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26 May 2013, 08:11 PM
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26 May 2013, 09:41 PM
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Most will have had an engine rebuild at some point. If it's done 85k on the original engine, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find the bearing shells on their way out. If the engine's been rebuilt already, then that 85k figure really doesn't mean that much.
Mine's on about 94k, but it has less then 10k since its engine rebuild. Plenty of life left in it yet!
Mine's on about 94k, but it has less then 10k since its engine rebuild. Plenty of life left in it yet!
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27 May 2013, 03:13 PM
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27 May 2013, 05:06 PM
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Definitely at the top end of that range, for a proper job by a reputable mechanic.
On the plus side, if you're buying, you can save yourself a few quid by making sure you buy a car that's already had this work done - even if that means paying more for the car in the first place.
With these cars, having had an engine rebuild is a reason to look favourably on a car, not to walk away from it IMHO - provided it's been done by somewhere reputable, and not just a cheap job using whatever parts were lying around at the time.
On the plus side, if you're buying, you can save yourself a few quid by making sure you buy a car that's already had this work done - even if that means paying more for the car in the first place.
With these cars, having had an engine rebuild is a reason to look favourably on a car, not to walk away from it IMHO - provided it's been done by somewhere reputable, and not just a cheap job using whatever parts were lying around at the time.
27 May 2013, 05:29 PM
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Yes, you're right - it is. These cars are 13 years old or thereabouts, and many of them are really very tatty and abused by now. There are some decent ones being well cared for by their owners, of course, but they tend not to come up for sale that often.
The expensive bits are the engine and bodywork, so make sure you look at a few, get a feeling for what a healthy engine sounds like, and what condition the paintwork is in. When I was looking for mine, several cars had very dodgy paint (I counted 3 different shades of blue one one!), and another had a grumbly engine that definitely wasn't going to last much longer. The owner had warmed it up before I got there too "to clean the surface of the brake discs", which of course is a definite red flag and reason to run away screaming.
Have you had an Impreza before?
The expensive bits are the engine and bodywork, so make sure you look at a few, get a feeling for what a healthy engine sounds like, and what condition the paintwork is in. When I was looking for mine, several cars had very dodgy paint (I counted 3 different shades of blue one one!), and another had a grumbly engine that definitely wasn't going to last much longer. The owner had warmed it up before I got there too "to clean the surface of the brake discs", which of course is a definite red flag and reason to run away screaming.
Have you had an Impreza before?
27 May 2013, 06:13 PM
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It looked so good sat there on silver 18s etc I would have taken it there and then, but he spent about 2 hours going over this car before we even took it out.
The main stuff we checked over:
The V5 and all paperwork, service history book and HPI report
Checked the mileage on the clock and all old MOTs
Checked the pedal rubbers, seat bolsters and steering wheel to make sure there was no excessive wear to suggest clocking. Checked all sear operation and so on.
Checked all electrics (windows, mirrors, central locking / alarm etc) and lights and so on. Also set the alarm off to make sure it was functional (I opened the window set the alarm and then stuck my head in the car).
Checked over the interior for rips, burns, breaks etc
Checked all panel alignment by running a coin round each panel to make sure they were all equal. From this we determined that mine looked like it had had a replacement front wing at some point, so we looked into this more closely and could not see any evidence of anything more sinister. Slam panel was all original, and the chassis leg looked original as well (from what we could see). From my recent respray my bodywork guy tells me its as sound as a pound and everything looks original, so looks like it was just a wing, so no biggy.
Checked the doors to make sure they hadnt dropped or sagged and checked round the boot and in the boot area. Had the usual 4 little rust spots where the rubbers sit that are on the boot lid. Other than that, all good.
Checked in the spare whell well for water and evidence of crash damage...particularly important if the car has STI rear lights, as this means they have been replaced.
Checked front and rear bumpers as they tend to sag on the classics. The front had on mine, but further investigation showed that the bumper bar had sagged, although they do tend to rot as well, so make sure.
Checked the tyres and brakes (ridges on the discs and wear on the pads)
Then checked underneath to make sure the diff and rear drive shafts were ok, the gearbox, front drive shafts and sump etc were all ok and no leaks. Found the rear diff to be a grubby round the sump plug, so had it topped up and tightened and has been ok since.
Checked the drop links, ARB, trailing arms and so on were all in the right place etc (I dont know alot about this stuff, but I know if something looks broken or is missing).
