ANT_1

Good morning ScoobyNet'rs

Thought I should probably say hello before I begin to milk you all for information and ask a whole load of stupid questions that have probably all been asked before!

(I can use a search function however, there are soooo many threads on similar things that I have generally become confused by all the differing info!)

A little about me...

My name's Anthony... I'm 28, from Stafford, Staffs however now live and work in Stoke On Trent.

I'm a Police Officer and previous car history has been....

18 years - Saxo VTR
23 years - Mk 4 Golf GTI (wrote off )
25 years - BMW E46 M3 SMG (Awesome but fragile.... and £££££)
27 years - Clio 182 trophy (Best fun on 4 wheels so far)
27 years - Mk 4 Golf GTI 25th Anniversary (Current... Mistake)

I've always looked at Subaru Impreza's and with the stereotype head on thought... "****.... But I'd love a go in one"

However I've decided that now I'm not 19... I don't drive like a tw*t, I enjoy the advanced driver training and feel I am ready to have something rapid again (Miss the M3) that I am going to "scratch that itch" and get myself an Impreza STI.... My peers have sneered... But I don't care! (they secretly want one too!)

I am interested in about 350bhp at most and don't like hugely modded cars.... However I do spend more time cleaning than I do driving when I love them.... So do like to have the odd upgrade to make it individual from the standard (Don't mind spending the money when it's a hobby!)

I like the look of Blobs and Hawks in black, white or at a push crystal grey however there doesn't seem to be too much in the prices at the mo... Good Blobs seem to hold their money?

I am interested in road trips more than track days... (Although the guy who own's 'Bookatrack.com' lives opposite me so could be tempted seeing the tools that turn up at his house!).... I've got a few planned for when I get a Scooby.... Smaller highlands of Scotland one... and a big Euro Alpine trip. (Google map plans done already!)...Also looking forward to taking it to the Alps with the snowboard on the roof!

Any tips on insurance for these cars?... I used to pay £225 on my first golf... Now that I'm older, wiser, better trained but had a crash... i pay £500 on my current car and paid £980 on my M3 (grp 20?)... I've seen some crazy low prices for 19-22 year olds on here... I don't know how you get insured at all! Where do you get such quotes from?

The cheapest I've got is 1078 from Admiral but that is just off price comparison sites...

Anyway, I look forward to picking your brains!

Ant

NOSSY_89

Hi mate went from a classic to a Blob. How much were you looking to spend so we all have an idea lol.

Don't bother with autotrader. The people who sell scoobys on there want way toooooooooooooo much. Have a look at ebay etc but make sure you do your homework first.

You can quite easily fit a rood rack as far as I know. Just remember these are expensive on petrol. full tank and you will barely get 250 miles.

The smile it puts on your face you can probably imagine but you need to experience it yourself lol.

Yeah I was quoted £17 000+ a year ago. You just have to shop around mate have you had a look in the insurance section and given some of those companies a call. I ended up paying between £1000 - £2000 depending on the scooby. Don't forget I'm now 22 and live in Birmingham.

You gotta love those twisty roads. The 4 wheel drive really shows its worth and especially if you have a decent coilover set up.

Any other info just ask mate.

Abx

iTrader: (15)

Aplan or Keith Michaels for insurance, my modded hatch STI (inc map, springs etc) comes in at £600ish FC, so they are not expensive to insure at all once you reach a sensible age, I'm 35 BTW.

ANT_1

Hello Mr Nossy,

I don't mind about fuel economy really... You obviously don't buy these for that so I won't moan about the lack of mileage... I see it as a hobby so I don't mind paying for it. What I hate is driving a car I hate and begrudge paying for petrol then! (As I do now)

I only use autotrader/pistonheads for 'ball park' figures really... I HATE buying 2nd hand cars as I know generally... people sell cars when they know something big is about to blow! (been stung a couple of times) so I'm taking my mechanic mate round this time with his ramps and diagnostic kit!

I was going to buy a Mitsi Pajero and turn it into a green laner for the winter, and get a VX220 turbo for the summer road trips... However i took my head out of the clouds and decided a fast 4x4 would be the best of both worlds.

Probably looking to spend between 8-10k but we'll see what comes up... I missed out on Morpheous's Mica Black one... that would have been IDEAL!

Probably going to wait till February before purchasing I think... I'll be 29 then!

Insurance wise... I don't want to pay over 650ish really!

