oldscooby

Hi Guys & Gals,

New to scobbynet, although i have been lurking for a while sorta "learning the ropes"

Probably one of the "more mature" members on here (OK so I'm an old Fart (44)), & just aquired a new toy to try & get the old ticker going a bit

July 1995 WRX Wagon AUTO, really nice tidy silver one, just been imported & now I have the aggro of SVA / MOT etc.

Not sure why I bought it really, sorta thought it would be a handy runabout for a while & will probably stand to earn a few quid if I move it on shortly (came at the right price & even with the SVA hassle it should end up cheap).

Anybody wanna have a guess at it's value now (not SVA yet, not reg, not mot) & another guess at it's value with all 3 above done & taxed ???

It's a really clean & tidy one, looks pretty much standard, silver paintwork is really good except one or two minor marks (very minor), interior is very good, decent radio / CD head unit.

I know I have to convert the speedo, do the fuel filler & fit a foggie, but anything else I should look for ???

Of course the milion dollar question ........... should I keep it ???

Hope somebody can offer some advice, I have read a few SVA tyoe posts & nothing screams danger YET !!

Thanks all

Type_RA

Do you need to SVA a 1995 model I thought you just need to get it MOT-ed, over a certain age. Maybe wrong though.

if it is to be SVA-ed you will need a model report iirc.

GC8

Yes it does need an SVA and no it wont need a model report.

You chould be able to get away with a 112 Mph speedo face for about £12, a permanent fuel filler restriction and a professionally wired in fog light with an illuminated switch. Japanese steady car tyres are truly awful but Scoobies usually have decent tyres so that shouldnt be a problem; if they have a low speed rating theyll need replacing too. Look at your certificate of De-Reg; if it was an early '95 car Id be tempted to wait and then just MOT when its ten years old. My personal opinion is that if you paid much more than £1,900 for it then you didnt get that good a deal, especially if it came from a Tilbury or Southampton dock auction. Even a Grade IV automatic '95 wagon isnt worth that much usually; sometimes its exactly what people want and it will sell easily, but always for less than a manual (I never bid more than 140,000 Yen which is about £700).

Simon

One last thing; youd better take the stereo out if its an after market dual DIN one as a lot of SVA test houses will fail it because of the protuding fascias they tend to have!

and..... look at your certificate of De-Registration; on the right hand side there will be a couple of numbers, underneath where it says 'Gross Weight'; 'Designated Model Number' & 'Classification Number'. Without them youre fcuked unless the translation mentions the reason for which they were pulled; typically non-type approved exhaust. If theres no explanation, wait until its 10 years old.....

Its a right lark isnt it?

oldscooby

Type RA
Thanks for the reply m8, but yes it does require SVA (under 10yrs) & no model report.

Simon,
Well written bit of advice there m8. I did go to Tilbury a couple of times but tbh most of the stuff in there is too badly marked to consider anything but a total respray & I don't want to do that on a 95 car.

This one came in a little above your £1900 but is very very clean, interor spotless, not messed with & looks somewhere near it's 112,000km showing (I understand this is all a joke but looking at the car I think it's close & compared to some showing 80km it looks good !).

I am now having it SVA tested by the pro's & i guess with that, transport & all the other costs, it will stand me enough money, but then compared to what ....... lots of scrap out there descibed as "mint".

Values seem to vary a bit, what would you expect to see a private seller advertise it at ?? (might let it go if I can make a few quid later in the year & have a bit of fun in the meantime. Whichever way, it will be better on snow than my supra )

Cheers m8

Kevin Groat

Whereabouts in Tilbury did you pick it up? I'm after a Legacy GTB and am starting to look at importing myself as I'd really like one with a manual box.

p.s. - similar 'old fart', just turned 40 and I've had my STi3 for 5 yrs

oldscooby

Hi Kevin,

Tilbury import auctions are every Tuesday @ 11am

Japanese Import Auctions
42 Berth
Tilbury Docks

Into docks, thru gatehouse, auction is on the right. Get there befor the 11am atart & turn LEFT after the ingate, follow road round to the left, park in a yard (A board sign outside), they run a 4x4 between the park & the auction for customers.

Prices: Medium Rare
Quality: I would say **** but probably be moderated for that

Kevin Groat

Cheers for that, might be down that way at the weekend.

GC8

Kevin; dont buy ****e from docks auctions. That is very good advice; and its likely that youll regret not taking it.

Simon

GC8

Id advise against letting 'SVA pros' do it too..... The mileages can be extremely low; I bid on a Mitubishi N28WG RVR last week that was 10 years old and had done 14,000 Km's (thats under 10,000 miles!) The vehicles available in docks auction are usually ****e but the punters dont know any better; docks auctions are responsible for tainting the market and destroying the residual values of Scoobies. If you have to buy a car there then only consider it if the original Japanese auction report is still in the car stating its grade and mileage (and if you have sight of the certificate of De-Registration). Compared to most people here I know what Im doing (Im sure thatll bring out the know-it-all-trolls) but I wouldnt consider buying cars here because youve hit the nail on the head; they are, for the most part, low grade ****e with altered odometer readings.

