The only car that's really stood out to me so far from the adverts is the one with 24k on the clock that's over budget.

Never hurry into buying one of these things and wait the wait it is always worth it no matter what is currently out there and what you may miss out on. Eventually a better car will come along for the right price.

If you ask me it's the wrong time of year to be buying a car now - the deals are to be had in January and February as these are very long months for people and businesses and will be more eager to sell a car for a lower price for that reason.

 

thanks for the voice of reason rich... i would really love the one you mentioned. i'v purposefully waited until this time of the year for the reasons you pointed out. January is the very best time..

 

Wouldn't want to be selling a car to you savvy hardnosed pair.

Be careful though, snow this week could push prices up

 

haha...just trying to get a bargin...
talk to me... tery tibbs is my name much love....

 

ive read your "advice" your subaru knowledge is the square root of **** all.

your last bit was "i cant help but i googled this"

 

hello chaps... iv taken a fancy to this scoob... whats your opinion on it.. im going to view it on saturday....

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...6YearTo%3D2006

 

Looks good to me from the ad, but you need to look at it and see how straight it is as well as find out how many owners and do an HPI check. Should be able to beat him down on price a little too.

That garage used to be called Jus Sports, it's in Accrington. he has a varied reputation... do some Googling. Doesn't mean don't buy from him, but be sure what you are buying is straight and true!

 

Thanks for the heads up bud, I'm taking an extra pair of eyes with me and il do my own hpi check on it too. I'm gonna do some homework on them when I get home, il make sure I look through the paperwork thoroughly. I appreciate your input too.

 

My (cynical, Devil's Advocate) view on this is:

• It might say 2005 but it's still on a 54 plate.
• PPP - make sure it's not only got the cert but (as in a recent thread) has all the parts you'd expect.
• Make sure the 'Service Records' show the cambelt change and at the right time (5 years, since it's not done 75K).
• a lot of the advert states the obvious ("World rally blue" for one) but also "usual STi refinements". Read up on the 'refinements' and check that they are all there (as per the PPP Cert and relevant parts).

If this doesn't come up to expectations then offer less (after pointing things out).
If you get no joy then post your experience on here, to help others

 

54 plate ran 01/09/04 - 28/02/05 so where's the surprise about the 54 plate?

 

4/6 (that's 2/3, or 66.67%) of the period is in the year 2004.
That makes it worth checking that it is an MY05* car. (Probability Theory and all that).

You haven't queried my caution re. the PPP cert, so does that mean you would accept that part of the description without question?

Nor the rest of my 'hardnosed buyer' points.

Might I suggest that you shouldn't let personal differences (animosity even) get in the way of giving members who ask for advice good advice, and not muddy the waters?

*fwiw mine's a Jan 06 reg on a 55 plate
(oh, and it's a Subaru )

 

lol.... guys simmer down.... propper cat fight going on here...
i just need to work out chassis number for year. i'v also done a bit of digging around
PPP supposedly consists of center cat (after the downpipe)
silicone hose on intercooler
prodrive rear box (this one has a miltek rear box)
springs
ecu remap
the site i read that post from, also mentioned contacting subaru to confirm upgrade.. :/

i'v got the original wrx sti brochure as a pdf too, so i can check that all the extras are in place. i'v looked for bad reviews on trader, and i must say that a lot of it was all here say without confirmation of dodgy sale. although people were comparing them to keighly trade center (proper dodgy car clocking c**ts) so i will be very suspicious.. if im honest i need to go with the intention of not buying if things start ticking boxes then il consider after all this will be my first encounter with a scoob so need to learn from this one....
guys i really appreciate all your input..

 

You'll get used to the b!tching when you've been around a while longer.

It's an 05 widetrack, so falls into the lower tax band, add sounds ok with all the relevant info, it's also possible that it's had a remap due to the miltek exhaust which is a popular upgrade and also a good one, some think the prodrive exhaust is too quiet and want to release a bit more burble, I happen to like mine, although I do have a miltek on my Type R I wouldn't want to listen to one all the time on a daily driver.

As has been recommended be very thorough when checking the service history and the car itself, the later gearboxes seem to fair much better than the slightly older ones so this should be ok at that sort of milage.

As with all scoobs make sure you hear it started from cold and blip the throttle up to 2.5k rpm and listen for the death rattle, apart from that there's not much that goes wrong with them as long as they are well maintained.

Also check the condition of the brake pads, discs and tyres as if they need replacing it's the best part of a grand, as mentioned check when the cambelt and fluids were last change because again that can cost in the region of £600 for a full cambelt and fluid change.

not trying to scare you off but for that sort of money you really want to make sure everything is up to date so that your not looking at another £1.5k to sort these issues which makes it a £10k car by the end of the month.

Forgot to mention clunky rear suspension so try and find the odd pot hole or speed bump and have a listen to the rear shocks for a knocking sound.

 

You seemed to imply it couldn't be a 2005, I pointed out it could. That's all! The fact is it's a 2005 MY anyway as it has the flared rear arches, different bumper. Not sure if the year it's registered in affects the value that much if at all as it's more the plate that it's on!

I have no idea why you feel the need to then go on about 'personal differences' etc. I am just trying to help the OP, isn't that what you claim we should all be doing?

