Dream car - Subaru Impreza WRX typeR STI Version V Limited
Discussion
About time I did a thread on this, only had it a year!
I've got a lot to say about it, so this initial post probably won't tell much of the story.
I've always been into my Japanese stuff from a very early age - I've had Hondas since I was 17 and been obsessed with cars from that late 80s - 2000ish Golden Era since long before that!
When I was about 5 (1999ish) I got a Clarkson VHS for Christmas which featured him hammering an Evo VI and Impreza 22B around an airfield, this seemed to awaken something in me and I spent my whole childhood absolutely Subaru-obsessed. Then started following the WRC - Richard Burns was my absolute hero! That 2dr WR car was just the coolest thing my impressionable eyes had ever seen.
I remember seeing that 1/18 AutoArt 22B in the model shop in the local market, I can still remember the price (£38.50) and begging my parents for weeks to get it. Eventually I got it for either Christmas or my birthday. It went everywhere with me, I've still got it in my parent's attic but it's worse for wear, getting left in my parents' car in summer the door mirrors melted off, and it just generally got bashed around a bit, despite the fact I absolutely cherished it. Unfortunately they're absolutely massive money now, as I'd quite like a mint one!
Any time we saw one out in the wild we'd have to stop for photos
back around 2000 they weren't a very rare sight so I had loads to look at! I seem to remember this was on the way to a holiday in France in a services, and I'm sure it was owned by a police officer. As you can see, I took the AutoArt 22B on holiday
I remember being gutted when the Bugeye was released as it didn't look anywhere near as good as the classic GC8 generation. Funnily enough I quite like them now! I've got a copy of this photo somewhere signed by Clarkson, my Dad took it into work knowing JC was having a tour and got him to sign it!
This obsession grew to encompass a lot more of the Japanese side of the car industry of that time, Gran Turismo has a LOT to answer for in that regard! At 17 I wanted whatever would be the coolest Japanese car I could (vaguely) afford to buy and insure, which turned out to be a 1.4 EK Civic. Fast forward 10 years and I've had (and still have some) loads of Hondas (EG6 VTi, DC2 Type-R, Preludes, many Accord Type-Rs, Aerodeck VTi-S).
Threads for some of the Hondas here:
Accord Type R https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Aerodeck VTi-S https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Some time around 2015 I decided R32 GTRs were never gonna get any cheaper (good ones started at around £6k) and I should probably do something about it! Unfortunately I was too keen to spend money on Hondas, s
t food and beer, so it never happened and values absolutely skyrocketed. Still being a big Subaru fan I toyed with the idea of importing something like a Legacy GTB.
Fast forward to 2020, we all know what happened that year! One positive is that it gave me the opportunity to save a decent chunk of cash (which would've easily got me a real nice, low mileage R32 a few years prior...) In early 2021 I decided that if I don't import something fairly soon I'll never do it (values of all the 90s hero cars were getting absolutely obscene). I watched a Youtube series on a guy importing, registering and tidying up an Evo VI, which made me quite fancy the idea and I started looking at potentially getting one myself. I decided if I was going to do it, I'd really like either a white TME or Dandelion Yellow Evo V.
It was at this point I started speaking to importers and after a very long phonecall with Baz at BHP Imports I sent them the deposit required for them to start scouring the auctions for anything that fitted the bill.
After a few weeks of nothing coming up at auction in the right spec and within my price range, Baz sent me the details of an Impreza he thought I might like. I'd initially been looking for an Evo and I'm not really sure why given my undying love for Imprezas. I think the aformentioned Youtube series on the Evo had quite a bit to answer for (Project Fearn if anyone's interested - a good watch!).
I've always said that if I was to own an Impreza, it'd have to be an early spec 4dr typeRA in white or 53C blue, or a late spec 2dr typeR, preferably in Sonic Blue (aka a poor man's 22B!)
I think the early RAs just look so good and uncluttered, also they can be made to look very much like the 1995/6 McRae era WR cars with minimal mods, as Group A regs at the time meant bodywork wise they really were close to showrom models.
I'm not personally the biggest fan of the later GC8 4drs, I don't think the 4dr shape lends itself too well to the massive Version V/VI spoilers, hence if it was a 4dr it'd have to be an early one like above.
Anyway, the one Baz sent me was a 2dr in 74F Sonic Blue! Very interested, I got him to send someone to inspect it pre-auction. It was a Version IV typeR, so had the facelift interior, mid facelift front end, and the big Version V wing (it should've had the mid-level wing like most of the UK Turbos came with). Either way I was very interested, another reason I think I was looking at Evos is I thought I may be able to afford the 'ultimate' Evo (TME) but the 'ultimate' Impreza for me (a blue typeR, as obviously I can't consider a 22B) was out of reach.
When the inspection came back, it was pretty disappointing, in Baz's words it had been "painted with a dead cat". He wasn't really exaggerating, there were runs all over it, and stuff like door latches had been painted rather than them taking the time to remove the two screws that hold it in :eyeroll:
Obviously we left that one, but interestingly it turned up for sale in America, I hope someone didn't pay crazy money for it.
Despite that one being a bit of a shed, it did open my mind to the possibility that I might be able to scrape together enough cash for my ultimate dream car - a blue Impreza typeR!
A few weeks later, another one came up at auction:
This one is a Version V.
As you can (maybe) see from the auction sheet, it has a few KM on it (225k) and is a grade R, meaning it's had some sort of repair work done at some point in it's life. This isn't necessarily a deal breaker, in the same way that a Cat N in England can be a much nicer car than an undamaged one.
Got it inspected:
Paint looked shiny, and it had some nice upgrades such as 22B bonnet vents and Version VI rear spoiler (the extra little step in the top blade is what separates it from a Version V spoiler) along with a Version VI front lip. It also has the forged Rays wheels from a Version VI Limited, another bonus in my eyes (I don't actually like them, and much prefer the correct Version V wheels, but they're very sellable and would pay for a set of the correct wheels and probably a set of tyres)
One negative is that it had clearly been painted, as the paint looked pretty clean and it was missing the awesome WRX Tuned by STI decals on the bootlid and rear quarters.
