hi there never owned a scooby before but quite fancy an sti in salooon or sportwagon 2-5k the cheaper the better.as a 2nd car.would this price rang only cover the classic shapes?
what would be the starting price for an import sti?
where do i get parts from when it ***** up?

can someone on here tell me what to look for? what are the common things to check that go wrong? what to check that give an indication of the life its had?anything in particular thats likely to **** up?or anything in particular to look for being a jap import?
is there something like an auction report that comes with the car when it was sold in japan what sre the grades i should consider?
and what differnt models are there in this price rang and what do they mean?
how can i tell its a real sti and not an wrx with sti seats and wheels etc.
is there a buyers guide on here?

man you know what its like when you havent owned one then you go and buy it and it starts to fall apart and you find out the hard way then you wish you just asked on here in the first place lol
thanks!
or anyone in the strathclyde south lanarkshire glasgow area care to show me theirs and give me the lowdown that would be great!

 

So many questions! I will try to start you off with some answers.

For the price range you mention you will probably only get a classic if you want a decent car and have to have an STi. I am sure there will be a specialist local to you who can help with servicing or parts - or try eBay or on here - parts are generally not too difficult to find.

Look for the usual things - smoke on startup from cold, knocking noises, gearboxes etc.

Imported cars may come with the auction paperwork but it's in Japanese (duh!) and obviously out of date if the car has been in the UK for any length of time. I used to have a link to one of the UK importers that had an explanation of grades etc but can't find it - can anyone else help? (I wouldn't get too hung up about the auction grade anyway.)

A genuine STi will have the seats and white dials and either ABS (unit located behind the off side headlight) or the diff control, located just above the drivers right knee on the dash. It will also have a red top engine.

Others here will correct me and/or fill in the gaps. Good luck.

 

thanks for the reply Johny it was looking as though i wansnt going to get a reply on here!!
anyone else give me some tips?
thanks in advance

 

Use the search function allot to find as much out as you can about these cars and make sure you get a real one with the right engine. Which Car is a WRX STi
When I was looking for my first STI I decided to get a STI V3 as it was before the really high octane fuel in Japan and is regarded as one of the best/raw STD STIs. And they fitted my budget. 4k should get you a really good one in today’s market.
If you can find one with an aftermarket ECU (Simtek) even better and other sensible mods eg suspension exhaust brakes.
Avoid ones with aftermarket induction kits and dump valves they aren’t needed and usually do more harm than good and not a good sign of somebody that knows what they were doing.
If you get a V5 or V6 make sure it has been remapped for UK fuel or if you drive it hard you will have expensive problems.
Post potential ones up here people will rip them apart if they don’t look right, have bits missing or are overpriced
Good luck

 

Understanding a Japanese Car Auction Grade Sheet
Parts are easily obtainable in the UK.
STI comes in 3 versions from 1995, the R was launched in 1997 (STI, STI RA or STI Type R)
Wear on the interior can be a clue to mileage ,mainly the driver side seat bolster.
As Jonny said look for any problems as you would a 'normal' car.

Try to buy a standard one.

£4500 got me a virtually standard 1998 Type R

 

thanks guys!!!!!! just wondering how much does it cost for a decent set of brake pads for the front? and whats the recomended tyre for these cars and how much for a tyre and how often are cam belt changes due?
reason i ask is traded my porsche boxster s in as it was a crap car and had loads of problems and bough what i thopugh was a cheap car to run a clio 182.
it needed front discs and pads soon after.
£100 for ferrodo ds2500 or mintex1114.so i optedfor the standard renault pads at £50 which are good up until lap 3 so iam told lol
next up was the cambelt change fookin hell it must be the hardest cambet on the planet to change ahd to buy specialist renault tools otherwise its not possible still cost me £400 to do myself renault wanted just under a grand.
then the front wanli tyres which ive never heard off understeeered terrible especially on a wet roundabout at 30mph they were dangerous so changed to michelin exaltos 205/45 16 which are original fitment which cost £110 each so after all it wasnt a cheap car how does that compare to a subaru?

 

yeah think they are crap on STI too

I would think more expensive to run than a Clio 182