Blobeye WRX Buying Advice/Facts

[anonymous-user]

Hey all,

So I'm hoping you can all help me with some solid advice and facts. I've done some research however I'd like to ask you all on here as I feel I'll be getting more factual and helpful opinions. So here we go..

I'm looking to purchase a Blobeye Wrx, I'd love an Sti but running costs as a daily I believe would be too much. From what I've read the wrx is much more suitable for a daily as well. I'd be covering 15k per year with my commute consisting mostly of motorway and A roads.

Firstly, is there any significant differences between 03-05? Also what are the spec options, is it just standard wrx and the SL package which adds leather?

Secondly, I would be looking to modify the car to get the best out of it. My first step would be to get it into mechanical order, what areas should I be looking to upgrade? Eg springs, dampers, ARB etc.

Thirdly, with the suspension and other mechanical bits changed or refreshed I would focus on upping the power and more importantly to me the torque. The 220lbs/ft in my E46 330ci seems rather boring and uneventful. Reading around, a reasonable figure would be 270bhp and similar torque.
Would this feel considerably different to my E46?
What would I need to do to achieve this? Would this increase have any detrimental effect on the engine or Gearbox?

So yeah that's my plan, any facts and figures would be great and opinions would be massively appreciated!

Edit: I'd be buying a completely standard car and having the mods done myself.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 5th July 18:23

[MurderousCrow]

My advice would be to definitely seek out a good STi. Better bits out of the factory, stronger engine (block and internals both, IIRC), stronger gearbox, better suspension... The STi has significantly more headroom for improvement.

Daily running costs are probably more similar than you think. I've heard a lot of people saying they can get 30+mpg out of their WRXs, I'm of the belief that this must require superhuman levels of self restraint. Besides, one doesn't buy a car like this if MPG and the like are genuine concerns; I strongly suspect you will like how the car behaves when under power.

Luke

[nottyash]

There was a facelift interior in 2005. Looks a lot more modern, smaller wheel too. This was carried over to the Hawkeye model.
Ive had 2 bug eye wrx's the last one was tuned by Race Dynamix after sports cats were fitted. Perfomance was very capable and quite amazing for the money. It was running approx 280bhp.
We have a Hawkeye now which were selling. Its the 2.5 which standard feels a lot more torquey, but loses some of that boxer burble.
Ours is a 55 plate which means low tax, but a majority of Hawkeyes are hightax from 23 march 2006.
Interior of Hawkeye feels better made, I believe they have an extra diff and bigger brakes than the blobeye.
Whatever you get will feel another league in performance to a 330, especially in the wet/snow.

[anonymous-user]

I'd did a quick check on insurance comparison site and it is cheaper for a standard Sti blobeye than my E46 with an exhaust modification noted down. Absurd.

Could anyone point to me the running cost comparison between an Sti and a wrx with the suggested modifications I've listed?

Is there a big difference in mpg returns of an Sti and wrx? Driven hard I expect less than 20 from both but is 25 achieveable in either with a relaxed journey?

It makes sense to start with an Sti but consumable costs, part replacements and Fuel swings me towards a wrx.

[vxr2010]

My Fsti does 35 mpg if driven like an old fart and by an old fart , I would definitely go Sti and not wrx

[MurderousCrow]

AB57 said:

Could anyone point to me the running cost comparison between an Sti and a wrx with the suggested modifications I've listed?

Is there a big difference in mpg returns of an Sti and wrx? Driven hard I expect less than 20 from both but is 25 achieveable in either with a relaxed journey?

It makes sense to start with an Sti but consumable costs, part replacements and Fuel swings me towards a wrx.

I must admit I can't understand how you've figured the difference to be anything near significant.

MPG is of course largely down to how you drive it. If you're looking to fit aftermarket induction / turbo / exhaust / remap then more power needs more fuel (largely true, although you do hear of increases in efficiency from a remap). My first Scoob used to get about 24mpg when taking it easy on mixed runs of town, A-roads and motorway. That had an aftermarket turbo and exhaust, was around 380bhp.

The STi Brembo discs and pads will be a bit pricier than the WRX like for like, but shop around with the likes of Alyn at AS Performance or Ian at Godspeed and you'll get reasonable prices anyway. Oil, tyres, fluids, clutches are all the same price. In general, parts are not going to be hugely more expensive for an STi over a WRX. They share a lot of bits!

If you're using insurance comparison sites you may find you can save a lot by going to individual specialist brokers for quotes. Ones I've used or heard good things about include A-plan Thatcham (my current lot), Keith Michaels (ask for Gary), Sky and Adrian Flux.

[anonymous-user]

@crow - I've just had a read on your profile of both your Sti and it was interesting to see the difference between the two!

