coops1

iTrader: (5)

As above. I sold my STi ra Thursday lunchtime and got a text from the new owner last night saying he had first of all caught the mud-flap on a curb and ripped the wing off the car. Then when he was on the way to the body-shop to get the wing repaired and blew the engine up.. Now this car was fine for me and when we went for a test drive we both drove it and gave it a good foot full for about 10 mins and the car was sweet. The new owner from Southend had never had a turbo car before though and just wonder (not that I know if he has or not) if not leaving it to worm up or cool down may have done this or maybe using the wrong fuel as I only ever used tesco 99 and sold the car with 1/4 of a tank.. The car had a my02 STi bottom end which as far as I was aware were very strong. Feel so bad though and know if it had happened to me I would not be as understanding as he has been so far...

Jekyl

Even if he had ragged the car without a warm up or cool down surely that would not have caused the engine failure especially after 1-2 days. From your explanation you were more than generous to let him or yourself rip the car for 10mins as a demo when you hadn't even sold it @ that point. This just makes me feel your conscious is very clear & the fact you have a new age block installed on top just makes me wonder? how did he rip the wing of the car though?

Scooby Dan

You need to search your inner conscience over this one mate. Basically if it was a private sale he doesn't have a leg to stand on and if to the best of your knowledge the car was ok when you sold it then you have no need to feel guilty.

beef-on-the-bone

iTrader: (5)

don't envy you mate

jono300

iTrader: (8)

Caught the mud flap and ripped the wing off the car and then blew the cars engine on the way to the bodyshop sorry mate but something just does not sound right here ?? not on your behalf but from the new owner, not being funny but you sure he is not just trying it on to try get a few quid back to cover his new expensive petrol / insurance costs??!!!

p.s could you actually rip a wing off a car by catching a bit off flexi material ???

C17RPA

i can understand how you feel but dont! as we all know thats the buying and selling game....how do you know he was'nt out there showing off to his mates and kicking the nuts out of it?

coops1

iTrader: (5)

________________________________________
I brought the car back in Sep 08 and after less than 1000 miles the bottom end went on me. I then replaced the bottom end with a MY01/02 sti one brought off a member on here. Had it checked and all seemed good so dropped it in. I have put about 2000 miles on this engine and not been soft with it and its been good as gold. I know its just one of those things but still WTF..
How he ripped the wing off catching the mud-flap I have no idea, they were low but I cant work this one out...

deanb1980

the only way i can think that this could of happened is when he went over the curb he has ripped a hole in the sump or cooler pipe or something very very strange and tbh if there was something up with it it would of shown in the hard test drive and the only thing it could damage by not warming it up or cooling it down would be the turbo due to oil starvation

Butty

iTrader: (2)

Mudflaps often pull off when reversing if they hang low. The curb pushes the flap against the wheel and rips it. I'm surprised the wing came with it though.

What chip was added to those mods and when was it added plus why did the engine need a short block?

The SN advert is every clear about the mods and has great pictures, so it was "buyer beware".
To me there are the potential signs of a generic "chip" ill matched to those mods which would have made me sort out the engine management before ragging it.

all IMHO

Nick

jonny_693

iTrader: (5)

Personally I would relax coops. It stopped being your problem the second he drove of in it. What is he wanting? You to give a refund? Ive had flaps on my car for 2 years and havent ripped one off yet, common sense telss you to avoid reversing up curbs. Its all too common isnt it. Guy whos never had one before buys 'bullet proof' subaru and five minutes later the bottom ends been shat out.

matt2000

iTrader: (3)

With deanb1980 on this one, sounds like it was a bloody big curb to rip the wing off.
So long as you're confident the car was in good condition when it left and any potential defects you made him aware of, then IMO you can sleep easy.

scixer6r

To do all of that in just two days seems a bit much,imagine what the car will be like in two months.Wonder how hard he has driven the car for it to of got into that state,i would get him to take the car to a subaru garage then go from there.

micky finn

hi mate. just a thought lets be fair would any body shop offer to repair your car that quick.
thurs afternoon brought then say ripped off thurs night so cant call body shop till friday morning then gets you in fri after noon or sat morning. I didnt know they could get parts that quick.
I would say he is taking you for a ride dude. I brought a 306 TD some 10 yrs ago and every 1 said they had bullet proof engines and within 7 days of driving off from the garage it blew up and they tried to blame me. Luckily it was under warrenty and i managed to sort it but lets be fair when i test drove it it was fine or i wouldnt have had it. and if it was private i would have been done for its a risk you take when buying private but thats normally why its cheaper to buy private than from a garage.

dj219957

youve got nothing to worry about. he has no come back. this happens often when scoobies change hands. new owner sticks in the tesco 95 ron fuel, takes it for a ragging including a top speed run and bang goes the engine.

SunnySideUp

So, you bought it 18 months ago - and in that time you have only done 3,000 miles?

Lets assume that you blew the original engine up in December 2008? Under 1,000 miles from September? Then you put the other engine (which has now also blown up in around 2,000 miles)? ...... Was the car off the road for a year? Doesn't seem to add up to me?

But, it is buyer beware ....

GMballistic

iTrader: (1)

Bad luck for the new owner but in a private sale it is buyer beware.
I think it sounds a little fishy to me though. There is no-way a PVC (or similar material) mudflap will pull a wing off any car no matter how well it is secured. My mate reversed over his flaps going up an incline and it just ripped out the fixings and tore the flap off.

