the hamster

iTrader: (7)

Ok, i know these questions get asked a million times but i've looked around and cant find a FAQ or sticky.

I've just sold my car and want an impreza, my budget isnt great so i'm looking at early WRX's or later spec UK2000's.

I'm starting to get a bit concerned by all the cars i've read with rebuilds or replacement engines, is this common? I dont want to spend out on a car then get hit with a whopping bill.

What are the signs of needing a rebuild? i'm new to these, thought they were pretty bulletproof but thats clearly not the case.

Finally, whats the difference between an import WRX and UK2000 in terms of power and where it gets it? can bits from a WRX be used to upgrade a uk2000?

Please please help as i've got the ££, got insurance quotes but also got nerves about buying a lemon.

Any help is appreciated.

PS, anyone on here live near me that I could chat with, i'm in Pork pie land, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

scoobygaz1

iTrader: (3)

Hi firstly most bottom ends give away on mostly tuned cars on the uk classic mine went at 111.000 miles after i put on a vf35 turbo and ran at 300bhp it was a risk i knew, now fully forged .if you keep the classic to a standard 215 with full service history you should have no problem .But fsh is a must

amego

i ran a uk classic from 40000 to 115000 miles with with mods with no problems just make sure its got fsh and dont penny pinch

Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

What is your budget?

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

2k budget tops so I know I wont get much for my money but i'd like to mod as i've done with all my other cars.

Would a WRX be better than a UK? I can insure either, just want as much bang for my buck as poss really.

nick172sport

iTrader: (6)

wrx is uk and jdm are imports lol

s c o o b y

not the classics bud wrx is import uk 2000 is uk .

nick172sport

iTrader: (6)

still a wrx though

s c o o b y

yeh i could never understand why they called it the uk 2000 turbo though , everybody nows them as wrx's .

WRX_SWRT

iTrader: (2)

there weren`t any uk wrx`s till 2000 on the bygeyes

they were uk turbo 2000`s.
the import wrx`s have more power out the box than the uk 2000 cars but most wrx`s won`t have been mapped for uk fuel so you`re more at risk of an engine failure if not looked after.

what was your previous car?

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

This is the kinda info i'm after. My previous car was a Mazda MX6 2.5 V6. I modified it over the last 2 years but the engine is notoriously difficult to get gains out of and i'd gone as far as I could with it without throwing serious ££ at it.



0-60 in 6.8 and 140+ so it was fairly quick.

Is this likely to be the sort of thing I should consider?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

bigsinky

Sorry to rain on your parade mate but £2k aint gonna get you much of a car. older jap imports or uk 2000 cars with 100K+ miles. not a nice prospect if you have a tight budget. the problem here is finding a nice unmolested example. most have had a hard life and unless you can see a lot of paperwork i would stay well clear.

WRX_SWRT

iTrader: (2)

that one in the link bud looks pretty clean you realy need to go see it see how rusty it is underneath member Imports don`t usually have much in the way of underseal.

but that kind of thing would be good pretty standard and you can learn from here and plug away improving it knowing it hasn`t really been messed with.

just watch for rusty arches, hear the engine from cold let the guy take you out for a spin and see if he leathers it from cold or that give you an idea how its been treated.

you really just need to drive a few and buy on how smooth and how the car drives really.

wolfie1969

iTrader: (2)

Save a bit more, you can have mine for 3k
I`ve not advertised it yet. But im after a P1
Genuine 52K miles (paperwork and mots to back it up)

Scoobynet link

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

time to drag this up again, sorry.

I've held off getting an impreza for too long and now is the time. I have a low starting budget of up to £1700 but have regular money available to modify, repair, improve etc so need a good base car to start with. I know i'll get the "you wont get much for your money" posters, but i've looked around and there seems to be some well described starter cars out there.

I dont get lump sum money very often so saving isnt gonna happen, I have the £ this weekend so need to get shopping. I'm looking at something like this

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2745125.htm

or this

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2764630.htm

and i'm leaning towards the 2nd one.

What I need to know is basic stuff. How can I tell if its knocking (is it really that obvious), what else is a give away that its a shed? What are the cambelt/service intervals and what are the cambelt changes likely to cost (I have a good mechanic but havent asked him yet). Any help/advice is appreciate, please dont shoot me down in flames for buying a budget scoob!