If there is no real significant difference between the sti and wrx then it makes sense to go for the Sti.


Do you think it would suitable as a daily driver for my journey?
Is there any particular model year to go for?
Is the SL package worth the premium?
How much should I expect to pay for a Blobeye Sti?
What things should I be looking out for when buying?
Also what are the common failures on the car?
What are the servicing cost and intervals?

Thanks

[TEKNOPUG]

AB57 said:

@crow - I've just had a read on your profile of both your Sti and it was interesting to see the difference between the two!

If there is no real significant difference between the sti and wrx then it makes sense to go for the Sti.


Do you think it would suitable as a daily driver for my journey?
Is there any particular model year to go for?
Is the SL package worth the premium?
How much should I expect to pay for a Blobeye Sti?
What things should I be looking out for when buying?
Also what are the common failures on the car?
What are the servicing cost and intervals?

Thanks

Running costs between STi & WRX will be similar. STi has more expensive tyres & brakes - but most WRX owners upgrade their's anyway - especially the brakes. So routine servicing will be similar price.

STi has shorter gear ratios and stronger 6-speed box, firmer suspension, wider track, DCCD and is generally more focused and intense to drive. It has a more advanced engine (AVCS), bigger turbo and a few other bits & pieces. They also cost twice as much as a similar WRX.

The STi is a better starting point if you want to mod the car for increased performance. However, you need to determine how much performance you want. A WRX with PPP has more power than a stock STi. A WRX with sports cat, fuel pump & filter can remap to 280bhp. Pinch a bigger turbo, injectors and a few other supporting pieces from an STi and you can see anything from 300-330bhp in a WRX. All using OEM Subaru parts. At that point, the 5 speed gearbox starts to become questionable and you've run out of Subaru turbos, so would need to go aftermarket (this is true for the STi after 350bhp too). So if you think you might like more than 330bhp in the future, start with an STi. If not, a WRX is a cheaper option.

Obviously if you want a newage Wagon, you only have the choice of the Bugeye JDM STi, everything els is WRX.

Do you think it would suitable as a daily driver for my journey?

Yes absolutley. I'd driven 40k+ in 18months in my WRX. There are times when I would have preferred a Lexus....but the all-weather, all-surface, all-road ability of the Impreza never fails to impress. I average 28mph but I do a lot of M-way driving. Will obviously be a lot less if pushing on.

Is there any particular model year to go for?

Not especially. There are many, many special version STi's to choose from, certainly too many to discuss here. But the standard UK STi/WRX differ little between Bug & Blobeye mechanically. Mostly it's just interior/exterior facelifts. Pretty much everything is interchangable between cars. For example, almost everything from an STi can easily be fitted to a WRX, the seats in a Bug are better than a Blob, later model door cards can accomodate bigger speakers etc. It's only Hawkeye and beyond where you see considerable mechanical differences.

Is the SL package worth the premium?

Depends whether you want heated leather seast and a sunroof(?) Interior trims can all be swapped between years/models.

How much should I expect to pay for a Blobeye Sti?

£5k upwards. I'd want a couple of grand contingency fund though.

What things should I be looking out for when buying?

Bad modifications. Remaps. Knocking from the engine. General maintenance, condition and care. All the things that would apply to any other car. Imprezas are capable of big miles if looked after, so don't get too hung up on mileage. It's all about condition and recent history. Cambelt change. Oh and rust.

Also what are the common failures on the car?

Rusty arches. Engine knock. Worn gearboxes/diffs. All of these should be obvious upon inspection. There aren't really any inherently bad components or design flaws. Access can be tricky for spark plug changes etc. They should be run on SUL (V-power etc) especially the STis. Brembos brakes can stick.

What are the servicing cost and intervals?

I change the oil & filter every 6k with Fully Synth. You can do less or more miles, depending upon use. Belts change is about £300 and every 40k or 5 years (I think). As with any ther performance car, I'd suggest all fluids & filters changed once a year (gearbox, diff, coolant, brake/clutch, PAS etc) but you could probably stretch it to every 2 depending upon mileage.

Things that I would budget for:

Headlights are borderline dangerous. Retrofit HIDS or find JDM HID headlights
Brakes on WRX are barely adequate. Consider big-brake kits, Brembos from STi or APs etc
Stock stereo is hopeless
4 matching tyres is important
Correct geomatry setup
Smaller steering wheel (unless you drive a bus for a living...)
WRX benefits from slightly firmer springs and thicker rear ARB. Upgraded bushes also sharpen hadling.
Stock WRX is 220bhp. It's not enough. You'll get used to it very quickly. A reliable 280bhp makes for a great all-round daily and is relativley cheap and easy.

