It's been a little while since the last update! I had a little wobble last year and seriously considered selling the car. I was thinking of going for a combination of an Integra or Civic Type-R daily, and a dedicated track car such as a RAW Striker... Needless to say the Scoob's hold on my heartstrings prevailed, and I decided to keep it.
I took the car into Chevron for service / MOT / general fix in November, and a few problems were found and sorted. The rotated kit's oil and water feeds had a small leak
so they've been replaced with race-grade piping and new turbo gaskets. Front discs and pads needed replacing, so went for Simon's preferred Hawk pads, which seem to do a very good job without too much dust. I also went for a new catch tank with a full machined return to sump system, as the old one was blocking up too easily and over-spilling. Other jobs: exhaust headers were re-wrapped, in-line motorsport fuel filter fitted, noisy alternator pulley replaced. In addition, Simon thought the car was perhaps riding a little too low, so it's had a full suspension setup done free of charge.
While it was away getting fixed, I scoured eBay for bits I wanted to fit, and finally found the exact seat I wanted at the right price: a Cobra Suzuka Pro-Fit. Pics below, one with the dog kindly modelling. I fitted this myself with the assistance of a friend and the guys at Chevron, along with one of the two harnesses I have for sale. The car now feels like it should've from the factory IMO: the seat is comfortable (I find the standard STi seats hateful) plus you're sat nice and low in the car and you can feel everything. The difference is night and day.
When I find a buyer for the harnesses I will replace with this, it felt like the obvious choice
http://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/luke-b...prod_2322.html
The new OZ wheels were in absolute clip after I fitted the PFC endurance pads... After, ahem, extensive use, I would NOT recommend these pads if you care about a. disc life or b. your wheels! They are a truly excellent pad with amazing hot performance, but be warned. So the wheels have gone off to a good local powder-coater, to be refinished as per the wheel below, a sort of metallic graphite. Two new Yoko AD08Rs are waiting in the garage as well...
Luke
ETA: The pads mentioned above are PFC '01' endurance compound, i.e. racing compound. Their road (Z) compounds are very good but no idea how they hold up to brake fade.