webba23

Hi,

I'm new to the forum so thought I'd post and say hi. Have recentlysold my Pulsar GTi-R and am now on the look out for a classic shape Impreza and am swaying towards the Type R. I am still trying to find out about these cars as I am totally new to them. Could anyone tell me on the Type R will all 97 ones have a facelift interior as I have seen them with the old style and just wondered if this is right. Thanks in advance.

Matt

GMballistic

iTrader: (1)

Welcome to Scoobynet Matt sorry don't know the answer to your question though but someones bound to on here. I've got a my96 classic WRX and I think the classics are the best shapes. Wish I had a Type R...lovely shape. Good luck with your search

webba23

Cheers mate thanks for the welcome. The Subaru was my 1st choice before I got the Pulsar as I have always loved them but insurance wouldn't allow it but now as they no longer seem to require trackers I can finally get one. I appricate they are performance cars but are they reasonably reliable? I ask as the Nissan was the most unreliable car I've had the pleasure of owning and am now after something with a nice bit of poke I can drive all year round and not worry about it breaking.

bodgeit

hello

ross_wrx

Welcome to SN!

cbscooby

iTrader: (1)

welcome, if you have the money and time you can find a well looked after 1and you should be ok unlike me little money and the requirement of acar got me a bad 1 but its getting there,

subaru-impreza-2000

Welcome to SN, pulsars are awsome cars!

But don't know much about type r's myself.

webba23

Well I'm looking to spend around 6k, would this get me a reasonable one. Am looking to import at the moment unless of course I can buy a car that has obviously been well looked after over here.

Pulsars are great fun but I am now quite biased towards the downside of them and would never buy one again. Don't get me wrong when it's on the road it was amazing but the hassle it took to get it on the road took the shine off it in the end.

subaru-impreza-2000

Haha i see where your coming from mate, they are abit of a hassle.

6k should get you a nice type r, iv seen some tidy ones on pistonheads for aorund that price. But i'm not sure how much it would end up costing you if you where to import one over.

RED2

Welcome to scoobynet and good luck with the search

webba23

I have been looking on an importers site (not sure if your rules allow me to name them) and they have some nice examples around the 6k mark.

What are the Impreza's like for reliable driving? I'm not looking to go mad on mods this time, just looking at a turbo back stainless and possibly and induction kit.

Thanks again for the welcomes.

M444GY

iTrader: (72)

welcome mate

GMballistic

iTrader: (1)

Good & bad. I've had my car an Import 96 WRX for about 15-17 months now and the money I've put into it so far is unreal
This by no means goes for all cars.
I had no history with my car whatsoever(foolish I know but it is from Japan) and as it was my first Subaru not a clue of the problem's I could face. Plus I didn't have much cash to spend so I couldn't afford some of the possibly better vehicles. I paid £2995 for my WRX....1 month later the big-end went and I had to have the engine re-built (with afew extra goodies by API Impreza) £3999(est)....4 months later various small bits £100-£250....16 months later gearbox killed 3rd (now fully rebuilt) £830...today I'm looking at getting a new MAF (because of problems with that)£360 odd from the dealers so be aware they can be very very costly(and all of that doesn't include the mods and better bits I've put on it)!
My advice would be to spend as much money as you can afford on the car you buy in the first place. Do not buy one without a service history at all.
If it's had a re-build don't be worried by that as it could be a good thing....call the re-builder/garage and see what they can tell you about the car, the owner(how much he looks after the car etc) and service history. Coming on here first though was a very good idea, wish I'd done that although it wouldn't of helped me spot the engine & gearbox problems. Mines getting there slowly though and despite all of the problems I love the car and plan on keeping it fo a very long time.

webba23

I imported my Pulsar without any history and foolishly didn't look the car over before buying it. I had all sorts of problems with it and made silly mistakes the biggest being I should have gone for a forged engine for the price I paid. It then went wrong whenever all the time. I'm def looking at an import as I have heard gone things about the company I am looking to use. I am worried with a private sale as there is no real come back once I drive the car away.

GMballistic

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't really entertain a private sale either as you said "no real come back" but for instance if someone was to buy my car after I've finished with it then they would definately be getting a good deal as I have amassed a huge full history with receipts, spent thousands on the car, oil changes every 3000miles (Genuine parts & Mobil 1 motorsport oil) and looked after it so you never know.
Eitherway I'll never see my money back especially as I've started with a base model WRX but it's not about that is it? it's about enjoying the car you drive, looking after it and the satisfaction you get from it.
Import is definately the way to go especially as you have extra power over the UK version's straight off the bat

webba23

The higher spec of the imports is also one of the factors I'm looking at them. I have to say the ones I have been looking at seem almost standard as well and this suits me as I'm not looking to go mad on power mods. Been there and done it with the Pulsar and it was just hassle. Will be happy with it up around 300 and I'm thinking a stainlessfrom the turbo back on a Type R should give me somewhere around this. I could be wrong though as I am new to Impreza's so apologies in advance if I am! Anyone able to say if all 1997 Type R's have the facelift dials as I am looking everwhere and can't find any info. I thought I saw somewhere that early 1997 is the old dials.

GMballistic

iTrader: (1)

I'm not sure, but with car manufacturer's sometimes car's at the end of a production run may have some parts found on newer model's or vica versa.
If your buying an Import it's worth factoring in the cost for a re-map for British fuel (although lot's aren't mapped) but you could do that after you've fitted your new exhaust for maximum benefit.

webba23

I have spoken to people and they seem to think I'll be ok without a map for uk fuel as v power will be ok. On the issue of the remap I was told that version 4 and below would need an aftermarket ecu or a piggyback. Is this the case?

webby v7 slipperwagon

iTrader: (2)

You'll be ok without a re-map alrite, untill and it will go bang. Japan uses 100 ron fuel. With a decent exhaust/panel filter and remap you should be good for 320 ish. The cost will be around £1500 -£2000, again depending on the quality of parts/labour and mapper. To be honest you would be better off buying one already registered here, all type-R's are imports they were never sold officially in the UK. So if your spending 6K and 1.5-2 k for mapping etc.. That gives you 7.5k to buy one already here and for that you'll get a really nice one, with all the needed mods already done.

webba23

Yeah the P1 was the UK version was it not? Does make sense that idea I guess, my only worry is not having a warranty of any type with aprivatd sale. I'll keep looking about and see what happens but I'm in no real rush so am prepared to wait for the right car.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Version 3's were the first type R's, those are MY97 cars and are pre facelift, version 4's are MY98 cars and are facelift interiors, version 5's are MY99 cars and have another slight facelift (crystal headlights for one) and version 6's were the last of the classic STI's (note that versions only apply to classic STI's)

The P1 was based upon the version 5 JDM car, it has as many issues as the version 5 cars do, dont fall into the area of "its a uk car, its not going to have problems" as they do if anything your better off with a JDM car as the owners normally put as much protection on there to monitor the engine for det over the P1.
Oh and the P1 is a lower spec than its JDM counterpart

Tony

webba23

Thanks for that very useful as it has answered my question on the interior. Thanks for that.