Edited by TEKNOPUG on Wednesday 6th July 12:14

[MurderousCrow]

Gosh you don’t want much do you

Do you think it would suitable as a daily driver for my journey?
Yes I do, because I’ve used both of mine in this way. I’m biased It’s a daft car to run as a daily in terms of MPG, but if you’re prepared to look over this it does make (some) sense. AWD, newage cars are very solidly built in terms of crash protection, and sensibly-fettled Scoobs are pretty reliable.

Is there any particular model year to go for?
If I was buying again I'd make the same choice: 2005 blob STi (DCCD and widetrack). Personally I’d steer away from 2.5 engines altogether if you want more power, although it’s apparently less of an issue with later models. The 2.0 STi engine is strong and can take up to 380bhp or so without problems.

Is the SL package worth the premium? Sorry I’m not aware of the SL package.

How much should I expect to pay for a Blobeye Sti?
Seriously, have a look around. If you have the patience it will be worth registering on the forums and waiting for the right car. Circa maybe £8500-10000? but this would depend a lot on mileage and spec.

What things should I be looking out for when buying?
I can only think of the fairly obvious things like service history, MOTs, HPI. SH is really important, as Subarus do like frequent oil changes. Does it steer straight and brake straight? Good quality tyres fitted, same tyres all round, even wear left to right? Smoky exhaust? And so on. Take a mechanic with you for a second look when you think you’ve found the right one if you’re not sure. Sorry, others may be able to advise better.

Also what are the common failures on the car?
The rear struts on the STis tend to clunk. Not a huge issue and usually fixable by re-greasing every few months. 2.5 engines… Don’t think there’s much else at least in regard to standard cars, but again I’m not a great expert.

What are the servicing cost and intervals?
Ummm I forget. About £150-200.00 for a minor service, £350-400.00 for a major, and the cambelt and tensioner kit I think every 50000mi, adds another £320.00 plus fitting to a major service. Take the car to a knowledgeable Subaru garage for servicing, as it’s important to correctly prime the galleries after an oil change and your average bear may not know about this.

[MurderousCrow]

TEKNOPUG said:

...

Yep, there's a fair bit we agree on there.

[TEKNOPUG]

MurderousCrow said:

it’s important to correctly prime the galleries after an oil change and your average bear may not know about this.

Now this is one thing I've never fully understood and certainly not something I've done in my previous 7 oil changes. I can understand if you've rebuilt an engine and it's the first time you've started it or if you are fitting a new oil pump, but after an oil change? There's no logic that warrants it. You never get all the oil out when you drain via the sump, so all the internal components will still have a coating of oil. The new oil is sitting in the sump, to the correct level. Why the need for priming? This is the exact same scenario EVERYTIME you start the engine from cold - all the oil has drained to the sump.

Following that logic, one should prime the oil galleries everytime you start the engine from cold. Not having a pop at you, just I've read this advice lots of places and I've never come across a satisfactory reason for it.

[MurderousCrow]

TEKNOPUG said:

Now this is one thing I've never fully understood and certainly not something I've done in my previous 7 oil changes. I can understand if you've rebuilt an engine and it's the first time you've started it or if you are fitting a new oil pump, but after an oil change? There's no logic that warrants it. You never get all the oil out when you drain via the sump, so all the internal components will still have a coating of oil. The new oil is sitting in the sump, to the correct level. Why the need for priming? This is the exact same scenario EVERYTIME you start the engine from cold - all the oil has drained to the sump.

Following that logic, one should prime the oil galleries everytime you start the engine from cold. Not having a pop at you, just I've read this advice lots of places and I've never come across a satisfactory reason for it.

Well as you can probably tell, I'm not the person to give you a sparkly and comprehensive answer to that. You could ask a reputable engine builder?

For me, it's something I've been told by mechanics I trust, and don't see it as something worth taking a chance on

[TEKNOPUG]

MurderousCrow said:

Well as you can probably tell, I'm not the person to give you a sparkly and comprehensive answer to that. You could ask a reputable engine builder?

For me, it's something I've been told by mechanics I trust, and don't see it as something worth taking a chance on

It won't do any harm but I can't see any need for it. Especially if you have filled the oil filter before refitting. As I say, the logic would imply that you should do it every time you start the engine from cold. Which is nonsense.

[MurderousCrow]

TEKNOPUG said:

It won't do any harm but I can't see any need for it. Especially if you have filled the oil filter before refitting. As I say, the logic would imply that you should do it every time you start the engine from cold. Which is nonsense.

Ok. Cool.

[anonymous-user]

Thank you very much for those comprehensive replies Tek and Crow! I'm sorry for asking so much, but trying to get genuine advice and facts is a right pain.. Just like answering my questions

But alas the questions are not complete I need some honest opinions now.