Inner arches look great
While you'd still call this pretty clean for a 1999 car, cars in Japan of this age can really be like new depending on where they've been used, so this put me off a little
Then we got a CarVX report done (if you're importing a car, or even looking at buying an import that's already in the UK, PLEASE PLEASE do this! It's just over £20 iirc but gives you a very good idea of the car's life). Ultimately the CarVX stopped me from buying this one.
It showed that it had been damaged at least once (see all the collision reports) and used in Fukushima! I was still umming and ahhing at this point, until I scrolled down and saw some photos from when it had gone through an auction in 2017:
Noped out at this point! There was no evidence of that arch repair on the inspection photos, so it's anyone's guess as to whether it had been done nicely or just wobbed full of filler. Until I saw this I was still kinda thinking of buying it as it was still a blue 2dr with the all-important roof vent, but due to all the issues I had felt a bit uneasy about it, so I was actually glad to see that as it made it an easy decision to carry on looking!
It sold for very strong money too I seem to remember.
Anyway, exactly a week later, another one came up at another auction house (MIRIVE Aichi)
This looks promising!
Appears to be totally original, standard wheels, standard backbox, WRX decals still present!
Factory option Lamco gauge pod in place of the upper storage box, and Lamco column mounted boost gauge
Grade 3.5 which is realistically the best grade I'd be able to afford. Grade 4 on a car of this age tends to mean fairly exceptional condition, and grade 5 is basically a concours, showroom example and virtually never given to cars more than a couple of years old.
This auction house was a bit out of the way so it was hard to get anyone to inspect it before it actually went across the block.
We did a CarVX check which revealed.....absolutely nothing! There was no record of anything, at all, other than the fact that the VIN existed and was assigned to an Impreza WRX typeR STI Version V Limited, which is what this appeared to be. No record of any accidents, no record of being used in the Fukushima region, and not even any previous auction photos. This suggests it's a one owner car, unless it changed hands privately (which I don't think can easily happen legally in Japan) or changed hands before everything went computerised. Either way, it was good news!
Feeling like this was the one, I waited up all night to see if we'd win it. Due to some communication errors, BHP didn't end up bidding on it (we hadn't had an inspection back but I was fairly happy to go for it based on its supposed originality and completely clean CarVX). It went under budget so I was really gutted. Baz suggested that it was likely to reappear at another auction the next week due to it selling for a good price, with the theory being that it had been bought by someone looking to flip it over the weekend for a quick profit.
Keeping an eye on the auction listings for the following week, I spotted this familiar looking thing scheduled to be auctioned on the 22nd of June at another auction (this time at CAA Gifu)
Clearly the same car, and Baz had been right in his assumption!
Again Grade 3.5, which was reassuring (there is a bit of a scandal about some auction house staff being bribed into giving cars higher grades than they should). 2 different houses calling it a 3.5 seemed a good sign. It had only gained 2km between the two auctions so had clearly been put straight onto a truck and sent straight to the Gifu auction.
Here's a key from BHP's site to help understand the auction sheet:
A1 Small Scratch
A2 Scratch
A3 Big Scratch
E1 Few Dimples
E2 Several Dimples
E3 Many Dimples
U1 Small Dent
U2 Dent
U3 Big Dent
W1 Repair Mark/Wave (hardly detectable)
W2 Repair Mark/Wave
W3 Obvious Repair Mark/Wave (needs to be repainted)
S1 Rust
S2 Heavy Rust
C1 Corrosion
C2 Heavy Corrosion
P Paint marked
H Paint faded
X Need to be replaced
XX Replaced
B1 Small dent with scratch (size like a thumb)
B2 Dent with scratch (size like flat of the hand)
B3 Big Dent with scratch (size like elbow)
Y1 Small Hole or Crack
Y2 Hole or Crack
Y3 Big Hole or Crack
X1 Small Crack on Windshield (approximately 1cm)
R Repaired Crack on Windshield
RX Repaired Crack on Windshield (needs to be replaced)
X Crack on Windshield (needs to be replaced)
G Stone chip in glass
Nothing too scary there, S and C are the ones I really didn't want to see!
Translation of the "inspector notes" section:
Again there are issues, but nothing too scary and again, no mention of rust or engine knocks! Auction inspectors are known for making a fuss about rust even if there's a bit forming on a wishbone or anti roll bar, such is the condition of most Japanese cars.
I knew that the paint was knackered on the roof and bonnet (it was visible in the photos the first time it went through the week before, after all) but that was fine as it just suggested originality. And I'd MUCH rather deal with issues caused by a hot climate, than issues caused by it being in the North of Japan where it snows a lot and salt may be used.
Tried to get it inspected but again it was at a smaller auction house and the inspectors that BHP usually use couldn't/wouldn't get to it, so could only get a written inspection. Based on what the inspector said, and the decent but honest looking auction sheets, and completely clean CarVX I decided to commit to it as long as it went under budget.
Went to bed and woke up to a text from Baz saying we'd won it! Obviously absolutely over the moon, but a little worried as the only photos I'd ever seen of it are the ones posted above, and I knew it had issues. I'd also never seen a photo of the underside!
A few days later I was at work and recieved a flurry of messages from Baz; BHP had picked it up from the auction and taken it to their facility in Japan to prepare it for shipping. This was the first time I'd get to see proper photos of it and get a real feel for the condition of it.
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Love that all-important WRX decal, as 90s as it gets!
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No warning lights, nice!
Top glovebox unfortunately cracked from UV exposure
Steering wheel and seats also showing signs of being very sunburnt!
