nick_wrx

Nick_wrx



Hi, I’m new to this forum and thinking about buying a fairly new wrx for about 10 - 12k. I've been reading through some of the threads on the forum and as many people ask what should I look out for as in potential problems on a 3-4 year old car?



What are the common signs of a thrashed example and are there any problems common to a car about 3-4years old ?



Also i was wondering how these engines behave, i understand the turbo kicks in at 3500ish and does it keep spinning all the way to the redline or does it cut out at some point. I drive a honda civic vti at the moment and i have to push it to get the power, with the wrx do they have to be pushed say when over taking or can you just upshift and get a nice amount of power without thrashing the engine?


Thanks



Nick.

corradoboy

At around £12k you could be just about looking at 52 plate early 03 blobeye cars, but more likely 01-02 bugeye WRX's. They are pretty bombproof really, with the only common recurring faults being flat batteries caused by the (not very) "smart" alternator, and the occaisional sensor (MAF/O2) going pop. Look for poor repairs after any knocks, evidence of parts being removed or replaced which may indicate the car has been mod'd and returned to standard for sale (for example, scratches around the nuts on top of the front strut tops where braces may have been. Heavily mod'd cars often have lots of guages to monitor the chaos, so look for holes in the dash where they may have been mounted. Check the tyres for uneven wear, particularly to the outside edge. Make sure it has a full set of up to date service stamps, but don't be concerned if they're not all main dealer, the independents are not only cheaper but usually better.

When driving, the turbo kicks in as you say at 3.5k revs, unless the car has been PPP'd (Prodrive Performance Pack) then it will be present at 3k. The power delivery starts to ease at around 6k, so a change up to get you back into the optimum torque range will ensure rapid progress without troubling the 7k redline.

It is sometimes worth looking at cars for sale on here, as they tend to have been loved greatly. They may also have been mod'd, but if they're the right mods done well it can be a plus. You would also have the advantage of checking the sellers previous posts on here, which may (or may not) reveal some potential worries, but would usually just indicate how well the car's been treated.

Happy shopping, and welcome to SNet