Also checked the rear boot floor from underneath to make sure it wasnt creased from accident damage.
Once all this was done I then popped the bonnet and checked all the fluids (oil, gearbox, steering, brakes, coolant etc) and checked for the usual stuff like 'toffee' round the coolant filler and so on.
I also put the back of my hand on the manifold to make sure it was cold. I then started the car and listened for any funny knocks rattles etc, while my mate checked for smoke.
We then test drove it. I tested stop start stop start to make sure the clutch was biting ok, the brakes to make sure it stopped ok and generally got a feel for the car. Kept the radio off and the windows closed to check for rattles inside and listened carefully for any knocks or bangs like suspension knocks, engine knocks and rattles etc.
I also stuck the AC on to make sure it was nice and chilly!
Once it was warm after about 10mins of driving I then opened it up a bit more to get it on boost and make sure it pulled ok and felt ok at higher speeds. Mate was looking out the back for excessive smoke while it was boosting.
The gearbox felt a little notchy, but in my experience they do anyway and an oil refresh made it alot better.
After a little run around we took it back and let it tick over for a bit again listening for noises rattles etc also gave it a little blip to again check for smoke.
Anyway, that was about 2 hours worth, and in my opinion was well worth it. Although my car has done over 63k now, it never misses a beat, is on its original engine and I have every faith in it. It has proven to be a very good everyday car.
Last edited by p1_cjv; 27 May 2013 at 06:17 PM.
27 May 2013, 07:57 PM
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27 May 2013, 09:30 PM
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29 May 2013, 05:55 PM
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go on p1woc - there are often much cared for examples up for sale on there and a register is maintained so you can find out the history of what you're buying.
I've had one from new but its going nowhere
I've had one from new but its going nowhere
29 May 2013, 07:25 PM
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P1 Promo.wmv - YouTube
Here's some buying tips from the P1WOC forum,the main one for you not ever owning a scoob of any sort before is to take someone with you that has and knows what to look for!
It looked so good sat there on silver 18s etc I would have taken it there and then, but he spent about 2 hours going over this car before we even took it out.
The main stuff we checked over:
The V5 and all paperwork, service history book and HPI report
Checked the mileage on the clock and all old MOTs
Checked the pedal rubbers, seat bolsters and steering wheel to make sure there was no excessive wear to suggest clocking. Checked all sear operation and so on.
Checked all electrics (windows, mirrors, central locking / alarm etc) and lights and so on. Also set the alarm off to make sure it was functional (I opened the window set the alarm and then stuck my head in the car).
Checked over the interior for rips, burns, breaks etc
Checked all panel alignment by running a coin round each panel to make sure they were all equal. From this we determined that mine looked like it had had a replacement front wing at some point, so we looked into this more closely and could not see any evidence of anything more sinister. Slam panel was all original, and the chassis leg looked original as well (from what we could see). From my recent respray my bodywork guy tells me its as sound as a pound and everything looks original, so looks like it was just a wing, so no biggy.
Checked the doors to make sure they hadnt dropped or sagged and checked round the boot and in the boot area. Had the usual 4 little rust spots where the rubbers sit that are on the boot lid. Other than that, all good.
Checked in the spare whell well for water and evidence of crash damage...particularly important if the car has STI rear lights, as this means they have been replaced.
Checked front and rear bumpers as they tend to sag on the classics. The front had on mine, but further investigation showed that the bumper bar had sagged, although they do tend to rot as well, so make sure.
Checked the tyres and brakes (ridges on the discs and wear on the pads)
Then checked underneath to make sure the diff and rear drive shafts were ok, the gearbox, front drive shafts and sump etc were all ok and no leaks. Found the rear diff to be a grubby round the sump plug, so had it topped up and tightened and has been ok since.
Checked the drop links, ARB, trailing arms and so on were all in the right place etc (I dont know alot about this stuff, but I know if something looks broken or is missing).
Also checked the rear boot floor from underneath to make sure it wasnt creased from accident damage.
Once all this was done I then popped the bonnet and checked all the fluids (oil, gearbox, steering, brakes, coolant etc) and checked for the usual stuff like 'toffee' round the coolant filler and so on.
I also put the back of my hand on the manifold to make sure it was cold. I then started the car and listened for any funny knocks rattles etc, while my mate checked for smoke.
