Traitor here from MLR.
19 February 2015, 12:15 AM
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Traitor here from MLR.
Hi to all scoobynet users lol. Former traitor and Evo owner looks like I may be joining the dark side just sold my Evo 8 MR looking at buying a classic R 
(when the right one comes along) even if it takes me all year to find the right car I'll wait not that I no a great deal about them however always been a real jap enthusiast just recently got the itch for a scooby, So I could do with some advice on where to find a really really clean one as I plan on keeping this car for the foreseeable future thanks in advance. Bring on the abuse also lol. Regards Curtis.
(when the right one comes along) even if it takes me all year to find the right car I'll wait not that I no a great deal about them however always been a real jap enthusiast just recently got the itch for a scooby, So I could do with some advice on where to find a really really clean one as I plan on keeping this car for the foreseeable future thanks in advance. Bring on the abuse also lol. Regards Curtis.
19 February 2015, 08:09 AM
#5
I thought going to an evo from a scoobys was going to the dark side, the other way around is finally seeing the light?? Lol.
Have driven a few evo's and no doubt they are good cars, just always felt scoobys have more character, anyhow welcome along :-)
Have driven a few evo's and no doubt they are good cars, just always felt scoobys have more character, anyhow welcome along :-)
19 February 2015, 12:48 PM
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Thanks for the welcome lads appreciate it. Yeah I guess it is seeing the light lol, Well I'm hear now and my search will continue think I will hold of untill I find the right car this time as I've been easily parted with my cash in the past, I must admit I find it a little easier on the pocket buying a Subaru and I feel when the right car comes along it will be money well spent
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19 February 2015, 07:09 PM
#12
Just like some Imprezas, certain EVO models have shot up in price in recent times. I had an Evo 8 MR 320 in grey about 3 years ago done 48k FMSH lovely car for £9500 and they seem to be selling at £12k now...!!
Would love a red Tommi Makinen but again they seem to have shot up in price also.
Anyway welcome.
Raf
Would love a red Tommi Makinen but again they seem to have shot up in price also.
Anyway welcome.
Raf
19 February 2015, 09:57 PM
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Yeah I bought my mr for 13 k sold it for 14.5 stuck couple extras on it to get that back, but didn't really loose anything on it considering, mine was also a 340. Loved it tho kind of wish I never parted with it but don't we all once we see someone else at the wheel, after getting married and having a holiday leaves some spare change to get a classic which is my favorite model so I'm happy with the end result just going to find something stock maybe basic mods and just tinker with it threw the year I fancy keeping a hold of this car so I have a lot on finding the right one lol, being picky really does my head in but i need to be 100% happy this time round. Thanks for the kind replys
just going to find something stock maybe basic mods and just tinker with it threw the year I fancy keeping a hold of this car so I have a lot on finding the right one lol, being picky really does my head in but i need to be 100% happy this time round. Thanks for the kind replys
20 February 2015, 12:33 AM
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Hi Curtis and welcome. Am I right in saying it's a type r your after? A good place to start would be to join type-ra.com aswell and have a gander through the specs section (don't dismiss RA's either unless a 2 door is a must), you'll find lots of information on each version which should help narrow down what one will suit you best.
Do bear in mind though that Type R prices have climbed quite drastically in recent times, which seems to be encouraging owners to keep hold of the nice ones, as I've not seen as many good ones for sale of late. This means you do really want to research them as if the right one comes up you need be able to identify it as a good one and move pretty quick!
Do bear in mind though that Type R prices have climbed quite drastically in recent times, which seems to be encouraging owners to keep hold of the nice ones, as I've not seen as many good ones for sale of late. This means you do really want to research them as if the right one comes up you need be able to identify it as a good one and move pretty quick!
20 February 2015, 12:52 AM
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Cheers 328, I'll do just that I was told to just keep an eye out for fresh imports ? because of Japan's mot laws being quite strict apparently a lot of really good cars get written of due to very minor mechanical issues some of the imports are stone mint apparently...But then again there's some good ones around to but as you said people arnt really parting with them and fair play really there becoming rarer and rarer especially the good ones which IMO Ive only ever seen one and it was a 4 door 
. I do have my heart set on a 2 door would you say it's possible to get a project that needs some work and half restore it ? Or would you say just avoid totally ? It's the mechanical side that really bothers me also I'm not the best at judging a good car from a bad car so any advice on what to look for or avoid would be greatly appreciated from anyone on this forum as I'm a total novice but yeah I'm going to do my research mate I'm going to have a scoot round my local garages this weekend try to gather some more info if it's possible.. Thanks
. I do have my heart set on a 2 door would you say it's possible to get a project that needs some work and half restore it ? Or would you say just avoid totally ? It's the mechanical side that really bothers me also I'm not the best at judging a good car from a bad car so any advice on what to look for or avoid would be greatly appreciated from anyone on this forum as I'm a total novice but yeah I'm going to do my research mate I'm going to have a scoot round my local garages this weekend try to gather some more info if it's possible.. Thanks
20 February 2015, 12:54 AM
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Also 328 what would you say is a top end price for a type r coupe ? I've seen them for as much as 9.5k! But I'm hoping that's a1 condition.
