Buying an Impreza Hawkeye, blind, from Scotland...
Discussion
Well. It is here. I was met around 2pm by Sergio. He had collected the wagon on his wagon, and this is what greeted me upon his arrival. A shonky Impreza WRX wagon.
He's also collected a considerably more shonky jalopy on his travels, but only just..
Sergio asked me where I'd like the car dropped off. When I said he could just dump it anywhere, I'll drive it round the back he proceeded to inform me that it doesn't start. f
k. Nevermind said I, it'll just be the immobilizer, I'll get it started. Sergio was right. It was totally dead. fk. Again.
Defeated I helped guide Sergio round the back of my house and sheepishly tell him I want the car "there". He also advised me at this point it's got a flat tyre. fk. It's also only got one key, when I'd specifically asked the seller if it had two. fk. Again.
By this point, I'm getting pretty annoyed, so I messaged the seller asking where the 2nd key was as the car was dead, and surely it was to do with the key...right? He replied almost instantly advising it was in the sun visor. Phew. I found the second key, which clearly is the main key as it's in much better. Triumphantly I place key into ignition and turn. Nothing. Again. fk.
At this point I pay Sergio, and whilst chatting find out he collected the car from a side street around 1900 one evening as the garage had closed. They'd left the key for him and the window slightly open. He found the duff key in the glovebox and tried to start the car. It didn't work so he winched it onto his wagon and then drove down to me.
It's now around 1440. I've got a ropey looking Impreza that has no power sat round the back of my house, with a flat tyre, just for a giggle. I've now got less than 2hrs till my better half gets home to see this wonderful "fully working" car that I've purchased blind from Scotland. I'm in trouble....
He's also collected a considerably more shonky jalopy on his travels, but only just..
Sergio asked me where I'd like the car dropped off. When I said he could just dump it anywhere, I'll drive it round the back he proceeded to inform me that it doesn't start. f
k. Nevermind said I, it'll just be the immobilizer, I'll get it started. Sergio was right. It was totally dead. fk. Again.Defeated I helped guide Sergio round the back of my house and sheepishly tell him I want the car "there". He also advised me at this point it's got a flat tyre. f
k. It's also only got one key, when I'd specifically asked the seller if it had two. fk. Again.By this point, I'm getting pretty annoyed, so I messaged the seller asking where the 2nd key was as the car was dead, and surely it was to do with the key...right? He replied almost instantly advising it was in the sun visor. Phew. I found the second key, which clearly is the main key as it's in much better. Triumphantly I place key into ignition and turn. Nothing. Again. f
k.At this point I pay Sergio, and whilst chatting find out he collected the car from a side street around 1900 one evening as the garage had closed. They'd left the key for him and the window slightly open. He found the duff key in the glovebox and tried to start the car. It didn't work so he winched it onto his wagon and then drove down to me.
It's now around 1440. I've got a ropey looking Impreza that has no power sat round the back of my house, with a flat tyre, just for a giggle. I've now got less than 2hrs till my better half gets home to see this wonderful "fully working" car that I've purchased blind from Scotland. I'm in trouble....
Given the shonky Impreza had zero power I assumed that the battery must be totally dead. At this stage I did consider jumping the car, but as I couldn't find my jump leads I decided to pop to the local motor factors and grab a new battery. It's not that big so it won't cost a huge amount...right?!
I was not right. Seventy fking five pounds for a battery. When I picked myself up off the floor I grabbed the battery and ran (after paying obviously, I'm not a scoundrel).
Several minutes more than I'd like passed whilst I fitted the new battery which was going to solve my dilemma. Only it didn't. The car was more dead than a Norwegian Blue. fk. Again.
A swift post on a Facebook group heralded a equally swift response, to check the main fuse in the engine bay.
A wee poke and I'd found the culprit. The 120amp fuse had blown. Next issue, where the hell do you get one of these at 1530 on a Saturday?! And more to the point, why had it blown?!
Frantic calls followed to several different local motor factors. Only one had something that might work, but he wanted to see the picture above via email. Oh, and he shut at 1600. Email was duly sent, followed by about 5 calls from me till he actually answered the phone again! He only had 100amp or 60amp flat fuses, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I bundled both kids into my working Volvo and drove sedately to Cobra Motor Components in Holbury, where I handed over £3 for 1x100amp and 2x60amp fuses. I had a plan...