The roof and bonnet paint damage were obvious from all the auction photos, but the mirrors and spoiler less so, but they were mentioned on the auction sheet so I was expecting it. As I said earlier, it's a blessing and a curse, the fact that it's been somewhere so hot means that it hasn't been exposed to salt or lots of moisture, and I'd much rather see tired original paint than a crap respray with runs, poor masking and no original decals etc. Also I want to use the bloody thing! So if it was showroom and never been painted I'd probably be too scared.
I also got some photos of the underside:
I was a bit disappointed to see this, it's fairly clean but does have some rust starting on the ARB and subframe, which neither of the auction houses or independent inspections picked up on. More on that later (all is not what it seems )
So began the wait for it to arrive! There was around a month between winning it at auction, and getting a slot on a boat. Eventually it was loaded onto the Hoegh St. Petersburg on the 20th of July.
A couple of excruciatingly long months later, it was unloaded in Newcastle and taken to BHP's HQ.
First photo of it in the UK:
The warning flare was seized before it was allowed out of the port under the Terrorism Act
I was actually okay with that as I didn't want it in the car in case something went wrong with it while I wasn't there, but had no idea how to get rid of it!
I'd arranged to buy on the understanding that it was effectively a trade sale, BHP would get it to their HQ in Newcastle and then I was on my own. This was because I was really scraping the barrel in order to afford a blue 2dr so didn't want the expense of any extra prep, also I'd been looking forward to the experience of importing something forever, you can go to a dealership any time and just collect a car, I wanted the raw experience of MOTing and registering it myself etc, as I may import something else in the future but it probably won't mean as much to me as this car. Also I was pretty bloody eager to go and see it
My then-girlfriend and I were setting off to Lanzarote a few days after it landed, I really wanted to get it picked up before we went. So after being told it was fundamentally sound, (it needed a CV boot and the tyres were borderline) I booked it in for an MOT and we set off to collect it! I insured it off the VIN. It's legal to drive an unregistered, untaxed car to a pre-arranged MOT, and the law says nothing about how far away that MOT can be (I'm in Cheshire for reference)
On arrival at BHP (who opened on a Sunday for me as I really wanted to get it before we went to Lanzarote) First time I ever got to cast my eyes on it in person:
Those graphics are so bloody cool!
Drove it out and ran it up the road a couple of times:
Quick few photos and then we were on our way!
Obviously then we headed straight back to the MOT station in Cheshire
What we DID NOT DO was take it straight to Sunderland Air Museum to grab some photos with XL319 (one of the few Vulcans I've not had a look round, would've been rude not to while we were in the area!)
Helpfully Andy at BHP had scribbled the VIN onto the front and rear plate brackets
Finally it was time to head home for real:
First impressions were great! I've never owned a turbo petrol car before and this is quite a place to start! Huge power, short gears, and quick steering were the standout features. It did st me up coming off the first roundabout as it flicked sideways more than I expected, especially as it was warm and dry! Issues: lots of play in the shifter, and it would sometimes cut out when returning to idle.
It was dark by the time we got home, which gave me a good chance to see how bloody cool the dash looks all lit up!
Next day, it went in for it's first ever MOT:
I'd at last get to see what I was working with condition wise, and see if that rust had spread from the subframes to the shell itself...
WTF?! IT'S fkING MINT?! Turns out there had been an error somewhere along the communication trail (BHP did import quite a few GC8s last year so it's understandable) and the underbody photos I'd been sent were clearly of a different car. On closer inspection, in the photos I was sent, an aftermarket exhaust is visible, and mine is 100% factory. Happy days, it's better than I was prepared for!
You can see here where the front CV boot being split had flicked grease all over the cat on the 200+ mile drive home.
Of slightly more concern was the state of the tyres! They were a matching set of Bridgestone RE050s which was nice to see, but they were right down to the wear markers, and probably about to explode! This wasn't visible from when the car was on the ground, the outside had some minor cracking but absolutely nothing like this! They were rock hard and had a 2010 date code IIRC. No wonder it stepped out on me!
It obviously failed because of the tyres and CV boot, but it was good to see that there were no other real issues! The only other thing I can recall was that it had no horn (WTF?) and the windscreen washers didn't work. I bought a generic horn from Halfords for about £7, ordered a washer pump and a set of Advan AD08RSs. I let the MOT place do the CV joint and retest it
Once it was MOT'd I obviously didn't drive it around until the V5 arrived....
That about rounds up the process of finding, buying, importing and registering it, the next update bringing things up to present day will probably come over the Christmas break, unless I get a sudden burst of motivation/spare day with nothing to do. This was only supposed to fill a couple of hours of a lazy Sunday morning, but I started at 8am and it's currently knocking on the door of 4pm
Before I hit Submit, I'll just explain exactly what this car is!
It's full name is:
Subaru Impreza WRX type R STI Version V Limited
To decode that:
We all know what a Subaru Impreza is.
WRX = 2.0 turbo boxer engine and AWD
type R = 2dr Coupe shell. Same wheelbase as the 4dr Sedan. Other models were also available as a 2dr, but all turbo Coupes were type R, except the 22B and UK-based P1. Being a type R it also gets a close ratio transmission not seen in the regular STI, and DCCD.
STI = STI parts all over the car, including the 280bhp EJ207 engine.
Version V = this is the revision level of the car, basically model year updates, so this is the 5th version of the GC8 generation
Limited = this just means it's painted in 74F Sonic Blue and has the ultra-cool roof flap. They were limited by time on sale rather than units produced. By the time it was replaced by the Version VI Limited, 635 Version V Limiteds had been produced.
The type RA was also available as a Limited. The only JDM Imprezas available in Sonic Blue were the various Limited versions, and the mighty 22B. Regular Version V typeRs were only available in white, black, silver or gunmetal, although they are mechanically identical.
Spec wise it's pretty advanced for a relatively cheaply built 1999 car! It has DCCD (Driver Controlled Centre Diff) which has a bunch of settings between 35:65 front:rear and locked 50:50. Intercooler water spray, rear LSD, carbon strut brace and so on. It's pretty surprising to learn that these were sold new at ¥3,009,000, which is the equivalent to £18,200! (Which is less than what it cost at auction last year )
The V before Limited in the title does NOT mean it's a V-Limited, this name was only used on the older GC8s. It's simply the number 5 in Roman numerals and relates to it being a Version 5.
