To buy or not to buy (Classic Impreza Turbo 2000 - Rust)
Discussion
Hi guys. I am just contemplating my first foray into Subaru ownership.
As luck would have it I have come across a local chap who is selling a 1998 Turbo 2000 with PPP, Prodrive Driver Enhancement Package and Exterior Enhancement package (although weirdly the paperwork shows he opted not to have the spoiler fitted in the end when he took delivery of the car) .He has owned it since new and it has 70,000 miles. Loads and loads of history, bulging paper file etc.
Having driven it, it drives really nicely and seems mechanically sound.
I reckon, with a bit of haggling, I could get it for around £2.5k.
So far, so fantastic.
The Bodywork
What can I say. The bodywork is not good. Above the windscreen is heavily corroded. The N/S/R wheel arch has significant bubbling. The spoiler and air intake look to need respraying and the there are various scuffs and scrapers on the side skirts and front lip. The paint work generally looks dull and faded.
I've attached some pictures below. The picture of the inside of the arch is of the NSR which has obvious bubbling on the outside.
My big concern is the rear arches and the roof corrosion. For those who have undertaken similar repairs in the past, how terminal does this look? Any guidance on rough cost for repairs?
Thanks in advance...
As luck would have it I have come across a local chap who is selling a 1998 Turbo 2000 with PPP, Prodrive Driver Enhancement Package and Exterior Enhancement package (although weirdly the paperwork shows he opted not to have the spoiler fitted in the end when he took delivery of the car) .He has owned it since new and it has 70,000 miles. Loads and loads of history, bulging paper file etc.
Having driven it, it drives really nicely and seems mechanically sound.
I reckon, with a bit of haggling, I could get it for around £2.5k.
So far, so fantastic.
The Bodywork
What can I say. The bodywork is not good. Above the windscreen is heavily corroded. The N/S/R wheel arch has significant bubbling. The spoiler and air intake look to need respraying and the there are various scuffs and scrapers on the side skirts and front lip. The paint work generally looks dull and faded.
I've attached some pictures below. The picture of the inside of the arch is of the NSR which has obvious bubbling on the outside.
My big concern is the rear arches and the roof corrosion. For those who have undertaken similar repairs in the past, how terminal does this look? Any guidance on rough cost for repairs?
Thanks in advance...
Edited by JimiGT on Saturday 15th September 17:28
Welshbeef said:
Evolved said:
Nope, it’ll be a money pit!
It’s £2.5k Long MOt
He will get a few years use out of it minimum
Very good mechanically
Go for it.
If your into getting it bodywork sorted take it to a body shop and let them sort it properly for you then years and years of fun ownership
It’s a classic scoob, it looks rusty as hell on the surface, guaranteed to be worse underneath as it’s Jap. £2.5k is still a good chunk of cash for a car that could be scrap in a year.
Pay your monies and take your chances on this one.
I'd ask on Scoobynet (https://www.scoobynet.com/) or similar if I was you, you'll probably get a more informed opinion, and also advice on what to look for that isn't so obvious.
But if that's just the visible rust, I'd really want to someone who knows Imprezas to take a good look underneath.
But if that's just the visible rust, I'd really want to someone who knows Imprezas to take a good look underneath.
2.5k is over the odds for a car with that amount of rust. Getting it done properly will cost about 2-3k when you factor in the replacement panels, labour for sorting out the roof and other stuff, and that's just what is visible.
So, if you "do it up" then you're looking at around 5k - 6k all in, you're in good condition blobeye or Hawkeye territory. Even for 2.5k there are a few classics on ebay, add another grand or so and you can get a blobeye with decent SH and farily well sorted.
So, if you "do it up" then you're looking at around 5k - 6k all in, you're in good condition blobeye or Hawkeye territory. Even for 2.5k there are a few classics on ebay, add another grand or so and you can get a blobeye with decent SH and farily well sorted.
texaxile said:
2.5k is over the odds for a car with that amount of rust. Getting it done properly will cost about 2-3k when you factor in the replacement panels, labour for sorting out the roof and other stuff, and that's just what is visible.
So, if you "do it up" then you're looking at around 5k - 6k all in, you're in good condition blobeye or Hawkeye territory. Even for 2.5k there are a few classics on ebay, add another grand or so and you can get a blobeye with decent SH and farily well sorted.
Seconded.So, if you "do it up" then you're looking at around 5k - 6k all in, you're in good condition blobeye or Hawkeye territory. Even for 2.5k there are a few classics on ebay, add another grand or so and you can get a blobeye with decent SH and farily well sorted.
Run away and then run some more. UK classics showing any kind of exterior rust will be, as stated above, money pits. There are lots of horror stories out there once the arches and sills are opened up.
Only point on the above is that even the Hawkeyes are getting rust advisories on their Mots now. The ability to check Mot histories is a god send for buyers, but a nightmare for sellers.
k. Then run some more.They're great cars and you won't regret buying one, but £2.5k is far too much for one in that condition, about £1.5k too much if you ask me.
You'll struggle to find a turbo 2000 without any rust at all these days though, might be worth stretching your budget to a JDM model if possible, STIs fetch big bucks but I was offered an N reg WRX with Mot that was clean and solid, albeit scruffy paint for £1200 recently. They are out there!
You'll struggle to find a turbo 2000 without any rust at all these days though, might be worth stretching your budget to a JDM model if possible, STIs fetch big bucks but I was offered an N reg WRX with Mot that was clean and solid, albeit scruffy paint for £1200 recently. They are out there!
Darkslider said:
They're great cars and you won't regret buying one, but £2.5k is far too much for one in that condition, about £1.5k too much if you ask me.