Ant

DanAmo

Welcome mate, I am from stoke, I drive a black and silver classic.

My insurance is with Admiral on a multi car policy. £1057 for both cars at 28 aint bad.

Maybe will see you dotting around sometime mate.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Welcome
You need a jdm sti, these are the best cars you can buy, far better engine than the 2.5's and twin scroll so pull well from low down and these make a great drivers car
I'd put more down but I'm on my iPhone

Tony

ANT_1

Arron hello,

That would be ideal!... I do like the hatch... I didn't at first as I thought I could get an S3 for more or less the same money... But it's growing on me!

Don't know if I could justify finance again though to get one!

Ant

ANT_1

Hello Dan, that's more or less the quotes I'm getting... But on one car. I'll keep shopping about... they're going up 25% a year!

Who do you use for services? I've seen GT performance up by LTR recovery... Or there's one in Adelaide St no? I was looking at going to Scoobyworks, bit of a trek, but worth it?

Tony... Arn't JDM a pain to insure? That probably annoys you people asking that same question everytime

Do they still have the bodged look foglight at the rear? I like JDM though...

Ant

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Ant, cost the same to insure as a UK car, then you add the ppp to a UK car and it's more than a jdm which has more power/torque
Have a look on pistonheads, there is a White 2005 spec c WR limited for sale for 12k, total bargain and sounds like the ideal car for you

Tony

Ps you can get the fogs integrated into the rear cluster, most have this done at sva now

NOSSY_89

Like I said forget autotrader, even to get a ball park figure. UK Blob STIs normally cost 7.5 grand for a very decent one. Autotrader like to think they should start from 9.5 grand!

Just thought I would mention the petrol issues because a lot of people don't actually realise how thirsty they are. Its running a turbo and its so hard not to run on boost, its an addiction no lie.

No foglight thing going on with the newage lol. and even if there is its easy to rewire the original lights to house a foglight, there was a topic on this yesterday lol. And isurance when I was doing it was a £20 difference lol.

ANT_1

Tony,

Just a shame 12k is a bit too much for me... I do like them, but if I could stretch that... I'd stretch to a hatch I think! :O

I'll keep an eye out for JDM twin Scroll's then too... I wouldn't pay 9k for a blob... I'd ideally like to pay 7500 for a more or less standard one, or PPP one.

I see there was one mica black one for sale a week or so ago but slightly too much for me... Not a fan of carbon or anodised bolts etc... but was still quite nice.

DanAmo

I try to do all work myself as much as i can mate, but on the things I cant do or dare not try I have I friend who owns a garage in Longton so she goes there.

Tuning wise my car came with quite a bit done so I haven't done anything tuning wise yet apart from uprating my coil packs recently, I have just been concentrating on getting it look how I want it to. However I am buying a few parts over Christmas i.e. FMIC, OC etc etc.

NOSSY_89

Forget the ppp get a normal one and get it mapped, you will see more power from it. When I was looking at mine a few months back there were loads of black and the odd white ones on ebay but I wanted the original blue lol. Got a straight through decat exhaust, uprated tmic etc with a remap kills off the ppp like its a joke lol.

On a side note do you want the real Subaru experience then keep in mind the JDMs have even headers on them so you will loose the burbble. I put even headers on my classic and lost that sound so didn't bother putting them on my Blobeye.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

I think I need to educate you on this car
Just think of a spec c being the equivalent of that Clio cup but far better I'll post some bits/link a few threads, dont confuse UK cars (Inc the hatch) with a jdm, especially a spec c, they are worlds apart in feel, drivability and fun

Tony

monkfish2

Change the record Tony. Jdm, jdm, jdm zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Ha ha.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

The guy wants the best car he can get, would you recommend a UK sti or a 2.5ltr sti hatch? Or would you recommend a jdm (note the cars he has owned and what he does for a living )

Tony

ANT_1

I'm getting the impression Tony is a JDM fan?... If there is one in my price range I'll be interested!

I've seen one on pistonheads... But its 450bhp! Too modded for my taste

Ant

NOSSY_89

Mate if your serious about JDM Spec C, there isn't a UK version just so there isn't any confussion lol. Ask H, he is the chairman of WMI and has one.

https://www.scoobynet.com/west-mids-imprezas-433/

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Thats my old one Nossy I purchased that one back in 2004 but sold her in 2007 as I changed jobs and didnt know what sort of money id be earning
As H will tell you, she's a good un

Tony

NOSSY_89

I saw it on the dyno lol it was mad lol.