A few scans from the brochure and more info available here:
https://www.type-ra.com/impreza-my99-sti-type-r-v5...
I really think this version is the sweet spot for me! The 2dr body, Sonic Blue paint and late spec with big wing etc are very reminiscent of the 99/00 WR cars I was so obsessed with as a kid! The P1 is similar, but doesn't have DCCD, has the standard STI transmission rather than the short ratios of the type R and I'm really not a fan of the P1 spoiler/splitter and overall UK-ification (no cool decals etc). Also the Version V and VI Limited were the only Coupes to come with the roof flap! (except, weirdly, the Version IV WRX non-STI type R?!)
The type R only became available with Version III onwards. Version III has the old pre-facelift dash which is pretty nasty (although it was used in the WR cars all the way up to 2000!)
Version IV is one I'd consider, it has the mid level wing (which I actually really like!) and facelift dash. Unfortunately these don't have a roof vent for some reason (even on the Limited). The 22Bs were based on Version IV (look at the headlights on an original 22B, they're not the later crystal types unless it's one of the 16 sold new in the UK)
Version VI is awesome, has a front splitter and slightly more aggressive spoiler, along with blue seats and the numbered plaque. Downsides are the wheels (shown in the auction photos of the one I didn't buy) and blue dash. And the fact they're massively expensive due to being the last GC8s!
Version V Limited does have a couple of drawbacks though:
No blue seats (most of the later Limited versions did)
No numbered plaque (as above)
Overall I'm over the moon with it, it's my dream car and it's every bit as good as 5 year old me hoped it would be! It's fking rapid, handles fantastically (although can be a bit spicy in the wet) and it looks gorgeous.
I've done 10,000km in it now, loved every minute, although it's now needing a clutch, and a cambelt wouldn't be a bad idea....
Plenty more to come when I have another spare day
I've got a lot to say about it, so this initial post probably won't tell much of the story.
I've always been into my Japanese stuff from a very early age - I've had Hondas since I was 17 and been obsessed with cars from that late 80s - 2000ish Golden Era since long before that!
When I was about 5 (1999ish) I got a Clarkson VHS for Christmas which featured him hammering an Evo VI and Impreza 22B around an airfield, this seemed to awaken something in me and I spent my whole childhood absolutely Subaru-obsessed. Then started following the WRC - Richard Burns was my absolute hero! That 2dr WR car was just the coolest thing my impressionable eyes had ever seen.
I remember seeing that 1/18 AutoArt 22B in the model shop in the local market, I can still remember the price (£38.50) and begging my parents for weeks to get it. Eventually I got it for either Christmas or my birthday. It went everywhere with me, I've still got it in my parent's attic but it's worse for wear, getting left in my parents' car in summer the door mirrors melted off, and it just generally got bashed around a bit, despite the fact I absolutely cherished it. Unfortunately they're absolutely massive money now, as I'd quite like a mint one!
Any time we saw one out in the wild we'd have to stop for photos
back around 2000 they weren't a very rare sight so I had loads to look at! I seem to remember this was on the way to a holiday in France in a services, and I'm sure it was owned by a police officer. As you can see, I took the AutoArt 22B on holiday I remember being gutted when the Bugeye was released as it didn't look anywhere near as good as the classic GC8 generation. Funnily enough I quite like them now! I've got a copy of this photo somewhere signed by Clarkson, my Dad took it into work knowing JC was having a tour and got him to sign it!
This obsession grew to encompass a lot more of the Japanese side of the car industry of that time, Gran Turismo has a LOT to answer for in that regard! At 17 I wanted whatever would be the coolest Japanese car I could (vaguely) afford to buy and insure, which turned out to be a 1.4 EK Civic. Fast forward 10 years and I've had (and still have some) loads of Hondas (EG6 VTi, DC2 Type-R, Preludes, many Accord Type-Rs, Aerodeck VTi-S).
Threads for some of the Hondas here:
Accord Type R https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Aerodeck VTi-S https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Some time around 2015 I decided R32 GTRs were never gonna get any cheaper (good ones started at around £6k) and I should probably do something about it! Unfortunately I was too keen to spend money on Hondas, s
t food and beer, so it never happened and values absolutely skyrocketed. Still being a big Subaru fan I toyed with the idea of importing something like a Legacy GTB.Fast forward to 2020, we all know what happened that year! One positive is that it gave me the opportunity to save a decent chunk of cash (which would've easily got me a real nice, low mileage R32 a few years prior...) In early 2021 I decided that if I don't import something fairly soon I'll never do it (values of all the 90s hero cars were getting absolutely obscene). I watched a Youtube series on a guy importing, registering and tidying up an Evo VI, which made me quite fancy the idea and I started looking at potentially getting one myself. I decided if I was going to do it, I'd really like either a white TME or Dandelion Yellow Evo V.
It was at this point I started speaking to importers and after a very long phonecall with Baz at BHP Imports I sent them the deposit required for them to start scouring the auctions for anything that fitted the bill.
After a few weeks of nothing coming up at auction in the right spec and within my price range, Baz sent me the details of an Impreza he thought I might like. I'd initially been looking for an Evo and I'm not really sure why given my undying love for Imprezas. I think the aformentioned Youtube series on the Evo had quite a bit to answer for (Project Fearn if anyone's interested - a good watch!).
I've always said that if I was to own an Impreza, it'd have to be an early spec 4dr typeRA in white or 53C blue, or a late spec 2dr typeR, preferably in Sonic Blue (aka a poor man's 22B!)
I think the early RAs just look so good and uncluttered, also they can be made to look very much like the 1995/6 McRae era WR cars with minimal mods, as Group A regs at the time meant bodywork wise they really were close to showrom models.
