Hi people, my name is Ash and im looking at buying an old style impreza wrx. Ive wanted one since i was 14 and now at the age of 27 i think now is the right time, i currently own a stripped out 450bhp ca18det 200sx s13 and this will be getting stripped to pay for the scoob ive got a few questions first that I wondered if you guys could help me with. The mrs has had enougth of climbing out of bucket seats whenever we go to places so fancy something a bit more usable

1.what are the engines like what bhp can they reach with standard internals?

2.are there any pitfalls when buying one?

is there any other advice you can give me?

I apoligise if this is in the wrong thread but couldnt see where to put it.

thanks
Ash

 

Welcome...

I'll have a go at answering your questions:

The engines in the classic Imprezas are generally great if well looked after. Uk models are about 215bhp standard, and can go up to about 280 iirc with fairly simple modifications. If you are thinking about more than that, try and get hold of an import STI, as those engines are generally stronger and are about 280bhp standard. They are okay up to about 350bhp, after that the gearboxes / clutch may start to give up

Here's a great site that gives you a rough idea of what they are capable of, and what modifications are required to get them to certain power levels - pay attention to the requirement for aftermarket ECUs in some cases; some of the standard ECUs are not re-mappable generally, so have to be replaced.

Things to watch out for - they are 2nd hand cars, so make the usual checks (HPI, registration docs, VIN numbers, etc). Watch out for cars that have been modified carelessly or haven't been serviced. Make sure the panels all line up, check for uneven tyre wear etc. Usual stuff really. Ask about oil change technique & frequency (do a search on here on oil change for some details), ask if the car is warmed up / cooled down before being driven hard, there are plenty of threads on here about that too. Also, beware of cars that appear to be STI's but maybe didn't start life that way! Once you find one you should be able to check the engine code and model code on the VIN plate to see if it matches. If the car is an import, find out what fuel its been run on - they don't like 97 ron or lower, 99 is okay but 99 and an ECU re-mapped for UK fuel is best. If the car has been heavily modified make sure it has been re-mapped as well. Generally induction kits are considered unnecessary under 300 bhp, and if fitted really need a re-map to be run effectively / safely. Classic V5 / V6 STI imports have fragile MAF sensors that can be damaged by induction kits (vibration / oil contamination), which is worth knowing.

The classic impreza is a great car, I've had two of them - a UK model and an import STI, not at the same time tho! I prefer the STI, its better out of the box but is a bit more to insure (group 20 for import, group 17 for UK turbo 2000).

Take your time and you'll find a good one - there's a for sale section in here too, and generally if a car's for sale in here someone on here knows it

Hope that helps - by no means exhaustive, but I'm sure others on here will add to the list

 

Hi and welcome to the site mate