M4RKG

iTrader: (22)

£3000 for a 99 reg totally standard Impreza STI.

Looks mint condition, really well looked after, buuuuuuuuuut...

Has just over 100'000 miles and ZERO service history after 65'000 miles and the cambelt was last done at 50'000

Imported pretty much from new apparantly

jef

iTrader: (13)

maybe try haggle on the price a touch

tbh buy any car atall is a gamble, service histories can be copied, same as cambelts ect.

and really unless you start stripping engines, youve really only got your senses and a little poke around the car to make a decision.

its total luck imo. you could buy a minter and the engine just lets go overbight, for whatever reason.

go look it over, drive it and then make up your mind, thatll give you as much info as your ever likley to get. being an impreza its more likley the car will have seen some hard driving at some point, but remeber these cars arent totally sh*t.

M4RKG

iTrader: (22)

The £3000 is with haggling on the price, its advertised at around £3400.

Tidgy

personaly i'd say no, there not worth huge amounts now adays even with full history. only seems to be import places that think they can charge silly money.

M4RKG

iTrader: (22)

What do the V5 and V6 STI's go for in the current market?

Tidgy

3k+ but history is thre thing that drops the value in my eyes, no history means nail (have to assume worst case). 65k on an engine if looked after is no problem, not looked after it's rebuild teritory.

this the one?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3345326.htm

M4RKG

iTrader: (22)

Nope... this one http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3213980.htm

My fav. colour too Proper torn

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

Personally, if the car has no service history etc then I always say that you have to value the car on what its worth to you. If you think its worth 3k and its what you want then go for it, just have a sensible plan for doing the cambelt, fluids etc as soon as you get it then pay for a healthcheck with a tuner to see how its performing/running etc.

MattyB1983

iTrader: (51)

Find out how many KM were showing when it came here, look at the very first MOT for instance.
It would have been converted to miles at this point so may well have done less than 104K. My car for instance shows 90K on the clock, but when worked out it has only done circa 70K miles.

Personally think 3K for a 99 STI is a fair price, if it's as mint as you say you can bet its been serviced regulary. Beautiful colour as well.

Mr moff

iTrader: (1)

I'd go for a look if it's caught your eye.Its easy to tell if it's recently been serviced or not and there's loads of tell tale signs to look for.
Another way of looking at it is,it's managed 100,000 so must have been reasonably reliable to manage it.
Just give it a good long look over and if it ticks all the right boxes then make your decision.



Danny.

Tidgy

walk away, its not standard. exhaust at least which is even in the advert, so what else has been done? etc etc etc

looks like they bought it daftly cheap as a fixer upper.

new caliper passenger side front (bright shiney silver) at least

MattyB1983

iTrader: (51)

Guys come on, how cheap have these cars got to be. We are not talking about a uk car here, it's a late STI !!! What do people want for 3 grand ????

OP, what are your plans for the car ?

MattyB1983

iTrader: (51)

What makes you think it's been bought as a 'fixer upper' ?

Mr moff

iTrader: (1)

Just had a quick look at the ad,I can see why you want it.
If it was me I would just have a good look round,and if it's tidy and the engine sounds sweet go for it.
Do you know what to look for when you get there or do you want us to give you a list of checks?



Danny.

wanted

Knocklink and exhaust? possibly been stripped from a higher spec back close to standard. Not a problem if it's in good nick/shows signs that it's been looked after, but buy it with that in mind. Like Tidgy said, odd caliper on one side so will need painting and all fluids/belts changed to be safe.

MattyB1983

iTrader: (51)

A fluid and belt change is a given and should be done when buying any high performance car regardless of history.
Calliper, yes will need painting but not the end of the world. Was probably changed due to the original one failing. No dramas there.
Yes it's got an exhaust system, find a classic STI that hasn't though and in all fairness the OP probably would of fitted one anyway.

It's 3 grand (may even come cheaper with cash waved in his face) at the end of the day, it's not a huge amount of money for what is a stunning looking car.

jef

iTrader: (13)

i agree its nice looking,

and 3 grand, is really not a lot,

go and have a look, dont get caught up in your own emotion, maybe take an impartial friend with you, who will see flaws you may miss in the "i want this car" haze lol

Mr moff

iTrader: (1)

+1

mitman2501

I learnt the hard way mate never buy a scooby with no history full stop ! some history not to bad as long as the guy seems ok . You can tell if there hinding some think most the time lol imports never have any so if you get some your really lucky

STEVEBOXER

Hi,very nice looking car and lovely colour too!!!
Remember a full service history is no guarantee it wont blow up the day after you buy it lol.
I would pay and get the AA etc to give it a full inspection and written report,any faults found could then be discussed and the price haggled accordingly.
Good luck mate.

