Buying my first Subaru!
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Buying my first Subaru!
Time to get my dream come true.
So after years of waiting, and I do genuinely mean years, I'm trawling forums, sale sites and finally narrowed my search down to three cars - The forth being 6k over budget! (Spec c) I will let that dream slide.
Despite sometimes conflicting information, some what naivety on my part of the full Subaru WRX / STI, Spec C / D /, Type RA / RA-R, 2.0L / 2.5L , 2004 this 2007 that, I've listened to my heart and narrowed down what I know will truly be great cars non the less, getting me in that seat of the iconic WRX fanboy equivalent I grew up watching.
Not a single Subaru goes past me without me twitching my head, undoing a window, or pausing my music to listen to.
My search has narrowed me down to the following 3 cars.
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Type UK - 2007 - 74,000 Miles - Blue (unfortunately its been mapped)
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Spec D - 2006 - 96,700 Miles - Silver
- Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5L GB270 - 2008 - 101,000 Miles - Blue (very compelling styling)
These all fall within £500 of each other in pricing. Im in the process of getting Full service records to understand that these have all received the big milage Belts / pump replacements that are expected at this milage.
I would love to know everyones feedback on which they would buy and why! Hinting at maybe I'm still undecided - trying to avoid my dream car going pop.
So after years of waiting, and I do genuinely mean years, I'm trawling forums, sale sites and finally narrowed my search down to three cars - The forth being 6k over budget! (Spec c) I will let that dream slide.
Despite sometimes conflicting information, some what naivety on my part of the full Subaru WRX / STI, Spec C / D /, Type RA / RA-R, 2.0L / 2.5L , 2004 this 2007 that, I've listened to my heart and narrowed down what I know will truly be great cars non the less, getting me in that seat of the iconic WRX fanboy equivalent I grew up watching.
Not a single Subaru goes past me without me twitching my head, undoing a window, or pausing my music to listen to.
My search has narrowed me down to the following 3 cars.
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Type UK - 2007 - 74,000 Miles - Blue (unfortunately its been mapped)
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Spec D - 2006 - 96,700 Miles - Silver
- Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5L GB270 - 2008 - 101,000 Miles - Blue (very compelling styling)
These all fall within £500 of each other in pricing. Im in the process of getting Full service records to understand that these have all received the big milage Belts / pump replacements that are expected at this milage.
I would love to know everyones feedback on which they would buy and why! Hinting at maybe I'm still undecided - trying to avoid my dream car going pop.
#2
Scooby Regular
Hello mate, there’s so many horror stories regarding the 2.5 engine. Great engine if it’s been forged but your looking at high mileage ones which is a big risk and your dream Subaru could soon become a nightmare. Do you have specific requirements in what your Subaru must have as the scoobynet lot will try and point you in the right direction.
#3
Scooby Regular
Spec D's were limited to 300 cars but were never numbered by Subaru. They are all Crystal Grey not silver...but really you can only see this when you put one next to a true silver car, then it shows.
Great stealthy fun, with all the STi things like DCCD, 6 speed, widetrack rear track, Brembo's and so on - but at a glance looks like a WRX to the untrained eye. Great for the odd blast when you are incorrectly judged by your rear spoiler.
They often don't really get talked about on forums, yet they are so rare now :
109 left taxed on the road, but the accuracy of this site could be questionable https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=...&commit=Search
My 2007 Spec D is on 91k miles and was fully forged 4k miles ago, needs a rad now this weekend, My original block went on cylinder 1 - Hence this was actually my second forged build on it (last build was about 40k miles ago) and was mapped my Bob Rawle. 342bhp and 410ft lb....yes, a very good fast road car.
Read up as much as you can on 2.5 issues, they are common sadly. My advice would be to buy an already forged one by a reputable builder or at least budget for a forge build in the future. Sad but true.
You sound like the sort of person I'd sell mine to, someone who would look after it and not molest it - It's been looked after so well, cherished and is a very very clean example 100% stock outside, inside and under the bonnet appearance, want's for nothing.
Not for sale though.......yet :-)
ps, my road tax is a whopping £580 a year.
