Hi all,

After 3 months Subaru-less i need another, everytime one goes past i wind the windows down to listen .

looking at buying an older classic, but which one ? theres lots of uk turbos about aswell as WRX imports or even the odd STi in my price range (2/2.5k)

All advice / comments greatly received.

 

you might get a 98 but probably a 95/96 car. make sure to take all the precautions before buying. these cars tend to have had a hard life. it will be rare that you will find an unmolested one. will not be as nice as the new shape models to drive. they are a lot rawer to drive and a lot noisier

 

Take it you are talking of a daily driver, not a track car. That money should get you a tidy unmolested MY99/00 UK turbo which would be my target. Reasons

1) Mappable, big bonus over the earlier cars, can be brought up to near JDM power easily
2) Already has 4pot front and vented rear brakes, just stick better (kevlar?) pads in and Goodridge brake hoses and it's good to go
3) Much cheaper to insure than the JDM cars by at least £500 per year
4) Better gear ratios for high speed cruising (but not quite as quick at the traffic light grand prix)
5) Undersealed (believe the imports are not)
6) Run on 95ron if unmodded/unmapped
7) Smaller turbo than the JDM cars. Ultimately less power if modding but in standard car has quicker spool up and feels much livelier on the road

Or that money will buy a PPP MY97/98 or a very tidy standard car but the mods are limited on this year as the ECU cannot be mapped

Have to disagree with bigsinky, the classics are much nicer to drive IMHO. Had a 5 year old (at the time) 30,000 mile blobeye some years back. Had it a month and sold it, just plain boring to drive, like a Mundaneo. But that's my humble opinion and will now get the flamesuit on LOL

Which ever way you decide have fun and welcome back

 

uk turbo like written above has cheaper insurance and the later ones are better specd for creature comforts with a better interior and brakes

early jdm ones if you can find one with cdb would give you a stronger bottom end but even a late 99 is 12 years old and a early 93 is 18 years old and there are no guanrantees they have all been looked after my choice would be a version 4 wrx/sti if you can afford it for the slighty better internals and a better dash and has the brakes and the facelift conversion

 

Agree with his and her scoobs,a late 99/00 would be the best way to go imho as they have slightly more power than the earlier classics and are generally better looking with the facelift front.Before people start disagreeing with me, you never see a later classic(99/00)with a early front end ,but you will see 1000's of early classics that have upgraded to the facelift bumper and the crystal lights,bonnet,etc.

Also if the op does decide he should have the desire for more power at a later date , then its a simple ecutec remap.

 

Be a man and get a Type R

 

I dont think you can get half of a type r for 2k ,also with the ability to rev to 8,000 rpm,there may be a good chance it may has been driven slightly harder than a bloke in a bog std uk turbo.

 

If you can pay the insurance I pref the JDM, no rust and lots to choose from. I like the big bang the turbo makes and AC and electric windows lol. Now they can be had for 1 to 2 K , I have 93 near mint bodywork, it has lots of paperwork and work done new box and diff, well looked after. All the UK cars I have looked at just haven't been maintained. At that age the only worries for these cars are the bottom end, new shells are needed. I will still not push mine for that reason. Closed DEck is good, but at low power there is no need for this. Buy low and spend some money on it to make something special !!

 

Most late UK cars have AC (both mine have) Any of them not have electric windows?

The JDm turbo does have big bang, but you have to wait for it. The uk cars aren't £500 a year slower. A lot of the modded cars are quicker.

Seen plenty rusty jap cars. They arrive pristeen but soon rust if used as daily drivers and no underseal applied.
My UK car is 13 years old and spotless daily drive (apart from the overtaking stone chips).

Surely some of the UK cars have been maintained. Mine has passed 160,000 miles on original regularly thrashed engine!

Why buy a car you can't push?

 

aww come on now. the new age hawkeyes, and the new hatches are vastly superior in every way. easily tuneable to silly power, better handling, much more comfortable, all the gadgets, much better build quality.

having said that i still prefer my 95 wrx. yes there is a better feel in the car, you know your driving a car. the loud pedal just wants to be prodded all the time, it just wants to be unleased, you find yourself revving the car just past the sweet spot just to hear the note from the exhaust and the external wastegate. you definately know whwn a classic shape is coming your way.

lets just say a classic give me a much better driving experience that i feel you can't get from the new age cars.

 

Agreed 100%

 

As will all cars when they get cheep , people get them and just doint maintain them. I allways go for the classic , just think its just that, a classic. I love my GTR''s, but again they all need rebuilding now. Subaru are a strong engine , I still think all older cars need TLC, so you need cash spare for repairs. If on a limmited budget I would keep some cash back to do it up, FMIC, ESL, JDM turbo - BIG GRIN!

 

firstly thanks for all your comments, what power could be expected from a my99/00 uk turbo, i think it'll be the uk route as the insurance man is a dirty robbing tw@t for anything else, cost me £1500 for me and the Mrs on my old WRX hawkeye declaring all mods

 

Around 215bhp in standard trim, about 245 in PPP, remap to around 270bhp on TD04 with decat.

Just had my insurance renewal on UK MY97 with all mods declared, 4pots, rear ventilated, Prodrive ECU and decat, fully comp for wife and I including business use.

£344

and I get £20 off if I renew online, WOW

BIG BIG BIG GRIN




:l ol1:

 

Spotted this WR Sport the other day. No mileage mentioned, but looks very nice in the pics.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C191947

 

I've had a V3 facelift WRX in the past but now drive a UK MY00, both as daily drivers.

The V3 I must say felt a LOT quicker (even before playing with it!) than my UK now - saying this, I prefer my UK as it just feels put together better...

Up to you I guess what you go for - but as the guys above say, the money you save on insurance can go towards making it as quick as a JDM in the near'ish future

 

V2 STi's best car I have ever owned !

 

You mean nicer to drive, then, don't you? They WERE a driver's car, now they are a poseur wagon, which is why they won hardly any rallies since the classics

 

I would go for a V1/2 STi or even a Import WRX.