21 February 2015, 02:59 PM
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Hi Curtis,
Yep fresh imports is certainly not a bad thing to consider, I believe your correct in that their version of an MOT is more stringent, however the main advantage of a fresh or recent import is in the shell.. rust is a big killer of impreza's now here in the UK, due to how the Japanese look after their roads the cars fair much better there, meaning it's entirely possible for say a 1998 UK car to have been scrapped due to rust yet a car of the same age and use in Japan to be largely rust free.
However, there can be downsides, many imports come with patchy service history and you can end up actually knowing very little about the cars life, you also have to factor in pretty much a full going over service if not included by the seller, think cambelt, gearbox/diff oils, plugs filters etc.
Of course there are a number of personal import specialists out there who can do everything for you from sourcing a car to preparing it and getting it on the road in the UK, but of course this comes at a price.
2 door - no bad thing that you know what you want, if anything it helps as it narrows the options.
So leaving 'versions' aside there are three main options when it comes to 2 doors, P1's (as close as we got in the UK to a Type R) WRX Type R's and WRX STi Type R's, the latter is generally the most popular at the moment and for good reason being as it has all the toys. That said all three are very good and have their own strengths, the P1 was developed for our roads and hence is a more relaxed proposition, with longer gearing and a slightly better ride, it also has ABS (note the STi Type R doesn't have ABS), there's generally two trains of thought on the P1, some view it as the best compromise of spec and suitability for our roads and as such one of the best impreza's ever made, others see it as a STi with all the good bits taken off!
WRX Type R's are rare but a decent option if you can find one, they miss out on DCCD and the better spec'd STi engine amongst other bits, but they do have ABS and a shorter ratio box than the P1.
The big things you really need to pay attention to are rust (use the search option on this forum), mostly in the rear arches - Beware they rust from the inside out so a few bubbles on the paint outside can actually be a major issue underneath, and also the sills. Secondly, engines, many P1 engines will have been rebuilt by now as it's generally regarded that the map wasn't great for UK fuel from the factory, leading to many engines failing after a fairly short life. For Type R's of course they were mapped for 100 RON fuel, so really should be remapped on arrival to the UK to prevent any issues.
Based on the above don't worry overly about cars with rebuilt engines as it's quite common, but it's very important to know the spec, who built it and who mapped it.
Projects.. imo given the age of these cars unless you're willing to spend big money on a very lightly used one they're all projects to an extent! However Personally I'd be careful taking on one as a proper project as in needs a fair bit of bodywork or major engine work unless you get it really cheap, as these cars can quickly turn into serious money pits. Your much better off paying a little more and picking up a good one from the outset.
9.5K doesn't shock me like it might have a year ago, very good but not exceptional P1's are selling around the 10k mark and you'd do well to pick up a truly decent Type R for less than 8k, bear in mind now that an exceptional Type R fresh from Japan through a personal import specialist could cost you as much as 12-13k OTR.
As the market stands I'd say you need to be spending between 7-10k to get you in a decent P1/Type R.
I hope this helps!
Yep fresh imports is certainly not a bad thing to consider, I believe your correct in that their version of an MOT is more stringent, however the main advantage of a fresh or recent import is in the shell.. rust is a big killer of impreza's now here in the UK, due to how the Japanese look after their roads the cars fair much better there, meaning it's entirely possible for say a 1998 UK car to have been scrapped due to rust yet a car of the same age and use in Japan to be largely rust free.
However, there can be downsides, many imports come with patchy service history and you can end up actually knowing very little about the cars life, you also have to factor in pretty much a full going over service if not included by the seller, think cambelt, gearbox/diff oils, plugs filters etc.
Of course there are a number of personal import specialists out there who can do everything for you from sourcing a car to preparing it and getting it on the road in the UK, but of course this comes at a price.
2 door - no bad thing that you know what you want, if anything it helps as it narrows the options.
So leaving 'versions' aside there are three main options when it comes to 2 doors, P1's (as close as we got in the UK to a Type R) WRX Type R's and WRX STi Type R's, the latter is generally the most popular at the moment and for good reason being as it has all the toys. That said all three are very good and have their own strengths, the P1 was developed for our roads and hence is a more relaxed proposition, with longer gearing and a slightly better ride, it also has ABS (note the STi Type R doesn't have ABS), there's generally two trains of thought on the P1, some view it as the best compromise of spec and suitability for our roads and as such one of the best impreza's ever made, others see it as a STi with all the good bits taken off!
WRX Type R's are rare but a decent option if you can find one, they miss out on DCCD and the better spec'd STi engine amongst other bits, but they do have ABS and a shorter ratio box than the P1.