Great stealthy fun, with all the STi things like DCCD, 6 speed, widetrack rear track, Brembo's and so on - but at a glance looks like a WRX to the untrained eye. Great for the odd blast when you are incorrectly judged by your rear spoiler.
They often don't really get talked about on forums, yet they are so rare now :
109 left taxed on the road, but the accuracy of this site could be questionable https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=...&commit=Search
My 2007 Spec D is on 91k miles and was fully forged 4k miles ago, needs a rad now this weekend, My original block went on cylinder 1 - Hence this was actually my second forged build on it (last build was about 40k miles ago) and was mapped my Bob Rawle. 342bhp and 410ft lb....yes, a very good fast road car.
Read up as much as you can on 2.5 issues, they are common sadly. My advice would be to buy an already forged one by a reputable builder or at least budget for a forge build in the future. Sad but true.
You sound like the sort of person I'd sell mine to, someone who would look after it and not molest it - It's been looked after so well, cherished and is a very very clean example 100% stock outside, inside and under the bonnet appearance, want's for nothing.
Not for sale though.......yet :-)
ps, my road tax is a whopping £580 a year.
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#6
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (5)
Time to get my dream come true.
So after years of waiting, and I do genuinely mean years, I'm trawling forums, sale sites and finally narrowed my search down to three cars - The forth being 6k over budget! (Spec c) I will let that dream slide.
Despite sometimes conflicting information, some what naivety on my part of the full Subaru WRX / STI, Spec C / D /, Type RA / RA-R, 2.0L / 2.5L , 2004 this 2007 that, I've listened to my heart and narrowed down what I know will truly be great cars non the less, getting me in that seat of the iconic WRX fanboy equivalent I grew up watching.
Not a single Subaru goes past me without me twitching my head, undoing a window, or pausing my music to listen to.
My search has narrowed me down to the following 3 cars.
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Type UK - 2007 - 74,000 Miles - Blue (unfortunately its been mapped)
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Spec D - 2006 - 96,700 Miles - Silver
- Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5L GB270 - 2008 - 101,000 Miles - Blue (very compelling styling)
These all fall within £500 of each other in pricing. Im in the process of getting Full service records to understand that these have all received the big milage Belts / pump replacements that are expected at this milage.
I would love to know everyones feedback on which they would buy and why! Hinting at maybe I'm still undecided - trying to avoid my dream car going pop.
So after years of waiting, and I do genuinely mean years, I'm trawling forums, sale sites and finally narrowed my search down to three cars - The forth being 6k over budget! (Spec c) I will let that dream slide.
Despite sometimes conflicting information, some what naivety on my part of the full Subaru WRX / STI, Spec C / D /, Type RA / RA-R, 2.0L / 2.5L , 2004 this 2007 that, I've listened to my heart and narrowed down what I know will truly be great cars non the less, getting me in that seat of the iconic WRX fanboy equivalent I grew up watching.
Not a single Subaru goes past me without me twitching my head, undoing a window, or pausing my music to listen to.
My search has narrowed me down to the following 3 cars.
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Type UK - 2007 - 74,000 Miles - Blue (unfortunately its been mapped)
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI 2.5L Spec D - 2006 - 96,700 Miles - Silver
- Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5L GB270 - 2008 - 101,000 Miles - Blue (very compelling styling)
These all fall within £500 of each other in pricing. Im in the process of getting Full service records to understand that these have all received the big milage Belts / pump replacements that are expected at this milage.
I would love to know everyones feedback on which they would buy and why! Hinting at maybe I'm still undecided - trying to avoid my dream car going pop.
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#7
It’s exactly that with an ECU remap and an exhaust too. I looked at a few and the prices are varied, one was STI import money and a complete rot box which had seen a hard life and hadn’t been serviced in 6 or 7 years, it’s up for nearly £11k. If the OP is spending about that much then an import will work out well especially as the Hawkeyes still had the 2.0l fitted.
