Worth repairing?

[AcidRich]

Hi, new to this forum so be nice please

I've acquired a 1998 STI Imprezza version 4 Import that needs firkling... Mrs doesn't need to know either

It runs and drives but needs cylinder heads doing and the rear arches are a bit scabby.

It's totally standard,90,000 miles, gearbox rebuild and bottom end rebuild a couple of years back, white with gold wheels and it's a 280bhp model if that helps


What I need is an opinion on whether or not it's worth repairing, valueish as is or finished

I'll sort a photo of it later.

Any help would be appreciated
Cheers Rich

[battered]

If you DIY, certainly worth it. Heads will be fun and games but not beyond the wit of man. Arches are sod-all, grind them out, cut out the grot, fill and repaint. If you do a quick and dirty you'll be repeating it after a year, if not it will last 2-3 years.

[Steve_W]

If you want to weld in new rear arches, the trick is to get hold of some good/new front wings and cut out and use the arch profile from them. Front N/S wing is used on rear O/S, and front O/S on rear N/S

Link to a bodyshop's Facebook album that shows a white Impreza that they did this to:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.59855344...

[battered]

That's a good one! Are they a perfect fit and match for shape, with no filler reprofiling required? Other than covering up the welds, obviously.

[AcidRich]

Thanks for the replies. I took it as a part payment on some money I was owed. I'm really trying to work out if it's going to cost me more to repair than it's worth? DIY is not an option.
I may keep it for a while if it makes financial sense or sell it as is.

Edited by AcidRich on Tuesday 9th August 14:54

[Steve_W]

battered said:

That's a good one! Are they a perfect fit and match for shape, with no filler reprofiling required? Other than covering up the welds, obviously.

Sorry, I've not had to do it to mine yet so anecdotal evidence from the internet only I'm afraid. The bodyshop I linked to have posted on ScoobyNet a few times and seem genuinely helpful; might be worth pinging them to ask?

[battered]

Steve_W said:

battered said:

That's a good one! Are they a perfect fit and match for shape, with no filler reprofiling required? Other than covering up the welds, obviously.

Sorry, I've not had to do it to mine yet so anecdotal evidence from the internet only I'm afraid. The bodyshop I linked to have posted on ScoobyNet a few times and seem genuinely helpful; might be worth pinging them to ask?

I don't actually own one so it's academic interest only but I love the notion of cchopping a rust free front arch off some old breaker and welding it into a rusty rear arch as a repair. The fact that left fits right and vice versa shows that someone really does spend too much time messing around with these things!

[TEKNOPUG]

battered said:

Steve_W said:

battered said:

That's a good one! Are they a perfect fit and match for shape, with no filler reprofiling required? Other than covering up the welds, obviously.

Sorry, I've not had to do it to mine yet so anecdotal evidence from the internet only I'm afraid. The bodyshop I linked to have posted on ScoobyNet a few times and seem genuinely helpful; might be worth pinging them to ask?

I don't actually own one so it's academic interest only but I love the notion of cchopping a rust free front arch off some old breaker and welding it into a rusty rear arch as a repair. The fact that left fits right and vice versa shows that someone really does spend too much time messing around with these things!

You can get complete repair arch panels for the classics. Sadly not for the Newage for some reason.