The £500 Subaru Impreza Turbo - Bangernomics?
Discussion
OK - This is an edit as what started as a Subaru Impreza Turbo for £500 has become a bangernomics journey (I say journey but actually mean short trip, hopefully it will become a journey in time as more cars come & go!)...
Hello to anyone interested.
Recently I returned to my office from a secondment... After 5 years of 30-40K miles a year, I am back on the train and needed a hack to get me the 1.5 miles to the station & back each day. The diesel Saab had to go, not the right tool for the job, and a replacement that was big enough to fit some kit, fun & disposable was sought!
Anyway, I picked up a 1996 Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000 (UK Spec) for £500. Spec as follows;
It has 6 months MOT and tax.
A fair bit of service history
No rust to speak of (just a bumper clip rusted off - but not visible)
Lacquer peel (size of a hand) on the front bumper
17" Prodrive Alloys
Oval Magnex Exhaust
129K Miles
Full Leather Interior
Noisy Gearbox
Bit of a misfire when warm (hesitates & Engine light comes on sporadically - but not on the daily trip and by not noticable when cruising!)
And it looks like this;
Now - I am in a bit of a quandry as this car looks well - yes, it has some issues but...
It was my intention to run it for 6 months, try to re-MOT, then flog it on but I am getting urges to try & get it running right - (i.e I think the engine problem is an Air flow meter issue - plus maybe a new set of plugs/leads)...
On the other hand, it is a ticking time bomb and I dont want to sink cash into it at risk of it going bang!
I have had one of these before & it was just not interesting enough but I have had a few years of 'sensible' motoring (co-inciding with us having a baby - although the, now 3 year old, loves how loud the subaru is!) and I think the lack of a fun drive for the last few years has made this seem like a lot of fun!
Maybe I should just run it for 6 months (if it lasts that long) or maybe...
Cheers
Oscar
Hello to anyone interested.
Recently I returned to my office from a secondment... After 5 years of 30-40K miles a year, I am back on the train and needed a hack to get me the 1.5 miles to the station & back each day. The diesel Saab had to go, not the right tool for the job, and a replacement that was big enough to fit some kit, fun & disposable was sought!
Anyway, I picked up a 1996 Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000 (UK Spec) for £500. Spec as follows;
It has 6 months MOT and tax.
A fair bit of service history
No rust to speak of (just a bumper clip rusted off - but not visible)
Lacquer peel (size of a hand) on the front bumper
17" Prodrive Alloys
Oval Magnex Exhaust
129K Miles
Full Leather Interior
Noisy Gearbox
Bit of a misfire when warm (hesitates & Engine light comes on sporadically - but not on the daily trip and by not noticable when cruising!)
And it looks like this;
Now - I am in a bit of a quandry as this car looks well - yes, it has some issues but...
It was my intention to run it for 6 months, try to re-MOT, then flog it on but I am getting urges to try & get it running right - (i.e I think the engine problem is an Air flow meter issue - plus maybe a new set of plugs/leads)...
On the other hand, it is a ticking time bomb and I dont want to sink cash into it at risk of it going bang!
I have had one of these before & it was just not interesting enough but I have had a few years of 'sensible' motoring (co-inciding with us having a baby - although the, now 3 year old, loves how loud the subaru is!) and I think the lack of a fun drive for the last few years has made this seem like a lot of fun!
Maybe I should just run it for 6 months (if it lasts that long) or maybe...
Cheers
Oscar
Edited by MidlandMotorPur on Tuesday 9th August 19:41
Looks like a bargain to me, you can read the codes stored by connecting a couple of wires under the dash and counting the flashes.
I`d get it fixed if i were you as i doubt its an expensive process.
When its m.o.t`d I am sure you will get £1000 for it and it shouldn`t cost £500 to sort.
I`d get it fixed if i were you as i doubt its an expensive process.
When its m.o.t`d I am sure you will get £1000 for it and it shouldn`t cost £500 to sort.
I know what you mean re the bike! I have thought about it but the route is 300yards to the main B road (60 mph, no pavements, no bike lane and lots of accidents), a mile down there and 300 yards through a village to the station! In full business attire, plus laptop (and no shower at work), it just seems a pita!
The chap who sold it has been offered £500 from a scrappy but thought it was too good to scrap... I agree...
I may just try & sort the engine issues then!
As an aside, I did 100 miles in it today and it was absolutely fine on the M-way at a constant 70...
Oscar
The chap who sold it has been offered £500 from a scrappy but thought it was too good to scrap... I agree...
I may just try & sort the engine issues then!
As an aside, I did 100 miles in it today and it was absolutely fine on the M-way at a constant 70...
Oscar
mybrainhurts said:
Do you know how brittle those engines are..?
Plenty around with over 120k miles on the clock, and in the 18 months i have had my RB5 i have had not a single thing go wrong.
In fact of all the people i know that have had an impreza not one has had any sort of engine problems.
What causes them problems is lack of oil services and low grade fuel from what I have read.
Magpie, thing is, my old man is a 2nd hand dealer and, due to the chap being very honest about the issues (and the fact that the oly offer he had had was from a scrappy), it took him a week to agree to buy it (only after I said that I would have it!)... So, I just happen to be the benefector of him getting offered the car at no money...
Its only had 3 owners, the previous for the last 5 years (was bought for £4750K back in 2006 with 103K on the clock)... The previous sales invoice in the history is for £14,700 back in 1998!
Mind you, as previously stated, it could be a very short lived affair..
Its only had 3 owners, the previous for the last 5 years (was bought for £4750K back in 2006 with 103K on the clock)... The previous sales invoice in the history is for £14,700 back in 1998!
Mind you, as previously stated, it could be a very short lived affair..
What a buy for £500!! Run it into the ground or, as I and probably a few others on here would, get her running properly and keep it for a couple of years! And re: the engine being fragile I don't think you need to be worried as long as you oil and filter once in a while - a friend of mine was tracking his and his 14 year old son missed a gear and buzzed it twice, going round to 8.5k rpm - still runs absolutely fine!
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