Scooby mart

I want to buy a scoob but am too worried about engine reliability. I aim aiming for an Sti 4 Type R. I can't handle the thought of spending £12K - £13K on a car for it to go bang and need more money spent fixing it.

I was drifting towards the skyline / M3 route but have figured I want a jap car with a turbo. I would have liked an R33 GTR skyline to eat the long journeys I occasionallt need to do but these really ar at the top of the price bracket.

Somone on here suggested looking at Evos and I did. I didnt realise they were in my price range, but since looking, I had settled on buying an EVO5 GSR.

Then last night some git in his scooby drives past my house whilst I am out working on my car - I heard and saw it and now I really dont know! That noise = mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

If I buy an STI 4 type R that has just had the engine rebuilt - providing the car is mechanically sound and I treat her right - will it be as reliable as the mitsi - or atleast reliable enough to avoid certain engine rebuild etc

(I have no doubt in my mind that whatever car I get, it will be driven qyuite hard (not over 110 / 120 for prolonged periods though).

I really need some help in convincing myself that the scoob is the way to go. I dont know what to do!?!? PLEASE PLEASE HELP.

From a very uncertain Scooby/Evo Mart

pazzadog

for the money you are looking at spending you would get a really tidy scooby. STI 4 is a top motor, but if you are interested in history? do you not feel it would be better looking at a late classic turbo?

NotoriousREV

Mart,

The problems with a particular car can be exaggerated by spending time on the appropriate forum, as a lot of users only come on those forums when they have a problem.

Scoobies are just as reliable as Evo's, but like any car, they need to be treated right.

Keep it standard, use either SUL or Optimax with octane booster, preferably get it remapped for UK fuel and service it regularly with quality components and you shouldn't go far wrong.

I can't gurantee it, though, but the same goes for any car you can buy.

HELLOM8

Second NotoriousREV's comment RE re-map.
If I was going to buy an STI I would budget the re-map cost in the purchase price of the car.
Cheers.
Ian.

Scooby mart

what if I buy 2nd hand? The car will have 50,000 miles on the closk, a large number of which will be done on uk roads. If it hasnt been re chipped for say 30,000 english petrol miles, then will the damage already ahve been done?

Or would you say that the risk is dramatically reduced from the point where you re chip it?

Adam M

Mart,

I am sorry but I disagree with notorious' comments.

The car even after rebuld can be perfectly reliable and then just go bang, and no one knows why.

We suffer from big end failures no matter how meticulour we are.

I have avoided det in my car for some time, treated to new oil every 3k miles and spared no expense but it still let go on me for no reason.

If you really are worried, I would say stick with the evo 5. Its essentially a 6, and the engines simply do not let go for no reason like ours tend to.

It is true that seeing just the problems on this site will exaggerate them, but the same can be said for the lancer register.

Have a look and see if they have unexplained engine failure threads which last for years.

HELLOM8

A re-map won't garantee the engine won't go pop, that is true.
There is always going to be a some degree of risk with high performance cars, you can get the lowest milage poss and treat it like the queen and still get probs.
I could afford an STI5, and I do like em alot, but I couldn't afford a rebuild so I won't buy one.

NotoriousREV

Adam,

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't your car go pop while chasing big BHP numbers and the car was far from standard?

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

Evo

Fantom

I can't believe you'd even consider an STI 4 over an R33 Skyline!!!
STI 5 Type R and yes I'd understand!
I say go for the Skyline - the ultimate jap supercar

Franko

You decided yet?

Higgs

u said u do long journeys i take it that means motaway if u was 2 buy a type r it will have a group n rally gearbox witch is not really suited 2 motaway driving unless u was 2 get a v-limited as i have as it has a normal sti 5th gear ratio

dhorwich

What some people tend to forget are the thousands and thousand of impreza owners weather they be STI's, WRX's or uk cars that have no engine failure problems..!

If the car is standard and remapped for uk fuel and the oil is changed in the correct way you may well be fine..

Considering the amount of uk cars (turbo 2000) in the country there are far fewer engine failures in this model compared to wrx's and STI's..