We then test drove it. I tested stop start stop start to make sure the clutch was biting ok, the brakes to make sure it stopped ok and generally got a feel for the car. Kept the radio off and the windows closed to check for rattles inside and listened carefully for any knocks or bangs like suspension knocks, engine knocks and rattles etc.
I also stuck the AC on to make sure it was nice and chilly!
Once it was warm after about 10mins of driving I then opened it up a bit more to get it on boost and make sure it pulled ok and felt ok at higher speeds. Mate was looking out the back for excessive smoke while it was boosting.
The gearbox felt a little notchy, but in my experience they do anyway and an oil refresh made it alot better.
After a little run around we took it back and let it tick over for a bit again listening for noises rattles etc also gave it a little blip to again check for smoke.
Anyway, that was about 2 hours worth, and in my opinion was well worth it. Although my car has done over 63k now, it never misses a beat, is on its original engine and I have every faith in it. It has proven to be a very good everyday car.
Here's some buying tips from the P1WOC forum,the main one for you not ever owning a scoob of any sort before is to take someone with you that has and knows what to look for!
It looked so good sat there on silver 18s etc I would have taken it there and then, but he spent about 2 hours going over this car before we even took it out.
The main stuff we checked over:
The V5 and all paperwork, service history book and HPI report
Checked the mileage on the clock and all old MOTs
Checked the pedal rubbers, seat bolsters and steering wheel to make sure there was no excessive wear to suggest clocking. Checked all sear operation and so on.
Checked all electrics (windows, mirrors, central locking / alarm etc) and lights and so on. Also set the alarm off to make sure it was functional (I opened the window set the alarm and then stuck my head in the car).
Checked over the interior for rips, burns, breaks etc
Checked all panel alignment by running a coin round each panel to make sure they were all equal. From this we determined that mine looked like it had had a replacement front wing at some point, so we looked into this more closely and could not see any evidence of anything more sinister. Slam panel was all original, and the chassis leg looked original as well (from what we could see). From my recent respray my bodywork guy tells me its as sound as a pound and everything looks original, so looks like it was just a wing, so no biggy.
Checked the doors to make sure they hadnt dropped or sagged and checked round the boot and in the boot area. Had the usual 4 little rust spots where the rubbers sit that are on the boot lid. Other than that, all good.
Checked in the spare whell well for water and evidence of crash damage...particularly important if the car has STI rear lights, as this means they have been replaced.
Checked front and rear bumpers as they tend to sag on the classics. The front had on mine, but further investigation showed that the bumper bar had sagged, although they do tend to rot as well, so make sure.
Checked the tyres and brakes (ridges on the discs and wear on the pads)
Then checked underneath to make sure the diff and rear drive shafts were ok, the gearbox, front drive shafts and sump etc were all ok and no leaks. Found the rear diff to be a grubby round the sump plug, so had it topped up and tightened and has been ok since.
Checked the drop links, ARB, trailing arms and so on were all in the right place etc (I dont know alot about this stuff, but I know if something looks broken or is missing).
Also checked the rear boot floor from underneath to make sure it wasnt creased from accident damage.
Once all this was done I then popped the bonnet and checked all the fluids (oil, gearbox, steering, brakes, coolant etc) and checked for the usual stuff like 'toffee' round the coolant filler and so on.
I also put the back of my hand on the manifold to make sure it was cold. I then started the car and listened for any funny knocks rattles etc, while my mate checked for smoke.
We then test drove it. I tested stop start stop start to make sure the clutch was biting ok, the brakes to make sure it stopped ok and generally got a feel for the car. Kept the radio off and the windows closed to check for rattles inside and listened carefully for any knocks or bangs like suspension knocks, engine knocks and rattles etc.
I also stuck the AC on to make sure it was nice and chilly!
Once it was warm after about 10mins of driving I then opened it up a bit more to get it on boost and make sure it pulled ok and felt ok at higher speeds. Mate was looking out the back for excessive smoke while it was boosting.
The gearbox felt a little notchy, but in my experience they do anyway and an oil refresh made it alot better.
After a little run around we took it back and let it tick over for a bit again listening for noises rattles etc also gave it a little blip to again check for smoke.
Anyway, that was about 2 hours worth, and in my opinion was well worth it. Although my car has done over 63k now, it never misses a beat, is on its original engine and I have every faith in it. It has proven to be a very good everyday car.
How has this epic post not been acknowledged... Thanks P1 CJV I'd say.
29 May 2013, 08:24 PM
#25
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