Derek M

I have been considering possibly getting an STI import. But need to way up the pros and cons.

Probably looking at STI Ver5 or 6. What are the main differences between imports and uk cars apart from increase in power and extra things like a/c.
Do they have ABS?

Can you get reasonable insurance if you shop around?

How easy are they to service, will main dealers touch them?
Are they more expense to service?

And finally I have seen an STI Ver5 for sale for just under £10K with 37k miles. Is that a good deal?

scooby_si

As far as i no only cars without ABS stanard will be the type R & RA STi's
Main dealers wont touch JDM (japanese domestic market) cars usually but that's no great loss IMO as there are plenty of specialists which will do them, & im my experiance will cost less & know more
Price dont sound unhealthy when u consider the Jap cars are around 20% more than UK cars as a guide if i recall correctly
Si (+limited knowledge)

scooby_si

Insurance will be quite A LOT more than UK car thou so ask around 4 quotes b4 u commit!! (lots of decent insurance companies mentioned in insurance section

Derek M

Cheers Scooby_si

daiscooby

Derek

I have and STi4 and I have found the following:

ABS - Yes if its a straight STi if its an R type then no, can't have ABS with centre diff adjust so I'm told.

Insurance - I had a very good deal, but I shopped around and I've owned imports before. Tesco's are very, very good.

Main Dealers - Not with a barge pole. But there are some excellent specialist garage's that will do you just as good ( if not better !! ) a job as a franchised main dealer and for very competetive costs. See numerous threads on this forum for info for your area.

Running costs - Hhhmmm on the subject of pertol you will need to run it on Shell Optimax or Super Unleaded fuel and a good octane booster, I use Millers, to achieve the 100 RON fuel that these cars are used to being fed in Japan. You can have the ECU remapped to run on the straight fuel without the booster, which I am having done.

As for the deal, can't say from just the price. It would depend on the history of the car, if had full service history etc.

Has the car been imported fresh or has it had an owner in the UK before ?.

I have had mine 9 months and I have not stopped grinning yet.

Hope this helps, if you need more info you can e:mail me.

Cheers

Sean

Derek M

Will the odometer read in Kilometers or Miles

I guess speedo will be changed to read mph.

daiscooby

Derek

As part of the SVA conversion it will read in miles and the speedo will be mph


[Edited by daiscooby - 3/14/2003 11:41:42 AM]

Derek M

Cheers guys

What is fuel consumption like for import Sti's
I had a MY99 uk but sold it before christmas and it was doing around 26 mpg. (Not all easy driving!)

I Drove uk Sti and only really noticed the extra power and performance once you got up to higher speeds i.e. 70+
Is that similar to import Sti's (but then gearing is going to be different as uk Sti is six speed)

I miss my MY99. And am now fed up with people getting the better of me at lights current car prelude 2.2 vti (a BMW 530 diesel beat me off the lights!! the other day which well pissed me off).

daiscooby

I do about 50 miles a day, mostly duel carraige way, and get about the 27 - 29 mark. It does drop to around 18 - 19 on " private roads "

Short shift gearing is excellent at beating most things to 70, even 22b's !! ( Ducks the sticks and stones coming at me )

[Edited by daiscooby - 3/14/2003 12:15:45 PM]

[Edited by daiscooby - 3/14/2003 12:16:31 PM]

SCOOBY TOWERS

iTrader: (7)

Arn't imports also speed limited ?

Gedi

They are much faster. The STI 5/6 are estimated to be pushing 300bhp when runing the high octaine fuel.

I don't know exactly what the UK STI's are, but I know that they aren't in contention with the Jap cars.

Why buy a UK car and then spend money trying to up the performance when you can buy a Jap car which is already there for much less money.

[Edited by Gedi - 3/14/2003 12:22:26 PM]

daiscooby

Scooby Towers

They are restricted in Japan to around 108 mph. But you have that taken off at conversion.

As for BHP I have a late STi4 that on boosted Optimax cranks out around 290 with zero mod's.

Standard UK's even with PPP dont touch that. ( ducks even more slings and arrows )

chrisp

When an import comes in normally the kph is converted to mph via a converter box. This can be put in two places.

1) Signal between the gearbox and ecu
2) Signal between the ecu and dash

Option one would mean the ECU would read the 180kph restriction as 180mph and therefore imposing a limiter of 180mph (which is probably going to be okay for most )

Option 2 means the dash would display in mph but would ecu would still read kph and therefore have a 180kph limiter (112mph).