I was not right. Seventy f
king five pounds for a battery. When I picked myself up off the floor I grabbed the battery and ran (after paying obviously, I'm not a scoundrel). Several minutes more than I'd like passed whilst I fitted the new battery which was going to solve my dilemma. Only it didn't. The car was more dead than a Norwegian Blue. f
k. Again.A swift post on a Facebook group heralded a equally swift response, to check the main fuse in the engine bay.
A wee poke and I'd found the culprit. The 120amp fuse had blown. Next issue, where the hell do you get one of these at 1530 on a Saturday?! And more to the point, why had it blown?!
Frantic calls followed to several different local motor factors. Only one had something that might work, but he wanted to see the picture above via email. Oh, and he shut at 1600. Email was duly sent, followed by about 5 calls from me till he actually answered the phone again! He only had 100amp or 60amp flat fuses, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I bundled both kids into my working Volvo and drove sedately to Cobra Motor Components in Holbury, where I handed over £3 for 1x100amp and 2x60amp fuses. I had a plan...
Whilst the above was ongoing I was having several conversation with people, including the seller. We came to the conclusion that Sergio (remember him) had tried the jump start the car as the duff key wouldn't work. As it was after hours he somehow stuffed it up, blowing the main fuse. It was the only logical explanation. Hopefully he'd not totally fked the car.
Anyway, by this time my nan, who'd been hanging round looking after my kids whilst I tried to sort this mess, had gone, so I was back on daddy duty. So I did what any sensible dad in this situation would do, chucked them in the hot car with one window slightly opened and let them smash biscuit into the seats, whilst I concentrated on fitting my masterpiece.
For those who are paying attention, you'll recall the blown fuse was 120amp, and I only had 100 or 60. Well, clever Mr Cobra had suggested sticking two 60amp fuses together as they'll share the load. Who am I to argue with this genius, so I did exactly that. I bent the two 60amp fuses (they look like a thin bit of metal btw) between the terminals and did up the bolts. I then reattached the new battery and was met with the stunning sound of a car alarm. This was to be a good sign. With the good key in the ignition I tentatively turned the key and the shonky Impreza fired up. What a relief!
For those who wish to enjoy my success, feel free to watch this wonderful clip on YouTube
https://youtu.be/3x5bdXWTY4o
I left it running for several minutes and took great delight in the warble of a boxer engine reverberating around my neighborhood.
My delight was to be short lived...
A puddle. fk.
Still communicating with the seller I told him about my great success followed by "coolant pissing out the front of the engine". He did seem genuinely surprised and asked if it was loosing coolant. By this point I'd had enough playing with my new car and decided to do some parenting. At least the car was running, the other half wouldn't be quite so annoyed with me as it did actually work, albeit I neglected to mention the coolant issue.
I'll write the rest tomorrow..too late now. It's been emotional.
ked the car.Anyway, by this time my nan, who'd been hanging round looking after my kids whilst I tried to sort this mess, had gone, so I was back on daddy duty. So I did what any sensible dad in this situation would do, chucked them in the hot car with one window slightly opened and let them smash biscuit into the seats, whilst I concentrated on fitting my masterpiece.
For those who are paying attention, you'll recall the blown fuse was 120amp, and I only had 100 or 60. Well, clever Mr Cobra had suggested sticking two 60amp fuses together as they'll share the load. Who am I to argue with this genius, so I did exactly that. I bent the two 60amp fuses (they look like a thin bit of metal btw) between the terminals and did up the bolts. I then reattached the new battery and was met with the stunning sound of a car alarm. This was to be a good sign. With the good key in the ignition I tentatively turned the key and the shonky Impreza fired up. What a relief!
For those who wish to enjoy my success, feel free to watch this wonderful clip on YouTube
https://youtu.be/3x5bdXWTY4o
I left it running for several minutes and took great delight in the warble of a boxer engine reverberating around my neighborhood.
My delight was to be short lived...
A puddle. f
k. Still communicating with the seller I told him about my great success followed by "coolant pissing out the front of the engine". He did seem genuinely surprised and asked if it was loosing coolant. By this point I'd had enough playing with my new car and decided to do some parenting. At least the car was running, the other half wouldn't be quite so annoyed with me as it did actually work, albeit I neglected to mention the coolant issue.
I'll write the rest tomorrow..too late now. It's been emotional.