I'm not personally the biggest fan of the later GC8 4drs, I don't think the 4dr shape lends itself too well to the massive Version V/VI spoilers, hence if it was a 4dr it'd have to be an early one like above.
Anyway, the one Baz sent me was a 2dr in 74F Sonic Blue! Very interested, I got him to send someone to inspect it pre-auction. It was a Version IV typeR, so had the facelift interior, mid facelift front end, and the big Version V wing (it should've had the mid-level wing like most of the UK Turbos came with). Either way I was very interested, another reason I think I was looking at Evos is I thought I may be able to afford the 'ultimate' Evo (TME) but the 'ultimate' Impreza for me (a blue typeR, as obviously I can't consider a 22B) was out of reach.
When the inspection came back, it was pretty disappointing, in Baz's words it had been "painted with a dead cat". He wasn't really exaggerating, there were runs all over it, and stuff like door latches had been painted rather than them taking the time to remove the two screws that hold it in :eyeroll:
Obviously we left that one, but interestingly it turned up for sale in America, I hope someone didn't pay crazy money for it.
Despite that one being a bit of a shed, it did open my mind to the possibility that I might be able to scrape together enough cash for my ultimate dream car - a blue Impreza typeR!
A few weeks later, another one came up at auction:
This one is a Version V.
As you can (maybe) see from the auction sheet, it has a few KM on it (225k) and is a grade R, meaning it's had some sort of repair work done at some point in it's life. This isn't necessarily a deal breaker, in the same way that a Cat N in England can be a much nicer car than an undamaged one.
Got it inspected:
Paint looked shiny, and it had some nice upgrades such as 22B bonnet vents and Version VI rear spoiler (the extra little step in the top blade is what separates it from a Version V spoiler) along with a Version VI front lip. It also has the forged Rays wheels from a Version VI Limited, another bonus in my eyes (I don't actually like them, and much prefer the correct Version V wheels, but they're very sellable and would pay for a set of the correct wheels and probably a set of tyres)
One negative is that it had clearly been painted, as the paint looked pretty clean and it was missing the awesome WRX Tuned by STI decals on the bootlid and rear quarters.
Inner arches look great
While you'd still call this pretty clean for a 1999 car, cars in Japan of this age can really be like new depending on where they've been used, so this put me off a little
Then we got a CarVX report done (if you're importing a car, or even looking at buying an import that's already in the UK, PLEASE PLEASE do this! It's just over £20 iirc but gives you a very good idea of the car's life). Ultimately the CarVX stopped me from buying this one.
It showed that it had been damaged at least once (see all the collision reports) and used in Fukushima! I was still umming and ahhing at this point, until I scrolled down and saw some photos from when it had gone through an auction in 2017:
Noped out at this point! There was no evidence of that arch repair on the inspection photos, so it's anyone's guess as to whether it had been done nicely or just wobbed full of filler. Until I saw this I was still kinda thinking of buying it as it was still a blue 2dr with the all-important roof vent, but due to all the issues I had felt a bit uneasy about it, so I was actually glad to see that as it made it an easy decision to carry on looking!
It sold for very strong money too I seem to remember.
Anyway, exactly a week later, another one came up at another auction house (MIRIVE Aichi)
This looks promising!
Appears to be totally original, standard wheels, standard backbox, WRX decals still present!
Factory option Lamco gauge pod in place of the upper storage box, and Lamco column mounted boost gauge
Grade 3.5 which is realistically the best grade I'd be able to afford. Grade 4 on a car of this age tends to mean fairly exceptional condition, and grade 5 is basically a concours, showroom example and virtually never given to cars more than a couple of years old.
This auction house was a bit out of the way so it was hard to get anyone to inspect it before it actually went across the block.
We did a CarVX check which revealed.....absolutely nothing! There was no record of anything, at all, other than the fact that the VIN existed and was assigned to an Impreza WRX typeR STI Version V Limited, which is what this appeared to be. No record of any accidents, no record of being used in the Fukushima region, and not even any previous auction photos. This suggests it's a one owner car, unless it changed hands privately (which I don't think can easily happen legally in Japan) or changed hands before everything went computerised. Either way, it was good news!
Feeling like this was the one, I waited up all night to see if we'd win it. Due to some communication errors, BHP didn't end up bidding on it (we hadn't had an inspection back but I was fairly happy to go for it based on its supposed originality and completely clean CarVX). It went under budget so I was really gutted. Baz suggested that it was likely to reappear at another auction the next week due to it selling for a good price, with the theory being that it had been bought by someone looking to flip it over the weekend for a quick profit.
Keeping an eye on the auction listings for the following week, I spotted this familiar looking thing scheduled to be auctioned on the 22nd of June at another auction (this time at CAA Gifu)
Clearly the same car, and Baz had been right in his assumption!
Again Grade 3.5, which was reassuring (there is a bit of a scandal about some auction house staff being bribed into giving cars higher grades than they should). 2 different houses calling it a 3.5 seemed a good sign. It had only gained 2km between the two auctions so had clearly been put straight onto a truck and sent straight to the Gifu auction.
Here's a key from BHP's site to help understand the auction sheet:
A1 Small Scratch
A2 Scratch
A3 Big Scratch
E1 Few Dimples
E2 Several Dimples
E3 Many Dimples
U1 Small Dent
U2 Dent
U3 Big Dent
W1 Repair Mark/Wave (hardly detectable)
W2 Repair Mark/Wave
W3 Obvious Repair Mark/Wave (needs to be repainted)
S1 Rust
S2 Heavy Rust
C1 Corrosion
C2 Heavy Corrosion
P Paint marked
H Paint faded
X Need to be replaced
XX Replaced
B1 Small dent with scratch (size like a thumb)
B2 Dent with scratch (size like flat of the hand)
B3 Big Dent with scratch (size like elbow)
Y1 Small Hole or Crack
Y2 Hole or Crack
Y3 Big Hole or Crack
X1 Small Crack on Windshield (approximately 1cm)
R Repaired Crack on Windshield
RX Repaired Crack on Windshield (needs to be replaced)
X Crack on Windshield (needs to be replaced)
G Stone chip in glass
Nothing too scary there, S and C are the ones I really didn't want to see!
