Molds

Hi Everyone
I just subscribed to the forums today. There is just so much info
on tap here and everyone seems good humoured. Keep it up :-)

Cash in hand I am now on the lookout for my first Scooby. At the
moment I am trying to get a handle on spec versus mileage versus MY
to price ratio. There is such a lot of variation it is hard to know
when prices are good or bad (yet).

As a starting point I asked someone I know if they are interested
in selling theirs. Was hoping you can offer some advice on what sounds
a sensible price.

Car is a standard UK spec, A/C, high rear spoiler, MY98, single owner,
FSH, 75K miles. I would describe as A1 condition.

TIA

Matt

Tractor

Welcome aboard MOLDS. As you have guessed, there is a huge amount of info on here - it is the best place to start!!

Firstly go here www.sidc.co.uk/faq.htm - it gives you a great breakdown on the Impreza, aswell as differences between the various models.

Also www.iwoc.co.uk and the Eta Tuari reference site are bloody useful too.

First question you should answer is, based on your budget should you get a UK Impreza (or EU import of same spec) or a Grey import Japanese spec car. Depending on the year, Jap cars can be far more powerful and better specced, but they are harder to service (although not really that hard) and more expensive to insure. Their history can also be uncertain. Make sure you shop around for insurance.

Once you have decided what you can afford then post again, and receive more specific advice!!

Also, check the for sale section on here - there are oftern some fantastic cars available, but make sure you check the effect of mods on insurance!!

All the best mate.

Mike

polarbearit

I'd say about £9k for the MY98, maybe a little less. But too be honest I'd spend a bit more if possible and go for a MY99 as it has 4 pot brakes, STI spoiler, updated front, better suspension etc. I am of course talking about UK cars, the above page will give more details on the other models... MY99's start at around £9k and £11-12k should buy a mint low miler with all the extras.

Jon

pslewis

Welcome!!

Mike and Jon above have given good advice - I cant add too much more except my own personal issues:-

1. Buy a UK model if you can (My opinion is that they are ALWAYS worth more without an Import tag)

2. Avoid Modded cars like the plague - this is just my opinion and I will get blasted now ( I would only want a car that has been driven carefully - NOT a Boy Racer model!)

3. Go for a MY99 or MY00 (MY = Model Year! )

4. Full Service History is an ABSOLUTE must!

5. HPI it and get an AA/RAC on it

6. Buy one - you will NOT regret it !!

Pete

LG John

Eh, I've not seen mint MY99's for anwhere near £11-12k. Most of the middle of the road 99's go for that with the minters going for nearer £14k. Please direct me where you are looking and I might be able to make the trade sooner

Molds

Thanks for the thoughts/suggestions.

I have checked out SIDC and IWOC. Indeed, there is lots available on the web. Overwhelming in fact as a newbie!

My budget is £11K, but that has to cover insurance too. Although I am 32 in August my last two cars were company insured, and the last one was 18 months ago :-( Sadly this leaves me without any NCD. Direct Line quoted me £1100 fully comp with the car alarmed, immobilised, garaged, tracker fitted.

So I guess I am looking at a £10K car max. Given the insurance situation I think my first Scooby (sure I'll get hooked) will have to be standard UK spec without any mods. Not a bad thing anyway as I will need to learn to drive it! My previous car was a 1.8 Vectra.

The MY98 I mentioned is listed in Parkers Price Guide (just picked one up on the way home) at £11570 A1. I presume that isn't quite an accurate reflection of the current market, or would that be for a lower mileage car?

On that subject do you recommend looking for a private or dealer purchase at the £10K mark? Also it sounds like, from what you said, that I can expect to get a lower mileage car for that much anyway?

Sorry for such a long post. Right now I am excited, enthusiastic and the money is burning a hole! :-)

Cheers

Matt

PS Why don’t the smilies work for me? I as that ashamedly after 14 years in the IT industry, hehe. I expect it is an RTFM.

polarbearit

Saxo Boy, keep your eyes open, lots of mint MY00's are going for £12-13k ish at the moment. People looking to sell their cars will get circa £11-12k, at the end of last year I was offered a tidy MY99 with a couple of scratchs (no dents + still under warranty) for under £9k with 30k miles.

As for modifications each to their own mr lewis, but I saw you complaining about your car being slow elsewhere - well you know how to fix it I'd be happy buying a modified car...

pslewis

Polarbearsh1t says:-

As for modifications each to their own mr lewis, but I saw you complaining about your car being slow elsewhere - well you know how to fix it I'd be happy buying a modified car
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That was on a JOKE thread as well you know!!

I would NEVER buy a BoyRacer car, sorry, but Mods. mean the car has been driven/owned by someone who wanted MORE power MORE speed!! The reliability of the car drops like a ****** knickers too!! One of the car price guides (Parkers?) says, 'Steer clear of modified cars thats where reliability problems happen' or words to that effect.

Its your choice Molds, but a nice one owner, STANDARD, Main Dealer sourced, low mileage Model is the way to go - they are the wisest words you will see printed on here!!

Pete

Molds

Thanks Pete.

They do sound like the "wisest" words.

I also have to consider that whilst I can 6K service the girlfriends car, I am not a mechanic and also know nothing of the Scooby pitfalls.