Actually, I'll do one more, who needs sleep?
Thanks for the part number btw, I'll order in the morning.
It was now around 1645. I was enjoying watching Argentina getting knocked out the World cup and I'd temporally forgotten about the last few hours of stress. My other half had returned home. I tentatively asked her what she thought. "Looks alright, bit scratched" was the response. Great, I'll take that as a positive then.
Now she was back I palmed off the little one to her and
the elder child and I went back out to inspect the now working Impreza. First things first, I needed to get that flat tyre inflated. I got out the "pumper" (I told him it was a jack, he just said "hi jack" then returned to calling it a pumper) and took the wheel off. We shot round to the garage and inflated the tyre then refitted the wheel. Now was my first chance to actually drive the car! I'll just ignore the leak for now, it's not that bad.
I sent child one back indoors and sat in the car for the first time. Not bad. Bit sparse, but felt very functional. Seats were good too. Windows down I made my way out the close and into the nearby forest, where I got to give it some beans. It certainly shifts! It drove pretty well actually, considering its covered 143k. Few flat spots but no knocking or pulling under acceleration or braking. The ride was firm but certainly not uncomfortable. I liked it.
I grabbed a couple of pictures on my was back from my brief test drive, including one of the temperature guage as I was concerned about where the needle sat, thinking I may need a new thermostat. I need not worry, apparently this is normal.
|https://thumbsnap.com/p6inj5OF[/url]
[url]
It was bloody hot out in the forest today and I certainly knew it when I got home. The fans had kicked in and the engine was pretty warm. I hopefully opened the bonnet to check for a leak. It was still there, but less obvious than before. I'd previously refitted the radiator cap as it was upside down when I checked the coolant level. I'd hoped this might have worked, but the puddle under the car reappeared when I parked up. fk.
Thanks for the part number btw, I'll order in the morning.
It was now around 1645. I was enjoying watching Argentina getting knocked out the World cup and I'd temporally forgotten about the last few hours of stress. My other half had returned home. I tentatively asked her what she thought. "Looks alright, bit scratched" was the response. Great, I'll take that as a positive then.
Now she was back I palmed off the little one to her and
the elder child and I went back out to inspect the now working Impreza. First things first, I needed to get that flat tyre inflated. I got out the "pumper" (I told him it was a jack, he just said "hi jack" then returned to calling it a pumper) and took the wheel off. We shot round to the garage and inflated the tyre then refitted the wheel. Now was my first chance to actually drive the car! I'll just ignore the leak for now, it's not that bad.
I sent child one back indoors and sat in the car for the first time. Not bad. Bit sparse, but felt very functional. Seats were good too. Windows down I made my way out the close and into the nearby forest, where I got to give it some beans. It certainly shifts! It drove pretty well actually, considering its covered 143k. Few flat spots but no knocking or pulling under acceleration or braking. The ride was firm but certainly not uncomfortable. I liked it.
I grabbed a couple of pictures on my was back from my brief test drive, including one of the temperature guage as I was concerned about where the needle sat, thinking I may need a new thermostat. I need not worry, apparently this is normal.
|https://thumbsnap.com/p6inj5OF[/url][url]It was bloody hot out in the forest today and I certainly knew it when I got home. The fans had kicked in and the engine was pretty warm. I hopefully opened the bonnet to check for a leak. It was still there, but less obvious than before. I'd previously refitted the radiator cap as it was upside down when I checked the coolant level. I'd hoped this might have worked, but the puddle under the car reappeared when I parked up. f
k.Told you sleep was overrated. I certainly wanted to be woken at 0550.
Anyway, back with the shonky Impreza. Rather than investigate the leak I decided to give the car a clean, thus covering the floor in water and hiding said leak. Great success. Before that I set about removing the arch trims that by all accounts trap water and don't help with rust.
Both came off easily, along with a ton of crud. From the video I'd been sent I knew one arch was ok (it was) and the other was better than I'd thought it was going to be. I'll take that as a small win (trust me, I needed it by this point)
I now set about giving the shonky Impreza a quick clean. No two bucket and lambswool mitt here. The car is clearly past that stage. Just a quick splash with a bucket and a sponge will do. Most panels have some damage on them, some worse than others but I can overlook this. I'm realistic and understand that it was well under market value, and I'm happy to live with a bit of damage here and there. What I'm less happy about is rust, which became more apparent the more I looked.