Translation of the "inspector notes" section:
Again there are issues, but nothing too scary and again, no mention of rust or engine knocks! Auction inspectors are known for making a fuss about rust even if there's a bit forming on a wishbone or anti roll bar, such is the condition of most Japanese cars.
I knew that the paint was knackered on the roof and bonnet (it was visible in the photos the first time it went through the week before, after all) but that was fine as it just suggested originality. And I'd MUCH rather deal with issues caused by a hot climate, than issues caused by it being in the North of Japan where it snows a lot and salt may be used.
Tried to get it inspected but again it was at a smaller auction house and the inspectors that BHP usually use couldn't/wouldn't get to it, so could only get a written inspection. Based on what the inspector said, and the decent but honest looking auction sheets, and completely clean CarVX I decided to commit to it as long as it went under budget.
Went to bed and woke up to a text from Baz saying we'd won it! Obviously absolutely over the moon, but a little worried as the only photos I'd ever seen of it are the ones posted above, and I knew it had issues. I'd also never seen a photo of the underside!
A few days later I was at work and recieved a flurry of messages from Baz; BHP had picked it up from the auction and taken it to their facility in Japan to prepare it for shipping. This was the first time I'd get to see proper photos of it and get a real feel for the condition of it.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/nwTVdfXG[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/hpPEJPNw[/url]Love that all-important WRX decal, as 90s as it gets!
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/MXfQEZxG[/url]No warning lights, nice!
Top glovebox unfortunately cracked from UV exposure
Steering wheel and seats also showing signs of being very sunburnt!
The roof and bonnet paint damage were obvious from all the auction photos, but the mirrors and spoiler less so, but they were mentioned on the auction sheet so I was expecting it. As I said earlier, it's a blessing and a curse, the fact that it's been somewhere so hot means that it hasn't been exposed to salt or lots of moisture, and I'd much rather see tired original paint than a crap respray with runs, poor masking and no original decals etc. Also I want to use the bloody thing! So if it was showroom and never been painted I'd probably be too scared.
I also got some photos of the underside:
I was a bit disappointed to see this, it's fairly clean but does have some rust starting on the ARB and subframe, which neither of the auction houses or independent inspections picked up on. More on that later (all is not what it seems
)So began the wait for it to arrive! There was around a month between winning it at auction, and getting a slot on a boat. Eventually it was loaded onto the Hoegh St. Petersburg on the 20th of July.
A couple of excruciatingly long months later, it was unloaded in Newcastle and taken to BHP's HQ.
First photo of it in the UK:
The warning flare was seized before it was allowed out of the port under the Terrorism Act
I was actually okay with that as I didn't want it in the car in case something went wrong with it while I wasn't there, but had no idea how to get rid of it!
I'd arranged to buy on the understanding that it was effectively a trade sale, BHP would get it to their HQ in Newcastle and then I was on my own. This was because I was really scraping the barrel in order to afford a blue 2dr so didn't want the expense of any extra prep, also I'd been looking forward to the experience of importing something forever, you can go to a dealership any time and just collect a car, I wanted the raw experience of MOTing and registering it myself etc, as I may import something else in the future but it probably won't mean as much to me as this car. Also I was pretty bloody eager to go and see it
My then-girlfriend and I were setting off to Lanzarote a few days after it landed, I really wanted to get it picked up before we went. So after being told it was fundamentally sound, (it needed a CV boot and the tyres were borderline) I booked it in for an MOT and we set off to collect it! I insured it off the VIN. It's legal to drive an unregistered, untaxed car to a pre-arranged MOT, and the law says nothing about how far away that MOT can be (I'm in Cheshire for reference)
On arrival at BHP (who opened on a Sunday for me as I really wanted to get it before we went to Lanzarote) First time I ever got to cast my eyes on it in person:
Those graphics are so bloody cool!
Drove it out and ran it up the road a couple of times:
Quick few photos and then we were on our way!
Obviously then we headed straight back to the MOT station in Cheshire
What we DID NOT DO was take it straight to Sunderland Air Museum to grab some photos with XL319 (one of the few Vulcans I've not had a look round, would've been rude not to while we were in the area!)
Helpfully Andy at BHP had scribbled the VIN onto the front and rear plate brackets
Finally it was time to head home for real:
First impressions were great! I've never owned a turbo petrol car before and this is quite a place to start! Huge power, short gears, and quick steering were the standout features. It did s
t me up coming off the first roundabout as it flicked sideways more than I expected, especially as it was warm and dry! Issues: lots of play in the shifter, and it would sometimes cut out when returning to idle.It was dark by the time we got home, which gave me a good chance to see how bloody cool the dash looks all lit up!
Next day, it went in for it's first ever MOT:
I'd at last get to see what I was working with condition wise, and see if that rust had spread from the subframes to the shell itself...
WTF?! IT'S f
kING MINT?! Turns out there had been an error somewhere along the communication trail (BHP did import quite a few GC8s last year so it's understandable) and the underbody photos I'd been sent were clearly of a different car. On closer inspection, in the photos I was sent, an aftermarket exhaust is visible, and mine is 100% factory. Happy days, it's better than I was prepared for!You can see here where the front CV boot being split had flicked grease all over the cat on the 200+ mile drive home.
Of slightly more concern was the state of the tyres! They were a matching set of Bridgestone RE050s which was nice to see, but they were right down to the wear markers, and probably about to explode! This wasn't visible from when the car was on the ground, the outside had some minor cracking but absolutely nothing like this! They were rock hard and had a 2010 date code IIRC. No wonder it stepped out on me!
