Hi guys, posting on behalf of a mate. Hes after an impreza I think the ones from 00-07 ish? The second gen one. So confused as there seems to be several different models in the uk alone let alone the jap imports too. Basically what can we expect for 5k ish and what model should we be looking for in that price range?
Thanks!

 

for £5k you will get......

a pretty mint blobeye wrx 2003-2005 plate

a rough blobeye sti 2003-2005

maybe a half decent hawkeye wrx 2006-2007 but beware the standard 2.5 engine.

you could get a tidy bugeye sti 2001-2002 plate

a mint bugeye wrx

you should get a decent classic 1992-2000 platefor £5k but beware that the latest models are now 18 years old and rust can eat them from the inside out.

what does he want from the car? massive power/track car/weekend car or daily runner?

any of the wrx models will take around 300bhp-330bhp but they are on the limit there and are obviously lesser spec'd than an sti.

if i had £5k i would save another £1.5k and go for a blobeye sti, engine will take 400+ bhp,it has the brembo brakes all round and the 6 speed box and in my opinion its the best looking impreza.

stay away from badly modified examples and EVERY modification to enhance the performance from an induction kit to a de-cat exhaust must be mapped in.

have a look here to see which model he prefers.

remember that you must run them on good fuel ie shell v-power/tesco 99 etc...........not morrisons unleaded

 

Any Sti with a 6 speed will be ready for the breaker at 5k

This is prob the reason why there are not many "cheap" decent ones left, as they are worth more in spares,

Doubt you will get a Newage Sti that doesn't have rot/rust for that price,

Can still be worth it if only cosmetic tho

 

Lovely cheers guys that really helps! Its going to be a sometimes used daily/weekend car works for the army driving the drops vehicles and such so its a social/fun car to drive. Basically its got to be capable of 300+ with a solid engine so it sounds as if just holding on for a bit more money and going for a blob eye sti. Rather than just pushing a wrx to its limits or getting bored of it and changing in a year.

Is there anything in particular to look out for with the blob eyes?

Also whats up with the hawk eye 2.5?

Cheers for the help completely new to the scooby world though loads of nice ones up tunerfest at the weekend!

 

whats up with the hawkeye 2.5....................its ****e-end of pistons are the weak point along with head gaskets.

blobeye sti's are solid enough but even the oldest ones are now 15 years old so check for rust on front subframe/rear and front arches. interiors are solid enough and engines are the best that subaru made but still look out for plenty of paper work to indicate regular oil changes etc.

6 speed boxes are usually bomb-proof with regular oil changes and no hard launches.

i bought my 1st subaru for £4500 and if i knew then what i know now i wouldnt have bothered. best thing your mate can do is bank the money and add to it. £6.5k is lowest for a blob sti and thats the lower of the barrel, spend £8k+ for a mint example. widetrack blobs are the favorite but fetch £10k upwards.

 

So just an engine that either ****s pistons or blows headgaskets see what you guys mean finding a decent blob eye sti thats under 100k miles and not badly modified you're gonna need money! Seems well worth it though, wouldnt want a wrx to then sell it a year or two down the line for 1k less just to then go buy an sti anyway. Well that being said I only drive a vauxhall anyway if it was me a wrx would be a massive upgrade Hes only coming from a 140bhp astra mk5 so will be loving the power!

 

 

Indeed. A remapped blob wrx is a great backroad car, good for over 300 miles a tankful. I say this whilst currently owning a jdm hatch sti, so no bias

 

Right hes desperate for one right now basically so a nice blob or bug eye wrx it is! Personally yeah id wait rather than buy a wrx (yeah still looks an amazing car) and just go full sti! But I get it either way going to be a massive difference in car.

If anyone knows and tidy wrx for sale under 5k please do link

 

do what you can afford! nothing wrong with a wrx with a nice map on it and another couple of extra bits!.

 

JDM WRX Newage with a remap.