Goodluck though to the new owner as I know exactly how he feels....had my WRX for 1 month and was doing everything right but still the engine went bang after years of neglect from previous owners.

coops1

iTrader: (5)

Yes thats right. I also have a 1.8 focus and a golf TDi so was in no rush to fix the scooby when it died. Also had a 6 month old baby when it died and just last week had another so money has been very tight.
How does that seem odd in any way?

scooby1doo1

iTrader: (7)

Think this is the one

https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...bang-help.html

Dedrater

I don't understand why the new owner would even contact the op and tell him what has happened? What is he expecting from him, sympathy?

At the end of the day, as soon as the money has been handed over, relevant paperwork sorted out and he has drove off in it, it no longer has anything to do with the op.

Private sales are cheaper for a reason, they don't come with a warranty, the lad should of gone to a dealer if he wanted piece of mind.

ryansss

I'm not trying it on or expecting anything, I just contacted the previous owner in case he could shed some light on it. Come on guys, you buy a car and all works fine and then bang.

Ricky, seriously if you didn't know, don't worry as pointed out luck was on your side and it was my choice to buy at the end of the day.

The wing was an all out **** and 100% my own fault. The mud flaps I wanted off and having had a EP3 and a DC5 as my only cars I never had to worry about flaps. Just backed up kerb onto gravel and bang, wing came off the lower mounts. Shockingly crazy and the two lower points have the screws still in, the heads just sheared!!! It's a fairly big kerb, I couldn't lower the DC5 because of the kerb, but standard height it was fine so didnt think

So the guy that commented on the taking it in for repair so soon, hmmm so you wouldn't go and ask the experts if they think they can bend it back? I'd already got a price for a replacement wing from Saj @ Jap performance (50 quid).

But main problem engine death. If anyone knows of anybody in or near Southend that can help me, please let me know as I'm screwed at present. We got it to a garage via RAC (Really really good) last night and they had a quick look today and were less than helpful. Bit pissed off as it's my mates garage and all he could say was "Subaru's are money pits, should have stuck with the honda' and when asked if I get an engine can he fit it " I'd rather not get involved, as these cars are just trouble". Great, went to all the grief of getting it to him for that.

As for raging it, I was fairly cautious to be honest. Conditions were not all that, rain the whole way back and the gear box is a total different feel from the tegs. The first outing was off to get the wing looked at and I made it to the corner of my road and the car stalls. Stuck in the middle of the road I was like hmmm. Pushed it off and tried to start and thats when the knocking noise happened. I went to turn the car around and lost all power! Dead batter, just tick tick when trying to turn the engine. Called a mate and they went halfords and 87 quid later it starts up and again I try to get it back, but it just stalls. That's when my mate says he is a member of the Rac so he parks up round the corner out the way and calls the Rac.

So any help, I need it. If anyone knows of someone in my area that can help with getting it back on the road send them my way.

PS if anyone wants mudflaps they are in one piece!!! Metal bracket twisted but could bend back lol. Have to laugh, if not I'd cry.

wrxcook

These things happen my03 wrx's bottom end died on the rolling road after having the stage 2a done (andy forrest) after having the car about 4 months, just tell the guy to take it on the chin and fix it or scrap it it's really not your problem anymore, my story has a happy ending as I've got a rebuilt sti bottom end now with all the original mods, it was expensive though

wrxcook

After saying that I do feel for you mate I was devistated to call David at API he won't rip you off and does not charge for advice I looked around and that's the place to go, I'm in Scotland and shipped my engine down there

GMballistic

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to read your sad story but you aren't the first and won't be the last person to suffer this (doubt that makes you feel any better though sorry) especially as the classics are cheaper now.

I had my96 WRX for 1 month when the big end went and since then I've replaced the gearbox and various other bits & bobs. I went down the route of a full re-build when my engine went as I could afford to do so then. It wasn't cheap but I feel it was worth it as I intend to keep this car for a long time. The place I went to is highly recommended and is called API Impreza (speak to David if you can);

API Engines

Goodluck whatever you decide to do, Gareth

ryansss

Thanks guys, all help is much appreciated

dj219957

i havnt read the whole thread but is the bottom end actaully knocking then or is the car just not running right?

coops1

iTrader: (5)

I know I am the wrong person to tell you this but ..... The bottom end I put in that was good so from experience (NOW) I would get one built and set up all by the same person than if it goes **** up you got comeback mate. Again I am so sorry and gutted for you

DDS789

iTrader: (2)

He said he heard a knocking after restarting the car.

As has been said. Get it to a specialist, they "will" actually work on the car.

Sounds like it just had a 2nd hand bottom end put in? Its been seen on here many times, when you take that route the car is just a ticking time bomb to the exact same thing that caused the first engine to fail. Doesnt really matter how much you check over the 2nd hand block, as the actually failure will happen very quickly.

Rebuild (imo) is the only way to properly solve the common problems.

By the way mine lasted 3 weeks, then gave up due to the worst rebuild ever by one of the previous owners (roughly between 2-5k miles after build)! Guys at Scooby Clinic had a good laugh at his efforts

Mark Mac

All sounds a bit fishy.....
Laid up car, second hand bottom end prolly self fitted. Palmed off on another unsuspecting newbie. Under 48hrs later BOOM.....

The irony of parallel post about the same car, I'm afraid if it was me I would be knocking on your door......not sharing niceties on the forum......

coops1

iTrader: (5)

Who gives a sh** what you think, you have no idea what you are talking about. If you read the thread you would see the engine was not a self build but done and checked over by a very good garage. It was not palmed off, the car was driven for several months before the sale took place and was sold after a very good test-drive. And I dont give a rats *** if you would go knocking on peoples doors, we are obviously a little more groan up and more evolved than you arnt we....

TOMMY_TURBO

iTrader: (5)

i bought a 200sx powered bluebird a few years ago and the next day the bottom end went i took it on the chin and started the rebuild it happens to every1