Daphne01

iTrader: (2)

I used DEKRA to give the car I was looking at an inspection. They were cheaper than the AA/RAC who put the price up because it was an import and the mechanic they sent was very knowledgeable and even performed extra checks at my request. If you are getting it checked then I would recommend them. Make sure that you have enough cash aside for the full service.

John

M4RKG

iTrader: (22)

I've learnt alittle in my 2 years of ownership, from originally buying what I thought to be an STI which turned out to be a WRX and then throwing a rod 2 months later... to building it back upto a 330bhp forged STI rep.

... But never going to say 'no' to abit of advice

Plans for the new car would be again keeping the power to a reliable level, but mainly wanting something that looks mint and looks standard, i've always though whichever type of Impreza I bought if i kept it long enough it'll require a rebuild at some point... just hoping not within the first few months like last time.

Regarding the modifications to the car, theres obviously something amiss with exhaust, knocklink, P1 splitter and the description of "standard" but as has been mentioned, be a canny rare finding any type Impreza without a different exhaust.

Despite the high miles and no history, you always expect to fork out alittle bit when buying 2nd hand... so long as theres a full MOT, abit tax, tyres are good, and the price of 3k isnt too bad, seeing most of these go for around 4k (so that gives me a grand for a rebuild, if required)

TonyBeau

I think it's down to personal circumstances. If you can afford to take the gamble and have the cash to comfortably deal with any issues should they arise and it's the car you want then go for it.

If you have had to save the cash for a long time to buy an STI and would have to save for a long time to either repair or get another car then I would say walk away and wait for a car ith the service history etc you feel more comfortable with.

Also try and judge the seller if you can - does he appear the kind of person who would not let the car warm up cool down properly? Does he appear to be an enthusiast who would have the knowledge to carry out oil changes etc himself? Ask him hat type of oil he normally uses etc.

Mr moff

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you know your scooby's mate,you'll be fine.
Just a few basic things to check just in case,
Try and get him to leave the engine cold when you look at it,so you can hear it from a cold start.
Look underneath to see if it's been wax oiled or under sealed.If it hasn't then just check its tidy under there.
Once warmed up give it some boost in each gear,especially 5th to check the clutch and listen for noisy or notchy gears.
Give it some boost in say second up to 6000rpm or so to check there's no hesitation or missing.
While cold check all fluids and check the water in the header tank to see if it's clean and got antifreeze in it.
Check what's left on the discs and pads,if there's a big lip on the discs use this as a chance for some more haggling.
Do a hpi check and check that all the panel gaps are consistent all around.
Something else worth doing is to connect the diagnostic wires under the dash and let it scan for any faults and check if there's anything stored in its memory.

Let us know how it goes mate and good luck.



Danny.

MattyB1983

iTrader: (51)

DO NOT let the ******* AA come and do a check on the car. They are complete and utter retards more suited to checking the oil on Fords. You'll be told stuff like " ummmm the ash tray is broken".. If somebody said they were gonna have an AA/RAC check on my car before buying I'd just hang up.
If your that worried find out where the sellers local Subaru specialist is, offer to cover all costs including fuel to take the car there for a check over.

History wise, yes it's a shame it hasn't got it up to date but hey what can you do. Maybe (like many owners) he serviced it himself and never kept the receipts.
Go take a look, you'll know if it's been cared for buddy.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Nothing limited about the colour, added to the palette from V5 onwards, Cool Grey 86f.. Only special in the UK on the RB5 Steel Blue 86f (?).

Tidgy

as said the caliper, bright new silver on one side, red on the other going by the pics.

MattyB1983

iTrader: (51)

It's a 13 year old car, maybe, just maybe the original caliper failed.

I hardly think it means it was bought cheap as a 'fixer upper' as you call it.

wanted

If it was me i'd prefer one that already has an exhaust, it's the owners claim of "totally standard" that seems odd, when it's clearly not.

At 3k it looks a bargain even if it needs a bit spending on it, just buy it with your eyes and not with what the owner says. If it's HPI clear it's got to be worth 3k all day long.

monkfish2

I don't think it's a matter of how cheap they are, it's more about how much it'll cost to fix an old jap import up with no service history. At the moment you're spoilt for choice in buying a scoob. A nice uk blob with history would be my choice.