You'll struggle to find a turbo 2000 without any rust at all these days though, might be worth stretching your budget to a JDM model if possible, STIs fetch big bucks but I was offered an N reg WRX with Mot that was clean and solid, albeit scruffy paint for £1200 recently. They are out there!
Depends how long the imports have been in the country and whether they’ve been run in winter. A few too many winters and they are just as bad.You'll struggle to find a turbo 2000 without any rust at all these days though, might be worth stretching your budget to a JDM model if possible, STIs fetch big bucks but I was offered an N reg WRX with Mot that was clean and solid, albeit scruffy paint for £1200 recently. They are out there!
rossub said:
Darkslider said:
They're great cars and you won't regret buying one, but £2.5k is far too much for one in that condition, about £1.5k too much if you ask me.
You'll struggle to find a turbo 2000 without any rust at all these days though, might be worth stretching your budget to a JDM model if possible, STIs fetch big bucks but I was offered an N reg WRX with Mot that was clean and solid, albeit scruffy paint for £1200 recently. They are out there!
Depends how long the imports have been in the country and whether they’ve been run in winter. A few too many winters and they are just as bad.You'll struggle to find a turbo 2000 without any rust at all these days though, might be worth stretching your budget to a JDM model if possible, STIs fetch big bucks but I was offered an N reg WRX with Mot that was clean and solid, albeit scruffy paint for £1200 recently. They are out there!
Thank you all for your helpful input.
The general consensus seemed to be that regardless of whether or not one would be better off getting a better example/ an import with potentially less rust, this example was over priced.
I'm not a stranger to spending money to give older cars a new lease of life and the idea of saving this one owner from new, low mileage car did appeal to me. The chap selling the car is 70 and was very straight forward to deal with. In other words, its an honest car, with no modifications but with some real rust problems. But at least they are known problems!
So, not to be deterred, after a bit of back and forth, I've done the deal after a more than 4 figure discount. This gives me a decent fighting fund out of my original budget to get to work on sorting the rust and getting the bodywork looking a bit brighter!
So, I should be collecting the car in around a fortnight. Watch this space for updates. Particularly the updates which start with "What have I gotten myself into" and to which you can all reply "We told you so..."
The general consensus seemed to be that regardless of whether or not one would be better off getting a better example/ an import with potentially less rust, this example was over priced.
I'm not a stranger to spending money to give older cars a new lease of life and the idea of saving this one owner from new, low mileage car did appeal to me. The chap selling the car is 70 and was very straight forward to deal with. In other words, its an honest car, with no modifications but with some real rust problems. But at least they are known problems!
So, not to be deterred, after a bit of back and forth, I've done the deal after a more than 4 figure discount. This gives me a decent fighting fund out of my original budget to get to work on sorting the rust and getting the bodywork looking a bit brighter!
So, I should be collecting the car in around a fortnight. Watch this space for updates. Particularly the updates which start with "What have I gotten myself into" and to which you can all reply "We told you so..."
JimiGT said:
Thank you all for your helpful input.
The general consensus seemed to be that regardless of whether or not one would be better off getting a better example/ an import with potentially less rust, this example was over priced.
I'm not a stranger to spending money to give older cars a new lease of life and the idea of saving this one owner from new, low mileage car did appeal to me. The chap selling the car is 70 and was very straight forward to deal with. In other words, its an honest car, with no modifications but with some real rust problems. But at least they are known problems!
So, not to be deterred, after a bit of back and forth, I've done the deal after a more than 4 figure discount. This gives me a decent fighting fund out of my original budget to get to work on sorting the rust and getting the bodywork looking a bit brighter!
So, I should be collecting the car in around a fortnight. Watch this space for updates. Particularly the updates which start with "What have I gotten myself into" and to which you can all reply "We told you so..."
Take the rear seats out and check the strut towers and floor before you spend another penny on that thing, pay specific attention to the drivers side. The general consensus seemed to be that regardless of whether or not one would be better off getting a better example/ an import with potentially less rust, this example was over priced.
I'm not a stranger to spending money to give older cars a new lease of life and the idea of saving this one owner from new, low mileage car did appeal to me. The chap selling the car is 70 and was very straight forward to deal with. In other words, its an honest car, with no modifications but with some real rust problems. But at least they are known problems!
So, not to be deterred, after a bit of back and forth, I've done the deal after a more than 4 figure discount. This gives me a decent fighting fund out of my original budget to get to work on sorting the rust and getting the bodywork looking a bit brighter!
So, I should be collecting the car in around a fortnight. Watch this space for updates. Particularly the updates which start with "What have I gotten myself into" and to which you can all reply "We told you so..."
My UK turbo had similar arch issues, sorted both sides and a tiny bit above the screen for £900 two years back and aside from that it’s been great. No other rust to report. It has 140,000 miles on it now.
For yours to be so rusty after half the miles is a little worrying, so check everywhere else carefully before sinking cash into it.
They're great cars though, miles sharper than the later model Imprezas I’ve driven.
Enjoy & good luck!
For yours to be so rusty after half the miles is a little worrying, so check everywhere else carefully before sinking cash into it.
They're great cars though, miles sharper than the later model Imprezas I’ve driven.
Enjoy & good luck!
Good luck to you and I hope you fix it up. Looking at those pictures, you'll probably looking at £2k in body shop repairs.
In really good condition, that car would be worth £5k IMO.
Here's my Turbo 2000 and I don't regret spending £1.6k on body shop repairs a couple years ago to get it sorted:
In really good condition, that car would be worth £5k IMO.
Here's my Turbo 2000 and I don't regret spending £1.6k on body shop repairs a couple years ago to get it sorted:
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