dom_83

hi all im going to look at a p1 soon its done 50000 miles approx its 2001 reg just wondering how can you tell if the engine is in good quality all i seem to be hearing is sti type r and p1 engines 'going' and i dont really want to shell out for an engine rebuild, i can get hold of a compression tester if thats what i need,what reading should it give and how do u carry the test out? maybe some one could explain how to tell a good engine?! so called ''full inspections'' by car comapnies dont even cover the full qualtity of the engine IE they road test it but it could still go 100 miles later ,, very grateful for any help ! DOM

Belmondo

The best thing to do is ask the seller what type of fuel he uses. If he says unleaded (not super or optimax or octane booster) walk away. Its best to use your judgement as to his level of mechanical sympathy.
A car can have full service history etc and the engine can fail without any warning. Detonation is a big problem for the 2ltr engine when its running close to 300bhp.
If its got a non standard air filter its best to leave alone as well.

dom_83

thanks for the points, its from an idependent trader unfortunatly so i wont know what fuel was used in the past, does the high octane rule apply for p1s too ??i thought it was just for the imports type rs ra wrx etc, because of what they use in japan

Belmondo

Even if the trader does'nt offer you a warranty (which he should) if anything does go wrong he will have a legal obligation to put it right (unless its normal wear and tear). I suppose being a UK car the P1 should be OK on 95RON but I would guess that 90% of engine failures would be down to detonation which you could avoid with SUL.

Scrappy9

Dom.

Dont run a P1 on standard unleaded, I think it must be super 97octane minimum, some owners insist on optimax, others optimax plus octane booster.
P1 engines are basically STi5s, which are imports used to running on Japanese 100octane, There is an arguement about what exactly Prodrive did with the cars, my understanding is remapped the ECU, to cope with 97octane. Although there are various indications in the paperwork that the cars will be ok on std unleaded.
I prefer the super u/l as a minimum makes me feel safer. Personal preference tho.
Has the car you are interested in got a Subaru warranty, as these could be extended to 5 years, I would recommend you look for a P1 that has this, dont forget it is also limited to 60,000 miles.