Pulsar GTIR daily?

[goldar]

I've been offered a GTIR which seems to be in very good condition for £11k. Black, same owner for the past 20 years, and 70-something on the clock (not sure whether this is a mixture of miles and km). Unmodified barring wheels, lowering springs, a dump valve, and exhaust. Comes with umbrella and flare. One of the rear arches is starting to go at the top and where it meets the sill, other than that it looks rust free.

I test drove it and the bits that stood out to me were the steering was a bit on the heavy side (by modern standards) and the gear change was notchy which meant you had to take your time instead of being able to slam gears like a hero.

My main concern is being able to shift it in the simmer without making a loss. It's not ULEZ compliant so that is likely to bite me.

Do I pull the trigger or buy something like a classic Impreza, Evo or rx7 instead?

Edited by goldar on Sunday 19th February 22:24

[Xcore]

Don’t see why not unless you’re launching it from the lights constantly. Sr20 is one of the more reliable lumps from the period.

[samoht]

Rust would be my biggest concern, you've seen some, how's the rest of it? I'd want to check it out carefully underneath etc.

Gearboxes were always considered a weak point, as above probably depends somewhat on usage.

The other issue you may face is getting things like dampers and other consumables, may take a while to obtain.

[neil jdmr]

I personally dont think using any 90s jdm hero as a daily is a good idea tbh.

Much better to buy a focus etc for daily duties and keep the gtir for dryer sunny months. One good winter daily driving the gtir will hammer it far more than if it were a modern hatch.