What to look for on a ~MY01 Bugeye
31 July 2009, 09:28 AM
#1
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What to look for on a ~MY01 Bugeye
Hi,
I'm looking at UK WRX bugeyes at the moment c. 2001-2002. Other than the normal things what would apply for any car, is there any particular area that I should check out?
Any common issues or known weeknesses to keep an eye out for etc?
Cheers
I'm looking at UK WRX bugeyes at the moment c. 2001-2002. Other than the normal things what would apply for any car, is there any particular area that I should check out?
Any common issues or known weeknesses to keep an eye out for etc?
Cheers
Last edited by Scottland; 31 July 2009 at 10:50 AM.
31 July 2009, 10:21 AM
#2
Other than the obvious blue smoke on start, I'd also check for the following:
- Hesitation on acceleration - can be down to coilpacks failing, badly gapped or worn plugs, dodgy MAF. Normally on a car that age it should just be the plugs - happened to mine.
Take the car for a test drive. Let it warm up first for 5-10 minutes of normal (read not spirited) driving to get the oil up to temperature. Then give it a blast up a road somewhere.
BUT - note that WRX brakes are not exactly great, so don't go too mad if the owner hasn't fitted Brembos or K-Sports or equivalent upgrades, test them and see.
Acceleration should be rapid from around 3000 RPM+ when the turbo comes in and the car should pull nicely above that. You'll probably notice the clutch is quite heavy but gear change should be solid.
- FSH is a must so you can see the car's been looked after. IIRC the service interval is normally around every 8-10,000 miles. If it's done near 50-60,000 miles ensure the cambelt was done.
- You can either go for a standard car or a modified one. Most will be at least lightly modified. A car with a cat-back or full stainless exhaust (with either a decat or sports cat), panel filter and remap should be making something around the 270-280bhp mark, and will save you some money when you start modding.
- If it's been remapped, I'd ask for dynos etc to prove the work was done and also who did it. I'd be inclined to say proof of this is important - you see a lot of people on here saying they bought a car they'd told had been mapped only to see it go pop a few months later.
- If the car is fitted with rear solid aluminium droplinks and a Perrin / Whiteline rear anti roll bar that's a good thing - best handling mod for least money IMHO.
- Uprated Brembo, K-Sport or AP Racing brakes are a great upgrade - if the car has em fitted it'll save you anything up to £1000 uprating the standard WRX rubbish.
- The PPP (Prodrive Performance Pack) doesn't offer maximum performance benefits but is probably a good start, so if you find a model with PPP it's worth a look - I think they have certificates so the owner should also have that. Such models should have a Prodrive intercooler Y and front hose (blue) under the bonnet, a decat section and a Prodrive backbox.
- If you can, get a model with Morettes or the STI headlights fitted as they look far far better than the WRX originals and they're not cheap either.
- Check the boot for leaks. It's a known issue, especially if the seller has fitted an aftermarket STI spoiler, that the boot can leak - check for puddles in the compartment where the jack and tools go (passenger side), and in the spare wheel well. It's actually a very easy problem to fix (with some bathroom sealant) but might buy you some negotiating room.
- Be aware that Scoobies are not cheap to run. With a remap I see about 22mpg; about 240 miles if I'm careful on a full tank and it has to be Super not normal '95 RON fuel. A 400 mile journey to Manchester and back will normally cost me £100.
Decent tyres start around £80 each, and brake pads are £100 for a set. Just so you're aware of what you're entering into!
Insurance isn't too bad, Keith Michaels and A-Plan are good places to look if you're insuring a modified Subaru.
All that said, they're great cars and have a big following; big community the Scooby lot.
There are plenty out there, so take your time and pick a good one.
Welcome to the last car you'll ever want (although your wallet won't think so
) lol. 
- Hesitation on acceleration - can be down to coilpacks failing, badly gapped or worn plugs, dodgy MAF. Normally on a car that age it should just be the plugs - happened to mine.
Take the car for a test drive. Let it warm up first for 5-10 minutes of normal (read not spirited) driving to get the oil up to temperature. Then give it a blast up a road somewhere.