 

thanks guys iv just done a hpi check. came back with good results although has had 6 previous owners the mileage checker was kak.. wasnt conclusive think il have to go by mot's and service history for that one..
was registered 1/10/2004

 

Tbh, if it is a daily commuter I'd be buying the WRX model, using some dosh for upgrades (if you find a PPP-fitted one it 'll be 260ish bhp). Unless you plan on driving the car quite hard I don't see the point in spending the premium for an STi when the WRX is just as capable in most every day situations. Money saved can pay for insurance and servicing and FUEL. 60k in a Scoob is not cheap mileage travelled.

Just my 2p. (Own a WRX Wagon and very pleased with it as a daily drive).

 

OK so it's 2005 model registered in 2004. The widetrack had a number of differences over the previous model, the obvious visual ones being the flared rear arches (which this car has) and the wheels having 5 x PCD114 configuration nuts on the larger hubs. There are many more less obvious differences such as the wider track and revised suspension etc.

The fact it has had 6 owners is a little bit of a concern, wonder why so many?

Mileage can usually be checked from MOTs, service history. Might be worth calling the dealers in the service history and verifyng they did the services and the mileage etc.

 

That was my point (and this isn't points scoring, sincerely).
There's loads of threads where things aren't as described (E-bay etc.).

I suppose one could look at is as 'the usual dressing up' or be cynical (like me ) and wonder why it wasn't a spot-on description ("05 Model" eg).

I'd add to the point about mileage and owners.
The amount of time an owner had it can be a good indication of possible problems.
I'd be more concerned about a car with 3 owners in the last 2K miles than eg. 8 owners, all of who had it for about a year and 10k.

Just a word to the op as well (especially in view of my 'cynicism').
A lot of good work's been done but don't lose out on one by being a bit over cautious.
Cross-checking eg HPI against service history as suggested above should bring out any real discrepancies but it might also bring up a red herring.

Without being funny, stop at one with a high probability of being genuine, not one that you feel is 'beyond reasonable doubt', because you'll get manic !

I can tell you - and you've probably seen from threads and posts - that there's oceans of knowledge here that will keep you away from dogs and sheds.

 

thanks guys, im taking it on board. a alarming number of owners could be a result of people buying a car they coulnt afford to run. im not dismissing what could be the obvious but just putting a different spin on things.. suppose the proof will be in the pudding tomorrow..

 

With a car of that age I would always buy on condition not mileage or number of owners.

 

A reasonable point but you can't necessarily get a good idea of the condition of an engine on a test drive eg. excessive oil consumption.

I'd perhaps suggest to the op that if they have the odd doubt then tell the seller you'll think it over, come back here and ask a few questions and then make a decision.

In general we all seem to think the same way but go about things differently.

 

Thanks guys points taken on board. A friend has pointed out to me that 6 owners is high. 6 times more ragged where the words he used hahaha. I was thinking maybe a couple of owners bought a car they couldn't afford to run. Anyway it's less than a hours drive away so il bimble over for a kick of the tyre

 

Look at a few before you spend your hard earned

 

I've seen plenty of dogs with low mileage and few owners, likewise I've seen a lot with several owners and six figures on the clock that are pretty mint.

I always find a good old chat over the phone with the owner prior to viewing will give you a gut feeling as to what the car is like, make some notes and then if you decide to view you should be able to catch them out, or confirm their honesty.

 

I'm just having a look, get a feel for what to look for. Not even talking any money with me

 

Don't worry about lots of owners too much, many people buy these cars then realise how much they cost to run, fuel being the main one, there's also the fact that the STI suspension and gear box are awful, couple that to them being something of a bucket list car and quite often a bit of a hand full and a licence looser for your average joe and it's no surprise that some have a few owners over the course of 9yrs.

I also obviously second the comments about the WRX, if your after a quick daily then WRX, if your a weekend warrior, modder or track day freak then get the STI but be prepared to spend.

 

Fookin hell I agree with you there ditch.

But then you remembered how to be a tosser again

My two pence worth is that I have a six owner car in the shape of my Golf. Was a pre-reg and then two sensible owners before some fool decided to buy it on finance. Couldn't afford to pay it and run it so decided to try swapping it over to family members names but it was still recovered.

The result was that I got a mint low mileage car for around £4k less than book price, but I did my homework on the car and checked it out thoroughly before I bought it.

 

It would have been nice if you left it at that.



Takes one to know one.

All i've ever tried to do in all of this WRX vs STI bollax is present the other side of the coin, I don't actually think either is "better" than the other because they were built for different purposes and are at opposing ends of the scale, it's all about getting the right car for the intended use as far as i'm concerned, and the fact that a lot of these cars end up with multiple owners is in part proof they are quite often not what people expect them to be.

 

Ditch is right, it is worth checking out the WRX. I had an STI 2003 as a daily driver and to be honest it was a PITA in some respects. 95% of the time a WRX would have been better for my needs, but I wanted the best and sort of bought it wthout considering the WRX .... having owned three classics at the time I was after an 'upgrade'. Sure it was fast and looked the part, but it was also hardcore and I never got on with the 6 speed box.

 

Very good point