Delimter is less than £100.

Eric Chadwick

When putting a speedo converter on to change from kph/mph your speed limiter is moved from 180kph to 180mph - I don't think you'll find it a problem there.

The 4 door cars have ABS but do without the trick adjustable centre diff.

You can get parts without any trouble from main dealers. Some main dealers will service imports. Mine used to go to a main dealer before it closed and turned back into a jag dealer.

Insurance is much more for an import and you'll find far fewer companies will quote for you. If you are under 30 you'll have quite a small list of companies to choose from. Many require a tracker. Tesco have come out best for me but if you want mods too they are expensive - £180 for a 'performance improving' backbox up to 10% power increase. As you'll find on a rolling road that doesn't overread! That on optimax Sti's tend to put out less than 280bhp as long as they have the original downpipe you could argue that a backbox and midsection are not perfomance improving. I suppose a UK car with enough mods to be in the Sti BHP ballpark would probably cost more to insure just because it is modified heavily.

Running costs on all scoobies are heavy if you use the performance. I'm at 3.5yrs 45000m and am looking at a full set of brakes and a clutch possibly with a new flywheel too - that's going to hurt my wallet/credit card. Tyres seem to last a long time though. I'm only recently on my second set. The originals lasted about 35000 miles. I like to think it's my smooth driving but maybe I'm just driving like a granny.

Fuel consumption 18 to low twenties for most people.

You get climate control aircon on the STis but the RA with the ultra short gears and the roof hatch may do without this I think.

A classic UK car is a better financial proposition or even better a bugeye wrx - Insurance companies seem to like those.

You get used to even 280bhp.

scooby_si

NB RA is also 4 door minus ABS thou
Si

Eric Chadwick

Good point.

chrisp

My RA has ABS and was a factory fit. You hve to remeber there are multiple version of these cars .

My MY00 WRX RA is a Limited ("n" of 1000) and has ABS , aircon, electric pack, ally bonnet, no side skirts but no centre diff controller. Still has the STI suspension and VF29 turbo (on the STI 6 RA IIRC) and the lower gear ratios. I reckon they did it just to confuse the import owners .

Strangely it has a 7,500 rpm redline but an 8250 rev limiter

[Edited by chrisp - 3/14/2003 1:46:48 PM]

scooby_si

might as well have a UK un then! wana swap lol

Dan B

Less than 10K seems a little Cheap for a STIV, even in todays climate. I would think 12K is more like it. I'd be VERY careful/suspisous of this car if I we you. There could be some intereting problems with it.

On the other hand it might just be for a quick sale.....

Edited to say if its WHITE and a WAGON it may be the right price

[Edited by Dan B - 3/14/2003 2:19:49 PM]

Derek M

Do you reckon I could get insurance for under a grand considering im 26.

I Could insure the UK scoob for £770

or am I looking at more like £1500 or even more for STI V5?

chrisp

My UK was 550 and the RA costs me a grand

Dan B

I'm insured on an unmodded STI3, 1yrs no claims, 6 points, £2000.

Derek M

How old u crisp and Dan B?

On that basis then I should get it around a grand as I have clean license and full no claims.

Dan B

24 It used to be £1150 for my old 93WRX, with **** loadsa mods and no points and full no claims.

chrisp

33 and 73.5% NCB

Car is lightly modded as well

Exhaust
Lights
Gauges
18"s

[Edited by chrisp - 3/14/2003 3:56:53 PM]

Diesel

STi V £1500 insurance - 10 yrs no claims and well over 30 years of age with a pesky GATSO 3 points. Its worth the extra ins cost just for the huge tailplane

IWantaScoobyNow

Should be able to get the insurance for under a grand. I am 22 and just got a 94 wrx import. I pay £900 for the year. Got to have a tracker though. Thats with 3 years no claims from tesco.

Just a quickie how much bhp does a 94 wrx put out. Been told by the import centre that is 240bhp but the book says it 280bhp (confused). Anyway i can vouch for the claim that they are quicker than the uk specs. I drove both and the import felt much faster.

bigpower

c

Gussie Cup

IWantAScooby - have a look at the FAQ on www.sidc.co.uk

Check your model code (from the VIN plate) against the table in this FAQ and it will tell you what it should be as standard.

Bear in mind that this figure is on 100 RON Jap fuel though....

Ben

IWantaScoobyNow

Cheers will have a look. Perhaps i should change my user name now too.

Dave