RE: SOTW: Subaru Impreza Wagon

[bakerstreet]

WestYorkie said:

So nearly mine
99 wagon in green 115000 mile UK car. 11month test 5 month tax. Ropey bodywork (more dings than a Chinese phone book).
Quick honest motor
1200 quid
It comes with free national trust AND lifeboat stickers.

I was sold on the national trust and lifeboat stickers!

[johnpeat]

VCat said:

What kind of performance would this have had when new?

I drove my first Impreza around the time this was new and - compared to hot hatches and stuff I'd been driving at the time - it was astonishing.

I'd already driven it's predecessor - the Legacy Turbo - but the Impreza was tighter, quicker and a nicer drive by far.

I suspect it would feel quick even now - the Impreza and Evo developed their power and abilities but most of what they gained is in that last 10% of the 'envelope' - this should do almost everything "nearly as well" as a newer model.

It's a bit of a cheat having it as SoTW tho - it obviously needs work you'd not be able to do in-budget. The engine knock is unlikely to be trivial, given it's mileage (this engine isn't noted for longevity without considerable maintenance).

I know a few people who've run these into the ground and it's always the engine which gets them - they're changing suspension parts right upto the end (as they're relatively cheap and easy to get) and the gearboxes seem OK (if maintained) and the rest of the car is hewn from everlasting somethingorother - but the engine tends to be the reason they goto the scrappie.

[TORQ]

[quote=Alfa Papa] the seller has gone to the trouble of showing the Car Scrapper's truck that is obviously about to take it off to oblivion.

I've been thinking about one of these as always had a hankering. Not this one though!

Do they qualify for classic car insurance yet? Could vastly lessen the cost of ownership.

At least the seller is honest, nothing worse than travelling to go see a ropey motor because the seller has been optimistic with the description.

[p1doc]

trickywoo said:

As above this isn't a shed its a nail.

Poor show PH.

totally agree-very costly nail that someone is trying to get rid of and these are the problems he is telling you-imagine what others there are!
martin

[johnpeat]

Jw Vw said:

£650 for that seems a bargain. If it goes bang just scrap for parts.

Good luck with that one - selling parts is never as easy as people make out, end of the day when you've dealt with the timewasters and idiots - the money you have left seldom feels worth it.

If you wanted a tidy and unmolested UK model - you'd buy this for less than advertised (because it's about to die and the seller knows it) and just get a new engine and throw it in there.

Otherwise you walk away IMO

[otolith]

johnpeat said:

I suspect it would feel quick even now - the Impreza and Evo developed their power and abilities but most of what they gained is in that last 10% of the 'envelope' - this should do almost everything "nearly as well" as a newer model.

I've driven a couple of standard classic turbos, and I wouldn't go much beyond "brisk". Nothing at low revs, very good mid range, mildly disappointing top end. I would hope the newer cars are much better. Whether many of them are still standard is another matter, though.

[mneame]

VCat said:

What kind of performance would this have had when new?

212bhp iirc.

[johnpeat]

TORQ]lfa Papa said:

Do they qualify for classic car insurance yet? Could vastly lessen the cost of ownership.

The rules for 'classic' insurance are complex and depend on the car, the driver and the way it's being used (mileage and class of insurance).

Generally speaking tho - the car being 20-years-old is a starting point (let's be honest, few cars make it to that age unless they're pretty classic!!)

[Crunchy Nutter]

Ok, so it's probably going to die very soon, but just think... what if the 'engine knock' is actually just something loose somewhere, or a cheap fix? An AA or RAC inspection could tell you, and then you might land an absolute bargain.

[johnpeat]

otolith said:

I've driven a couple of standard classic turbos, and I wouldn't go much beyond "brisk". Nothing at low revs, very good mid range, mildly disappointing top end. I would hope the newer cars are much better. Whether many of them are still standard is another matter, though.

He asked what it was like in it's day - which was, frankly, effing quick!

Hot hatches/coupes of it's day (which is really the 90s - this is a late model) had more like 160bhp so this was quick by almost any measure (although turbocharging has mostly died-out so the lag would have been novel!!)

