Grovit

Hi there

Have been researching info on here for a good while now in preparation for a Scoob purchase which I hope to make in Spring 2005. Looking to buy a classic and have a budget of £6,000 - £6,500.

It seems that the choices are around - 93 - 98 cars both import and export versions with varying degrees of condition, spec and history. My dilemma is this really:


1. The import has the higher BHP and the low ratio gearbox (or so I've been led to believe from reading the threads on here). However, there are fuel considerations, history seems non existant until it's hit UK shores, it will undoubtably be pre facelift (not as nice as post IMO) and there's the whole registration thing which I don't quite understand. Sure, it may have been done by the existing owner, however I still don't fully understand the procedure and costs incvolved.

2. If I go for UK classic, it will likely be higher mileage example, have significantly less BHP, however will probably be post facelift and benefit from potentially cheaper insurance.

I guess I'm looking for any hints, tips, suggestions for purchasing. There seems to be a massive array of model specs, let alone aftermarket bolt on odds and ends which can make the task all the more confusing and also difficult to put a value on a car.

Any suggestions or info would be much appreciated.

(BTW - apologies if this question has been asked before, I've looked through endless pages of posts to see if it has and couldn't find a comparision Classic thread - honest)

Cheers folks - Chris

kayeabl

Hi mate,

I had the same dilemma when i bought mine, but in the end I went for the UK car the reason being service history and insurance. Its true that many imports have no history or what history it does have is pretty much meaningless.

The things that i had to consider is that an import does generally have more power and a better spec than a UK car. Most imports have air conditioning and other bits which UK cars don't have ie, STi parts, strut braces etc.. However who knows how the car has been treated if cambelts have been changed and if modifications have been removed.

Previously I had an imported Toyota Celica Gt4 and it was nothing but trouble. It was low mileage and looked immaculate but within months of buying it from quite a famous importer it needed new gearbox, suspension work and that had loads of jap history!!

Anyway to sum up, you get less car for your money with a UK car as standard, but i think a good history and the lower insurance makes up for it. Imagine buying an import and then straight away forking out for service, cambelt tyres etc as who knows when it was last done!!

Also, with a UK classic, add a decent straight through exhaust and a remap and you're already approaching jap power.

Im sure lots of people will have varying opinions, but i hope this helps

cheers

Ash

Type_RA

What you have to remember there are a lot of imports already in the country and so will have history. My import was brand new and had 10 miles on the clock and has a full uk service history and has been remapped for UK fuelling. These cars were being extensively imported from 1999.

Just another consideration.

The safe option is a UK car but potentially you could miss out on extra performance and kit.

StickyMicky

Import everytime

there is a 97 wrx for sale on this forum for a little over your budget but its a 276 bhp model car and is post facelift

take of the daft crappy wheels and the back lights and you actualy have a nice car

if you can stretch that little bit extra
higher insurance and stuff, but you have to pay to play

StickyMicky

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=370027

looked far nicer on its old wheels and with the proper back lights IMO

i wish he would stop slashing his price, hes giving me a fright everytime lol

prelude

I had the same problem when i was lookin for mine , i got a uk model in the end ( because of the insurance and history side) the jap one has more bhp standard but their both about as quick to 60mph uk being 5.5 secs, and with an exhaust and chip combo you can make it alot faster .
I drove both before buying mine and they feel about the same to be honest , i got a 97 reg 46k full history uk for £6500 so they are out their you just have to be patient , oh and be good at bargining .
good luck mate .

Dan

StiX

iTrader: (4)

Insurance is definitely more, but as far as service history is concerned, as someone mentioned earlier a lot have been in the country for a while. My MY95 has been in since 2000 and had some history before that.

Powerwise, you can of course decat the imports too, hence they are going to have more power again.

93-94 240ps (236bhp)
94-96 260ps (256bhp)
96 on 280ps (276bhp)

standard, decat plus remap 300+.

That'll bring your 0-60 (if you are into that) below 5. P1 has 276bhp and thats 4.8.

You'll also get climate control as standard, folding mirrors etc.

Keef69

I bought an import MY97 facelift version 3 STI from here in June. £5,500 with more history than you have ever seen! OK, no Japanese history, but it was imported in 1998 and the guy even had the original auction sheet, train tickets and hotel bill from when he went over to buy it. He also had the SVA test, emmissions test etc. Every service/oil change, even tyre and bulb replacement were done by a Subaru garage and all receipts kept.