So I'm not interested in chasing figures hence a remapped and tweaked wrx would be idea for me. 280bhp with a nice wad of torque is perfect. If I bought an Sti I wouldn't mod it at all. As you mentioned Tek a wrx with a remap/PPP would give me more power and torque than a stock Sti. I'm not after a hardcore car, I'm just after a compentent fast road daily which can hold its own against most cars on the road. I have a budget of around 5k for an initial purchase of a subaru with a 1-2k mod/refresh fund for bringing it into top condition. I would want to get the best Blobeye type UK sti I could get which is out of budget and doesn't incorporate a bork fund.

Now to me everything is pointing to a Wrx. Would I be disappointed with a wrx with said mods over a stock Sti? Baring in mind I won't be taking the car on track and I'm looking for something that isn't on full attack every time I turn the ignition. Just fast and competent

Once again thanks for any replies!

[TEKNOPUG]

AB57 said:

Thank you very much for those comprehensive replies Tek and Crow! I'm sorry for asking so much, but trying to get genuine advice and facts is a right pain.. Just like answering my questions

But alas the questions are not complete I need some honest opinions now.

So I'm not interested in chasing figures hence a remapped and tweaked wrx would be idea for me. 280bhp with a nice wad of torque is perfect. If I bought an Sti I wouldn't mod it at all. As you mentioned Tek a wrx with a remap/PPP would give me more power and torque than a stock Sti. I'm not after a hardcore car, I'm just after a compentent fast road daily which can hold its own against most cars on the road. I have a budget of around 5k for an initial purchase of a subaru with a 1-2k mod/refresh fund for bringing it into top condition. I would want to get the best Blobeye type UK sti I could get which is out of budget and doesn't incorporate a bork fund.

Now to me everything is pointing to a Wrx. Would I be disappointed with a wrx with said mods over a stock Sti? Baring in mind I won't be taking the car on track and I'm looking for something that isn't on full attack every time I turn the ignition. Just fast and competent

Once again thanks for any replies!

Stock STi is about 265bhp which is about the same as a PPP WRX. So they'll both be similar in straight line speed. STi will drive differently. Bigger turbo so more mid and upper power whilst sacrificing spool to the smaller WRX. Firmer ride, sharper sterring, quicker rack, better brakes. It will be more intense and more accomplished/focussed on a hoon than a stock WRX.

I have a WRX PPP and it's more than adequate with 260bhp in modern traffic. However, the chassis is clearly capable of more, so will look to address that soon. 280bhp/300lbs/ft is probably the sweet-spot with WRX, as you retain the fast spooling TD04 turbo. You can fit a hybrid TD04 for 300bhp. That's not to stay that a bigger turbo (TD05/V35) WRX isn't great also but you do lose a bit of response in daily traffic.

You won't be disappointed with a lightly tuned WRX if you've never driven an STi....

I would look at WRX's between £4-5k, with lots of history and preferbly a long current owner. Original is good but there are plenty of reputable mods that shouldn't be discounted and could save a lot of money. £1k on a full service (fluids, filters, plugs Geo etc) and putting right any niggles and the rest on brakes and parts for a remap.

[MurderousCrow]

AB57 said:

...I need some honest opinions now...

With respect, it reads as if you want opinions which reinforce your own. The STi is a better car, no question.

AB57 said:

Now to me everything is pointing to a Wrx. Would I be disappointed with a wrx with said mods over a stock Sti?

It entirely depends doesn't it. In your original post you were considering both WRX and STi, and said "I would be looking to modify the car to get the best out of it." Hence recommending an STi, as it has far greater headroom for improvement.

Given your budget however I'd advise waiting if you're dead set on a Subaru. Alternatively consider a well-modded and well looked after Integra or Civic Type-R, which will be just as quick as a 300bhp WRX, but arguably more reliable.

[rb5er]

Yep, I have just had my mechanic prefilling oil filters and no problem in 6 years so far.

[MurderousCrow]

rb5er said:

Yep, I have just had my mechanic prefilling oil filters and no problem in 6 years so far.

MurderousCrow said:

TEKNOPUG said:

It won't do any harm but I can't see any need for it. Especially if you have filled the oil filter before refitting. As I say, the logic would imply that you should do it every time you start the engine from cold. Which is nonsense.

Ok. Cool.

Ok! fk me!

[TEKNOPUG]

MurderousCrow said:

rb5er said:

Yep, I have just had my mechanic prefilling oil filters and no problem in 6 years so far.

MurderousCrow said:

TEKNOPUG said:

It won't do any harm but I can't see any need for it. Especially if you have filled the oil filter before refitting. As I say, the logic would imply that you should do it every time you start the engine from cold. Which is nonsense.

Ok. Cool.

Ok! fk me!

Is your mechanic adding a labour charge for doing so?