Dave_69

Hello all!

I've been sent over here from the wonderful guys at the EVO forum, they said that you may be able to help me with a querie. Although I know it could be considered a bit early to be thinking about it, I'm hoping that by next March when my insurance is up for renewal, I'll be able to get my hands on a standard Scooby.

By then I'll be 22, have 4yrs no-claims bonus, although will still be harbouring an SP30 from April 2000. I'm hoping to be able to get the car garaged too. The general question is if you guys reckon it's do-able for someone at my age, with particular regards to the insurance side of things?

Any comments will be greatfully received. Many thanks,

Dave.

POC

I am 21 and have just bought a MY95 WRX Import. 2 Yrs NCD.

Managed to get the ins down to £1900 with Tesco.

At the end of the day, if you want big toyz you have to pay for them.....thats the way I look at it!

Cheers

Paul

Neil Smalley

Hi and welcome to scoobynet.

It's entirely do-able, with the caveat that it depends on what Impreza you are after.

Generally insurance quotes for the brand new Impreza are higher than for the older shape.

To Buy

For the end of the line old shape's expect to pay between 14 and 16K.

For the new shape expect to pay 16-22K depending on if you want to import or not.

Grey Import impreza's will be cheaper, but will not have UK dealer backup, although several indepedant firms will service them. The STi versions are gray imports and are significantly faster than a standard UK one but cost a lot more to insure. Personally I would get a standard UK model and then see you go.

Running costs will be expensive. So don't skimp. Subaru's are reliable, but they do need proper and regualr servicing.

Factor in about 260 miles per 60 litre tank. People here tend to use super unleaded because it improves the responsiveness and MPG.

Tyres last between 12 and 20K miles, factor in 110 quid per wheel. Call it a new set every year.

Depending on how you drive brake pads will last about 20K miles or more. Pay between 90 and 120 quid. So say they'll last 2 years

Discs last about 20-50K, reckon to pay 150-300 quid for two.

Servicing is every 7,500 miles or 6 months and costs around 80 quid for a 6 month one and 140 quid for a yearly one.

Big sevicing costs come in at 2 years(30K) and 3 year(45K) and cost between 300 and 500 quid each.

Now insurance.
Shop around for the best deal and play one off against the other.

Current favourites for policies are tesco, direct line, NFU, privilege and Barclays.

With your NCB, age etc I guestimate around 1100-1500 per year insurance quote.

A number of people on the BBS are younger than you, and they pay around 2000-2500 per year.

Also factor in the cost of mods. You will want to change/add things to the car, not because it's bad asis(it's brilliant) but because you get sucked in and want to tweak it

I did. When I first joined scoobynet I thought no way will I change things. The cars fast enough, handles brilliant and brakes are good.

After having a ride in a few people's cars I then saw how mine could be improved. Now I've had my car sent to prodrive to up the BHP and Torque(called a prodrive performance pack.PPP), Changed the wheels to improve and handling and fitted racing spec brakes. I don't regret a penny on what i've spent on my car, Esp the PPP

Hope this helps.



[This message has been edited by Neil Smalley (edited 06 September 2001).]

Dave_69

I'm not expecting to get insurance for like £200 or anything, but I'm just hoping someone will give us a break with this.

Anyone else got any comments?

MichelleWRX1994

Hi dave, good to see you here

As you know I have an import and pay £2000 at the age of 22, so a standard Uk should be a lot cheaper.

At our age we get crippled and with current publicity over car-jacking etc, the premiums go up The no claims bonus should help you as I have one and got a £500 discount

See you soon,

Michelle.

simon_prickett

I'm up for insurance renewal on my UK MY98 turbo at the moment, and am 27 no convictions, 5 years no claims, car in garage at night etc.

I contacted Schofield Insurance, and spoke with Tom who was able to shed a lot of light on the current insurance situation. Unfortunately they weren't able to beat my best quote, however Tom did say that they're currently able to help drivers with convictions etc more than a lot of other places can. Maybe try schofieldinsurance.co.uk then?

My current best quotes are from Greenlight Insurance and Adrian Flux. I'm probably going to go Greenlight as I'm currently with Flux and have had problems with their administration side of things.

Greenlight are offering me a track day option for smallish additional premiums as and when I go on track, but no RAC type cover, Flux do not cover track use but include full RAC. Flux came in at £780, Greenlight £788.

Hope this helps in some way,

Simon.

Dave_69

Thanks guys!

Glad that I haven't been shot down in flames because I'm a scoobnet virgin either! What sort of level of security do you guys look at fitting or have got fitted to your sleds then?

Michelle, hope this doesn't sound funny, but who was the guy on the meet the other week who came with you and had a minor scurmish with his P1?

