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Old 03 May 2016, 04:11 PM
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lunar tick
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Default Are we driving rare cars?

So, I drove from Northumberland to Guildford and back last week. A total of over 700 miles over 2 days using the A686, M6, M6 Toll, M42, M40, A34, A339, M3, A31 and A3. In total, I saw ONE other Impreza, which was glanced coming the other way down the A34 dual carriageway. Obviously, our cars aren't motorway/A road cruisers but it struck me just how few there are around on the roads these days. Unless I'm just not driving in the right areas?
Old 03 May 2016, 04:13 PM
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Gambit
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common as muck over here
Old 03 May 2016, 04:15 PM
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Wurzel
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I am the only one in my village to have one so mine is pretty rare.
Old 03 May 2016, 04:30 PM
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fat-thomas
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Maybe it's because people stopped buying them in 2007 when the abortion of the hatch was released.
The other 90% were bought by sioc with their benefits and ruined then sold when they realised the do 20 mpg.
So that only leaves 10% owned by sensible people.
Old 03 May 2016, 04:40 PM
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will the blobeye sti become a rare car then down the line?? will the classics become a collectors car?? i know its a sort after car...will it go the way of the saff cossies??

Last edited by johno01; 03 May 2016 at 04:42 PM.
Old 03 May 2016, 04:43 PM
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Originally Posted by fat-thomas
Maybe it's because people stopped buying them in 2007 when the abortion of the hatch was released.
The other 90% were bought by sioc with their benefits and ruined then sold when they realised the do 20 mpg.
So that only leaves 10% owned by sensible people.


I managed just on 30mpg at times on the run. About a third of that on the cross-Pennine A and B roads like this one

Old 03 May 2016, 04:45 PM
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lunar tick
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Originally Posted by johno01
will the blobeye sti become a rare car then down the line?? will the classics become a collectors car?? i know its a sort after car...will it go the way of the saff cossies??
A degree of rarity is good I guess. However, once cars get too rare, all the parts and consumables start to get expensive and harder to find too
Old 03 May 2016, 04:47 PM
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johno01
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Originally Posted by lunar tick
A degree of rarity is good I guess. However, once cars get too rare, all the parts and consumables start to get expensive and harder to find too

yeah i completely agree...it would be interesting to know the cost of a rebuild for a sierra cossie 10 years ago compared to now
Old 03 May 2016, 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted by johno01
will the blobeye sti become a rare car then down the line??
The Bug STI would be the rarer of the two due too less production and many were broken a few years ago when they were worth more in bits.
Old 03 May 2016, 04:54 PM
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We is well exclusive innit!
Old 03 May 2016, 04:55 PM
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Originally Posted by jayallen
The Bug STI would be the rarer of the two due too less production and many were broken a few years ago when they were worth more in bits.
Still are Jay to be honest. Know a lot of people who have sold their to be broken as it's worth more than selling the whole car privately. Such a shame.
Old 03 May 2016, 04:56 PM
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johno01
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Originally Posted by jayallen
The Bug STI would be the rarer of the two due too less production and many were broken a few years ago when they were worth more in bits.
are they more sort after than the blob though??
Old 03 May 2016, 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by johno01
are they more sort after than the blob though??
Bug STi's are nicer than Blobs aged far better
Old 03 May 2016, 05:01 PM
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It doesn't help that anything below the Widetrack pricepoint is being broken for parts nowadays, even mint looking cars.

It does mean though that spares are plenty!
Old 03 May 2016, 05:21 PM
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Still plenty around over here. At least 4 of 'em.


But it's not rarity that makes a classic, it's following and demand.


Look at Porsche, for example. A high percentage of all Porsches ever made are still on the road. Tons of them. But such is the reputation and demand that after 10 years or so they stop depreciating and start heading for silly money.


Fortunately, virtually all older Imprezas have just arrived at the point where (so long as you don't skimp on the maintenance) you ought to get back exactly what you paid if/when you come to sell on.


