Madason2k

Hi Guys im new to the Scooby range so here we go.

I have being looking for the past month or so for a Impreza Turbo around R Reg. Ive seen a couple I like one of which was green with the big spoiler and 17” gold alloys with Air Con, It was debadged but I think it was a AWD2000.

I also went to have a look at a couple of WRX ones that were on this garage and this is where I started getting confused.

1. The speedo only had 110 on the clock

What I want to know is why does it only have 110 on the clock? And the UK ones have 160 or 180 if I remember correctly.

Can you also advice me on which one I should buy and why as I can find many sites that have all the spec changes in the UK and WRX cars.

All your help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
G Walker

fatherpierre

110 on clock cos jap cars are limited to 112mph

( R6 CDW )

The wrx cars you are looking at ar jap imports, they are limited to 112mph "IN JAPAN", Most cars that have been imported will have been unrestricted, so the 110mph speedo reading will be incorrect.

This area is a bit of a mine field, you will get lots of advice from scoobyneters, who will have more imformation than i can provide.

chris

Madason2k

Cheers guys,

Does that mean i will need to get the limiter taken out and new clocks put in if i want it to read correctly.

If so am i best going for the UK Cars?

fatherpierre

Any importer worth their salt should already have had it derestricted and changed the clock before they sell if they sell direct to the public.

If the garage has bought it from an importer then get them to do it or walk away.

It's not as if they're rare and hard to come by!

hedgehog

If this is your first Scooby then it might be worthwhile sticking with UK cars. There are some features of some imports that can make them a little bit more tricky to own and run and insurance is also likely to be somewhat more expensive. It is also common for previous owners, perhaps unknowingly, to run them in a manner (ordinary unleaded petrol) that leads to the requirement for major engine rebuilds.
So, my advice would be to look at genuine UK cars and to run one of those for a while to see how you get on. During that time you will gain more knowledge and then you would be in a position do decide if you want a Jap car. You will also save a few quid on the insurance.

itsajapthing

That sounds like a clock face conversion.....Cheap about 12 quid
Subarus need a mechanical conversion to mph £50-70 quid (fitted to box) then you can change kmh to mph using a sticker and experience over 112mph!on private roads of course......

Ive had a few come from japan that were de restricted but they have to be limited for japanese equiv to MOT the majority ive seen in uk have had a conversion all the vehicle i supply have mechanical conversions and correct readout (tested at SVA test)

G

glen4

Just to reinforce what hedgehog has said I would go for a UK Spec car, they are less likely to give you trouble if you don't really know what you're looking at - the Jap import cars are more for the enthusiast. Don't discount a euro import car as these are basically the same as a UK car (warranty/service books are in Dutch/french/flemish or whatever). A full service history is important, as long as the owner can prove it. Most the same things apply when buying second hand as any car, but be aware that 97/98 MY turbos did suffer from piston slap which can be quite costly to put right. Most cars this age will have been sorted by now I would have thought. Depends on your budget but a 99/00 is probably the best years to go for. A 99 can be bought for around £9000

binatone

i brought my wrx import afew months ago, From an importer from japan, the car still had its 112 limiter on it and was still in kph.

I took it to local subaru specialist Not Dealer and £150 later all was sorted, But i did drop the asking price of the car to compensate.

I had never had a subaru either, and knew very little, but i did know that the imports are faster as standard and the bodywork is usually very clean as they have a better climate than us.

I have never looked back since, But i only went import as i knew i would spend a **** load on the uk spec to get it to the import standard speed and then sell it afew months later, Plus all this money could be spent on the import then you have a feckin fast car..

I run my car on optimax and sometimes use nf octane booster just to keep the ron on top up, But i have heard of alot of people running imports solely on optimax and having no probs.

But the decision is yours mate at the end of the day.

Madason2k

Cheers guys i will have to have a look at some more imports i think to see how they differ.

Does anyone know of any importers near the Stoke on Trent area?

I also wasn’t aware that these cars needed to be run on the high octane fuel, if they haven’t or arnt what are the chances the car is going to need some expensive work and how will I know before i buy one?

Thanks

richiewong

If you have not seen this already, then lots of useful information here

greasemonkey

As you say, it's your decision what you put in the tank, but the "sometimes" approach with the booster isn't really the most sensible one, unless you're running a KnockLink and know you're safe.

This BBS is full of posts from people who thought they weren't having any problems - until their engine spectacularly, and expensively, ate itself. In this circumstance it's much better to be safe than sorry!