A Break From Corrado Ownership.....Impreza Ownership

[Corrado_Addict 0]

Hey guys,

 

Well the marriage with my 2nd g60 hasn't gone to plan at all, the previous owner claimed he raced porsches with the car which I can now confirm is total bullshit, you cannot chuck the car into a corner without the back end stepping out on you violently, the brakes after 10 minutes of normal driving used to stink like you had been pushing them hard when in actual fact it was a trip down to the local car park. The whole car may have looked mint but the rear floor behind the seats was rotten along with other bits on the underside of the chassis that you didn't need a hammer to chap through you could just poke your finger through the rust and pull back and get little lumps of metal in your hand, so its without saying I absolutely hate the car with a passion but yet I still felt guilty breaking it, taking a corrado apart is never something any passionate C owner would want to do but to get the car to a level of "normal" handling standards would have cost a lot of money and a really long term project that I didn't want, I just wanted a good base car that I could spend a decent bit of money on power wise and handling wise, the engine itself is fine and dandy but the chassis is as loose as a working girls bits is all I can really say about the car, I've started to break it and have posted up what I have so far in the parts for sale section.

 

I done a deal on my red g60 (the one with the blown supercharger) to get a 1998 UK Spec Impreza Wagon Turbo. I'm pleased to say the red g60 was bought by an enthusiast and his dad was going to be helping him with the project so I'm glad to see its gone to someone like that.

 

So 1st things 1st, I've compared all aspects of the Wagon to the corrado as I did with any car I drove.

 

The spec on the wagon is.

 

Full HKS Exhaust System With De-Cat

Forge Motorsport Blow Off Valve

Chipped ECU and boost has been upped producing 280bhp

 

Have since fitted to the car genuine STi wagon rear lamps (finally found a pair in japan after a long search)

 

Got a few things on order -

Clear Side Repeaters

a genuine JUN Front Splitter and black project angel eyes which are being fitted today.

 

I've been bitten by the impreza bug and the thing I can't get my head round is the fact its on standard suspension with really shitty eco friendly michelen tyres and the grip from the thing really is surprising, it will still slide and understeer when you really push it and then the back slides out but in terms of feedback its not on the same level as the corrado and it doesn't give you that same connected feel as the corrado does, but it does give you a good level of feedback in order to drive it hard, now that I've got to know the car I've learned the limits of the tyres already and how hard I can push the car safely, in the wet its a completely different story, literally no grip at all from the tyres and the car actually weighs.................1800 feckin kg's!!!!! :shock:

 

Its nearly a 2 tonne car but yet it absolutely flies like it weighs nothing, the only time you really do feel the cars weight is when braking hard, the standard brakes are 280mm and they are shockingly bad, after 10 minutes of driving hard they absolutely stink to the high heavens so taking that into account its not at a stage of being able to thrash it around a track, the bottom end is also a bit chappy as well which I knew roughly about but due to the high mileage the engine had covered I knew I would want to replace the engine anyway, one thing thats caught me out is I had done a lot of reading up on corrado research and all things like that but now with the Impreza its a whole new ball game, the boxer engine has such a fine tolerance that anything over or under and you can do some serious damage to the car, its a whole new aspect of spending money on the car. I genuinely do love the car now and there is so much potential in there that I'm really looking forward to unlocking. It will be a fairly long term project car but I've not turned away from Corrado ownership......

 

As good as the car handles, the sheer power delivery and noise alone made me love it. I've always wanted an Impreza although she does drink fuel, a 60 litre tank and a trip through to fife once your high up the revs and the foot is down the fact its hauling nearly 2 tonnes of metal along the road through a 4 wheel drive system means she just drinks fuel, I had to then put more fuel in the next day, thats how bad it was.

 

But I still miss the corrado, I miss the fact that people look at the car with a more respectable look, rather than me going slow in my scoob getting a dirty look because I have a loud exhaust, I never had that problem with the corrado, I miss the fact that when I see a corrado I wish I still had mine, I remember all the good times and the memories from my red one, especially with it being my 1st one and as much as I do love my Impreza its just not a corrado, a couple of times I've pushed it hard I've got back home and thought to myself that was a whole lotta fun but its not a corrado, but as a few mates have said now its not really a compareable car, g60 is a lighter more agile front wheel drive car with supercharged power delivery, this is nearly a 2 tonne car, its an estate, its a turbo and its 4 wheel drive but in terms of being a drivers car the corrado just feels the more complete, its actually hard trying to explain but I do want another corrado, possibly another g60 or going down the route of a vr6.

 

In an ideal world Id still have my red g60 and the impreza, the wagon gives you the practicallity which has been really useful as of late but too have a corrado and an impreza in the driveway would just be perfect, the best of both worlds.

