JustCallMeMac Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 Last June I bought an immaculate, low mileage, Subaru Impreza STI (2007) for the sole purpose of fast road and occasional track use. It had already been sensibly modified power-wise, running 360 / 400 and I subsequently spent a fair amount on handling, chassis improvements, coilover suspension, brakes, geo set up and alignment etc, as well as a good set of fast road / track tyres. In late March I tracked the car for the first time, (open pit lane at Silverstone International) and was absolutely blown away by the experience. It was my also my first track day and hopefully, one of many! However the day demonstrated that the Subaru required further investment notably with regards oil / engine management and various oil / water / turbo cooling options. In addition, the chassis and handling package easily coped with current power levels so I’m also interested in engine, (forged build), clutch and turbo upgrades, to safely see me to around 450bhp. However to do all of this, I’m probably looking at spending the best part of another £10-£12k on top of what I’ve already spent on handling etc. So I’m seriously reconsidering my options and whilst I absolutely love the Subaru and don’t really want to part with it, the car is, to all intents and purposes, a ‘weekender,’ which will only really be brought out, during dry weather, for a B Road blast or track use. So, to this end, I’m wondering if I would be far better served, from a financial perspective, buying something which is already fast-road and track focused and which will not require much, if any, additional ‘upgrade’ investment, (unless I choose to), namely a Westfield. However, I’m a complete novice and have no idea where to start, what to look out for and what to spend, especially as there seem to be so many different options / packages out there. I’ve looked through the classifieds on Pistonheads and there is plenty of machinery that ‘turns my head’ but I could really do with some sound advice. I don’t plan to comp the car, just enjoy my occasional ‘need for speed’ and come away smiling like a Cheshire cat! So, if anyone can start pointing me in the right direction to get me started, it would be hugely appreciated Also, can someone explain what SEIW stands for? Many thanks, Steve Quote
peterg Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 SEiW SE - they all are (short for Se7en) i - independent (as in rear suspension) W - widebody, cockpit area is roughly 4" wider (2" each side) and 4" longer than the earlier narrow bodied cars so if you're tall or er, comfortably built then you will fit better in a widebody Quote
perksy Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 Welcome If you have a look in the FAQ section Mark Jackson did a cracking write up on what to look for when choosing a Westfield and the difference in models etc Which should answer most of your questions Quote
Steven (WE51STE) Posted April 20, 2011 Posted April 20, 2011 Hi Steve. Where you from ? The reason why I ask is that there are many areas and we all have local meetings. Pop over to a local meeting and have a chat with the local boys and girls. If you ask nicely they may even show you theirs ;-) but all will be willing to talk you through their advice. Steve P.S. Welcome to the best car club in the world - we should probably rename it to the Carling Car Club ;-) Quote
langy Posted April 20, 2011 Posted April 20, 2011 You don't need a Westfield, you need something slightly different Quote
Cleggy the Spyder Man Posted April 20, 2011 Posted April 20, 2011 I run an STI and would not consider running it as a track machine - they are enough of a money pit for fuel and tyres as it, and if you manage to bend a nice tin top repair may not even be an option, as where many offs in a 7 can be repaired (a factor often overlooked) you are defo on the right track - you will have much more fun in a 7 with the only downside being the limitations due to weather - is running/storing a trailor an option for you? 7's = a much cheaper/fun way of getting track day time IMO expect to see me pulling me westy with the scoob at various tracks this year Quote
JustCallMeMac Posted April 21, 2011 Author Posted April 21, 2011 Hi Steve.Where you from ? The reason why I ask is that there are many areas and we all have local meetings. Pop over to a local meeting and have a chat with the local boys and girls. If you ask nicely they may even show you theirs ;-) but all will be willing to talk you through their advice. Steve P.S. Welcome to the best car club in the world - we should probably rename it to the Carling Car Club ;-) I live in Southampton and would of course like to attend a local meeting to gather information and advice and maybe go for the odd spin in order to experience what I'm getting in to! Quote
JustCallMeMac Posted April 21, 2011 Author Posted April 21, 2011 I run an STI and would not consider running it as a track machine - they are enough of a money pit for fuel and tyres as it, and if you manage to bend a nice tin top repair may not even be an option, as where many offs in a 7 can be repaired (a factor often overlooked) you are defo on the right track - you will have much more fun in a 7 with the only downside being the limitations due to weather - is running/storing a trailor an option for you? 7's = a much cheaper/fun way of getting track day time IMO expect to see me pulling me westy with the scoob at various tracks this year You are right about the running costs! Do love the car though and the 4WD along with the handling package means it can cope admirably should conditions be a little damp! However, the more I read about these Westfields the more I think it would be the right, more sensible move for me based on my track day aspirations. For what I'm about to spend on forged engine / turbo / cooling upgrades for the Impreza, I'm sure I could get myself a nice Westy with a bit of change! Quick question, if you don't mind. I'm interested in a car in the For Sale section and want to see if it's still available. Problem is I can't contact the member? Do I need to be a fully paid up member to do this? Link is http://boardroom.wscc.co.uk/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=9;t=88328 Thanks, Steve Quote
Cleggy the Spyder Man Posted April 21, 2011 Posted April 21, 2011 yes you do need to be a member to post in that section or send private messages I have sent him a private message with a link to this thread - hopefully he will pop in here and leave some contact details for you Quote
juansolo Posted April 22, 2011 Posted April 22, 2011 Cheers for that Cleggy. The car for sale is mine. There's a little more info on the link at the bottom of the advert. Otherwise ask away or bob me an e-mail at wildlifeonjuan@gmail.com FWIW I've run a Scooby and a Westie at the same time also. It tows effortlessly (though it is incredibly thirsty while it's doing it). But I agree with the sentiments, the Scoobs are simply too heavy to be a regular track toy. They demiolish brakes and tyres at an eye watering rate. Not to mention how much fuel they use on track. Quote
juansolo Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 *smells pits* ...it must be that.., it must be... Can't say I'm bothered, it's getting to that time of year again when it'll all be paid for for another year and the sun will come out so I'll pull it, again. Only to list it again next year around March time, like I did last year. I think I'll make it a tradition Have to say I'm very close to doing so again the way the weather's been of late. I've even tentatively booked a trackday in it to avoid all the at royal nonsense on Friday (weather permitting, don't fancy the 320 mile round trip in the rain) . Quote
sparky21 Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 Steve if you are buying for fast road and looking at doing a few track days have you considered a BEC ( bike enginged car)? just wondered what you have looked at or tried so far..... Waiting for the abuse from the CEC gang!!!! Quote
Speed Freak Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 If youre going to hang up your sti boots which had 350-400hp, then I think you need to be going for a bit more power... 200hp upwards will give you something still very road worthy but also something great for the odd track day. Think that after having the sti 170hp may be a little too little- Whats your budget? If its healthy then duratec (for car engined cars) or hayabusa (bike engined cars) will be by the most recommended.Not quite so much $$$ then redtops/zetecs will get you 200hp easily and fairly cheaply. Quote
sparky21 Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 Ive always fancied a go in a decent scoob or an evo, not sure if would own one, but hey never say never, but sureley even 400bhp in a 1300kg car compared to a lets say 180bhp in a 500kg car is no comparison or am I wrong? Quote
Cleggy the Spyder Man Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 your right - my scooby has 300bhp and is out-gunned by 170bhp westies up to say 90mph although at higher speeds or damp roads the scoob will pull away ------------------------ I dont really see the point in spending great amounts on upgrading to more bhp for track day exploits - where do you stop and what is the point - does not make you a better driver - better off going lightweight with power for fun factor Quote
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