Beastra

iTrader: (20)

Hello all. I currently own a highly modified MK4 Astra and it just needs an engine conversion to finish the project off. However, I saw a Subaru Impreza for sale in a local paper at my vauxhall dealer for £3,995 on a T plate and went to have a look. It was the 5 door wagon and not the 4 door version so walked away.

I then started to think, is it really worth spending a few grand on putting another engine in my Astra ?, Quite simply, No.

To cut a very long story short, I`m now finishing my current project and selling up. MOT is due in a couple of weeks so need to wait and get it through, then it just needs a few minor repairs to bodywork then I will be selling it.

Then I will be buying an Impreza, 4 door saloon, but have no idea which one to go for, what the differences are, what to look out for when going to see one etc. I`ve already got a rough insurance quote online for a WRX STI on an S plate and that was £887 which is ok. I know it`s not 100% but I do not want to be paying over £1,000 for insurance.

I will keep a close eye on the for sale section here but any buying advice would be great as I really don`t know where to start.

I really cannot wait until I own a scooby and start playing with the big boys of the car world.

Many Thanks in advance.

Barry

z80

Hi Barry,

My first Impreza was a new STi Version 4 wagon. This was back in 1998 imported by an organisation called the Radlett Motor Company. Superb car & a real hoot to drive.

In then days there wasn't much in the way of re-mapping services etc as the importing of STi's was still in its infancy as I recall.

Anyway, good luck and best regards.

Z80

pslewis

The Wagons are better .......................

Buy a UK car only ... with few owners (you want a one owner example really)

Do NOT buy a modified car or a tracked one

Be very wary if the owner is under 40 years old ..... higher chance that it will be thrashed

Full Service History is a MUST - Main Dealer for 5 years and independant after that

Do NOT buy a cheap one!!

Pete

ScoobyDoo555

Hello and welcome

Firstly, check out SIDC. It's got a FAQ about the Scooby in general. Haven't checked about the newer models, but for the older ones, it was really good.

The link is http://www.sidc.co.uk/faq.htm

Hope this helps, but basically, UK cars are (generally)lower on performance than the Jap models (the WRX & STI + other variants)

Use the board - it's a wealth of information (once you get through the huge amounts of bullsh1t and idiots - only to be expected on a bbs this size)

Search function is down, but you can access most of it through google anyway.

Dan

silent running

Definitely get a wagon.

Crazy Chick

Get an STi.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

I dont know if £4000 is going to be your total budget, but if it is you're going to struggle a bit to find anything decent, and will probably end up looking at plenty of complete dogs.

For £4000 you can get an early import, which will have no known history and may well have been thrashed, will also probably be pretty tired looking and have some dodgy mods on it.

Very rare to get a good 4 door UK car for that money, start at about £6000 for an R, S or T plate and you'll have a better choice and much tidier cars to look at.

Keep an eye on the for sale section here as some bargains do come up from time to time, but beware that most cheap Imprezas are cheap for a reason unfortunately.

bob r

iTrader: (46)

agree with everything bar (wagons are better). saloon avoid imports. unknown history, extra on insurance, they blow up!

wakeboardar

the best for a wagon is a boot

seab

mikecardiff is right on that one, i spent £3700 on a MY93 wrx one lady owner since it was imported 2 years ago, completely standard, 3months later its in API having a full engine rebuild, be very very careful in what you buy dude, for what ive spent altogether i could have had an STi

ex-webby

But.....

Cheap, good ones are around. A friend of mine has just purchased a WRX RA for £4k. Really good condition, sound engine and just needed a new clutch.

Above all...... just be careful and above all, when actually looking at these cars it's best to take someone with you that knows what to look for.

Good Luck!

Regards,
Shaun.

Beastra

iTrader: (20)

Thanks for all your replies, much appreciated. Well, 4k isn`t my budget, it`s just that was the price of the one at my local vauxhall dealer, but didn`t realise it was the wagon.

I don`t want a Wagon, it has to be the 4 door saloon version. There`s quite a few WRX STI cars for sale at the moment but am in no major rush to go out and buy one straight away. This will be a big purchase for me so I have to make sure that everything about the model I go for is what I`m looking for.

I`ve already got big plans for the model I go for, modifying will start almost straight away so I really cannot wait to become a proud owner of a scooby.

Thanks again for your help.

bighead

iTrader: (1)

welcome to the club
once you start modding....you just cannot stop

pslewis

So, the moral of the story?

Do NOT Mod!!

It lowers the value of your car, it drives up Insurance costs, it gives your SUBARU the reliability of a TVR, it costs loads of money and can you use what you have on the public roads? No you can't .......

So, don't bother ..... enjoy it as Subaru intended it - or buy a car that does what you want it to do .. I don't know - it's like buying a moped, then modding it to look and operate like a snow plough (because you really wanted a snow plough in the first place! pure madness

Pete

andy.downes

iTrader: (1)

It depends how much people are getting rid of them.

Autotrader is littered with scoobies, tons of them in fact. The reason why??? People buy them and then realise, after the obligatory honeymoon period of course, that they can't be doing with the actual cost of running them. Thats not just insurance and bills for work, its the actual £100-£200 a month in petrol we all seem to trough into the scooby - its heart breaking! Good fun never costs so much!

I bought a really tidy P reg. (1996) UK turbo 2000, full service history, 96,000miles, clean inside and out, had it about 4 months now, due for a service end of feb. Its the pre-facelift model, so not that desirable compared to the shape most people have, plus its the 208bhp engine. Its in mica green. I paid £4000 for it. It was a dealers brother selling it on his fourcourt, he couldn't get rid. As I said, when you ring people in the trader and stuff, they've only had it a couple a months and now they can't afford it.

I would definatly stretch to a uk model, with history is a must, and keep that history up. Find one with no mods from a middle aged bloke.

It seems that there is no middle ground with WRX's, they are either really tidy with low miles or totally dog rough. I spent around 4 months (without a car at all!) looking for the right one.

bobthebodger

If you dont want a modded car then buy the standard 250 odd bhp wrx import or even better buy the 270 odd bhp sti......uk cars are only 207 bhp on the early model and 215 bhp on the 99 model. I went for the standard wrx import....but do look about for the right one.

Bob