I could end up with a real turkey if I buy private, especially if I bought a mod'd car!

10 years ago I sold my XR3i Mk IV. It was a great example but the kid who bought it off me spent more time looking at the Pioneer stereo I was leaving in. The car could have been a total shed and he wouldn't have cared!

Cheers

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Molds,

I'm sure it won't surprise you to learn that there are about as many opinions as there are people posting on Scoobynet

As far as modified cars go, one of the things you'll discover about Scooby ownership is that it tends to make people want to make modifications to the car. Even people like myself, who have never even thought about modifying the car before, suddenly develop the desire to tinker.

I'd argue that the real enthusiasts, the ones most likely to read up about the car, change the oil every week and wax it every night before they go to bed, are also the ones most likely to make changes. Lots of people on Scoobynet fall into that category. I think it's a sweeping generalisation to say that modified cars should be avoided.

Of course, I appreciate that there will be cars around that have been abused, both in terms of dodgy mods and aggressive driving, in the search for more speed. I'm just not totally clear that an unmodified car will necessarily have had an easier life.

In your position, however, I would advise going for a standard car, or one with some of the Prodrive upgrades fitted. As you probably know, these are official upgrades supplied through Subaru dealers, and carry the full manufacturer's backup and warranty. A standard car can always be fettled later on if you choose to do so.

Good luck,

Andy.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Further tip: get an AA or RAC inspection done - Scoobies are tough, but they can be pricey to fix if major components fail. They also tend to bump into things from time to time, and when they do it's usually quite hard

A.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Further tip: gold wheels are highly desirable, and do add to the car's value. Right, Pete?

A.

BKS

i also am looking to buy my first scooby this/next month. I ahve been surfing through the numerous threads each day and trying to get my head around some of the facts and figures (and some of the owners)

I initially thought i would stay clear of mods etc but the more i read, the more i agree with andy and that the people who have modded their car are the peolpe who rustle up a fresh batch evernight just to wax their car with!!!

Needless to say, last month i was looking for a UK standard for 11K........now i want an STI IV/V, i want all the mods under the sun and my budget is up to 14.5K!!!

Think i have the bug.........

Boost II

iTrader: (1)

Only just read the above quickly but don't think this was mentioned. If you want some of the advantages of a UK car over a Jap import (cheaper insurance, back up of Subaru dealer network etc) but can't stretch the money to your ideal car - look at a used European import. The spec is identical to a UK car but they seem to command a much lower value on the 2nd hand market. Also, at least of people I know, those who can be bothered with the extra hassle of going to Holland or Belgium to source a cheap car are real enthusiasts and will have looked after their motors well.

polarbearit

Just seen one on here which is almost in range with lots of nice goodies, Catflap's Lovely Blue MY99 @ 12k

Maz-old

Listen to Andy C, Molds. He knows his stuff, but don't take him with you else he'll talk you into buying one that blows up...

If you've got £10,000 to spend you're looking at, IMHO, an MY98 with about 40-50,000 on the clock, maybe not standard by that stage. Most mods will be alloys, spoliers, downpipes and backboxes. An MY99 will be less easy to obtain, but there'll be the odd one around with higher miles (probably 60k).

High miles doen't make a great deal of difference to the driving of the car, but will affect the resale value.

As for other modifications, for a beginner to scoobies, you ought to be wary. £10,000 is a lot of money and there are plenty of good models out there. Don't settle for one that you are not happy with.

When I got mine, the RAC sent this chap out who seemed to really know what he was doing. Do the £180 check and it includes HPi.

Look on www.autotrader.co.uk for good ideas. Bear in mind you should get £750 off whatever price is listed there for most cars.

Any more help, please email me. You'll love them, mate. They're liable to make you come home at night with a big ol' grin on your face as you saunter past it thinkng about the next time you're gonna take it out. Best £10,000 you'll ever spend.

Maz.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Maz, you can't really blame me for your car blowing up. Someone set fire to it! [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

DJB

I'm selling my MY98 at the moment for £10750. To be honest I'm not really too bothered if it sells or not since I have the option of trading it in (against an STi) for not alot less. Having driven both the MY99 and my own car, I'm not sure that there's much difference except the brakes. I don't think that the suspension changed from MY98 to 99.

I'll try to give non-biased opinions.
I think that the MY99 was probably the best evolution of the pre-facelift cars. There are alot of MY00 owners who complain of poor performance - I also prefer the alloys of the MY99 versus the MY00. You will struggle to get a MY99 for less than £12000 so may have to look at a MY98 - you can always uprate the brakes if necessary. Personally I would avoid any modified cars unless the mods are Prodrive based or do not affect power output.

D.

[Edited by DJB - 4/26/2002 11:27:14 PM]

Molds

Thanks everyone for all the input.

I am off to bed now, to dream my scooby dreams. It's been a long day on the PC at work - compounded by the fact I can't keep away from these message boards since discovering them!

Happy travels

Matt

scub

Just a thought on figures (I ordered my scoob today).

Difference in finance over 3 years for 2nd hand and new is £24 a month, with 11k in the bank why not go new at £490.22 a month with 2k deposit over 3 years and really enjoy yourself....

Best insurance deal I got was from Tesco's, £1152 at 27 with 3 yrs NCD......