BUT - note that WRX brakes are not exactly great, so don't go too mad if the owner hasn't fitted Brembos or K-Sports or equivalent upgrades, test them and see.
Acceleration should be rapid from around 3000 RPM+ when the turbo comes in and the car should pull nicely above that. You'll probably notice the clutch is quite heavy but gear change should be solid.
- FSH is a must so you can see the car's been looked after. IIRC the service interval is normally around every 8-10,000 miles. If it's done near 50-60,000 miles ensure the cambelt was done.
- You can either go for a standard car or a modified one. Most will be at least lightly modified. A car with a cat-back or full stainless exhaust (with either a decat or sports cat), panel filter and remap should be making something around the 270-280bhp mark, and will save you some money when you start modding.
- If it's been remapped, I'd ask for dynos etc to prove the work was done and also who did it. I'd be inclined to say proof of this is important - you see a lot of people on here saying they bought a car they'd told had been mapped only to see it go pop a few months later.
- If the car is fitted with rear solid aluminium droplinks and a Perrin / Whiteline rear anti roll bar that's a good thing - best handling mod for least money IMHO.
- Uprated Brembo, K-Sport or AP Racing brakes are a great upgrade - if the car has em fitted it'll save you anything up to £1000 uprating the standard WRX rubbish.
- The PPP (Prodrive Performance Pack) doesn't offer maximum performance benefits but is probably a good start, so if you find a model with PPP it's worth a look - I think they have certificates so the owner should also have that. Such models should have a Prodrive intercooler Y and front hose (blue) under the bonnet, a decat section and a Prodrive backbox.
- If you can, get a model with Morettes or the STI headlights fitted as they look far far better than the WRX originals and they're not cheap either.
- Check the boot for leaks. It's a known issue, especially if the seller has fitted an aftermarket STI spoiler, that the boot can leak - check for puddles in the compartment where the jack and tools go (passenger side), and in the spare wheel well. It's actually a very easy problem to fix (with some bathroom sealant) but might buy you some negotiating room.
- Be aware that Scoobies are not cheap to run. With a remap I see about 22mpg; about 240 miles if I'm careful on a full tank and it has to be Super not normal '95 RON fuel. A 400 mile journey to Manchester and back will normally cost me £100.
Decent tyres start around £80 each, and brake pads are £100 for a set. Just so you're aware of what you're entering into!
Insurance isn't too bad, Keith Michaels and A-Plan are good places to look if you're insuring a modified Subaru.
All that said, they're great cars and have a big following; big community the Scooby lot.
There are plenty out there, so take your time and pick a good one.
Welcome to the last car you'll ever want (although your wallet won't think so
) lol.
Last edited by MrNoisy; 31 July 2009 at 10:34 AM.
31 July 2009, 10:53 AM
#3
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Thanks for the reply, to be honest I'm wanting to find one as close to standard as possible. The cam interval is about 50k, how many years is that? i.e. 3 years or 50k etc...
31 July 2009, 11:37 AM
#4
All depends on the car I guess, but if you're looking at a 2001-2 model it should've been done by now. Mine was done at 46k.
Mine was totally standard when I bought it. The only problem is I've now spent a fair bit on STI cosmetics to make it look better as those WRX headlights really are FUGLY!
Brand new you're looking at about £4-500 for the STI headlamps and then other bits. The headlamps do come up second hand now and again but they tend to go for a lot as they're considered a rarity I think.
tbh if you can afford it I would advise you to go for an STI. It was out of my budget 4 years ago when I bought the car but with the market as it is ATM there are bargains to be had it would appear. Prodrive style are great looking cars.
The problem is - you buy the WRX, get used to it and then want more lol.
One thing I didn't mention.
The bugs models have a few variants.
1. Roof mounted aerial - mine has the aerial mounted on the roof above the driver's door - looks crap! Some did come with the aerial in the rear screen and look cosmetically better for it. Minor point but worth knowing.
2. Seats - mine came with crappy airbag seats which offered virtually no side bolster support at all, so hence when cornering hard you'd crash into the door. Very annoying.
I swapped them for some out of an 2000 bug model, which were bucket seats and much more supportive. If you can find a model with those I'd suggest them over the others - much better. You can swap them like I did but you need to do a "resistor fix" to stop the airbag warning light coming on.
