Couple of beginners questions

[fat-tam]

Guys/Girls,

I am really after a bit of advice....

I am currently looking for a replacement for my aging my99 impreza turbo (standard uk model)

the wife insists it has to be 4 seats as we have a wee one (even though we have just got a kia sorento for the missus!)

I am seriously considering a Monaro as my requirements are

1) cheap (<20k)
2) increase in performance over my impreza
3) some thing a bit different

questions are as follows.

1) can I get a reasonable one for my budget? Brand new is 30k at vauxhall and VXR is well out of my price range
2) Is it going to give me a decent performance increase over the impreza
3) What are running cost like in comparision to impreza? any previous impreza owners out there? I do a 70 mile a day commute and with 7500 mile service gaps its not been particuarly cheap. however a similar running cost would be acceptable.
4) Is there any difference between the HSV and Vauxhall models? in terms of both spec and price/insurance/parts availabilty etc?

I was considering a newish impreza STI but after going past a monaro on the A77 the other day I thought it might be a viable alternative... especially as STIs are as common as muck!!!

I haven't test driven one yet but I might give vauxhall a bell with regards to this...

Any input would be gtreatly received!!!!

Cheers

Fat-Tam

[fat-tam]

[redacted]

[fat-tam]

sorry for not saying thanks to all the really helpfull replys....

but about a week after my first posting the engine on my scooby went boom....

opps....

£2300 later (and nearly 3 weeks!!!) all was sorted... then yesterday guess what?... its all gone very lumpy (engine that is!) ..... oh dear... now I can't afford a scoob or monaro.... hopefully I should get it fixed free depending on whats wrong...

new car teritorry is no gonna be late summer me thinks...

Whats peoples view on the reliability of the monaro? is it good?

I have so far gone through..

1) nissan micra (engine failure) scrapped
2) Alfa Romeo GTV (engine failure) scrapped (wifes old car... not popular at all)
3) Scooby (engine failure) (fixed.... kinda)

I can see a pattern.....

yes I thrash my cars....

no never from cold....

There is no expense spared... always FDSH etc....

can I expect a monaro to hold out?

I was thinking a larger capacity engine car before I blew the engine on the scoob because of reliability reasons....

highly stressed 2 liter engines always have worried me...

thoughts?

Regards

- Fat Tam -

[fat-tam]

Thanks again for all the replys/info....

you guys seem to be saying what I wanna hear :-)

Well Fans... I work in EK so not to far from yourself... I think I would prefer to see a standard one as I don't see myself doing any real mods... a chip and exhaust at the most probably... I do 70 miles a day commute at the moment and this could go up (the life of an IT contractor....) I have resisted the temptation to modify the impreza apart from melting various pistons etc and would like to keep the monaros running costs down....

I wouldn't mind seeing a monaro as I have only ever seen them on the road as I pass them by..... ;-) and have never had a chance to check out the boring things like interior etc...

Ok so it was only the once and I was late for work....

due to budget constraints I will be looking at an earlier (2004) monaro... This I beleive is about 333bhp? the newer ones appear to be 354 is there much of a difference? (don't say 21..) anyone any experience with the basic wortec chip upgrade? should take it up to ~375 according to there literature which I think I will need to have a significant performance hike over the scooby...

is the 2004 car ok or is it worth trying to find the extra pennies?

cheers

Fat Tam

>> Edited by fat-tam on Tuesday 18th April 21:08