Bigpower

I thought I'd let you know how I'm getting on with my prep for this season, and whats been done already.

Bought the car Sept 04, 36K miles and had it unmodified for 2 1/2 years as I felt an STI was as fast as you need for the road, and it was.

I did 4 x 20min sessions on a pre Jap Fest day at Castle Coombe (2006), and was impressed with it, but annoyed that a well set-up (i would say that wouldn't I!) Prelude was quicker than me, I had it on the straights, but its cornering and late braking was good so I let him go.


And so the modding began, and after some advice sought (not necessarily sound either), ARB's, DL's, ALK, and Eibach springs were fitted for a more focused track car.

The road holding was amazing and I reckon thats the only mods needed to an Impreza for road use, so much more predictable on the road and I had much more confidence in the car.

Indeed the handling was brilliant and managed a 5th place at 2006 SSO on the handling circuit, powerwise was still standard and a 13.41sec 1/4 was set in the wet at the same event one rainy May weekend.


I managed to get an entry to Round 4 of the Time Attack series at Silverstone, stripped out the car looked like it was on stilts, the car was OK, OE brakes still held out (now with goodridge hoses) and I posted a respectable 1.12 on my flying lap, i was getting 1.33 in the wet on my road/ditchfinder 50 quid a corner tyres, and best in damp/dry practice on toyo R888's was a 1.14 so I was happy with the 2 second jump. I think best in club class was around 1.05


I wanted to go quicker on track, saw an article in Track and Race mag about some quick Subarus and took it down to a dealer for AST suspension to be fitted. Essentially what was done, the dealer took my car to powerstation, where Curtis (who I still pester for advice :lol: )fitted and set up the suspension for fast road/occasional track use, and the dealer charged me full subaru labour prices. I was very impressed with Powerstations work though, the car was very stiff for a daily driver but theres always a compromise. I couldn't get on the Donny finals of 2006 TA but booked 3 track sessions. On track, even on the road settings the car was amazing, very precise, flat through the corners.

end of the year, roll on 2007, although blew a load of money on my other favourite sport - skiing :lol:

welcome on board Dill, will be good to see you out on track again this year...
let's hope for good results for us both!

mike-payne wrote:welcome on board Dill, will be good to see you out on track again this year...
let's hope for good results for us both!

Aye mate, love the banter in the pits, but theres always a few cars that you want to beat/compare yourself against, that keep you honest!

Hopefully with a few helpers (anyone welcome ) just to give me a bit more personall prep time instead of messing around with car.

Nice story Dill 8)

How these projects start is always fascinating

Great write up.

Well, for the next chapter.

I decided to bite the bullet and go for a power hike, I did my research and phoned a lot of tuners and decided that Zen would be best for my tuning needs. I wanted a modest power increase with a view at doing the Time Attack series proper for 2007, whilct keeping it a 'daily driver', and most important of all.....reliable.

I started buying up parts off ebay, new and second hand and collected the following kit. I then took the car down to Wellingborough and left it at Zen. I sort of just explained what I'd bought and 'did one', had to get back to work.

Apexi PFC + Commander
FMIC
Pipercross IK

H+S Decat Exhaust
Induction Hose
Radiator pipes
CDF lightweight pulleys


Unfortuneately I couldn't pick it up so Lister had my car for a couple of weeks :evil: :lol: as space was needed at Zen.

It was wet and my drive back was pretty reserved so I didn't really want to open up one the public roads. But when the weather was more favourable I did and was amazed with the difference.

From a quick car as standard with a 'punchy' turbo, the torque seemed spread throughout the rev range with no real lag issue, and certainly not on track.

A cold air feed was also fitted by Paul@Zen which I later married up to a an intake bonded into the fog cover.


Paul suggested the brakes wouldn't be much good anymore (used to do about 10-15mins on track before going 'off') so I had the Stoptech front kit off the 2006 Zen Performance car, initially with the axxis pads and then later, once I got used to them, I upgraded to the Pagid Blues shown here


An engine oil, gearbox oil, and rear diff oil was replaced courtesy of http://www.opieoils.co.uk/

A sox-japoc Rolling Road Day was held 'darn sarrf' (Torque of the Devil) which I went to, good to meet up with everyone again and meet a few new faces.

I kept the del monte stickers from Round 4 of 2006 TA because they gave us gallons of fruit juices, what a treat!

It transpired that there was a slight fuelling issue which was limiting the top end power.


Off I went to Donny for round one of 2007 Time Attack, Paul took the time (away from his hectic time sorting his own race car out) to adjust my map a little, and a check road map was scheduled after the event.

The track was very busy, and It was difficult to lap much quicker than 1.30, then got a clear run and a 1.28 (what I'd been doing on a track day previously), next session, a 1.26 with still a little more to give with one corner I wasn't consistent on (pointed out by a mate who was a passenger on the previous track day)

Out for the 3 laps, one warm-up, one flying, one cool down. And off I went, pushing harder than before and the lap felt good, but theres always that feeling that you push a bit more (but where is the limit???) I returned to the pits and I'd got a 1.25:564 which I was very pleased with, quickest I'd gone all day, 16th overall.


Speed traps I was doing around 189kph on the back straight (and 8th quickest I think through the shorter chicane section)

great write up Dill!!

Great write up, it's always nice to read about how people got to the point that they are at

Yep, another excellent bit.