Mine was totally standard when I bought it. The only problem is I've now spent a fair bit on STI cosmetics to make it look better as those WRX headlights really are FUGLY!
Brand new you're looking at about £4-500 for the STI headlamps and then other bits. The headlamps do come up second hand now and again but they tend to go for a lot as they're considered a rarity I think.
tbh if you can afford it I would advise you to go for an STI. It was out of my budget 4 years ago when I bought the car but with the market as it is ATM there are bargains to be had it would appear. Prodrive style are great looking cars.
The problem is - you buy the WRX, get used to it and then want more lol.
One thing I didn't mention.
The bugs models have a few variants.
1. Roof mounted aerial - mine has the aerial mounted on the roof above the driver's door - looks crap! Some did come with the aerial in the rear screen and look cosmetically better for it. Minor point but worth knowing.
2. Seats - mine came with crappy airbag seats which offered virtually no side bolster support at all, so hence when cornering hard you'd crash into the door. Very annoying.
I swapped them for some out of an 2000 bug model, which were bucket seats and much more supportive. If you can find a model with those I'd suggest them over the others - much better. You can swap them like I did but you need to do a "resistor fix" to stop the airbag warning light coming on.
01 August 2009, 07:28 AM
#6
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Other than the obvious blue smoke on start, I'd also check for the following:
- Hesitation on acceleration - can be down to coilpacks failing, badly gapped or worn plugs, dodgy MAF. Normally on a car that age it should just be the plugs - happened to mine.
Take the car for a test drive. Let it warm up first for 5-10 minutes of normal (read not spirited) driving to get the oil up to temperature. Then give it a blast up a road somewhere.
BUT - note that WRX brakes are not exactly great, so don't go too mad if the owner hasn't fitted Brembos or K-Sports or equivalent upgrades, test them and see.
Acceleration should be rapid from around 3000 RPM+ when the turbo comes in and the car should pull nicely above that. You'll probably notice the clutch is quite heavy but gear change should be solid.
- FSH is a must so you can see the car's been looked after. IIRC the service interval is normally around every 8-10,000 miles. If it's done near 50-60,000 miles ensure the cambelt was done.
- You can either go for a standard car or a modified one. Most will be at least lightly modified. A car with a cat-back or full stainless exhaust (with either a decat or sports cat), panel filter and remap should be making something around the 270-280bhp mark, and will save you some money when you start modding.
- If it's been remapped, I'd ask for dynos etc to prove the work was done and also who did it. I'd be inclined to say proof of this is important - you see a lot of people on here saying they bought a car they'd told had been mapped only to see it go pop a few months later.
- If the car is fitted with rear solid aluminium droplinks and a Perrin / Whiteline rear anti roll bar that's a good thing - best handling mod for least money IMHO.
- Uprated Brembo, K-Sport or AP Racing brakes are a great upgrade - if the car has em fitted it'll save you anything up to £1000 uprating the standard WRX rubbish.
- The PPP (Prodrive Performance Pack) doesn't offer maximum performance benefits but is probably a good start, so if you find a model with PPP it's worth a look - I think they have certificates so the owner should also have that. Such models should have a Prodrive intercooler Y and front hose (blue) under the bonnet, a decat section and a Prodrive backbox.
- If you can, get a model with Morettes or the STI headlights fitted as they look far far better than the WRX originals and they're not cheap either.
- Check the boot for leaks. It's a known issue, especially if the seller has fitted an aftermarket STI spoiler, that the boot can leak - check for puddles in the compartment where the jack and tools go (passenger side), and in the spare wheel well. It's actually a very easy problem to fix (with some bathroom sealant) but might buy you some negotiating room.
- Be aware that Scoobies are not cheap to run. With a remap I see about 22mpg; about 240 miles if I'm careful on a full tank and it has to be Super not normal '95 RON fuel. A 400 mile journey to Manchester and back will normally cost me £100.
Decent tyres start around £80 each, and brake pads are £100 for a set. Just so you're aware of what you're entering into!