I'd also like to know what should be on my mods list so I can spend on getting the basics right. I've just spent 4 months and nearly 2k turboing an MX6 import V6 but its not going to get finished so i've decided to buy something that was designed to go quick in the 1st place, lol

Thanks

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

TBH if your buying at that sort of price then you need a grand on the side to fix anything that is wrong with the car, most wont have service history or its been lost, the rear arches and around the front and rear screens have a tendency to rust, that in itself isnt a cheap fix, and dont go for the JDM cars tbh, look at the UK ones as you can get more bang for buck and make then pretty nippy (especially the later my99/00 cars with mappable ecu's).
Also the bargain cars to look at are the wagons which usually go for less than the saloons and green ones which are not as desirable as other colours.
Here is a selection to look at, some are good and some not so good, aircon was a 1k option and retro fitted by the dealer, a few of these even with higher miles have fsh, fsh should mean serviced 2 times per year (7.5k or 6 months), only the MY00's have a different cam belt change which is 4 years or 60k, everything prior to that is 3 years or 45k, whichever is first.
I would suggest on older engined (higher mileage) cars, a new oil pump as these have a nasty habit of packing up, especially on cars that have not been well maintained

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2706037.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2734049.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2538256.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2655261.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2749320.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2725794.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2741931.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2770924.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2752465.htm
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2752444.htm

Tony

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

thanks for the reply mate, definately dont want a wagon, I'd get a Legacy Gtb if I wanted an estate, got to be a saloon or even a Legacy RS.

Oh and sorry for being a dumbass but what is an my99/00 car (year etc)?

Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

Yes Tony is refering to the year of manufacture of the car.

Have you searched this Forum for a car?

You say you have "regular money to modify and repair", why not just wait and have more money to shell out a better example?

Rob


EDIT - https://www.scoobynet.com/subaru-444...hp-1600-a.html

Brun

I wouldn't touch the one in the second link. The title says 280bhp and lower down 260 but there is no real indication in the ad on how this was achieved. As it is an MY98, the ecu is not mappable so will need an aftermarket one if you wish to tune.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

I believe the second link is a scam. There have a been a few cars on there recently with very very similar adverts, silly low prices and no real detail about the specific car. If not a scam, I'd bet £20 of the queens sterling that it's a company selling off battered old hags after a quick wash and photos on a sunny day. I personally would shy away from those adverts.

Good luck with finding a Scoob mate

subaruian

iTrader: (4)

https://www.scoobynet.com/subaru-444...hp-1600-a.html

here you go fella

ian

rich666

Thats the 1 to buy lol as its mine : )

subaruian

iTrader: (4)

good price there matey looks tidy

ian

rich666

Still cant seem to sell it tho lol

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Seriously fella, buy another car if £1700 is all you can afford. What if the engine went pop, which is highly likely on cars that old. Got a spare 2k to fix it? And will be a cheap rebuild too!

All UK cars upto 2000 were UK 2000's, not WRX's, like someone with little knowledge has stated. Both were quite different in terms of specification. Different turbo for one thing, rer wash wipe, air con as standard, map reading lights etc.

Plus, realistically, 20mpg is going to be the norm.
If you can, find one that has a rebuild already. But this may prove ipossible on your budget. Also remember that an import will cost around 25% more to insure than a uk model.
The cost of buying an impreza may be bugger all these days, but the running costs have not changed at all.

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

Rich, pm your details as the cash is sat here, thanks for the good advice people.

Gear head, do you have anything positive to say about buying a scooby? I'm running a 2.5 v6 Turbo MX6 that does about 15mpg round town and 25 on a run, i've spent thousands on it over the last year and plan to do the same to a Scooby. Basically, from what youre saying theres no cars out there worth buying under 2k, correct?

Insurance aint a problem
Running one aint a problem
Sensible mods aint a problem
Repairing a car and mechanical knowledge aint a problem

Why would I need 2k to fix one?

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

I am not saying that at all. I've just bought a nice little ford focus as a run-about, while I try and save for another classic. I've just bought a house with the wife and with a baby on the way, other priorities become more important than performace cars.

