What to look for when buying a scooby
- Thread starter Phate
- Start date
aquous said:Heck, I've been driving 8 years now and I still don't feel comfortable getting in my mate's Scooby or my bosses M3 when given the chance (though I am kind of a wuss when it comes to fast cars)
Don't worry, you can own an Impreza and still drive like a wuss
aquous, sound advice, not that it's even being considered though. phate, take a step back, calm down and see that we are infact talking sense. Maybe get an Impreza in a few years time when you have a few more ncb under your belt.
I would love a decent car but it just cannot be sensibly done at our age.
I would love a decent car but it just cannot be sensibly done at our age.
Phate said:
How much do decent UK Turbo's go for... Edd?
Surely £5k will get you one that's been ragged to ****?
There's plenty of time for crazy Turbo jap motors later in life. Why not start off with something cheap to run/maintain yet still has a fair bit of performance... A Rover 220 or Mondeo 2.0 are great cars for the money.
I do read threads, thank you very much, hence the advice given taking into account your current situation. Like I said earlier, your life, your money .. you're free to do whatever you want with it.Phate said:
Though common sense would say first save up for the car, and then start looking rather than the other way round. 5-6 months is a long time tbh, and most people would probably change their minds by then.
EDIT : Anyway, don't really want to get into an arguement, so best of luck with whatever you decide
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
agw_01 said:
Unfortunately prices have dropped a lot, whilst it might not be the greatest example, £5k will get you a half decent 1998 or older car.
By next March you might be able to get a 1999 car, which if you can, is the one to go for. Widely seen as the best year, the ECU is better, it has the facelift interior and exterior etc. Definetly find a good standard one, that'll be hard enough to insure, let alone imports or modified examples! Most, if not all, have been driven hard, its just the kind of car it is. Best you can do is look for one thats been looked after well. They're strong cars as standard, and can cope with the hard driving well as long as its been kept to the service intervals and allowed to warm up before and cool down after a run.
Do be aware though, it'll cost you a fortune. I know others have said it all ready, but you can't put it across enough imo. They drink fuel and they need good care which costs. And although it may be AWD, it still bites, as I found out, I might not have got away with it with the extra speed of a turbo
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What is the "astra situation" people keep talking about?
andi said:Unfortunately prices have dropped a lot, whilst it might not be the greatest example, £5k will get you a half decent 1998 or older car.
By next March you might be able to get a 1999 car, which if you can, is the one to go for. Widely seen as the best year, the ECU is better, it has the facelift interior and exterior etc. Definetly find a good standard one, that'll be hard enough to insure, let alone imports or modified examples! Most, if not all, have been driven hard, its just the kind of car it is. Best you can do is look for one thats been looked after well. They're strong cars as standard, and can cope with the hard driving well as long as its been kept to the service intervals and allowed to warm up before and cool down after a run.
Do be aware though, it'll cost you a fortune. I know others have said it all ready, but you can't put it across enough imo. They drink fuel and they need good care which costs. And although it may be AWD, it still bites, as I found out, I might not have got away with it with the extra speed of a turbo
Thank You!
this is what I was looking for, the one i drove was a 1999 for £6k seemed to be in good condition 68k on the clock. Was very nice indeed. Also was completely standard apart from th exhaust, but thats mandatory imo 
SamuraiTortoise
SamuraiTortoise
Body: Tends to get bent by would-be rally drivers, so check carefully.
Engine/Gearbox: Check that any Turbo is original spec - inexpertly 'chipped' cars can give lots of problems.
Other: Damage to exhaust system; heavy tyre wear on 4x4 and accident repair work
Not much goes wrong with a Subaru. Turbo's may have been fried due to enthusiastic drivers...i.e. watch for ragged models, performance decline and strange noises. Commonly they will have stone chips but this will be purely cosmetic. Interiors tend to be on the cheap side. Sports seats can be worn badly, the sides/elbow of the seats can loose their support. Pedal rubbers wear as with any older car. Check for shiney steering wheels and gear nobs as this will indicate true milage a lot of the time. Basically allthe things you'd normally check on a second hand car. Obviously these cars tend to be ragged within inches of their life so finding a good older model can sometimes be a challenge.
Always check service book. Proper servicing is essential of these cars. Service intervals must be regular (circa every 15000miles). Avoid non-paperwork cars.
Engine/Gearbox: Check that any Turbo is original spec - inexpertly 'chipped' cars can give lots of problems.
Other: Damage to exhaust system; heavy tyre wear on 4x4 and accident repair work
Not much goes wrong with a Subaru. Turbo's may have been fried due to enthusiastic drivers...i.e. watch for ragged models, performance decline and strange noises. Commonly they will have stone chips but this will be purely cosmetic. Interiors tend to be on the cheap side. Sports seats can be worn badly, the sides/elbow of the seats can loose their support. Pedal rubbers wear as with any older car. Check for shiney steering wheels and gear nobs as this will indicate true milage a lot of the time. Basically allthe things you'd normally check on a second hand car. Obviously these cars tend to be ragged within inches of their life so finding a good older model can sometimes be a challenge.
Always check service book. Proper servicing is essential of these cars. Service intervals must be regular (circa every 15000miles). Avoid non-paperwork cars.