alright folks, newbie in need of advice for buying an Impreza :-)
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hi, im selling my clio williams and getting an impreza, ill have about 5k to spend on a wrx sti, any info on what to look out for, hugely appreciated. ive been looking on ebay and saw some decent looking ones with lowish mileage for around this price.
i only use my car at the weekend so i hopefully wont need a mortgage for the fuel costs, hehe
thanks
Tony
i only use my car at the weekend so i hopefully wont need a mortgage for the fuel costs, hehe
thanks
Tony
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Honestly mate !! ![Nono](https://www.scoobynet.com/images/smilies/nono.gif)
Read through the threads with all these "BIG ENDS" failing !!
It'll cost you a fortune
Buy an FSO Polonez its a better buy at the moment
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Read through the threads with all these "BIG ENDS" failing !!
It'll cost you a fortune
Buy an FSO Polonez its a better buy at the moment
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I think what they are saying is that the rumours of it costing the same to run as a Ford are just rumours. Have you looked at the insurance costs of an import? Also imports need treated very well if they are to live a long and productive life and there is a chance that yours may have been run on standard unleaded for example in which case you are in for a bad day.
It would certainly be sensible to budget to have £3 - £4k in the bank for repairs, tyres etc. just in case. Did you consider a UK car rather than an import?
It would certainly be sensible to budget to have £3 - £4k in the bank for repairs, tyres etc. just in case. Did you consider a UK car rather than an import?
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not really looked into it in depth, hence me asking some do's and dont's on here b4 i delve in, ive been quoted 860 for TPFT or 1100 Fc for insurance on an import, would i be best going for a UK car then?
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Originally Posted by T
not really looked into it in depth, hence me asking some do's and dont's on here b4 i delve in, ive been quoted 860 for TPFT or 1100 Fc for insurance on an import, would i be best going for a UK car then?
Lost count of the number of times I said this, but here are the rules for buying a Scooby:
1) Full subaru or reputable service history a must.
2) If the initial inspection looks good, get in independently inspected DO NOT take a tyre kicker approach. HPI check also a very good idea!
3) As few owners as possible and see if you can speak to them. Get the current owner to take you out for a test drive, does he warm the car up before extending it? Does he let it cool down? What petrol has he run it on? What oil?
4) Avoid a car that has had cheap/nasty mods. No daft induction kits, which often kill the scoobies mafs, no horrid VTA dump valves, no boost clamps etc... If you do find an attractive modified one, find out exactly what was done and by whom! More recepits the better.
5) Prepare to get to know your local petrol station staff well and spend a bit on the car. They're not cheap to run.
All the best.
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Originally Posted by T
not really looked into it in depth, hence me asking some do's and dont's on here b4 i delve in, ive been quoted 860 for TPFT or 1100 Fc for insurance on an import, would i be best going for a UK car then?
NO. There far to slow.
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The UK models might be slower out of the box, but, its still a pretty quick car nonetheless.
I just bought my first scooby and just didnt want to take the risk with a non uk market car, saying that, I also had to hunt high and low for an un-fettled FSH low mileage car.
I just bought my first scooby and just didnt want to take the risk with a non uk market car, saying that, I also had to hunt high and low for an un-fettled FSH low mileage car.
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Originally Posted by andy99turbo
The UK models might be slower out of the box, but, its still a pretty quick car nonetheless.
Yes, of course there are faster cars and it's not the only "affordable performance car" that can acheive those kind of figures now, but it took the opposition 10 years to catch up. The Imports are even more ballastic and a great buy if you can find a good un......but for this money, I'd say a UK car is the safest bet.
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Originally Posted by T
hi, im selling my clio williams and getting an impreza, ill have about 5k to spend on a wrx sti, any info on what to look out for, hugely appreciated. ive been looking on ebay and saw some decent looking ones with lowish mileage for around this price.
i only use my car at the weekend so i hopefully wont need a mortgage for the fuel costs, hehe
thanks
Tony
i only use my car at the weekend so i hopefully wont need a mortgage for the fuel costs, hehe
thanks
Tony
I know the car and believe me its mint and all hpi checked etc......
Just an
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Lots of good and experienced advice on the above posts.
Full service history is essential on any potential car...especially on the imports. There are alot of good Scoobs that come up for sale on the "for Sale" forum....Cars that have been cherished by their owners.
Over two years ago i went for a mint, low milage Uk turbo and have enjoyed sensibly modifying it since. It's very quick.
Full service history is essential on any potential car...especially on the imports. There are alot of good Scoobs that come up for sale on the "for Sale" forum....Cars that have been cherished by their owners.
Over two years ago i went for a mint, low milage Uk turbo and have enjoyed sensibly modifying it since. It's very quick.
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Originally Posted by acko
forget ebay m8, go to "forsale general" on nere and take a look at the RA facelift on there. Only 1.5k more than your looking to spend but for that car its worth finding that little bit extra.
I know the car and believe me its mint and all hpi checked etc......
Just an![Idea](https://www.scoobynet.com/images/smilies/idea.gif)
I know the car and believe me its mint and all hpi checked etc......
Just an
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have you got a link to that car mate? i could stretch to more if i knew it was worth it, thanks again for all the info folks
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On a forum like this you will, of course, only hear about the engines that blow up.
