MattyRST

Im going to look at a K reg WRX scooby either thursday or friday, its an import, been in the country around 7 years, 3 owners, can anyone give me advise on what i should look for please ?

Cheers in advance

WRX_SWRT

iTrader: (2)

rust underneath or underseal, esp around the rear arches and sideskirts,

make sure cam belt and tensioner done
hth Greig

cossie-nutter

iTrader: (45)

Hold the rev and 3k and 5k revs and listen to the bottom end with your head right near it! Also look for any smoke from the exhaust!

Also sniff the engine oil and make sure it's not gear oil (Gear oil in engines hides noises as its thicker and stinks!)

Any pics of the motor as someone may know the car on here!

tath

first thing to look for is a 3 figure price unfortunately

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

check it like you would any other car.
also pay attention to tyre wear (uneven etc) as with it being 4wd could indicate probs with transmission/drivetrain. Take it for a run and give it some beans (when warmed up) Car should rev freely without any hesitation (take it over 4k revs as this will indicate if it is in limp mode or not)
Dont buy it if it is advertised as a 280bhp sti as it isnt!!
Check radiator endtanks for signs of leakage as this is a known problem with the classics, the radiator end tanks are plastic and due to continous heat cycles they become brittle and crack, thus spewing coolant all over the place. A whiteish residue may give you a clue to this.

Check the power steering level, and check for power steering leaks towards the rack etc. Again leaks are common especially around the pump and it is usually just a seal that has gone so is relatively easy to fix.

MattyRST

Here is a pic of the car..



I was told by a friend that the earlier scoobys had a stronger bottom end is this correct ? The car has a version 6 carbon fibre rear spoiler and costs lots to import, is that correct ?

Sorry for the questions

Thanks for the replys

tath

early STI RAs have a stronger bottom end.

MattyRST

Cheers tath

dj219957

if its a early one yes it could have a closed deck block (like mine)You can check this by looking for hatchings all over the block. Early wrx upto 94ish had them.

dj219957

just up the road from me mate. and a simular looking scooby to mine, early silver wrx with the red seats

MattyRST

Here is an email i recieved from him...

"Cambelt was done at 70k, no rust what so ever anywhere on this car. Mirror do not fold on this version. Does have ABS and air con. i also assure you there are no leak on this car (if i messed the drive up the other half would kill me lol.

There is two points i have a problem. a curculator needs cleaning as it some times tends to play up when boosting (simple job just havent got round to doing it, everything was checked by a subaru mechanic), and it needs a ABS sensor in the hun (brakes are fine, just ABS light is on).

Oh and its the Aluminum bonnet etc as a proper import should be. Trust me this car is in really good condition please go over it as much as you like matt i insist."

Is the circulator just a quick cleaning job ? And is an ABS sensor expensive ??

Cheers for any help

wiley

iTrader: (63)

rust and check the service history, plus do a HPi check

wiley

555)

iTrader: (1)

what model is it?

has black door handles? thought bodycolour on imports?

GlesgaKiss

If the 'circulator' job is so easy, why hasn't he done it himself? That's the kind of question I would be asking. Tell him to clean it himself, as he could be using that excuse to cover up some other reason why it wouldn't be boosting properly.

MattyRST

I believe its just a WRX i have some codes

GC8A48D
320
EJ20
GDW1HE

??

MattyRST

He says he doesnt have time ie family commitments etc, he doesnt use the car everyday due to getting to work by other means, i am taking a mate who knows more about scoobys then i do.

MattyRST

Will be doing a HPI check, he says the car is rust free and there is history, bottom end has been rebuilt in the past

tath

not on early WRXs.

Brun

How much is it?

WRX_Dazza

i was gonna ask how much it is too....
take your time and drive as many as you can....

if it has problems, no matter how small, walk away!!!

there are loads of these cars for sale.... find a good one !!!

MattyRST

We are doing a swap for my RS Turbo, he wants an RS i want a scooby etc

MattyRST

Im taking a friend who will be able to help me look over the car, if i feel the car is not right for me ill walk away

MattyRST

Right just found some info from another forum.....

"I was let to believe the Scoobies was a reliable car (more than RS's). I own a classic 92 WRX import, low miler, standard. after putting the wrong fuel (standard unleaded) ive had the plugs changed and the ECU reset. Straight away it was really good but its began to play up again. hesitating on boost especially in first gear (take off). it feels as if im a fair ground bumpy ride.

Im so frustrated, please help??"

Fine i understand that couple of replys say check MAF and coil packs..

"Did you have the coil packs checked over? They are a common part to break at age. Any warning lights on the dash? (reply from someone else)


Ah, didnt check lol. yeah engine light on and off, but hasnt been on since the ECU reset.(his reply)"

Another reply from him..

"Fault found. I had the ECU read and it was fault 21 = Knock sensor."

Is this a big problem ? Could this be why he wants rid so easily ?? If the ECU has found this fault will resetting the ECU cure the problem ? Would this make the circulator dirty and in need of a clean ? Sorry for the questions but im not mechanically minded and i dont want to have the car and there be a major problem with it that he hasnt been honest about.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Brun

Knock sensor is around £80. Not a huge problem, but wants sorting...

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

the circulator I take it is the boost solenoid, these can get a bit clogged up giving erratic boosting.

Knock sensor would probably be cleared by reseting the ecu, but will come back. It could be that it is actually picking up knock. My advice to you is to walk away. It is not worth buying a scoob that has problemsto start with unless you are getting it for a very very good price. A 92/93 K plate will need its coil packs changing soon (assuming never been changed) and that is approx £50 per pack so thats £200 to start with. Knock sensor, I dont know how much they cost but probably wont be too cheap, then there is the labour to fit it. The good thing is the MAFs on the earlier cars are actually quite reliable, the only thing bad about them is that they can become restrictive at higher power levels.

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

oh, I think if the ABS light is on then that will fail the mot.

Does he have receipts for the engine rebuild?

MattyRST

He says he has reciepts for the engine rebuild

S3TH

iTrader: (2)

There are thousands of classics on the market at the moment. I would spend the time hunting for the right car or you are just setting yourself up for big bills and headaches further down the line.

Even though people on here will be happy to advise you, may i suggest you spend some time thoroughly researching Imprezas as there is no subsitute for doing your own research.

I can understand you may be keen to go for this car because the seller wants to swap with your RST. However I would not get your heart set on this scoob simply for the convinience of getting rid of your RST!

I am on my 3rd scoob now, and i learnt my lessons in the early days, interestingly enough my first scoob was also a car swap and so desperate was i to get my first impreza and offload my car, i went in blind and paid the price.

MattyRST

I appreciate people taking time out to answer my "daft" questions, i havent set my heart on the car that is metioned, just merely getting infomation on scoobys in general from people in the know/own one/had problems. After some of peoples replys im starting to back away from the car as people have said there is more scoobys out there for sale without the problems ive highlighted.

Again i thank people who have replied to my questions

N_Scooby

iTrader: (2)

Its a buyers market out there. Scoobys are damn expensive to run. If you start off with a dog you'll only throw money at it!! RS Turbo seem to be making good money at the mo, should be able to get yourself a newer Scoob than a K IMO