The big things you really need to pay attention to are rust (use the search option on this forum), mostly in the rear arches - Beware they rust from the inside out so a few bubbles on the paint outside can actually be a major issue underneath, and also the sills. Secondly, engines, many P1 engines will have been rebuilt by now as it's generally regarded that the map wasn't great for UK fuel from the factory, leading to many engines failing after a fairly short life. For Type R's of course they were mapped for 100 RON fuel, so really should be remapped on arrival to the UK to prevent any issues.
Based on the above don't worry overly about cars with rebuilt engines as it's quite common, but it's very important to know the spec, who built it and who mapped it.
Projects.. imo given the age of these cars unless you're willing to spend big money on a very lightly used one they're all projects to an extent! However Personally I'd be careful taking on one as a proper project as in needs a fair bit of bodywork or major engine work unless you get it really cheap, as these cars can quickly turn into serious money pits. Your much better off paying a little more and picking up a good one from the outset.
9.5K doesn't shock me like it might have a year ago, very good but not exceptional P1's are selling around the 10k mark and you'd do well to pick up a truly decent Type R for less than 8k, bear in mind now that an exceptional Type R fresh from Japan through a personal import specialist could cost you as much as 12-13k OTR.
As the market stands I'd say you need to be spending between 7-10k to get you in a decent P1/Type R.
I hope this helps!
21 February 2015, 07:17 PM
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Some great info there 328 thanks for taking your time to reply with all the info puts all my questions to rest as you've answered every field for me. So main factor seems to be rust and finding one rust free. Thanks for the info I've screen saved what you've said I'll look like a right dip stick when I go to view a car and I start doing my check list lol. Better to be safe then sorry tho. Thanks for the info much appreciated!
21 February 2015, 08:56 PM
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No worries, happy to help. Definitely better to be safe than sorry! Any decent seller who knows these cars will have no issue with you checking it out properly.
A very quick checklist for rust. This will literally take you 5 mins max and give you an instant idea as to the condition of the shell.
IMPORTANT: take a good bright torch with you!
1. Inner arch
In the boot on the left hand side on the inner rear quarter panel cover you'll find a door, behind which the jack sits, open the door and take the jack out, then using your torch stick your head in the boot and see what you can see, it's not easy but persevere and you can actually see a fair bit, this is what you should be able to see once the jack is out of the way;
on a bad car this area will look a lot worse!
2. Sills
Type R's have sill covers so rust here can easily be missed, again its dead easy to check though, if you can get on the floor and your head underneath the sill then great, if not simply find the cutouts underneath the sill covers (which are there to allow the Subaru jack to not catch the sill cover when lifting), locate the seam and check either side of it, it's common for the outer side of the sill to rust, to the extent on a bad car you'll find holes directly above the sill cover cut outs. These pics show a car that had holes in these areas and has been plated, however it helps show where you need to be looking as obviously you won't be able to see this with the covers on;
3. Rear Windscreen
Open the boot and follow the boot seal round, you don't have to remove the seal as in these pics, but just check it's solid, a bad car could have a lot of rust beneath the screen and even holes in the corners that you can see in pic 2 (this particular car is solid);
There are other places which you also deserve checking, but if you've done the above three and everything is solid then your doing well, if you've got bad rust in any of these areas walk away.
Lastly, a quick note on dealers, many of the dealers specialising in Impreza's don't have a great rep to say the least, in fact I'm only aware of one that have consistently good reviews and are honest about their cars condition and largely sensibly priced - these guys;
http://www.hurstcars.co.uk/
A very quick checklist for rust. This will literally take you 5 mins max and give you an instant idea as to the condition of the shell.
IMPORTANT: take a good bright torch with you!
1. Inner arch
In the boot on the left hand side on the inner rear quarter panel cover you'll find a door, behind which the jack sits, open the door and take the jack out, then using your torch stick your head in the boot and see what you can see, it's not easy but persevere and you can actually see a fair bit, this is what you should be able to see once the jack is out of the way;
on a bad car this area will look a lot worse!
2. Sills
Type R's have sill covers so rust here can easily be missed, again its dead easy to check though, if you can get on the floor and your head underneath the sill then great, if not simply find the cutouts underneath the sill covers (which are there to allow the Subaru jack to not catch the sill cover when lifting), locate the seam and check either side of it, it's common for the outer side of the sill to rust, to the extent on a bad car you'll find holes directly above the sill cover cut outs. These pics show a car that had holes in these areas and has been plated, however it helps show where you need to be looking as obviously you won't be able to see this with the covers on;
3. Rear Windscreen
Open the boot and follow the boot seal round, you don't have to remove the seal as in these pics, but just check it's solid, a bad car could have a lot of rust beneath the screen and even holes in the corners that you can see in pic 2 (this particular car is solid);
There are other places which you also deserve checking, but if you've done the above three and everything is solid then your doing well, if you've got bad rust in any of these areas walk away.
Lastly, a quick note on dealers, many of the dealers specialising in Impreza's don't have a great rep to say the least, in fact I'm only aware of one that have consistently good reviews and are honest about their cars condition and largely sensibly priced - these guys;
http://www.hurstcars.co.uk/
Last edited by 328isport; 21 February 2015 at 08:59 PM.
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