MTM

Hi guys,

Martin here. Apologies for the abrupt first post but I'm going to view a car 3 hours away tomorrow morning and I've just realised it's not actually an STI model. I'd be grateful for your thoughts on the price and any other relevant info. I've spent the last hour researching the car and know it has various extras and excellent performance but that said, at £23k new, is an asking price for an 09 on 18kmiles of £12k too much?

Here it is:

http://www.pacmotorcompany.co.uk/sho...58_0_index.php

Leaving at 9am tomor so any input much appreciated.

Cheers

Martin

rickya

iTrader: (18)

Over priced,.don't waste your time. Why go for 2.5 and that too a GB270??

jaymma

iTrader: (1)

a lot of money for that mate.!

Gambit

iTrader: (6)

At that money id be holding out for an sti.

chopperman

A 2009 diesel GB270 hahaha. Missing the front splitter too.

thenewgalaxy

Hi Martin and welcome

Wow, okay where do I start...

The WRX is basically an Impreza with a turbo engine and some uprated parts. Great car but lacking, especially as the junior competion such as the Golf GTis etc of this world are upping their game so much.

The WRX STi is the "full fat model" but there is some crossover in terms of performance and parts. In stock form these cars are still capable of humbling the latest of the high performance saloons on windy roads and with a few grand thrown at them are capable of humiliating them and dealing out a pasting on the straights.

Ultimately though, any car can be modified as much as wanted but an STi is a better place to start.

Let's stick to stock form.

The WRX is a lighter car and benefits from slightly longer gearing, but with a PPP kit the power is up to around 265bhp, good for around a 0-60mph time of just under 5 seconds from around 5.6 from the standard 230bhp model. It has a five speed box and weaker brakes, less advanced suspension and is without the DCCD, an adjustable differential.

The stock STi is between 265-276bhp and is around 5.2 to 60, though with a PPP kit is 305-316bhp and good for significantly under 5. It benefits from good brakes, much nicer suspension and after 2005 the DCCD. It has a wider track and is a better drivers' car.

The GB270 is a very special WRX as it benefits from some lovely upgrades to the suspension and is a highly sought after special edition. However it is not as capable as an STi even if it might get the jump on one to 60mph. It just doesn't have the depth of capability.

However taking the rare special edition bit out of the equation, you basically have a tarted up WRX which is not as capable as an STi.

My advice is to think long and hard about what you want from your car. I would personally see a late GB270 (2009!) with low mileage as an investment rather than something you would buy for the pleasure of driving on a regular basis.

I would consider going for an STi to be honest with you, and I like the GB270 a lot.

jaymma

iTrader: (1)

have to agree with above i paid 8.5k for my wide track STI PPP with dccd and to be fair i got a lot of car for the money, i absolutely love it

thenewgalaxy

Sorry guys for a 2009 registered car with low mileage I think that price is bob on. It's a limited edition car and not a bad one at that.

I just wouldn't buy one for driver fun.

Someone mentioned 2.5s, talk about opening a can of worms lol.

Martin, 2.5 engined Subarus are sometimes prone to blowing up.

MTM

Thanks for the input so far guys and that very detailed last post - appreciate it! Whilst an STI would be lovely, the condition, age and mileage really appeal to me on this GB270. Initially though I was thinking that for a £27k car £12k is a great price but now I have realised that it's a £23k I'm starting to wonder! The question is, am I going to drive it wishing I had held off for a (for the same money) older STI which looks very similar in terms of looks with more miles? I really don't know.

I viewed this yesterday:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...26py?logcode=p

It was also in lovely condition - only thing that concerned me was the back box looked seriously corroded.

I'm feeling seriously stressed about what to do lol

thenewgalaxy

A great man told me "first do no harm" and while it applies well to surgery it applies even better to life.

If it's stressing you out mate take a step back, if you don't have a car tomorrow you're in exactly the same situation as you are now.

The 2.5 engine cars are apparently prone to head gasket failures, I would know as it has happened to me on a 2.5 Hawkeye STi. Don't let that put you off owning a good car, especially it comes with a Subaru warranty from a main dealer. They'll look after you.