Few blisters on the roof...
Round the windscreen...
And round the tailgate...
The roof blisters I can live with, I can source a replacement tailgate, but the windscreen surrounded....?! I've neglected to mention at this point the windscreen also has a crack in it, also the nearside wing mirror has been bodged together and wobbles. minor details.
If I hadn't before, I was now seriously considering my options, because it gets worse...
Anyway, back with the shonky Impreza. Rather than investigate the leak I decided to give the car a clean, thus covering the floor in water and hiding said leak. Great success. Before that I set about removing the arch trims that by all accounts trap water and don't help with rust.
Both came off easily, along with a ton of crud. From the video I'd been sent I knew one arch was ok (it was) and the other was better than I'd thought it was going to be. I'll take that as a small win (trust me, I needed it by this point)
I now set about giving the shonky Impreza a quick clean. No two bucket and lambswool mitt here. The car is clearly past that stage. Just a quick splash with a bucket and a sponge will do. Most panels have some damage on them, some worse than others but I can overlook this. I'm realistic and understand that it was well under market value, and I'm happy to live with a bit of damage here and there. What I'm less happy about is rust, which became more apparent the more I looked.
Few blisters on the roof...
Round the windscreen...
And round the tailgate...
The roof blisters I can live with, I can source a replacement tailgate, but the windscreen surrounded....?! I've neglected to mention at this point the windscreen also has a crack in it, also the nearside wing mirror has been bodged together and wobbles. minor details.
If I hadn't before, I was now seriously considering my options, because it gets worse...
Edited by S100HP on Sunday 1st July 07:25
I've wondered about the sense in posting the following as it might impact any resale, but by this point I think there is little resale future for this car, because anyone who comes to view clearly has eyes and will see all this for themselves. I wish I had.
As previously mentioned, due to the leak I'd already had a poke about the front of the car earlier. What greeted me wasn't pretty, and wasn't particularly difficult to spot.
I didn't even have to look underneath to see this...
Crouching down a little lower, still not underneath...
And underneath...
fk. fk. fk. I've not even removed the undertray yet. As you can guess I was pretty gutted by this point. Coincidentally I had arranged a viewing on my Volvo for Saturday evening which went ahead as planned. The guy ended up offering £750 under what I'd put it up for which I may have considered if I was happier with the Impreza, but at this stage I declined as I'm unsure how to proceed.
After he left I needed to pop up to my parents (about 5 miles away) and considered what car to take. My trusty reliable Volvo or the shonky Impreza, leak and all. I stuck in £30 of super which moved the guage up to a quarter. It was pretty empty it seems! I then took the scenic route to my parents taking in some back roads which was nice. The car drove really well, and it was around this time I found out that the stereo didn't work either as I couldn't enjoy Portugal being knocked out the World Cup.
Parking up at the parents I was met with cries of "what is that" "is it really only that old" and "why". I must admit I wasn't really in the mood to discuss it. Yes the drive had certainly been enjoyable and the car went well, but it looks a bit battered, and I knew about the leak and that state underneath. I'd also found out that the warning shown in the temperature guage picture means the adjustable headlamps are not working. Joy.
I made my excuses and departed, telling them I knew it had a leak and not to bother telling me when they found it. Jumping back in the car I started to reverse and to my surprise there wasn't a puddle on the floor. The drive home was uneventful until I was met with a wheel wobble on a NSL road. No big deal.
I parked up and checked again for the leak. There wasn't one. Weird. Had it leaked from a poorly fitted rad cap earlier? Was it overfilled? Stay tuned for the next exciting installment, where no doubt it will start pissing out again.
My final act for the evening was to remove the stickers from the rear of the car as I hate stickers.
And that is that. I'm now the owner of a shonky Impreza WRX that goes well but is pretty battered. I feel a little conflicted. I took a punt on the car from a dealer and had hoped for a bit more honesty given I was buying from so far away. I understand it was below market value, but am still gutted given I'm going to have to sell the Volvo which is in great condition to cover the cost of this. If the Impreza had been slightly better I wouldn't feel so challenged. For what it's worth I did check the mot status which shows no issues.
It's definitely the last time I purchase a car from Scotland. Blind or not.