This is good.
Old 03 May 2016, 05:29 PM
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i do think the blobs will demand a premium in 5 - 10 years...what is concerning for the blob owners is the amount of blob sti's,spec c's etc getting imported...not as much as the bugs but plenty of blobs
Old 03 May 2016, 05:31 PM
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Not seen a type r locally for ages
Old 03 May 2016, 05:36 PM
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Originally Posted by 53
Bug STi's are nicer than Blobs aged far better
+1 for the bugeyes I haven't seen a black prodrive sti 4 ages
Old 03 May 2016, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by BrownPantsRacing
Still are Jay to be honest. Know a lot of people who have sold their to be broken as it's worth more than selling the whole car privately. Such a shame.
I'm guilty of breaking the Bug STI below a few years ago. Unfortunately it was more cost effective for me to break it.

A friend of mine broke 6 including a couple of JDM's! He was picking them up for as little as 4k and making a nice profit.




I also sold a Blob STI to Matty who used to be at PP for the sole intention of breaking it.....Shame really.
Old 03 May 2016, 05:50 PM
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The US 25 year rule will kick in soon for the JDM market. You can look out then when the cost of GC8 cars will head north. The early Jap cars have already started and the sh@te exchange rate will not help.

In the bigger scheme of things Subaru is not a mass producer to the European market unlike Australasia or in the US were some Subaru models are made. Their customer base is small in the UK and there are not that many dealers BUT expect a marketing push soon as new engine tech comes on line.
Old 03 May 2016, 06:04 PM
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I drove from Cambridgeshire to Kent and back a few weeks ago in my classic. I was surprised to have only seen one other Impreza the whole time and that was near my home town. I thought I would have seen more of them to. Mind you where I live there seems to be about five in the area, bear in mind I live in a small town in the countryside.
Old 03 May 2016, 06:22 PM
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It's more to do with their age as of why they are uncommon now.
Blobs are well over ten years old and Bugs nearer 15.
Old 03 May 2016, 06:23 PM
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I've seen at least 50 in Edinburgh so far. 20-30 Legacys too.
Old 03 May 2016, 06:28 PM
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so down the line the bugs AND blob STIS will be like the sierra cosworth then??
??
saff cossies were 7-8 grand cars about 4-5 years ago...now for a decent one your looking at around 12 onwards

Last edited by johno01; 03 May 2016 at 06:31 PM.
Old 03 May 2016, 06:32 PM
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fat-thomas
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Originally Posted by johno01
so down the line the bugs AND blob STIS will be like the sierra cosworth then??
I'd say so yes.
Unmodded and standard will be where the value is.
Old 03 May 2016, 06:35 PM
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I sure they will be soon, given the number of perfectly good cars that are being broken for parts on a daily basis.
Old 03 May 2016, 06:39 PM
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Originally Posted by fat-thomas
I'd say so yes.
Unmodded and standard will be where the value is.

thats interesting...so onwards to escort cosworth value then...saff cossies are becomimg so rare...more they get broke or wrote off then more the value goes up..i think the cost of the bug or blob 2.0 litre sti rebuilds will fly up simply because of the amount getting broke or wrote off will drive prices up 20 years from now....
Old 03 May 2016, 06:40 PM
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My classic turns heads everywhere it goes now and gets positive comments along the way.

Nobody used to even notice it because they were everywhere. Times have well and truly changed for the better.
Old 03 May 2016, 06:46 PM
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It's still regarded as a chav chariot due to the likes of the sioc car ruiners and wrc sticker crews but hopefully they will die out soon and the genuine unmodded clean cars that survive will be cherished and go up in value
Old 03 May 2016, 07:05 PM
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is it right to compare them with the saff cossie??...i remember one time when everyone had a saff cossie and although they were nice there nothing to shout home about..the feel of a blob widetrack is much better than a saff cossie but there demanding 12-13 grand with welded sills and welded holes in the floor pans??

Last edited by johno01; 03 May 2016 at 07:07 PM.


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