My theory was, if the car has been in this country for 6 years, run on SUL and not gone bang, then it should be ok if I look after it. The only mod was a back box and being the STI, does 0-60 in 4.6 secs. I wouldn't spend much time on BHP figures as it's all in the gearing really. A standard WRX is actually about the same BHP as the type R and RA, but the 0-60 times are 5.5 and 4.3, a huge difference really, mainly on the gear ratios. I have raced my 288 BHP against several cars proven at over 300 BHP even one P1 at 340 BHP and beaten them all, just because of the gearing.

My advice is...... get yourself test drives in 1 of each type, i.e. a UK car, a pre-facelift WRX and maybe an STI, then a post facelift STI/R/RA You really will notice the difference and then you can decide whether out and out acceleration is your thing or not.
Whatever you decide on, you'll love it!

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Thought a wrx had 240bhp and sti's had closer to 300bhp?

navtheace

Was it just a Top Gear myth when I think they said something along the lines of that Jap Imports in general all had harder suspension due to the roads in Japan being alot smoother. ie uk spec japanese cars were lot smoother ride?

Grovit

Hi folks

thanks for the info - much appreciated

Keef & Prelude - sounds like you got some cracking cars there with the prices you paid.

I take on board the points about the registration - however I'm surprised at the comments re the gearing - does it honestly make such a significant difference on the road/ 0-60's will be faster but in real world driving or fast road tours, is the different gearing that noticeable....?

Cheers chaps.

StiX

iTrader: (4)

As mentionedabove, WRXs have either 240, 260 or 280 ps depending on the year.

STIs have either 250, 275 or 300 again depending on the year.

Have a look:

http://www.sidc.co.uk/faq.htm

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

I bought UK due to company car scheme.
And tuned it beyond basic import levels.

just an option

StickyMicky

and my standerd "nigh on" 276 wrx did 0-60 in 4.5 secs with a brutal start which my mates modded uk turbo (clutch flywheel, boost increase etc etc) couldnt contend with

thats quite a bit faster then a uk turbos 5.5 isnt it

prelude

Hi chaps,

cheers grovit , i thought when i bought the thing for the miles etc , i basicly stole it from him at the price i paid for it ,it was up for alot more .

Stickymicky that is quick mate but im only a young ish pup so i didnt go for the import but it sounds impressive .

Cheers Dan

Scooby_Sport

I faced the same dilemma, uk or import and in the end went for my93 import wrx as just couldn't find any nice uk spec ones around the whole uk for the budget I was on!

I think as long as you know your cars pretty well, you should find a good reliable import easily.

Very rarely will they have any service history but if they've done a fair bit of mileage it's easy to notice with a slack gearbox, worn seats, worn doorcards where you put your elbow, carpets etc etc

I viewed 2 imports, both had about same mileage, one was a minger with water ingress in the boot, missing screws everywhere (including dash so alarm bells ringing), gearbox was so slack you hardly find a gear and it mis-fired like hell, basically there was no way this car had only done 60,000km

The second (same mileage) interior was immaculate, paint was immaculate, no oils leaks or water ingress, felt sharp and crisp to drive and no knocks or bangs so I was quite confident that this car was genuine low mileage so bought it.

As long as you know what to look for, even my93 wrx and good reliable cars and their cheaper to buy, performance is slightly better than uk spec and also has air-con etc etc

Type_RA

Top Gear did 0-60 in a standard 208bhp MY97 UK turbo in 5.2
P1 press release said 4.66 0-60

Imports I have seen anything from 4.2 to 5.0 second for a full 276bhp model

Abdabz

I chose the UK option on an MY99 - full history - every receipt since she was registered and like a blank canvass to tinker with should I get the urge - although it was slightly modded on purchase (eibach springs, magnex zorst, bleed valve thingy and boost guage which holds nicely at 1.2bar)...Its not much but quick enough for me
30000 miles later and except for one ABS sensor - not even a murmer of a problem...
There's a few imports I know of (lads at work mainly) who's cars are on ramps as often as tarmac...

So my recommendation is a UK spec unmodded with history and let the games begin