Anyone here owned or used one for a while? There seems to be quite a few standard turbo ones, on P > S plates right in my price range of up to £3k. I know I wanted something like an MX-5 or Caterham copy, but I always wanted a Scoob and didn't know they were so cheap.
Comments?
Cheers Mike P
My dad had a non-turbo model. Bought in 1993 and we sold it when he passed away in 2006. It had only done 13k miles, so can't really comment on the longevity.
My brother has a chavved turbo wagon. Not my thing, but he loves it and it hasn't broken so far.
Finding a good one could be an issue - they're cheap enough for the chavs to have been caning them for a few years now.... which has lead to a spate of engine failures as they age.
Personally, I'd be looking for a Legacy. Largely the same mechanical package, but more likely to have been owned by a more mature and caring owner. Just avoid anything owned by a farmer.
Accelerate hard but no fun, not enough feel through the wheel, it's like driving a haddock.
... with the exception that the tasty Legacy models weren't officially available in the UK. Not sure if that bothers Mike or not.
Weren't the early to mid 90s 4-cam turbos tasty enough? - I know there are more powerful imports, but that's the same with the Impreza.
I've always wanted a MkI Legacy 4-cam Turbo.
The early 90s one is a lot closer to the Impreza than the later ones, but I'd say the twin turbos are the better cars. Plus they do have the advantage that few people know what they are.
Go buy one before they all disappear?
If only I had the space.
Probably a good thing, though - if I did have the space, I'd have a whole fleet of marginally road legal crap.
snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
I haven't got the space, but...
Common problem, that :)
Apart from the fact they aren't as much fun to drive and use more petrol...
One of my mates friends has one. Its running standard boost, on about 85k an is 'a minter with fsh' and in the last, oooh, 6 months, this is what it's broken, that I can remember,
Gearbox (they all do that apparently) Head Gasket Alternator Starter Motor Radiator was leaking, replaced BOTH front calipers (necessary, but replaced with upgraded big kit for less than the cost on OEM parts...)
And a few other niggles. Specialist still says he has a good one, he bought privately, apparently 80k is good for a gearbox, and they also seem to do head gaskets like K series' as well - so I'm told.
It's off the road at the moment with an electrical fault that was traced to part of the loom that had melted or something, I don't know the details. It died conveniently though parked on his drive whilst he was letting the turbo cool after parking up heh!
Hasn't stopped you so far :-)
I had one. It was a wagon and was very good indeed. Just replace the gearbox and diffs with STI ones and you have a great, bulletproof, practical and seriously quick car.
Fraser
Heh, even buying 2nd hand those mods would cost as much as the car dude :-) Didn't you say you got lucky, as since you'd flogged it it had gone wrong constantly for the new owner?
I had shooting break from new, did 150k trouble free miles in three years, lost oil pressure on the M25 buy the time I realised the damage was done, still ran well enough that when I traded it in they didn't notice.
Petrol tank is tiny and the ones in your budget will have been thrashed.
There's a few around between £2500 and £3500 that are less than 100k, full dealear history and not modified around here. Two of them are mint as well. However, if gearboxes and bits start to fail, then it's a no-go as far as I'm concerned. It's got to last me at least 2 years until we move and be pretty reliable.
Is my best bet an MX-5 then? (DON'T REPLY BURGERMAN, I know your thoughts already!) There's lots about, again unmodified and not appearing to have been caned. Don't want an MR2 because of the mid-engine accessibility problems.
The missus wants me to buy a Ford Puma FFS.. isn't that just a 1.7 fiesta in a party frock?
Mike P
"Mike P" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
Yes.
If you're seriously considering one, I hope you're... ummm... vertically challenged...
thought as much, not my thing at all. I read they're ok to drive, but I'm
6'1 and 15 stone so going off what you said, it's a bad idea :-)Mike P
"Mike P" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
If you took the seats out, possibly...
Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo Alfa GTV6
On your budget you'd find very tidy examples of either.
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