Ok, heres the deal. Im after getting a scooby when i get rid of my car but havent even been in one yet let alone found out what to look for. Can anyone give me advice on what i should be looking for. Im 24 so insurance could be a problem on the 280bhp imports but how much different is the uk spec?any major problem i should look for?just anything that i really should know before i buy one really. Budgets gona be around the 7k mark so bottom end of the spectrum im afraid :(

Any help greatly appreciated and hell if you come to my local i will buy you a pint! :D

Marc

If you can get the December 2001 copy of Japanese Performance Car they have pretty much dedicated the whole issue to imprezas including a buyers guide and info on each type of model, including imports.

Nice one cheers, will try and get hold of a copy.

Check out www.sidc.co.uk
has all the knowledge that you should need.
Difference between uk and jap...
normally the insurance is higher on the jap cars, the jap cars can only run on super unleaded fuel, there is no dealer back up for the jap cars in the uk as they wont touch them, parts may be a problem if you crash but not always :)
The early jap cars came with 240bhp, then up to 260bhp and finally around 97/8 they came with 276bhp.
Things to look for... hpi check, body panels align, full service history with the 2 services a year, always been run on super unleaded! (best just to ask what fuel they run it on).
Basically all the usual checks you would do with any performance car.
UK cars... probably a safer bet with cheaper insurance and still have the potential for 300bhp with the right modifications.
Watch late 97 and 98 cars as they suffered from "piston slap" but should have been fixed under warranty.
Full service history a must!
HPI a must!
cat 1 alarm a must!
Its a theives favourite so watch over your shoulder if you get one, they do almost anything to get those keys from you :(
Gearboxes and clutches are usually a weak spot, along with the brakes (pre 98 have 2 pots, the newer cars have 4 pots so best with uprated brakes)
Everything else depends on what you want, just be warned that the running costs are not cheap, look for around 6-7k per year inc insurance for around 10k miles per annum and consumables.
Hope that helps!

Tony

Thanks for the help guys. Guess it just a case of waiting for the right one to come up! dont want to be buying a lemon that ends up costing mme more in the long run. cheers!