So, let me try and redress the balance: yesterday I took my scooby - an import STI for what it's worth - for a good blat along some B-roads near my office. It was great fun, and the engine didn't blow up.
That said, there's a lot of good advice above - heed it. £5k worth of STI will typically be producing about 280bhp if the engine's in good nick, maybe +/- 20bhp depending on its condition, fuel and modifications. A UK car of similar value will probably be producing about 240bhp, as most have sports exhausts and other minor mods.
In short, there's just not enough difference not to consider both, especially considering just how few genuinely decent cars there are at that price point. You'll have a MUCH more enjoyable ownership experience with a good UK model compared to a rough import - though if you're careful and do your research, you'll be even better off with a good import. They are, after all, built as better cars.
My first scooby was a UK MY00 and it was the best car I've ever owned - until I bought an '05 import STI with a comprehensive suspension upgrade pack.
So, let me try and redress the balance: yesterday I took my scooby - an import STI for what it's worth - for a good blat along some B-roads near my office. It was great fun, and the engine didn't blow up.
That said, there's a lot of good advice above - heed it. £5k worth of STI will typically be producing about 280bhp if the engine's in good nick, maybe +/- 20bhp depending on its condition, fuel and modifications. A UK car of similar value will probably be producing about 240bhp, as most have sports exhausts and other minor mods.
In short, there's just not enough difference not to consider both, especially considering just how few genuinely decent cars there are at that price point. You'll have a MUCH more enjoyable ownership experience with a good UK model compared to a rough import - though if you're careful and do your research, you'll be even better off with a good import. They are, after all, built as better cars.
My first scooby was a UK MY00 and it was the best car I've ever owned - until I bought an '05 import STI with a comprehensive suspension upgrade pack.
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Please dont be put off by horror stories.
Take your time selecting the right car for your needs, make sure it has a service history and all looks and drives ok, if in doubt get it checked over properly and if buying from a dealer, get the maximum warranty length you can
Take your time selecting the right car for your needs, make sure it has a service history and all looks and drives ok, if in doubt get it checked over properly and if buying from a dealer, get the maximum warranty length you can
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Originally Posted by T
hmmm, im getting slightly put off by all these horror stories about engines blowing up, , and the williams gets slated for its unreliability!! ive used the search and flicked through the newbie threads etc looking at all the advice and got alot of pointers from there.
have you got a link to that car mate? i could stretch to more if i knew it was worth it, thanks again for all the info folks
have you got a link to that car mate? i could stretch to more if i knew it was worth it, thanks again for all the info folks
Unfortunately, they are getting to an age now where they can be bought fairly cheaply by people who really can't afford to run them. Many people are expecting the Fiesta like price tag to come with Fiesta like running costs. Unfortunately, that's not the case. To give you an example, I recently replaced the Clutch on mine. The clutch was purchased in a group buy (i.e. at a reduced price) and the work was done at an independent specialist which is far cheaper than a Subaru dealer. However, I'll still have no change from £500!
NS04
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Quite right, people will naturally talk about any engine failure but on the other hand who talks about an engine that does what it says on the tin? Maybe sometimes we all forget that 250-325bhp from a 2 litre is a huge amount of power, try going back a few years and claiming your production line 2 litre Ford OHC was 300bhp. People would think you were daft.
Either buy a later UK car from a proper dealer with Subaru warranty or buy a known car, by known I mean one that belongs to a forum member who obviously takes great pride in looking after the car.
Either buy a later UK car from a proper dealer with Subaru warranty or buy a known car, by known I mean one that belongs to a forum member who obviously takes great pride in looking after the car.
Originally Posted by andy99turbo
Please dont be put off by horror stories.
Take your time selecting the right car for your needs, make sure it has a service history and all looks and drives ok, if in doubt get it checked over properly and if buying from a dealer, get the maximum warranty length you can
Take your time selecting the right car for your needs, make sure it has a service history and all looks and drives ok, if in doubt get it checked over properly and if buying from a dealer, get the maximum warranty length you can
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Originally Posted by T
hmmm, im getting slightly put off by all these horror stories about engines blowing up, , and the williams gets slated for its unreliability!! ive used the search and flicked through the newbie threads etc looking at all the advice and got alot of pointers from there.
have you got a link to that car mate? i could stretch to more if i knew it was worth it, thanks again for all the info folks
have you got a link to that car mate? i could stretch to more if i knew it was worth it, thanks again for all the info folks
i put up a post this morning and you asked for a link so click on this m8.
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=441857
cheers paul
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Originally Posted by T
not really looked into it in depth, hence me asking some do's and dont's on here b4 i delve in, ive been quoted 860 for TPFT or 1100 Fc for insurance on an import, would i be best going for a UK car then?
Well thats about what i paid for '94 sti ...
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no my point is your williams is probably going to be worth more than 5k worth o sti in a couple o years ....
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Originally Posted by mid_life_crisis
Either buy a later UK car from a proper dealer with Subaru warranty or buy a known car, by known I mean one that belongs to a forum member who obviously takes great pride in looking after the car.
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nah mate mines a williams 2 with 69k on the clock, i think i saw that one your talking about tho, it was aone of the guys from cliosport selling it, have u seen the clio turbo on ebay? its a monster!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MESE%3AIT&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MESE%3AIT&rd=1
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