😜 I’m therefore thinking that I could retro-fit a WRX badge from a newer model (pictured below) but wonder if anyone else here has done the same?

So the "new" grill set arrived yesterday and I'm well chuffed! All three sections are in much better condition than mine, and it all seems to line up well, so I will swap everything over in the Spring. Below are a few pics to show the difference in mesh size.

I recently joined and have posted a few things here and there, but thought I may as well keep everything in one place. This thread will also serve as a record of what I do with my newly-acquired 2005 JDM Impreza WRX Sports Wagon. Before I get into that, time for a quick rewind and some background. I’m a fifty-something Brit living in Japan and a long-time Subaru rally fan (I saw Colin McRae win the Network Q RAC Rally in Chester back in ‘94). It was therefore only a matter of time before I gave in to temptation and in 2018 I bought a 2003 JDM Forester Cross Sports. I loved that car and the performance from the 2-litre EJ20 turbo, but got increasingly fed up with the competent but boring automatic gearbox, which the majority of Japanese cars, including Scoobies, are fitted with. After flirting with but failing to find a decent Forester STi within my budget, I decided to go in another direction, namely Impreza WRX Wagons. With similar-ish luggage space as the Forester (I race BMX, so need to get all my bike gear in the back), a manual Impreza seemed to tick all the boxes. I looked at a few cars before finally settling on a 2005 Hawkeye WRX in the iconic world rally blue. A 2-owner car with 111K km (69K miles) on the clock, it’s stock apart from an STi Genome rear box but is noticeably sportier, lower, lighter and louder than the Forester. Although they share the same engine, the 5-speed box brings the EJ20 turbo alive. Not that the Forester was slow, but the WRX feels so much faster. That gorgeous exhaust note no doubt helps but six weeks in and I’m still loving it! So what are the plans? Well nothing major tbh. I’m probably going to keep the engine fairly standard, at least for the moment, though have already bought a turbo timer (I had one on the Forester) and am thinking about a GrimmSpeed air/oil separator, both for reliability/longevity reasons. I am also planning to buy some bonnet struts to replace the archaic bonnet stay/rod. Cosmetically, I love the look of the car though have already had to source some replacement grill sections following an argument with some snow. I’m also planning a change to gold rims when winter's out of the way. Anyway, I'll update this thread with progress and pics as and when. It’ll probably be more of an owner’s blog than a project build thread, but hopefully it’ll still be worth a butcher’s. 😎

I'm thinking of replacing Subaru's prehistoric bonnet rod/stay with some gas struts. GrimmSpeed sells a nice-looking set (pictured below) but I was wondering if anyone has bought/fitted/used a cheaper alterative? My ride's a 2005 JDM Impreza WRX Wagon but I guess these struts are much the same across the board, so feedback from anyone would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

So I snagged this second-hand grill set on Yahoo Auctions Japan last night. The colour's right and the price was okay (by Japanese standards). The mesh sections have a larger spacing than mine but from what I've seen online, I can swap those over. l need to do that anyway because one of the side pieces has a broken tab. Finger's crossed it all fits, though if it all goes Pete Tong I reckon I could sell it on pretty easily. In any case I probably won't use it until the Spring to avoid any more snow damage! Will post up some more pics when it arrives.

Thanks for the reply and suggestion. Can I ask what the other brand was?

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I was expecting the fit of those carbon ones not to be so great. I therefore have my eyes on some second-hand genuine Subaru ones online albeit in another colour but like most things in Japan, they're not cheap. Cheaper than OEM though. Have never visited a breaker's yard over here, so will see if there are any near where I live and go for a butcher's. That said, Subaru is not a popular brand over here and like in Blighty and elsewhere, WRX and STi models are highly sought after, so decent spare parts are priced accordingly. Thanks again. Will update this when I have more news.

So the front grill on my 2005 JDM Hawkeye WRX recently took a hit from some falling snow from my garage roof! The result is that it’s cracked in 3 places, as shown in the pics below!! 😭 Looking online, this plastic surround often seems to crack, so I guess it becomes more brittle and fragile with age. I could live with it short term but the side grill sections are also in fairly poor condition, with some clear coat and paint loss - another common problem it seems. Subaru replacements are not cheap, so I’m therefore thinking of replacing all three parts with an aftermarket, carbon-fibre set. There are plenty of these online but I’m assuming that they aren’t OEM quality, so was wondering if anyone here has bought a set and if so, can give some feedback on them? Thanks in advance for any replies.

