DATInternational Ricey’s Impreza
October Car of the Month
October 2008 Car of the Month
Throwing Inhibitio [
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Its hard to be diferent in the world of Impreza’s
I’m not going to lie. I don’t really get on with Impreza’s, and for the better part
But let me tell you, this Bugeye certainly has something different “on offer”.
what seems to be the majority of people who are now able to afford them these days with the prices of the Classic shape hitting the deck. I owned an 1999 Version 6 Sti for about 3 months which i had fully set up before i picked it up from the importers. Don’t get me wrong, this was an amazing machine and out-handled anything I had ever driven, but damn... it bored the proverbial out of me. I don’t fully know what it was but it just did.
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on To The Wind
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Inhibition To The Wind
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“Everything just works... making it one of my favourite Imprezas”
I
t really is so difficult these days to be different in the world of Impreza’s, with the easy access to cheap and readily available parts, but in my opinion this 2001 Bugeye Impreza pulls it off nicely. The car started off life as a standard Impreza WRX but falling into the hands of Paul Murphy the car slowly started its transformation into what you see before you. In 2001 when Paul picked the car up from the Eaglesham garage, he promised himself (and probably his girlfriend) that the car would stay standard for a while with just the Prodrive back box. That idea lasted all of two weeks when he ordered up a Scoobysport downpipe ad had it fitted to match up with the back box. After this point it was all downhill. The car has successfully changed its looked nearly every year with is sporting 5 different sets of alloy wheels, of which 3 sets were rather unforgiving 19’s. It has also sported 5 different exhaust sytems in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Prodrive system, to a Blitz Nur Spec R and finally landing on the georgeous Kakumei 3 inch system.
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“Daring to be differe Got
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DA
T?
For Paul, the exterior of the car and its looks have
always superseded the performance aspect. Not only having a huge selection of wheels and exhausts the car has had a number of exterior changes with Paul now settled on the combination of Kakumei Racing Front Bumper and C-West side skirts and rear bumper spoiler. The combined look of the kit along with the Tein coilovers gives the car some serious road presence. In 2006 Paul searched high and low to get his hands on a Mine’s Rear spoiler. This really helps to set the back end of the car off as the low profile, almost despoilered look is so rarely seen on this shape of Impreza. One thing that you can not overlook with this car is the splashes of green decals and green Nukabe tow hooks. This colour coding continues into the cabin with the Takata green harnesses, and under the bonnet with the green Artel Motorsport silicone hoses and the replacement green horns. This really is daring to be different and helps to make this machine stand out from the crowd. The interior of the car is far from standard as well with Paul replacing the standard steering wheel with that from a 2007 Sti Spec C. That was not the only thing transfered from the Spec C with him also getting his hands on the black carpet as well. This works with the touches of silver from the Agency Power gear knob and the pillar mounted Defi boost guage to continue the black and silver theme as so dominantly shown on the outside of the car. One of my favourite touches to this car is the flocked dash. This really helps to raise the profile of the interior giving it a completely different finish and helping to elimate some of the ‘platsic fantastic’ feel commonally associated with Impreza’s.
ent”
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Inhibition To The Wind
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ow, I’m not wanting you to think that Paul has left the performance aspect by the roadside, this car has recieved a list of performance parts that is as long as your arm. The exhaust system has been fully replaced wih the headers and downpipe being DEI heat wrapped and coated to help protect the engine from excess heat transfer. The car has also being fitted with and Autobahn88 intercooler to bring the intake temperatures down and allow for a denser charge of air into the engine increasing the potential output. To allow the pull potential of all of Paul’s modifications the car was given to the capable hands of Andy Forest who did a custom remap on the car using the latest Ecutek 3 ECU. The Impreza’s brake system has also not gone untouched with the front brakes being replaced with 330mm 8 pot K-Sport brake system, a Cusco Master brake cylinder brace and Goodridge braided brake lines. At the end of the day I find that an extrordinary amount of work has gone into this car and that is something that no one can deny. With the Subaru world being full of purists these days, it is very hard to find someone willing to push the boat out and risk a world of pain from the online community but Paul has created something truely unique and of a very high standard that definately deserves respect.