It obviously failed because of the tyres and CV boot, but it was good to see that there were no other real issues! The only other thing I can recall was that it had no horn (WTF?) and the windscreen washers didn't work. I bought a generic horn from Halfords for about £7, ordered a washer pump and a set of Advan AD08RSs. I let the MOT place do the CV joint and retest it
Once it was MOT'd I obviously didn't drive it around until the V5 arrived....
That about rounds up the process of finding, buying, importing and registering it, the next update bringing things up to present day will probably come over the Christmas break, unless I get a sudden burst of motivation/spare day with nothing to do. This was only supposed to fill a couple of hours of a lazy Sunday morning, but I started at 8am and it's currently knocking on the door of 4pm
Before I hit Submit, I'll just explain exactly what this car is!
It's full name is:
Subaru Impreza WRX type R STI Version V Limited
To decode that:
We all know what a Subaru Impreza is.
WRX = 2.0 turbo boxer engine and AWD
type R = 2dr Coupe shell. Same wheelbase as the 4dr Sedan. Other models were also available as a 2dr, but all turbo Coupes were type R, except the 22B and UK-based P1. Being a type R it also gets a close ratio transmission not seen in the regular STI, and DCCD.
STI = STI parts all over the car, including the 280bhp EJ207 engine.
Version V = this is the revision level of the car, basically model year updates, so this is the 5th version of the GC8 generation
Limited = this just means it's painted in 74F Sonic Blue and has the ultra-cool roof flap. They were limited by time on sale rather than units produced. By the time it was replaced by the Version VI Limited, 635 Version V Limiteds had been produced.
The type RA was also available as a Limited. The only JDM Imprezas available in Sonic Blue were the various Limited versions, and the mighty 22B. Regular Version V typeRs were only available in white, black, silver or gunmetal, although they are mechanically identical.
Spec wise it's pretty advanced for a relatively cheaply built 1999 car! It has DCCD (Driver Controlled Centre Diff) which has a bunch of settings between 35:65 front:rear and locked 50:50. Intercooler water spray, rear LSD, carbon strut brace and so on. It's pretty surprising to learn that these were sold new at ¥3,009,000, which is the equivalent to £18,200! (Which is less than what it cost at auction last year
)The V before Limited in the title does NOT mean it's a V-Limited, this name was only used on the older GC8s. It's simply the number 5 in Roman numerals and relates to it being a Version 5.
A few scans from the brochure and more info available here:
https://www.type-ra.com/impreza-my99-sti-type-r-v5...
I really think this version is the sweet spot for me! The 2dr body, Sonic Blue paint and late spec with big wing etc are very reminiscent of the 99/00 WR cars I was so obsessed with as a kid! The P1 is similar, but doesn't have DCCD, has the standard STI transmission rather than the short ratios of the type R and I'm really not a fan of the P1 spoiler/splitter and overall UK-ification (no cool decals etc). Also the Version V and VI Limited were the only Coupes to come with the roof flap! (except, weirdly, the Version IV WRX non-STI type R?!)
The type R only became available with Version III onwards. Version III has the old pre-facelift dash which is pretty nasty (although it was used in the WR cars all the way up to 2000!)
Version IV is one I'd consider, it has the mid level wing (which I actually really like!) and facelift dash. Unfortunately these don't have a roof vent for some reason (even on the Limited). The 22Bs were based on Version IV (look at the headlights on an original 22B, they're not the later crystal types unless it's one of the 16 sold new in the UK)
Version VI is awesome, has a front splitter and slightly more aggressive spoiler, along with blue seats and the numbered plaque. Downsides are the wheels (shown in the auction photos of the one I didn't buy) and blue dash. And the fact they're massively expensive due to being the last GC8s!
Version V Limited does have a couple of drawbacks though:
No blue seats (most of the later Limited versions did)
No numbered plaque (as above)
Overall I'm over the moon with it, it's my dream car and it's every bit as good as 5 year old me hoped it would be! It's f
king rapid, handles fantastically (although can be a bit spicy in the wet) and it looks gorgeous.I've done 10,000km in it now, loved every minute, although it's now needing a clutch, and a cambelt wouldn't be a bad idea....
Plenty more to come when I have another spare day
Edited by Jaaack on Sunday 4th December 17:13
Great write up , brilliant car. Fast Imprezas were criminally undervalued for years here but now they are rightfully being cherished. I’ve come close to pulling the trigger on one many a time, one day. They are quite good to work on too, though parts and finding a local specialist can be a pain.
Great write up. I enjoyed reading your journey. Ace that you’ve got the car you wanted as a kid and it’s not disappointed you.
I remember driving a friends Sonic Blue P1 back in the day (1999 or 2000) it was silly quick and rattled and shook my spine to bits. What an entertaining car, though!
The only Subaru I’ve ever been in.
I remember driving a friends Sonic Blue P1 back in the day (1999 or 2000) it was silly quick and rattled and shook my spine to bits. What an entertaining car, though!
The only Subaru I’ve ever been in.
loftylad said:
Great write up. I enjoyed reading your journey. Ace that you’ve got the car you wanted as a kid and it’s not disappointed you.
+1Looking forward to your updates, unfortunately I have never had a jap 4x4 turbo. Would love to try something but can’t really see it happening niw
Good write-up.
I had a lot of the same experience with my 180SX in 2007, picking it up from the port and driving it 'to an MoT', first turbo car, and incredibly rock-hard sun-baked tyres.
Seems like you've got a good car to start out with. I tend to agree with the point of view that these, and many 90s Japanese cars, were incredibly well engineered and have been undervalued for a long time, and are now being appreciated for how good they always were.
BTW my understanding is the AD08RS is an EU-spec version of the AD08R to comply with rolling resistance regs, and needs a lot of warming up to get it to really grip. Unsure what you're finding though.
loftylad said:
Great write up. I enjoyed reading your journey. Ace that you’ve got the car you wanted as a kid and it’s not disappointed you.