Insurance isn't too bad, Keith Michaels and A-Plan are good places to look if you're insuring a modified Subaru.
All that said, they're great cars and have a big following; big community the Scooby lot.
There are plenty out there, so take your time and pick a good one.
Welcome to the last car you'll ever want (although your wallet won't think so) lol.
- Hesitation on acceleration - can be down to coilpacks failing, badly gapped or worn plugs, dodgy MAF. Normally on a car that age it should just be the plugs - happened to mine.
Take the car for a test drive. Let it warm up first for 5-10 minutes of normal (read not spirited) driving to get the oil up to temperature. Then give it a blast up a road somewhere.
BUT - note that WRX brakes are not exactly great, so don't go too mad if the owner hasn't fitted Brembos or K-Sports or equivalent upgrades, test them and see.
Acceleration should be rapid from around 3000 RPM+ when the turbo comes in and the car should pull nicely above that. You'll probably notice the clutch is quite heavy but gear change should be solid.
- FSH is a must so you can see the car's been looked after. IIRC the service interval is normally around every 8-10,000 miles. If it's done near 50-60,000 miles ensure the cambelt was done.
- You can either go for a standard car or a modified one. Most will be at least lightly modified. A car with a cat-back or full stainless exhaust (with either a decat or sports cat), panel filter and remap should be making something around the 270-280bhp mark, and will save you some money when you start modding.
- If it's been remapped, I'd ask for dynos etc to prove the work was done and also who did it. I'd be inclined to say proof of this is important - you see a lot of people on here saying they bought a car they'd told had been mapped only to see it go pop a few months later.
- If the car is fitted with rear solid aluminium droplinks and a Perrin / Whiteline rear anti roll bar that's a good thing - best handling mod for least money IMHO.
- Uprated Brembo, K-Sport or AP Racing brakes are a great upgrade - if the car has em fitted it'll save you anything up to £1000 uprating the standard WRX rubbish.
- The PPP (Prodrive Performance Pack) doesn't offer maximum performance benefits but is probably a good start, so if you find a model with PPP it's worth a look - I think they have certificates so the owner should also have that. Such models should have a Prodrive intercooler Y and front hose (blue) under the bonnet, a decat section and a Prodrive backbox.
- If you can, get a model with Morettes or the STI headlights fitted as they look far far better than the WRX originals and they're not cheap either.
- Check the boot for leaks. It's a known issue, especially if the seller has fitted an aftermarket STI spoiler, that the boot can leak - check for puddles in the compartment where the jack and tools go (passenger side), and in the spare wheel well. It's actually a very easy problem to fix (with some bathroom sealant) but might buy you some negotiating room.
- Be aware that Scoobies are not cheap to run. With a remap I see about 22mpg; about 240 miles if I'm careful on a full tank and it has to be Super not normal '95 RON fuel. A 400 mile journey to Manchester and back will normally cost me £100.
Decent tyres start around £80 each, and brake pads are £100 for a set. Just so you're aware of what you're entering into!
Insurance isn't too bad, Keith Michaels and A-Plan are good places to look if you're insuring a modified Subaru.
All that said, they're great cars and have a big following; big community the Scooby lot.
There are plenty out there, so take your time and pick a good one.
Welcome to the last car you'll ever want (although your wallet won't think so
) lol. I'm going to start looking for one in august 04-05 WRX.can a uk standard car run on 95 RON or does that have to be super 97 RON..
03 August 2009, 02:36 PM
#7
I have an 01 car, mate has an 00 car - mine has the aerial in the a-pillar, his in the rear screen.
Looks like it was just luck of the draw depending on the mood they were in in the factory
I ran a thread about this last year and there was no discernible pattern of year - you just either got one or you didn't!
You posted on it actually - it's weird - some 02 models had it too.
https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...ur-bugeye.html
Last edited by MrNoisy; 03 August 2009 at 02:40 PM.
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03 August 2009, 02:41 PM
#8
With a remap I see about 22mpg; about 240 miles if I'm careful on a full tank and it has to be Super not normal '95 RON fuel. A 400 mile journey to Manchester and back will normally cost me £100.
Last edited by MrNoisy; 03 August 2009 at 02:42 PM.
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