I see my options as follows:
1) try and sell, take hit
2) break it (don't really have time nor inclination)
3) keep it and use it, fixing bits as I go
4) try to return it to dealer (sold with no warranty due to price)
5) feel sorry for myself and do nothing
Thoughts?
As previously mentioned, due to the leak I'd already had a poke about the front of the car earlier. What greeted me wasn't pretty, and wasn't particularly difficult to spot.
I didn't even have to look underneath to see this...
Crouching down a little lower, still not underneath...
And underneath...
f
k. fk. fk. I've not even removed the undertray yet. As you can guess I was pretty gutted by this point. Coincidentally I had arranged a viewing on my Volvo for Saturday evening which went ahead as planned. The guy ended up offering £750 under what I'd put it up for which I may have considered if I was happier with the Impreza, but at this stage I declined as I'm unsure how to proceed.After he left I needed to pop up to my parents (about 5 miles away) and considered what car to take. My trusty reliable Volvo or the shonky Impreza, leak and all. I stuck in £30 of super which moved the guage up to a quarter. It was pretty empty it seems! I then took the scenic route to my parents taking in some back roads which was nice. The car drove really well, and it was around this time I found out that the stereo didn't work either as I couldn't enjoy Portugal being knocked out the World Cup.
Parking up at the parents I was met with cries of "what is that" "is it really only that old" and "why". I must admit I wasn't really in the mood to discuss it. Yes the drive had certainly been enjoyable and the car went well, but it looks a bit battered, and I knew about the leak and that state underneath. I'd also found out that the warning shown in the temperature guage picture means the adjustable headlamps are not working. Joy.
I made my excuses and departed, telling them I knew it had a leak and not to bother telling me when they found it. Jumping back in the car I started to reverse and to my surprise there wasn't a puddle on the floor. The drive home was uneventful until I was met with a wheel wobble on a NSL road. No big deal.
I parked up and checked again for the leak. There wasn't one. Weird. Had it leaked from a poorly fitted rad cap earlier? Was it overfilled? Stay tuned for the next exciting installment, where no doubt it will start pissing out again.
My final act for the evening was to remove the stickers from the rear of the car as I hate stickers.
And that is that. I'm now the owner of a shonky Impreza WRX that goes well but is pretty battered. I feel a little conflicted. I took a punt on the car from a dealer and had hoped for a bit more honesty given I was buying from so far away. I understand it was below market value, but am still gutted given I'm going to have to sell the Volvo which is in great condition to cover the cost of this. If the Impreza had been slightly better I wouldn't feel so challenged. For what it's worth I did check the mot status which shows no issues.
It's definitely the last time I purchase a car from Scotland. Blind or not.
I see my options as follows:
1) try and sell, take hit
2) break it (don't really have time nor inclination)
3) keep it and use it, fixing bits as I go
4) try to return it to dealer (sold with no warranty due to price)
5) feel sorry for myself and do nothing
Thoughts?
Sorry for you OP,
How much will it cost you to fix the car properly?
If it cost far to much, brake it and sale it but that involve a lot of working hours on something you will hate to work on due to the circonstances...
More importantly, have you told the other half the story so far??
How much will it cost you to fix the car properly?
If it cost far to much, brake it and sale it but that involve a lot of working hours on something you will hate to work on due to the circonstances...
More importantly, have you told the other half the story so far??
Peanut Gallery said:
6) use it for a week and see if it grows on you. If so, then start fixing bits, if not, bay of e.
Yeah, this is your best bet. Bar the rust (which I don't have much experience on with these) none of that looks particularly unmanageable. The headlight sensors are on the offside front and rear, and they tend to get crud in them. Pop the connectors off and give them a good dousing of WD40 - just be careful not to bend the pins!
Problem with Scottish cars is that they have a much longer period of exposure to salt on roads and get properly fked.
Great thread though. Reminds me of when I flew up to pick up my unseen Daihatsu Shed from Glasgow and drove it home in Storm Katie at 50mph.
ked.Great thread though. Reminds me of when I flew up to pick up my unseen Daihatsu Shed from Glasgow and drove it home in Storm Katie at 50mph.
Edited by vikingaero on Sunday 1st July 09:28
Peanut Gallery said:
6) use it for a week and see if it grows on you. If so, then start fixing bits, if not, bay of e.
It's already grown on me. In the words of breadvan72, it hoonz. A positive start to this morning, the front tyre that was flat yesterday still holds air this morning. That's a good start right?
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