How can i tell if a 94 WRX wagon is an import? I don't have the V5 document yet and only have documentation from this country over the last few years. There are no WRX badges anywhere on the car or impreza turbo badges.

I noticed the interior fuse box labeling is japanese... so i'd guess it is an import.... any better ways of telling for sure just by looking at the car itself?

cheers,

Marty.

Go to the grahame goode site and they have a section that details the chassis numbers etc that will tell you what you need.

If it has any of the following there a good chance its an import :

1) Electric folding wing mirrors
2) Air con (although some UK cars had it but wasnt standard)
3) The chassis number is shorter 11 digits instead of a UK 16 IIRC

The chassis number is on the VIN plate under the boonet passenger side, top of the suspension strut.

If its a MY94 WRX import it will have a model code of GF8B58D also on the VIN plate.

BTW all WRXs pre 2001 were imports



[Edited by chrisp - 9/30/2002 10:56:04 AM]

A couple of other signs are:
1. Emergency flares are used in Japan. Look in the bottom, left hand side of the passenger footwell. The flare has probably gone but the two black holding brackets may be there.
2. Pull down the drivers visor. There should be a load of Japanese writing about the air bag and other safety stuff on the flap.
3. On the underneath of the bonnet there are details of engine timing etc. This will be in Japanese, but I think that the UK ones are English?


Hope this helps

Nick

There will be no bright button in an import either :D

Does it have a rear wiper?
Does it have headlamp washers?

Ok, probably a dumb question but Subaru do a UK WRX in 94, I dont think so but I'm probably wrong

No they didn't make a UK 'WRX' until the new shape came out a couple of years ago. They were mostly called Turbo 2000 until then.
A couple more import give aways are that it probably won't have S U B A R U across the back and the rev counter may be in the middle.

[Edited by scoobysnacks - 9/30/2002 6:44:57 PM]

The main sign is to check the VIN plate on the car, I *think* uk cars have 17 digits in the VIN and imports less than that (10?)

Cheers guys,

I checked out everything suggested and it's pretty safe to say the car is definitely an import :) At least the dealer got that bit right even if the quoted mileage is wrong.

thanks,

Marty.

My 94 STi has 76Km, then converted to mph and reading in miles. I got a letter from them to confirm this change.

An obvious difference which can be seen from the driver's seat - the speedo on the WRX is on the left, rev counter on the right. UKs are the other way round.
Also look at the speedo....it should either only read to 112mph (if not de-limited) or have a sticker over the old km/h marking.
:)

Cheers Dave,

One quick question about the speedo. The speedo dial on mine has been replaced (as i've comfirmed it is an import). The clock goes from 0-180mph (obviously the car doesn't), with 100mph just off centre from the top of the dial. Does that sound right?? or are clocks different depending on how they are changed to mph when they're imported. I'd assume that just the face is changed along with the convertor to change from kms traveled to miles travelled.

cheers,

Marty.

Sounds like you may still have the original speedo facia in place as 180 kmh is 112.5 mph... The speedo on my MY98 WRX reads up to 180 and a mph sticker was placed over the kmh one when it was converted while brand new. This was done by an electronic device behind the dash which recalibrated the speedo accordingly (distance also reads in miles). This procedure may have been different on older models as the way the speedos worked changed at some point - not sure what year though.

[Edited by scoobysnacks - 9/30/2002 10:28:39 PM]

scoobysnacks,

That sounds like what i have. The car is a MY94 WRX, odometer reads in miles and the clock goes to 180... think thats whats been done to mine....

cheers.

Sounds just like my import. speedo goes up to 180, but little mph sticker over an kph one. Mechanical convertor/delimiter changes odo to read in miles rather than kms.