With regard to value; if the cars clean and straight then it should sell at just a shade over £3k; people will tell you that Scoobies dont sell but thats not true; a cheap one will always sell quickly.

Simon

oldscooby

Hi Simon,


"A shade over £3000" means it will be staying put !!

No way would i consider letting ot got for this sort of money, even after a few weeks / /months of fun. In realistic terms, to get a 95 below this figure would mean importing personally & then I think it might be tight ?? (your £700 + dites + VAT + shipping + SVA + MOT etc etc) and of course the worry of buying a lemon that has never been seen until it's too late.

When I looked last night, the cheapest wrx in the country on autotrader was £3750 & most were £4000 + ??????

I know they are on ebay at £2500 ish but I have asked a few "non sold" owenrs & they want the same money as everybody else.

Just re-read the above & it looks like I'm playing critic on your advice, I'm NOT, simply trying to understand & thinking out loud really.

Thanks again for your posts, would rather read that than some of the junk on other groups about the "true" value of the cars

GC8

Without a doubt Subaru Imprezas are selling for less than their actual value and a decent '95 automatic 'Wagon IS worth more than the £3,250 - £3,500 that I mentioned, but that figure was one at which Im CERTAIN that it will sell reasonably quickly. Autos sell for considerably less in Japan and this is reflected in their value here too. Scoobies have dropped in value that much recently though; with over supply and all of the crap from the dock auctions that theyre attracting a different type of buyer (many with fake Burberry basball caps). When it all comes together Id expect to land a 94 auto 'Wagon for under £2,500 duty-paid and whilst £1,000 isnt much of a profit on a car when you consider what Ive put into it, its still not too bad. Every now and then you might come acoss someone who is searching for an automatic of course; then its an asset rather than a hindrance, but mostly people want manuals; having driven a few Id be quite happy with an automatic, theyre certainly as quick point to point.

Simon

oldscooby

Hi Simon,


Yep that all make sense m8, now i understand what you were saying

When you say "Land a 94 autowagon for £2500", do you mean ready to sell ?? (including mot, registration etc), I asusme you do & as you say, this will only give you £1000 for all the risks, waiting & hassles. Of course SVA on mine has added a nice lump, partly because I wanted it done by somebody else to avoid all the aggro, next time I might chance it or just leave the SVA stuff alone unless they give it away.

If (& it is IF) I can get £3750 for mine, it will be a £500 profit & if I get a couple of months out of it, have a bit of fun & make use of it, then that's ok because it's not my living, it's a hobby. BUT, I do understand that every now & then there's gonna be a real duffer & £500 from a car will not cover repetitive buying without the small profit being swallowed by the duffer car. I did some motor dealing years ago full time & it was hard, now I have my living so this is just a fun sideline, sorta buy it & play until a few quid profit comes along. If it doesn't sell at all --- well, it will be fun (I hope).

The one advantage I might have is location ! VERY rural & then Norfolk Bootiful Farmers might see the benefits of 4WD, power & auto all rolled into a useful estate car (sound like Arfur Daley now )

GC8

I do mean ready to sell yes. The car would cost about £800 for a Grade IV; £425 to the agent for transport, de-reg, FOB and commission; £425 for shipping; £165 Import Duty; VAT on the sum of all youve paid so far will be £320; total so far £2135, after being stung by the shippers agents for bollocks like 'security fees' and 'handover' and customs clearance itll be £2,300..... Because things are so tight now Id always be looking for a ten year old car so as to avoid the expense and delay associated with an SVA; if I did buy a post '95 car Id do the work myself though, certainly on simple cars like Imprezas. Bear in mind also that the difference in value between a '94 and a '95 Scooby is less than the cost of SVA parts prep and testing.....

I used to expect every third vehicle to be a turkey, as with salvage; when you could buy a Scooby for £3,000 and sell it for £6,000 that was OK but as you struggle to make anything like a reasonable return on any Japanese car now (looking at both % & £) you have to be very careful. Thats another reason not to buy from a docks auction; no Japanese auction sheet; no appraisal, no proof of grade, no list of faults (everything is declared at auction), no way of knowing what the true odometer reading was (all of the oil change stickers have been cleaned off the door shut/dash side, I wonder why...). It only takes one poor car to stop you in your tracks.

I do it as a hobby too but having re-read this Im beginning to wonder why?


Simon

oldscooby

You seem very dispondent with the jap sales market Simon & I probably will too shortly if I try to move the wrx & get no bites

I did consider buying from one of the many agents, direclty from japan, but I soon changed my mind because I have no control over the vehicle inbetween the photo session there & it landing here I wonder how many get damaged on their way over & Mr. Nobody of course will be responsible !. The other concern was being ripped off by a dodgy dealer & then the other factor was waiting 6 weeks & with only enough funds available to buy one or two at a time, this seemed a problem.

At the end of the day, you have a lot more experience than I do & maybe I am still a bit keen & green I loved playing around motors years ago when I was very hard up & only mid 20's, now like you I have a reasonable living & can afford for a car to sit around 3 months if it's a non seller. If & when it does sell, I only want / need enough profit to cover my expenses & allow for the "3rd car". As for doing it for a living .............. not without £100k spare to play with & that is just cuckoo land for me !

Thanks again for all the info, I have been riveted to the screen !!