Right, if I were you spud I'd steer clear of the GB270 as it won't float your boat when it comes to driving. Bugger the mileage you're after the history and a decent car. You're not going to choose a Kia Rio on the basis that it is a 2013 car with 60 miles on the clock if you see one on the way to the garage are you?

If you like the Hawk STi and have issues with the corrosion, bring it up with the dealer. Get them to put it up on the ramp. Get them to do some warranty work for you or give you a guarantee.

Don't worry about the original price of the car and what you're getting it for, it means nowt as the exchange rates have changed and so has the value of a pound since it was sold.

chopperman

Car's you never have to take a spanner too are boring. Mine blew a turbo hose off today. Standing on the driveway burning my fingers on the turbo to remove the intercooler was great fun.
Some peeps dont get special editions and some do and are willing to spend the premium to own one. We do as we both own one but some think where mad. Each to there own as they say. Looking at the pics this does look a nice example apart from the missing splitter. Also its a late registered car so this could add value to the right buyer. As for an every day driver, why not? I use my RB320 every day apart from the salty winter months.

thenewgalaxy

Oh yes, so was watching mine leak several litres of oil on my Grandfather's driveway at Easter after I had popped by for a coffee. Thankfully it had let go after I'd driven it there gently and not the previous day when I'd opened her up!

I have a special edition car, they are worth the extra money.

Has the OP considered an RB320?

MTM

I've been watching pistonheads, auto trader and ebay etc for a couple of months and haven't seen anything that floats my boat other than that 07 plate above. How extensive is the engine problems? Should I be genuinely concerned?

thenewgalaxy

Yes you should but think this through, I'll present you with some facts.

Go onto Google and type in

"Porsche 911 engine problems" or "Porsche 911 rear main seal"
"Focus 1.6 TDCi diesel turbo problem"
"Golf R32 Chain Stretch" or "DSG box failure"
"VW porous engine block"

I can go on all day... I cannot think of many cars out there that haven't been known for, or prone to some kind of expensive and nasty failure.

We know as this is a specialist forum that the 2.5 Subaru engines are known for two major problems, that would appear to affect the STi models more than the WRX. They are also known for minor issues that can affect other engines too such as cracked pipes around oil pumps and turbos.

It doesn't affect all cars, some of them are high mileage and haven't missed a beat whereas others have gone bang before the run in period has ended. It is very hard to put any kind of failure rate into figures. All cars have failure rates and we can list failures of engines among all models, but it would appear that the failure rate of 2.5s is much in excess of that of the 2.0 Impreza models.

On the earlier models (e.g. Hawkeyes and early Litchfield type 25s) the Head Gaskets are known to fail and occasionally so can an area of the piston known as the ringland. Why they fail is something that can be debated long and hard but basically the engine is working towards the limits of its tolerances.

A failure of either the HG or ringlands can lead to a catastrophic engine failure but more likely is picked up due to an indicated temperature rise on the dash.

Repairing it can cost between £1500 to over £3k depending on what you want to do to fix the problem, most of us on here would recommend placing some forged pistons in and uprating the head gaskets and bolts used to secure them as well as an engine remap. Bells and whistles can also be added.

Rather than worrying yourself silly, take the car out for a drive and if you like it, get it and if you don't, look for something else. You could quite easily find yourself paying nearly 2 grand to repair a Ford Mondeo if a part fails on one of those so don't worry about a similar bill on a an ultra-high performance car such as an Impreza. Running these cars is not cheap but for the performance it is an absolute bargain.

MTM

Thanks for the info mate. I noticed that the front splitter is missing but thought it was just black plastic - having looked at other pics I see it's a fully colour coded part - how much would a replacement be?

MTM

Just had a good read through the engine problems thread and tbh, it's not a chance I want (or can afford) to take! I had no idea the impreza suffered from these problems but by the looks of it, the likelihood of me driving an STI is getting slimmer by the second. Thanks very much for the incredibly fast response guys - much appreciated!