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Fraser Gordon
TECH SPEC Vehicle
Year - 2001 Make - Subaru Model - Impreza WRX Engine Code - EJ20
Engine Ecuteck 3 ECU Remapp Autobahn 88 FMIC Black Powdercoated Pipes Black Silicone Pipe joints with Mikalor clamps Kakumei Stainless Headers/Manifold Kakumei Stainless Up Pipe Kakumei Stainless Down Pipe Kakumei 3” Stainless Centre Section Kakumei 3” Stainless/Titanium Tipped back box Downpipe DEI Heat Wrapped & Coated Headers DEI Heat Wrapped & Coated Cusco Blue Exhaust Hangers Apexi Induction Kit TEIN Bonnet Dampers Walbro 255 Fuel Pump CDF Racing Lightened Pulley Kit Exedy Racing Clutch ACT Streetfire Lightened/Balanced Flywheel NGK PRF7Bs HKS SSQV II Dump Valve Syms Oil Cap Syms Radiator Cap Syms Brake Reservoir Sock Syms Brake Reservoir Cap Syms Clutch Reservoir Cap Green “Artel Motorsport” Silicone Hoses Green “Artel Motorsport” Silicone Coolant Hoses Paranoid Fabrications Earthing Kit HELLA Supatone Horns Painted Lime Green Agency Power Alloy Pulley Cover Motul - Fully Synthetic Engine Oil Motul - Racing Brake Fluid Redline - Gearbox Oil Redline – Water Wetter
Wheels & Brakes 7.5 X 18” Rota Sub Zero Powder coated Gloss Black Toyo Proxes 5zigen Titantium Lightweight Wheel nuts K-sport 8 pot Calipers & Stainless brake lines K-sport 330mm Disce and Bells Factory 2 Pot Rear disc Painted Lime Green with Goodridge Braded Brake Lines CUSCO Master Brake Cylinder Brace
Suspension TEIN Coilovers TEIN Front Strut brace TEIN Rear Strut Brace Whiteline Rear 22mm Adjustable Anti Roll Bar Whiteline Front 22mm Adjustable Anti Roll Bar Whiteline Steering Rack Bushes Whiteline Balljoints Whiteline Track Rods Whiteline Alloy Rear Drop Links Whiteline Rose Jointed Droplinks HardRace Anti Lift Kit CUSCO H Brace Progrip Fast Road Geometry Set Up
Interior Subaru OE Spec C Roof Vent Roof Lining Wrapped in Red Alcantara Black Alcantara wrapped A, B & C Pillars Red JDM hazard Warning Switch Subaru OE JDM 3rd Brake light Subaru JDM Spec C Style Black Dash facias JDM Broadway Rear View Mirror 270mm 2007 STi Spec C Steering Wheel 2007 STi Spec C Black Carpet Interior/Doors/boot Sound Proofed Flocked 07 STi Centre Console Flocked STi 9 Dashboard Flocked Bottom Half of Dashboard Zerosports Leather Gear gaitor Takata Racing 3” Harnesses Short Throw Kit ZeroSports Pushbutton Starter Agency Power Alloy Gear knob 2007 JDM STi Spec C Gauge Cluster (Defi style) Defi Controller Unit 2 Defi BF – Boost Gauge 60mm
Exterior Roof, A & C pillars painted Gloss Black Custom Painted OE Bonnet Half painted Black & Silver Lister WRC Style Bonnet Vent Kakumei Racing Front Bumper C-West Side Skirts C-West Rear Bumper Spoiler Performance Creation Black Mudflaps Carbon Fibre B Pillars Mines Bootlid spoiler Subaru OE JDM Door Garnishes Subaru STi 9 Rear wheel arch extensions Subaru OE Carbon Fibre Boot trim JUN Headlight Eyebrows OEM Subaru Window Air Defender ZeroSports Front Grille Gandor Wing Mirrors STi 10 rear diffuser painted gloss black with Cusco Bracket powder coated gold Nukabe Front/Rear Tow Hooks painted Lime Green
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KUDOS
www.flat4online.co.uk www.artelmotorsport.com Editing and Photography - Fraser Gordon Motion Photography - Iain Carmichael
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