I remember driving a friends Sonic Blue P1 back in the day (1999 or 2000) it was silly quick and rattled and shook my spine to bits. What an entertaining car, though!
The only Subaru I’ve ever been in.
Had he modded the P1? It definitely shouldn’t have been crumbling your spine. The P1 was built to be softer and more compliant than contemporary Jap models and rivals specially so it could deal with UK B roads. Mine is still on standard shocks n springs and has never felt hard or harsh. Can get a surprising amount of lean on in corners.I remember driving a friends Sonic Blue P1 back in the day (1999 or 2000) it was silly quick and rattled and shook my spine to bits. What an entertaining car, though!
The only Subaru I’ve ever been in.
Regards AD08RS chat, I’m pretty sure it is a worldwide replacement for the R. I bought a set after seeing a test by one of the old best Motoring guys at Tsukuba in Japan.
I haven’t got on with them on my Impreza. The sidewalls are stiffer than normal sports tyres so wear nicely but way less grip, at Castle Combe I lost about 2 seconds a lap on them compared to very used Michelin Pilot SS I had on previously.
There might be something in it though about getting them really hot. I did a day on them at Cadwell. It was hot but I was still getting no bite out of them, towards the end of the day I’d got to the point of oh sod it just drive like a dick to wear them out so was winding on too much lock and properly understeering into corners, weirdly it felt like this was actually getting me through corners quicker but have no data to be sure. Felt bad doing it to the car though. Apparently it is a kind of known technique I’d stumbled onto and was used to good effect by Alonso in F1 years back but I don’t think I will be repeating it in my own car again.
Nice car and backstory OP
I’m another Subaru die hard thanks to my older brother having them from when I was about 10 and all my first experiences of fast were with him in them. I have that Clarkson VHS too RB Will said:
Had he modded the P1? It definitely shouldn’t have been crumbling your spine. The P1 was built to be softer and more compliant than contemporary Jap models and rivals specially so it could deal with UK B roads. Mine is still on standard shocks n springs and has never felt hard or harsh.
I’ve no idea if it was modded or not. It was over 20 years ago and I was driving a Lexus IS200 at the time. I just remember that the P1 felt like a stripped out race car compared to my luxury sofa on wheels. Lol.Great write up & looks to be a superb project
Good mentioned re the CarVX report too; got mine through this morning for my E39 540i Sport and all clear as to be expected; grade 4B too which is superb
Seen that it was exported with one set of alloys though and then sold with a different set of less value
Good mentioned re the CarVX report too; got mine through this morning for my E39 540i Sport and all clear as to be expected; grade 4B too which is superb
Seen that it was exported with one set of alloys though and then sold with a different set of less value
I bought one of these in 2000 and still have it, but it's not done much in 10 years. It came into the UK as new and I was the second owner. It still only has 39k on it.
The plan is to put it all back to standard, sell the tuning parts, and see what happens to values.
Over the past 10 years, I've also stock piled various 2dr unique parts inc doors, seat belts, etc... as well as the rarer STI parts like VF28 turbos, option BBS wheels etc.. as well as some unique P1 parts.
I also have a 1998 UK Turbo saloon in silver that's 100% standard, not even air con. It was my late father's so that's not going anywhere either.
They really are special little cars and as cars get heavier still and electric, their appeal will only increase.
Yours looks like a great basis for a fine example. Good luck but watch out for the JDM brake bias, damper tune & try to run it n super unleaded.
The plan is to put it all back to standard, sell the tuning parts, and see what happens to values.
Over the past 10 years, I've also stock piled various 2dr unique parts inc doors, seat belts, etc... as well as the rarer STI parts like VF28 turbos, option BBS wheels etc.. as well as some unique P1 parts.
I also have a 1998 UK Turbo saloon in silver that's 100% standard, not even air con. It was my late father's so that's not going anywhere either.
They really are special little cars and as cars get heavier still and electric, their appeal will only increase.
Yours looks like a great basis for a fine example. Good luck but watch out for the JDM brake bias, damper tune & try to run it n super unleaded.
Wonderful write-up, and very much mirroring my obsession with Imprezas (including the Clarkson video and Gran Turismo). I can't quite articulate why, but the contemporary Evos never stirred my soul in the same way. A friend had a v5 running ~400bhp many years ago when a group of my friends were all modifying Jap cars. While my modified 200sx wasn't miles behind from a rolling start, the way it launched with a paddle clutch will stay with me for a long time.
I've had the opportunity to buy one on a few occasions, but didn't get around to it for various reasons. I fear they have now gone beyond what I'd consider worth paying for my dream Impreza (a v4 - that spoiler!), which is a bit of a shame.
It's a very special car. I hope you get lots of pleasure from it.
I've had the opportunity to buy one on a few occasions, but didn't get around to it for various reasons. I fear they have now gone beyond what I'd consider worth paying for my dream Impreza (a v4 - that spoiler!), which is a bit of a shame.
It's a very special car. I hope you get lots of pleasure from it.
Good to see it's gone to such a huge fan and enthusiast.
Thanks for sharing such a detailed write-up. I enjoyed the nerdery, even if it's not quite my cup of tea (whilst it clearly is yours!).
Looking forward to some more updates - hopefully you can tidy it up a bit and get the seats repaired
Thanks for sharing such a detailed write-up. I enjoyed the nerdery, even if it's not quite my cup of tea (whilst it clearly is yours!).
Looking forward to some more updates - hopefully you can tidy it up a bit and get the seats repaired
Brilliant, what a fantastic read! Great to read through the full buying experience of an import from start to finish, BHP sound like a great outfit to deal with.
I've only ever been in one Subaru Impreza and loved it, it had a very short ratio gearbox so was excellent fun on the B roads.
Given the old man was there at the beginning of your obsession, what are his thoughts on your current chariot?!
I've only ever been in one Subaru Impreza and loved it, it had a very short ratio gearbox so was excellent fun on the B roads.
Given the old man was there at the beginning of your obsession, what are his thoughts on your current chariot?!
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