Cheers,

Martin

Beastie

iTrader: (2)

The 2007 wasnt fitted with a front splitter. The car you see is a standard WRX STI as it came from the factory. As the car is a 2007 you will be able to get the Subaru approved car used warranty with it. This should give you peace of mind.

Many owners , including myself fitted a front splitter and mine was colour coded.

The backbox is the standard item as are the wheels. From the photos it looks totally unmolested which supports the low mileage.

AF Noble are a fantastic dealership, i drive my car a considerable distance (from Perth) to service it there. I would totally trust them that the car is in top condition.

If you are worried about the backbox, they will change it. If they dont, i have a virtually new one in my garage i will give you from my 2006 hawkeye which was taken off when PPP was fitted just after delivery.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

wise decision, That car is a LOT of money, if it were me i'd look for a 2.0L with higher miles but still good condition for around £8/9k that way your no where near the top of your budget and have a good few grand spare for fuel and any issues that may arise.

You should be able to pick up a nice 05 wide track Blob STI for around £9k, it's the best spec of the UK cars and is around £260 road tax not the £500 of the slightly newer cars, they hold their money very well and are the best base to mod from if that's your thing, or at least that's what people say, I hold a slightly different view on modding but that's a whole different thread.

But if it's an STI your after that's the one to have.

If you have £12k and nothing in reserve your looking at the wrong cars, I'd never buy any car with all the money I had at the time, and this is especially pertinent with subarus, as if something goes wrong then your looking at either being car less or getting in debt.

Oh did I mention it's waaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy over priced.IMO

salsa-king

http://www.pacmotorcompany.co.uk/sho...58_0_index.php

that is a very nice car and limited edition too... you could start with it and see if you want to go to an STi next year or the year after.. but that one sis a good one by the spec.





and as above.. my wife's Focus 1.6 TDCi had turbo problems and needed a new one fitted and three oil flushes to clear all the bits out the engine.. car runs fine now three years one

Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

I rushed in to Subaru ownership and briefly ended up with this:

https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...ame-query.html

If I were you, I'd take a step back, hold fire, do some more research and wait for a better car to come along. It took me six months after my initial **** up to find mine but it was well worth the wait.

cuprajake

iTrader: (11)

You could look at a spec d

The money they go for bring an Sti is good a d it'll leave you a good wedge of money for when the hg goes allowing you to do the gasket and forge it if you wish giving you a car capable of 400bhp plus

domino46

I only gave just over 7k for my hawkeye sti with less than 50k miles and one owner and a 55 plate so still in the lower tax band,, so I'd say that gb270 was a bit over priced ,,for 12k I'd be looking at buying a hatch sti (08-09)

What I got for 7k

cuprajake

iTrader: (11)

That was a bit of a rare bargain though haha.

MTM

Thanks for all the replies guys. the news of the engine problems have put me off as I don't have thousands of pounds in reserve if something goes wrong. Are these problems limited to the saloon style 2.5ltr or are they evident in the hatches too? Were there similar issues with the 2ltr?

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

The hatches are arguably worse, look at the thread at the top of this forum, that should give you some idea.

Get a 2l JDM

As you say who wants a car that may need a £3K engine rebuild at any time... a fact some on here cannot grasp!!!!

coupe_20vt

iTrader: (2)

Save yourself a few quid and get to Hurst Cars and pick this beauty up -

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...11ts?logcode=p

Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

Or one of these:

http://www.hurstcars.co.uk/used-cars...01321515178024

http://www.hurstcars.co.uk/used-cars...01323517102512

EssexJamie

iTrader: (5)

Personally as above I'd be looking at a Blobeye STI Uk PPP or a Blobeye STI JDM
Much better car then your looking at now and cheap which leaves you money in reserve to do with as you wish, and there the 2.0ltr engine!

Or go for a Bugeye UK300 or STI

Osimabu

iTrader: (2)

Exactly as I suggested, above (great minds and all that...) but do watch out for rust underneath if you start looking at the earlier cars (especially Bugs).