Benzai

Firstly id like to say hello im ben and im looking to buy and low milage pretty standard v3-v4 sti to use as a daily driver im coming from a ford bakground however im now after a car that im not living in constant fear that its gonna be stolen or rot to death im after a car that will be quick nimble and reliable have looked at skylines but they seem to be abit of of my price range to buy a good one. i have met 2 guys who have owned both subarus and evos and have both said the subaru it the easiest car to live with compared to the evo on-off style of power delivery ive decided to go for a v3-4 sti jap import as they seem to be cheap enough to buy cash and not leave me with nothing for the repair bills/matinace/insurance

so as ive said im after a jap import as i believe there 280bhp std and slightly better spec i will be looking for a car sensible mods such as coilovers air filter and an exhaust to get me started i basicly want to end up with a 300hp car that will stop and turn on a penny to meet the need i have become acustomed to but reliable to drive the 10k a year i do lol

so is there any advice im in no rush as ive just paid off my ford ownership and need a couple of months to get enough cash up together so the purchase wont leave me on bread and water lol and want to find the right car

i could even import my own has anyone had any experience on this?

what do i need to look out for and is there anything/anyone i need to avoid?

thanks Ben

Ginge !

iTrader: (1)

i come from a cossie to a v3 sti,,,, was looking at getting a M3 tbh but test drove a sti and bought it there and then

never regretted it either,,,, infact i love it !!!

Benzai

hmm are you the same ginge from passionford then? im had a frst but have a mx5 with a turbo conversion in the garage which is why i feel the need for a quite nimble motor its funny ive looked a an m3 and a mint 52k mile m plate 325 coupe but both seem abit dare i say lardy and feel abit disconnected from the actual driving ie feed back from the road and the 325 was abit slower than the mx5 i loved the evos but feel repair bills driving bans and running costs would spoil my enjoyment lol

i havnt even been in a subaru yet let alone driven one might pop to my local sparshatts and drive one

scoobyc

iTrader: (2)

Dont test drive a subaru unless you have the cash in your pocket!

I guarantee you will buy it there and then .

Get along to a local scoob meet.

I just bought a v4 sti, coming from ford focus, and its bloody amazin. Im afraid to say i got probably the best condition v4 in the country for just 3k! FSH imported new always garaged etc etc.

Tbh i prefered the inside of the v4 enough to not look for an v3 in the end. however im sure they are just as good.

Ive been told that mods such as exhaust and air filter will require a remap, so i would say go for one as standard as possible.

Tbh im not really sure coilovers are required, they stick like glue anyway. ALK n Arbs should change the driving dynamics enough for more rear end im told.

On the motorway, MPG isnt toooo bad. But its those little instances where your right foot gets too heavy will seriosuly chew through petrol.

Ive kep my focus, and was planning on tracking the scoob. Now im thinking sell the focus and chuck 5k at it see what kinda car i end up with

I too had never driven one, but always wanted one. When i did, i put in an offer which was rejected. So i then went and found by chance the minter. I bought it on the spot .

Things to look for are abuse really. Bad Mods. and crash damage. I saw a few. Badly fitted wings/bonnet
new looking grill
speckles of paint on hoses.
Bad ware on the insides of the tyres/semi slicks means it probably been tracked.
BIG END is weak im told so listen for that, and also listen for piston slap.

Smoke on start up/on boost
rev range should be smooth (as smooth as ripping your headoff can be that is).

There is literall hundreds of scoobys out there. I waited 3 weeks in total and found a perfect one after lossing my patiance. Tis a sellers market.

scoobyc

iTrader: (2)

Also new radiators rings alarm bells. If you look down to the left of the radiator there is a beam with a nut on it. SOme looked bedded in, some looked new as if they had been opened recently. Again making my suspect crash damage.

mart sti v3

hi there mate
i sold my 97 v3 on friday and was very sad although i have replaced it with another scooby a bit newer. i had a lot of fun in it and was the best scooby ive had yet (on number 6 now!!) but as said above dont go and test drive one unless you got the cash on you it will only upset you
i once was a ford nut and tbh didnt look back after owning a scooby. good luck with your search and trust me if you manage to get a good one you to wont look back!

Pete

V3, But i would say that..


Seriously they,re great cars, i was Staffi on Passion Ford so you probably know the cars i,ve had.. and this V3 STI i have now is right up there, probably the best i,ve had tbh and with it,s mods it has to date i got myself a bargain for £5800 imo..