I have a MY95 WRX by the way, ive done 10,000 miles in it total mileage is 86,000 and so far no engine problems... [touch wood] i run it on optimax only.

Dan

Scooby mart

Thanks for the replies. I still haven't made my mind up either.
I don't really want a uk turbo, I want the type R Sti, which is the car that comes with the biggest chance of going pop.

The main reason I want a scoob now is probably becuase I have been in a few and done lots of research into them. Oh, and the exhaust note. But then i ahve to ask the question, whats important to me and reliability does come high up the list (not high enough to make me buy something like a new golf gti though...)

I did see an R33 GTR last night for £14K and with a little bit of saving....

Oh, the motorway wouldnt be too much of a prob. I would happily cruise at abhout 80mph which in theory is 4210 RPM.

I still dont know really. I think the safest bet would probably be a skyline or an Evo. But then, as someone said, who comes onto these sort of forums to say their cars are running fine - its only going to be people with problems.

However, a good point made earlier was if you look on the lancer register the problems are regular car probs, rather than big end / engine failure threads that go on for years.

More info would be appreciated - especially from people who have info on scoobs and them being 'reliable'.

Cheers

Martin

Adam M

Notoriousrev,

I can correct you,

my car had had an exhaust on it and a hybrid turbo.

It had never showed any sign of det or running lean.

It went pop whilst sitting stationery at a set of traffic lights on the south mims roundabout.

plus I am not just talking about my car.

Have a look at the no. 3 big end thread and ask bob rawle how much data he collected of people in all states of tune. including standard in an attempt to find a pattern.

The only links we could see were recent servicing/oil changes, and sustained cruising followed by slowing down, which makes me think it might have been a temporarily stuck oil pressure relief valve.

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

Mart,
With that sort of money why don't you buy yourself a low mileage UK model and save all the aggro with piston problems and blow up's, Their is quite a few good low mileage exaples for sale in the FOR SALE section mate.
Cheers
Colin

Scooby mart

scoob99 - I have thought about a uk turbo - but I want a car that is faster than that. I have been out in a friends uk turbo and it didnt do it for me. The sti I have been in on the other hand...

Regarding the running costs of the evo - servicing every 4000 miles

But have figured that i can do the standard oil and filter and air filter myself which will save a bit of money then let my local mitsy dealer do ther AYC etc. One reason for wanting a scooby too is that POWERSTATION in cheltenham would be my local and these guys seem well clued up. This would have been very handy as I bet finding a reputable garage for these sort of cars could be hard.

I still don't know. If I get a scoob and it is fine then great, I made the right choice. If I get one and it breaks I am in trouble. Once its blown you have to fix it or sale it at a loss. One thing with the evo is that if it costs too much to run, I can flog it and get something else that doesnt have such demanding service intervals etc (maybe even a scoob?)

Anyone want to add 2 pennies worth that may help tip the scales?

cheers for the info so far

mart

pugoetru

buy 2 cheap ones then you can fix one and drive the other

Adam M

why do people think the uk cars are immune from unexplaainable big end failure?

It does not appear to be tuning or power related at all .

Scooby mart

Adam M - I agree. I would say though that if you tune your car, you will be putting more stress on the components that break. This could result in things coming to an end that little bit sooner.

Oh, I couldnt get two cheaper scoobs either - I only have one garage LOL

Gary C

Don't think the EVO is going to be the safe cheap route. They still cost a fortune to keep on the road.

I had an EVO 5 GSR, fantastic car, amazing speed, brilliant handling, amazing servicing costs !

You can do it yourself, but the AYC needs to be treated very carefully, the rally cars (apart from the factory cars which use a VERY expensive version) junk the AYC diff and use a plate type LSD, the RS models don't have the AYC.

For example, the 300 amp alternator is ~£500, the clutch lasts about 20000 miles max and many other parts are just as expensive.

That said, the engine and gearboxes seem very solid, but don't ever think the EVO is a cheap route.

[Edited by Gary C - 9/12/2003 9:32:23 AM]