Choppermaan

Stanton - Sure, I'll get some pics soon. Like I said, the car is pretty standard at the moment, so not exactly a jaw-dropper, but I like to think it's a nice, fairly clean example. I washed it on Friday, and the blue is looking good in all this sun we're getting! And cheers for the scoop advice! BoozyDave - No, I don't mind drilling extra holes in my boot lid. When it eventually came to reselling the car, I think an STI spoiler would make it more appealing (to most buyers) than the standard WRX spoiler, so I wouldn't remove it after I'd fitted it. Oh, and what's PCD??? I've just tried pasting a link, but it wouldn't let me. On autotrader, there's a blue STI (£8,500) with some nice gold 10-spoke wheels (not sure if these are standard STI wheels), but I actually prefer the 7-spoke Prodrive wheels on a silver WR1 that's on there (£12,000). I wonder how much some of these would set me back?! Jay - Cheers. I'm in no rush to get new wheels, so I definitely don't mind holding out for the right set at the right price. On my "mod to-do" list, wheels are pretty far down, and for now, I may just get my standard WRX ones refurbed and resprayed gold. Personally, the sound system (which is in the process of being sorted!) and a big, lairy spoiler are top of the list. My life will become more enriched once I've addressed these two issues :-)

Thanks Stanton and BoozyDave. The cubbyhole under the new radio sounds good, as I'll be able to put my iPhone in there if I'm playing my music through my USB port. I've looked on eBay but I'm just a bit dubious of some of the stuff. I know you can check sellers' feedback, but I want to make sure that any parts I buy come with all the correct fixtures and fittings. Should I expect an STI spoiler or bonnet scoop to come with all the necessary screws, etc.? I'm not bothered if the parts aren't authentic Subaru parts, as long as they look OK and are decent quality. I've looked on Scoobyparts and Scoobyworld, but I'm guessing these sites charge a premium for new parts, as they're fairly official, right? Do people buy stuff from these sites or do more experienced modifiers use alternative, secret, cheaper sources? Next, I don't mind my standard alloys, but was looking into some 10-spoke, like the STI ones. However, all the ones I was looking at are like a grand; I don't like them that much!!! Again, I guessing I could probably source some from eBay!? How much would a second-hand set of alloys like these usually go for? Sorry for all the questions, but like I said, I'm totally new to this world... but very eager to learn, ha! I reckon I could really get into this and end up spending thousands...

Thanks for your replies. I went to Halfords earlier and bought a Pioneer radio/CD with iPod connectivity, and a pair of 6" Fli speakers to replace the two standard ones in the front door panels. There were some deals on so I think I got it all for a pretty good price - £105 instead of about £130. Hopefully, it should sound pretty good. Like you said, Gambit, I guess it can't be worse than the standard kit. One question: the standard Impreza radio is quite big, so when I replace it with my new, slimmer radio, what should I do about the gap? Are there fascias available to buy for this? Tlag - yes, the sound of the Prodrive exhaust is very good indeed; a nice deep rumble. Pedestrians turn around to see what's coming down the road! I contacted a dealer and he said he could sell me an STI spoiler for £300 painted. From looking around, I think this sounds about right!? Oh, and I forgot to say before - I also want a bigger STI bonnet scoop! So generally with mods like these, am I best to buy the stuff and then get my local garage to fit it for me. And with the grilles, get a paintshop to do it? I know the best thing would be to save labour costs by doing it all myself, but apart from BHP and 0-60mph stats, I'm not too knowledgeable about the mechanics/technical side of cars.

Hi everyone. I decided a few months ago that I wanted to get into car modifying for a hobby, and thought an Impreza would be a good car to work with, so I've just bought my first ever Subaru. It's a 2005 WRX Blobeye with the PPP fitted, so it's already pretty fast. Except for the silver Zunsport grille (top and bottom), it's standard. Only problem is, I know absolutely NOTHING about car modifying, so that's why I've specifically joined this forum. Any advice would be much appreciated. The first thing I want to do is replace my WRX boot spoiler with a higher STI one. Where are the best places to try, and what would be a decent price, painted or unpainted? Next, my sound system is pretty poor. Would a decent radio/CD player (eg. Pioneer) and a set of speakers do the job, or do I need more, like a boom-box/sub-woofer? And how much do I need to spend to put together a good system? I've been looking online at Halfords products, but any other suggestions are welcome! Next, I actually prefer the look of the standard black grilles to my silver Zunsport ones, so should I get these resprayed black or just remove them altogether? I think if I remove the top one (behind the badge) I will need to buy another original one to replace it, but from the looks of it, I think I can just remove the lower one and it'll be back to normal, right!? I think I'll leave it there for now. In the next few months, I want to: refurb the alloys and get them resprayed gold; I've read that Whiteline anti-roll bars improve handling significantly; I like the look of the angel eye headlights and STI fog light covers; and I'll be looking to improve performance over the summer. I've already started researching this (Stage 1 remap, perhaps) - Jolly Green Monster and Greenwood Racing Developments seem to get mentioned a lot. Like I said, I'm a complete novice in this field, so any insightful information on any of the above areas are welcomed. Cheers, Chops