So thats where H got it from lmaooooo. I can see why you love JDMs so much. Me personaly I prefer the burbble lol.

juggers

iTrader: (1)

As Tony said JDM is the way to go, but then again I am biased as all my cars have been

monkfish2

jdm's are a good car and will hold there value, but the better deals will be on the uk sti's.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

This was my first, UK spec (eu import as you couldnt get this colour in the uk, its sonic blue, same as the P1, 22B etc), running around 260bhp.
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...8/DSC00211.jpg

This was my 2nd (now H's car) at rally GB 2004, the difference between my turbo and this, it was scary, so much more livlier, and that was with a couple of hundred miles on the clock
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...B2004-0059.jpg

My next after I sold the Spec C was this nice MY99 version 5 type R still with 31k on the clock
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...8/DSC_5996.jpg

And now, with my Spec C limited (and yes I still have both )
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...968/scoobs.jpg

So yes, I do like the JDM's, they are a higher spec to start with, you get goodies like quick rack steering (compared to the not so responsive fast rack you get on the UK cars except the 22b which had quick rack).
I was one of the first to drive the MY02 STI in its standard form, and yes it did feel lacking compared to the turbo, the Spec C was just out of the world in comparison, it handles better, faster steering rack gives you much better feedback, this goes for all JDM's from 2005 onwards, but you have to pay that premium for them as they are rarer.
You would be disappointed getting a UK car without having driven a JDM then driving a JDM and wondering why you didnt buy the JDM in the first place

Tony

PS, you can always barter

NOSSY_89

Come to some of the meets and see for yourself. trust me when I say 300bhp+ is a lot different to the same amount of power in a different car. The scoobys put power down differently and they are just different.

NOSSY_89

Are you sure pic 2 is H's car. He has a different spoiler and told me his tints were factory fitted. I know you can change the spoiler. I know it sounds dumb but are you sure you have uploaded the right pic. I know I have made that mistake before lol.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Yes its H's car, note the small dent on the bonnet when you see it, (towards the passenger side), thats where a stone flew up when I was "playing" with an M5 and he wouldnt move over
Spec C's also dont come with factory tints, its not an option (the glass is too heavy ) previous owner fitted the different spoiler, may have a pic on the phone of it after it was "modified"

Tony

Morg_STI

Hi mate,

I'm also in the same job as you, try Key Worker insurance. They take in to account your courses (3 week standard in my case) and make a big deduction.

I've got a 2006 Hawk STI, blue with white wheels and Magnaflow catback and get called every boy racer type name under the sun at work

ANT_1

OK OK I give in... I'll look at the JDM

I've been browsing, but there doesn't seem to be much about atm...

Really don't want to go over 8k... taking into account insurance hike and tax etc.

If a white or black low mileage well looked after Blob pops up around Feb I'll be interested!

Regarding power... I've never been in one if I'm honest... I've obviously had the same sort of BHP in the M3... and it was lovely, but I hated it in the winter stuck on a 1% incline in the snow!


Key worker insurance? I'm with Police Mutual atm... Can I ask what sort of money you're paying PM if better? Where are these Key worker places?

Apparently the standard response course is superior to being a member of the IAM... So Initial pursuit and Advanced should be even better! (Plus my oppo broke his foot on day 1 so I got double training )

I'm gonna get stick, one of the Sgt's has got a WRX-S and wears a subaru jacket, and had a convoy for her wedding... she gets some stick... I don't want that

Ant

Morg_STI

My price was £2400, due to my age and area I live in. Only had my own insurance for 2 years so only got 2 years no claims. I just googled "police insurance" and Key Worker was one of the results.

I take it your on RPU? I was due to do my Initial Pursuit but as per usual the course got cancelled, so sat twiddling my thumbs again.

I think your Sgt has taken her hobby a bit too far. My shift bought me a Subaru T-shirt for my birthday as a joke, unbeknown to them it actually had a hawkeye on it!

ANT_1

Whoa!... I'm 28 will be 29 by the time I purchase... have 7 or 8 years no claims... live in a half decent postcode, will have a tracker... I'm not paying over £800 unless I really want it! I will be pissed off!

RPU?... Response Policing Unit?.... F*ckin acronyms... Yeah I'm on the IMU... or it could be called the LPT-R now... I lose track of the changes atm!