 

2 performance cars but 2 very different machines and I'm pleased to say............the corrado comes out on top :)

[Goldie 2]

A mate of mine has one of the Prodrive Imprezzas. I tell you what it is ballastic, almost instant redling in all gears but if im honest it did nothing for me. Ok the power is great but noise awful, build quality not the best and the stigma attached isnt good.. Each to there own though..

 

Ive seen a Mk1 Golf with a full imprezza set up, that could be the best of both worlds..

[KADVR6 0]

so you went from a rusty corrado that would cost £££££'s to fix, and bought a subaru that needs a new engine :shock:

 

i can see how that makes financial sense NOT, have you priced up how much the engine is gonna cost, and also how much of a complete pain it is to replace the engine in one of these things.

[Walesy 0]

Needs a new engine? :scratch:

[Jay23Sx 0]

Needs a new engine? :scratch:

 

easy to miss, but theres a line in there about wanting to change the engine due to high mileage.

[Walesy 0]

Ah, Sorry, skim reading again :oops:

[KADVR6 0]

he also mentions the bottom end is a bit "chappy" sorry but these boxer engines are mega money to buy. and lets face it every 2nd hand one has been ragged by some baseball cap wearing asbo holder.

[mattnorgrove 0]

lets face it every 2nd hand one has been ragged by some baseball cap wearing asbo holder.

 

Don't mince your words Karl, just say what you mean. :grin:

[Walesy 0]

:lol:

[Corrado_Addict 0]

Engine wise £1400 which is brand new and guaranteed for 12 months, going down the route of a jap spec sti engine as they have forged internals so its going to be a bit more pricier but yea even before I knew the engine was starting to chap I wanted to replace it cos chances are every scooby has had the shit ragged out of it at some point even the more exclusive models.

 

Its a long term project as I said :)

 

Engine wise its fine to run around in at the moment, still got at least another 5k in it, it doesn't chap on idle just on heavy acceleration, on light acceleration its fine so its nowhere near at the major stage.

[Majik 0]

I got a classic Impreza WRX (saloon) too but the only thing i like about it over the Corrado is that its more practical to get in and just drive whereas with the corrado youre quite low down have to slow down for humps etc.

They are two very completely different machines but both good at what they do.

[robrado974 1]

cant beat a vr6 bud :) performance is sweeeet n you ave got to to love that vr roar that comes from under the bonnet n not from the exhaust,scoobys are quick goes without sayin but that exhaust sound :nono:

[Corrado_Addict 0]

Little change of plan is I'm gonna just go for an STi wagon, got my eye on one at the mo but funds don't allow it, practically skinto at the mo :lol:

[maff 10]

I sold my well sorted corrado vr6 for something a little more practical and ended up buying a 99 uk turbo, (4 doors) with the prodrive ecu, 260bhp/258lbt intercooler etc and prodrive handling pack, which consists of the bilstein dampers and eibach springs.

 

Gotta say the impreza is in a different league for acceleration and handling and ive had two vr6's for over 6 years, but maybe a standard uk turbo would be a better comparison.

 

Mine also has uprated drop links, anti lift kit etc and is totally flat at any speed anywhere, probably a bit to hard if im honest but its a weekend car so gonna leave as is.

 

Gotta say though i really miss the vr and still get a funny feeling when i see one on the road, mine always did feel proper planted to with the koni adjustables fitted and above 90 i dont think theres a huge performance margin between the two with the impreza having the drivetrain losses.

 

Definatly a car that feels like you need to track day it though because my driving skills are way below what my car feels like it could achieve with a good driver and a racetrack and the classic impreza still only weighs 1240kg so has a good power to weight but they are proper shite on fuel!

 

Must still miss the rado though because i still come back and have to have a ganders on here now and again, maybe i will own a low mileage, twilight violet vr6 with grey leather one day again! :D

[Danny B 0]

I've been in one or two impreza STi's (pre 2000's) and as far as pure performance is concerned my standard VR wouldnt know which way they went if I'm honest......but which would I prefer to drive and have in my garage is a different story :norty:

 

Am I the only one that actually quite likes the boxer engine note then :scratch:

 

Good luck with the project though matey.

[Alexander 0]

I'm glad I don't live down your way while you're "testing the handling" of your cars.

[Corrado_Addict 0]

I'm glad I don't live down your way while you're "testing the handling" of your cars.

 

huh? :confused4:

 

Personally I love the boxer engine note, I think the exhaust system thats on the car at the moment is a bit too deep though, want a bit more of a rasp so its not too burbly but I do love the engine note, awesome performance right out of the box and to get a corrado to the level of even a standard impreza needs a bit of dosh spent on it but again personal preference comes down to it and I do like the impreza BUT I still love and always will love the rado.