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#8
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we may have scared him off, he’s gone looking at evo’s instead
#9
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Hello mate, there’s so many horror stories regarding the 2.5 engine. Great engine if it’s been forged but your looking at high mileage ones which is a big risk and your dream Subaru could soon become a nightmare. Do you have specific requirements in what your Subaru must have as the scoobynet lot will try and point you in the right direction.
Would seem that the market at the moment has not got many 2.0L within my budget. Guess If Im listening to all the horror stories on a 2.5 I may look towards waiting for the right 2.0.
Still not phased by Blob / Hawkeye, I guess maybe understanding the difference in engine codes to avoid over any.
#10
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Its the trim level that plays a role for me buying one, never really fallen in love with the STI / WRX interior. Something about the Alcantara seats that draws me.
The Spec D is full leather similar in trim to the RB320s.
Trim over modability for me.
#11
Scooby Regular
All depends on what you want really mate. People will say STI but depends what the goal is. Like you said the interior and styling does it for you then fair enough.
Sorry I didn't see you budget, might have missed it. And its always good seeing someone new join the Subaru gang
Sorry I didn't see you budget, might have missed it. And its always good seeing someone new join the Subaru gang
#12
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All depends on what you want really mate. People will say STI but depends what the goal is. Like you said the interior and styling does it for you then fair enough.
Sorry I didn't see you budget, might have missed it. And its always good seeing someone new join the Subaru gang
Sorry I didn't see you budget, might have missed it. And its always good seeing someone new join the Subaru gang
Im still researching what is more likely to fail, a WRX over STI as there are some obvious power differences here, and naturally different engine codes too, so maybe one less likely than the other.
#13
Scooby Regular
Thats a very healthy budget. You should be able to pick up a widetrack STI for that much if you're going that route.
#14
Scooby Regular
I never mentioned. Working with a tight budget of 10k so options are somewhat limited. Puts me looking at higher mileage motors, but that doesn't phase me.
Im still researching what is more likely to fail, a WRX over STI as there are some obvious power differences here, and naturally different engine codes too, so maybe one less likely than the other.
Im still researching what is more likely to fail, a WRX over STI as there are some obvious power differences here, and naturally different engine codes too, so maybe one less likely than the other.
#15
I never mentioned. Working with a tight budget of 10k so options are somewhat limited. Puts me looking at higher mileage motors, but that doesn't phase me.
Im still researching what is more likely to fail, a WRX over STI as there are some obvious power differences here, and naturally different engine codes too, so maybe one less likely than the other.
Im still researching what is more likely to fail, a WRX over STI as there are some obvious power differences here, and naturally different engine codes too, so maybe one less likely than the other.
#17
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If you are not bothered about it being a blobeye or a hawkeye, a blobeye will have the stronger 2 litre engine and much cheaper to tax. The 2.5 in the gb270 is under less stress than an STI so less prone to fail but that is not to say that it won't. Alcantara seats are not standard in a gb270, that were an option so you might find one that looks like a standard wrx inside. They weren't so much a rally celebration model, more a run out model as these were introduced just before the hatch model, standard wrx fare really other than ppp and Prodrive wheels/spoiler/grilles. Good luck with your search (you are not the chap that works for dominos that I had a conversation with about subarus last week by any chance?)
#18
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I was in your exact position a couple months ago and thought I had bought my dream car until the head gaskets went, shortly followed by the bottom end and yes it was a 2.5. It's now at ScoobyClinic, who you'll learn to love awaiting an engine rebuild.
Do your research, buy under warranty and take it to ScoobyClinic or any other Subaru specialist for a leak down and compression test etc.
Do your research, buy under warranty and take it to ScoobyClinic or any other Subaru specialist for a leak down and compression test etc.
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#19
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I was in your exact position a couple months ago and thought I had bought my dream car until the head gaskets went, shortly followed by the bottom end and yes it was a 2.5. It's now at ScoobyClinic, who you'll learn to love awaiting an engine rebuild.
Do your research, buy under warranty and take it to ScoobyClinic or any other Subaru specialist for a leak down and compression test etc.
Do your research, buy under warranty and take it to ScoobyClinic or any other Subaru specialist for a leak down and compression test etc.
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