Ekona

It's not on wrong. Wrong would be the other way, which just looked ridiculous when we tried it.

On a 2 mile stretch of runway at Brunters, in a car that weighs less than a 350 with approx 100bhp more, I touched 170mph. That was just, and with a dual clutch box. A 350 isn't a slow car, but you'll need more than 2 miles to get anywhere.

If they're the OEM 18s, bin them. They're awfully heavy, and will kill feel on track. /VOE

Well, that's stuffed that. I'd still try a TB reset.

Hopefully not!

Ooooh you've got a larger TB as well, don't you? Yup, I reckon I'm on the right lines here. Reset first, then swap back to OEM if poss.

More polish. What have you tried?

SMF fitted? I'd suspect a failure of the throttle body, do a reset and try that.

No different than giving it to anyone else mate. Think about it, how else are they supposed to get hold of you? Wouldn't bother me at all

I hope he does. I've got a few quid on him.

Silver for lazy people who can't be bothered to clean their car as it always looks roughly the same anyway

In a few years time, people will view cars like that they way we view cars like this now:

I heartily approve of the purchase of this vehicle

They're not actually that bad, if you buy the right one. The STi has a stronger gearbox (i.e. indestructible) than the WRX, and the 2L engine is far stronger than the 2.5L. Other than that, it's just the standard things that can fail, and unless you start doing silly tuning then they're pretty strong cars. The only thing with an Impreza is that they really encourage you to press on like no other car I've ever driven. The rate you can cover country roads is phenomenal, and the balance is beautiful: With the DCCD (adjustable diff) set full rear giving a 35F/65R torque split, you get a hint of understeer on turn in and then a little squiggle once you get back on the power. Then it's just grip & go. Lovely stuff!

Incestuous car swapping ftw!

Clay only to remove every last trace of protection you have, so yes do that before a polish. After that, just wash and top up the wax as required.

Car stalking? Well, that's not creepy at all.

As cheap as the Rays? I mean, I'm not denying there's lighter wheels out there, but you either have to spend more money or find a four leaf clover in a field nailed to a pot of gold whilst a pig circles above.

Yes, sadly the time came to say goodbye to the trusty Clio 182. It was bought cheap, it was sold cheap, and it was a heck of a lot of fun. But sometimes, you just know what car you need in your life, and god bless my wifey for having good taste in cars... Well, doesn't that look familiar? For those who don't know. that's the same car we sold to a mate 3 years ago because Jo was doing long commutes and the fuel bill was crippling. Thankfully he's looked after her as well as we would've, sorted out all the wonky bits, and now we have Betty Beast back in our possession again. 320-ish bhp, 1300kg, STi PPP, revs to high heaven and has DCCD with the wider track. She's an absolute monster of a car, and I struggle to find anything I'd cover distances with quicker than this. Just enough power to be fun, but with a torque delivery that leaves you breathless on occasion. Suffice to say, we're not planning on getting shot of Betty any time soon.

But did you not get a one-off bargain on those? I mean, it's not like they're cropping up for sale at that price every 5 mins.

How the f*ck did you get a Gyarados, that's like a billion Magikarp!

Something to aim for

Aww sucks Do yourself a favour and don't faff around with accident management companies, just deal directly with your insurer. It will make life so much easier, and it's what you pay them for. Start collecting adverts for comparable cars from PH & AT, and be prepared to haggle.

Then they're not mechanics. Sadly I tend to agree with the others, this is looking very much like a rebuild job.

If it is as you say it is, then I'd be looking at that route too. You really need to go and speak with a proper employment solicitor and get their take on it, or use your union if you're a member. That said, from a practical POV I think that Stu's advice is the one to take: Don't get bogged down in stuff that can make your life awkward, just take the easy route if it means that you get into a happy place quicker.