Am looking for some feedback on these. I like the idea of the AOS and the Grimmspeed one seems to be the easiest to fit. By way of background, I recently picked up a 2005 JDM WRX Wagon, with 69K miles on the clock. It’s a standard car other than an STi Genome rear silencer. It’s just had the timing belt done but I’m thinking that an AOS would also be a good investment, even though I’ll be keeping the engine stock (famous last words). Has anyone here fitted one or had one of these? Thanks in advance for any replies.

I have this 2005 JDM Impreza catalogue for sale. I’ve recently bought a 2005 Hawkeye WRX Wagon, so bought this to go with that. However, in my over-excitement, I bought two of the same catalogue, thinking that they were different, so am offering one up on here. I’ve attached plenty of pics but it's basically a glossy, 43-page, colour brochure. It’s in Japanese but there’s still some good info plus plenty of pics and articles including a couple of motorsport (rallying and racing) features. Anyway, it’s cool piece for any Hawkeye owners/lovers, which is why I bought it. Am asking £15 plus the shipping which should be about £5, so that’s £20 all in! Please lmk if you’re in another country and I’ll get some prices for you. However, please note that the Japan Post Office has reduced its overseas shipping services due to COVID-19. Normal shipping times have also gone out the window, so if you’re in a hurry, this is not the purchase for you. I would estimate that this will take a few weeks to arrive, hopefully less but possibly more, so please be patient. Payment is by PayPal, with no gift payment accepted. Due to the international shipping and COVID-delays, the catalogue is sold as seen, so please look at the pictures carefully and ask all and any questions before agreeing to purchase. I have and can also take more photos if required. Finally, please also note that I am on Tokyo time, so there may be a delay in getting back to you. Thanks for looking, and Happy New Year from the Land of the Rising Sun (and Subaru)!

I have this 2002 JDM Forester Cross Sports catalogue for sale. I bought this over here (in Japan) to go with my 2003 Forester Cross Sports. However, I have recently traded-in the Forester (for a “Hawkeye” Impreza WRX Wagon), so I may as well find a new owner for the catalogue too. I’ve attached plenty of pics but it’s basically a card folder with 5 inserts:- 4 single-sided colour cards and a folded, 4-page, colour brochure. It’s in Japanese but there’s still some good info, for example, about Cross Sports spec plus plenty of cool pics. Interestingly, the silver car used in the main shots has a German number plate, so presumably they were taken over there rather than in Japan. Anyway, it’s cool piece for any Cross Sports owners/lovers. Am asking £10 plus the shipping which should be about £2, so let’s say £12 all in! Please lmk if you’re in another country and I’ll get some prices for you. However, please note that the Japan Post Office has reduced its overseas shipping services due to COVID-19. Normal shipping times have also gone out the window, so if you’re in a hurry, this is not the purchase for you. I would estimate that this will take a few weeks to arrive, hopefully less but possibly more, so please be patient. Payment is by PayPal, with no gift payment accepted. Due to the international shipping and COVID-delays, the catalogue is sold as seen, so please look at the pictures carefully and ask all and any questions before agreeing to purchase. I also have and can take more photos if required. Finally, please also note that I am on Tokyo time, so there may be a delay in getting back to you. Thanks for looking, and Happy New Year from the Land of the Rising Sun (and Subaru)!

Thanks man! I'm not planning on any big mods (famous last words) but will definitely post up some pics and progress as I go. I also have a ton of questions about this, that and the other, but will wade my way through the forums before starting any new threads that repeat what's already here. Thanks again!

Hi there! I'm another newbie and have also just bought a Hawkeye WRX Wagon. Mine's a 2005 JDM one in the same, iconic world rally blue. Will be interested to see what you do with yours. 🙂

First post on here. I’m a Brit living in Japan, and until a few weeks ago, drove a 2003 JDM Forester Cross Sports (2 litre EJ20 turbo) which I loved but got fed up with the very competent but boring automatic gearbox. After flirting with but failing to find a decent Forester STi within my budget, I decided to go in another direction and bought a 2005 JDM Impreza Sports Wagon WRX instead. Manual (of course) and in world rally blue, it's a 2-owner car with 111K km (69K miles) on the clock. It’s fairly stock with just an STi/Genome rear box but it’s noticeably sportier/lower/lighter and with that exhaust, louder than the Forester. Although they share the same engine, the 5-speed manual brings it alive. Not that the Forester was slow, but the WRX feels so much faster. That gorgeous exhaust note no doubt helps but three weeks in and I’m still driving with a permanent smile on my face! I’m going to keep it fairly standard, at least for the moment, though have already bought a turbo timer and am thinking about an air/oil separator, both for reliability/longevity reasons. Have added a few pics of the new arrival. 😎