Neil Smalley

Standard UK scoobs come with Cat 1 alarms. it's well worth investing in a tracker(some people give a discount on insurance) and one of those disklok things. Also worth fitting deadlocks too. Basic security protocol doubly apply with Impreza's

MichelleWRX1994

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Dave_69:
<B>Thanks guys!

Glad that I haven't been shot down in flames because I'm a scoobnet virgin either! What sort of level of security do you guys look at fitting or have got fitted to your sleds then?

Michelle, hope this doesn't sound funny, but who was the guy on the meet the other week who came with you and had a minor scurmish with his P1?[/quote]

Tracker Monitor, Cat 1 alarm and immobiliser and Disclok. As a minimum.

The guy with me was called Paul and the number 3 piston went on his P1 which I belive is a bit of a regular occurrence on them. It is now sorted but back in for more paint repairs as the first respray was crap.

Michelle.

ScoobydoobyDave

Dave,

Im 22, got 5 years NCB, No Claims/Convictions and im paying 1088 Fully Comp, Protected No Claims with The Wheels and later spec interior covered! on my MY94 UK Turbo!

Thats thru privilege.

Hope that helps!

Cheers
Dave

Dave_69

Aaah! So many helpful people! Cheers!

He said he'd blown the engine to bits, just wasn't sure if he wanted it advertising on here. Never want to tread on any toes!

I'm quite glad with what you guys are telling me actually. It doesn't seem as though it's as stupidly an outrageous a thought as the killjoys around here think.

That's a lot of security though. Well, not a lot in safety terms, you can never have enough of that, but it's a lot in price to try and keep on top of . . . isn't it?

Excuse my naivety!

Neil Smalley

Yes it is a lot. But if fitting by a tracker you save 300-400 quid PLUS the hassle if the car get's stolen it's worth it.

A disklock is just another obsticle for a thief to get past, maybe not a big one but it's another hurdle.

You can also program the alarm to lock the doors when you switch on, this helps on the car jacking/road rage front.

It's not just scoobs that are targets BTW. It seems as though any nice car is fair game

RichB

Regarding insurance, what part of the country are you in? If you live along the sleepy south coast it won't be too bad but if you live in Birmingham, Nottingham or Manchester then you may be in for a nasty surprise.

I'm 29 and paid £850 to insure my STi last year. I would imagine that to at least double if I lived in a city.

MichelleWRX1994

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Dave_69:
<B>
He said he'd blown the engine to bits, just wasn't sure if he wanted it advertising on here. Never want to tread on any toes!

I'm quite glad with what you guys are telling me actually. It doesn't seem as though it's as stupidly an outrageous a thought as the killjoys around here think.

That's a lot of security though. Well, not a lot in safety terms, you can never have enough of that, but it's a lot in price to try and keep on top of . . . isn't it?

Excuse my naivety![/quote]

When we popped over his car was being taken over to a dealer and he was waiting for the diagnosis, he said from the sound of it when it went, it was really bad

Subaru ownership is expensive, brace yourself for the costs, I am just managing at the moment!!!! Of course once you get addicted to the meets..........petrol costs soar sky high!!!!

If you can garage you car DO IT!!!

My parents have allowed me to use the garage after these recent spate of thefts

I am a very happy bunny They aren't booting me out yet

Michelle.

Jake

Well i am 27 and pay £1200 with priviledge and ive got a year old UK car and live in north london.

Dave_69

Rich, I live a ouple of miles outside a place called Chesterfield which is about 15 miles South of Sheffield. It's a Sheffield post code. Although it's not actually anywhere near a city, 20 mins drive into Chesterfield, but I am in a built up area. By the time I'm hoping to be going shopping for the scooby, I'm predicting I'll be living within a stone's throw of Chesterfield itself. Where I live at the moment is actually on a council estate and my current car, a much loved 405 (eh, 'chelle?) is parked on the road, which is a bus route.

If I'm still there next March, I WONT be looking for a Scooby!

I do about 10k a year, so what sort of bills do you reckon I'll be looking at to keep a Scooby running then? The 405 is currently averaging between 25 and 28mpg during reasonable driving, ie:- not thrashed all the time by any means.

Richard Askew

...Dave welcome mate,I cant believe they sent u here for a serious answer


I'm 23, have 6 points for driving like a nobber infront of various cameras and unmarked cars - have got 5yrs no claims and drive a 97 Turbo

I pay £1100 thru ASA who are underwritten by AXA - and got this thru my dealer....

Hope this helps buddy...

frisby

Dave,

I'm 23 and 3yr NCD. I have just been quoted £1200 fully comp on a MY99 by tesco's Insurance. I also tried randal and Pace but they could only manage £2600.00

I had to have the car garaged and fit a tracker.

laters

fris

p.s. MichelleWRX what you lose out in insurance I'm sure you make up for with petrol savings, what with all the time your on Scoobynet, you must hardly drive your car