Don't get me wrong, they are fantastic cars and I would love to have one again.
I am just a little confused if running and modding is so easy for you, why only spend £1700 which, lets be honest, is the absolute bottom of the impreza market?
Why not just save a little more and get an absolute mint uk turbo, with low mileage for around £3k? I could buy one for £1500 now, but I won't due to experience.

You originally asked about engine failures, so I am giving you worsed base scenario.

-If it has been run on a 0w oil there could be issues, as this is too thin for scoobies. They seem to last better on 10w" or 15w".

- The oil pump relief valves are known to stick in the closed position, so if it is due for a cambelt change, I'd recommend getting an uprated one fitted (£100 or so)

-Obviously, if the bottom end is knocking, walk away. The cranks on these cars are quite soft and can't really be re-skimmed. Well, they can, but due to the layout of the impreza engine (boxer), the crank is the last part you get to when stripping the engine down but keep in mind the crank is around £400 alone. Thats without the gasket kit, pistons, rods, modine oil cooler, shells etc. So allow £1000 on parts alone if the engine needs to be rebuilt. Then, if you are not going to rebuild it yourself, allow 20 hours labour, which at £50 an hour, gives £1000. So there is your £2k. As said, you need deep pockets if you need an engine rebuild. API engines, a well respected subaru engine builder will take nearer to £4k off your hands, but then they do last and will take more power than standard engines with the use of uprated pistons, rods, shells etc.

-Gearboxes can also be a problem area with 2nd/3rd gear syncro's the common ones to fail. So again, allow £600-£800 for a rebuild if needed, or around £350 for a used unit which may be worse than your original.

-They need to be run on super unleaded/ BP Ultimate/ Shell V Power. If they are not, the engine may have run too lean, got hot and damage be caused to the pistons/valves.

-Ideally, get a remap (again, allow £1000 for a stand alone ecu and remap) to ensure the car is running currectly for the state of tune.

-Air flow meters are common failing points, especially on MY99/2000 cars. They again cause the engine to run lean and have been attributed to many engine failures.

-Brakes discs warp quite easily, so check for juddering/vibrations on the test drive

-Rocker cover gaskets (especially the turbo side) are prone to leaking due to being positioned right above the exhaust manifold. So after the test drive, if you smell burning oil under the bonnet, this is likely to be the problem. Not a lot of cash for the seals and gaskets, it just means losing some skin on your knuckles! (trust me, i've done it!)

I am not trying to put you off. I am giving you an honest opinion of an ex scooby owner (STI 3, 4 and MY99 UK turbo). Go into scooby ownership with your eyes open and willing to listen to advice from owners on here. It may save you a few pennies.

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

thanks for the advice Gear Head, i'm going to see Rich666 car tomorrow or should I avoid it as its cheap and at the money he's asking is "the bottom end of the Impreza market"?

Kinda getting mixed signals here. Rich's sounds like its well maintained, well modded and a good clean starter car but if your saying that its too cheap to be a good car i'm not sure what to do.

I expect ALL the things you've listed as problem on ANY performance car, not just an Impreza. I could list a huge amount of stuff to someone thinking of buying an MX6 but would always try and outweigh them with positives.

I expect to spend on any car I buy, and yes I'm sure if I saved 3k i'd get a later model or lower mileage etc but I have my own business and if the money sits around too long it will get spent on something else. Saving has never been my thing, I always use what I have when I have it so its now or never.

So Rich's car, plain and simple people, yes or no?

Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

For me and my experience Gear Head is just about right with what he says. Don't forget the servicing costs too, and the generally maintenance of a 16yr old car. However for the money he wants Its definatly worth a look, and if you like a mini Project as long as its not knocking its t!ts off, bulging with rust and everythng seems relative tight get it bought.

Subaru is not a cheap car to run and maintain, and if you get the "Scooby" bug then you are in trouble, as you will spend a fortune on power and handling mods, BUT its worth it!!!!

Rob

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

I'd say go look at it and ask plenty of questions. Seems genuine enough but remember it is 16 years old so would never be minty von mint... BUT for that kinda money if it's a good 'un you'll get lots of car for your money