[rodgerramjet]

So, Impreza experts, what is the projected life in miles of this 'knocking' on a bit engine? Is that a lucky dip type situation where it could be 50, 500 or 5000?

[johnpeat]

Crunchy Nutter said:

Ok, so it's probably going to die very soon, but just think... what if the 'engine knock' is actually just something loose somewhere, or a cheap fix? An AA or RAC inspection could tell you, and then you might land an absolute bargain.

Anyone who trusts and AA or RAC inspection for anything beyond "it has a flat tyre" should definately buy this car - it's their bag.

No - seriously - at best those inspections will tell you the bloody obvious, at worst they'll find faults which don't exist or (far worse) miss serious faults which they should have picked-up (and they offer no comeback on that - no warranty for their work, which speaks volumes).

[johnpeat]

rodgerramjet said:

So, Impreza experts, what is the projected life in miles of this 'knocking' on a bit engine? Is that a lucky dip type situation where it could be 50, 500 or 5000?

I'm no expert but any knocking is bad and the degree of it MIGHT tell you how long (but if it's audible/noticeable, it's usually already too late to cheaply fix).

That face he's mentioning it suggests it's not something you'd miss and hence - erm - it's probably quite bad.

A good mechanic will tell you inside 30 seconds of hearing it ofc.

[Mitch2.0]

How the heck did this make SOTW? Unless the ‘S’ now stands for scrap.

Everyone knows a knock from an Impreza means a bottom end rebuild, so what’s the point.

[otolith]

johnpeat said:

otolith said:

I've driven a couple of standard classic turbos, and I wouldn't go much beyond "brisk". Nothing at low revs, very good mid range, mildly disappointing top end. I would hope the newer cars are much better. Whether many of them are still standard is another matter, though.

He asked what it was like in it's day - which was, frankly, effing quick!

Hot hatches/coupes of it's day (which is really the 90s - this is a late model) had more like 160bhp so this was quick by almost any measure (although turbocharging has mostly died-out so the lag would have been novel!!)

In its day, yes, it was the "it would feel quick even now" bit I was getting at.

[pb63]

wow shed, that's perhaps the most useless piece of scrap I've seen in a long while.

I suppose it would make a good climbing frame for the kids...

[Jonny_693]

I'm afraid this one wont even break for the asking price. Nasty wheels, engines scrap, no aluminium bonnet and not even a sought after CDB. This particular year had the purple label maf which is probably the reason for the bottom end fail If the high mileage hasn't done it.

You are looking at £1200+ parts alone to fix this. Crank (you cannot grind an ej20 turbo crank), shells, oil modine, gasket set, fluids e.t.c, e.t.c

[rodgerramjet]

johnpeat said:

I'm no expert but any knocking is bad and the degree of it MIGHT tell you how long (but if it's audible/noticeable, it's usually already too late to cheaply fix).

That face he's mentioning it suggests it's not something you'd miss and hence - erm - it's probably quite bad.

A good mechanic will tell you inside 30 seconds of hearing it ofc.

Thanks for the reply, but I was wondering how long will it last 'til the engine fails completely? i.e. if it is currently driveable, how long until it becomes undriveable?

everyone seems to be going on about how much it would cost to fix. I'm talking about NOT fixing it, just running it 'til it stops. Y'know, like wot folks does wif sheds 'n all.

If it's undriveable just now, or you're only likely to get 50 miles out it then fine, no point in buying it.

[Tin Hat]

I bought an S reg in 1999, The Guy who sold it to me had tears in his eyes when I collected it!

Wow, what a buzz - I had never been in an affordable car that felt so focused and with so much character - and so fast after my Golf 16V. They were relatively rare then and a flash and a wave was common from other Impreza's. The image that the car developed killed it for me, but there is no denying that it is a great car with a really special engine.

Are there any unmolested examples (outside of Shed's budget)?!!

[otolith]

Tin Hat said:

Are there any unmolested examples (outside of Shed's budget)?!!

The two classics I drove belonged to my kid sister. First one was absolutely original and in excellent condition. She sold it when her first kid came along and regretted it. She did eventually find another original car, but it turned out to be rotten. They do exist, they just take some finding.