Thinking about defecting (Page 3/4)
Patrick SEP 21, 04:30 PM

quote
Originally posted by Dylpro:

What happened with the Subie there, Patrick?



I was waiting for the guy to get back in touch with me to go see his WRX. And I waited, and I waited... So I eventually re-contacted him to see what was going on. He gave the usual BS that he had been "busy"... and by the way, the price was now double what he had quoted me earlier. Needless to say, I told him I was no longer interested in his car.

Here's a Porsche I possibly should've jumped on a couple weeks ago. I spotted this Craigslist ad shortly after it was posted, and the car was only a couple miles from me.



That's just over $1300(US) for an '87 944 S with about 148,000 miles. It was rather appealing... but my buddy who owns a Porsche 914/6 expressed his concerns that the failed water pump might've also cooked/damaged the engine in the process... so I didn't check the car out. Might've been a great purchase, or could've been a mess. I guess I'll never know.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 09-21-2016).]

Dylpro SEP 21, 09:44 PM
I think water pump failure was common on these. Specifically the earlier pre 85 models. Even so, that car in my area would likely be asking double.
Patrick NOV 26, 02:16 AM
I'm supposed to be going to look at this '98 Subaru Impreza JDM WRX STi wagon on Sunday. I'm a little leery of the EJ20K engine... as rumor has it they tend to be prone to having issues. However, before they blow up , the 280+ HP is probably kind of fun!

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[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 06-12-2024).]

RWDPLZ NOV 26, 04:23 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:


I'm supposed to be going to look at this '98 Subaru Impreza JDM WRX STi wagon on Sunday. I'm a little leery of the EJ20K engine... as rumor has it they tend to be prone to having issues. However, before they blow up , the 280+ HP is probably kind of fun!




That generation does have some issues, but they do drive and handle better than the 3rd gen cars. Shifter is also MUCH nicer. I hate the shifter in my 2014.
Patrick NOV 26, 06:07 PM

quote
Originally posted by RWDPLZ:

... they do drive and handle better than the 3rd gen cars.



For autocross purposes, I like the fact that the 1st generation Imprezas appear to weigh 200-300 lbs less than the later models. And although a wagon is slightly heavier than a sedan, the functionality of having a wagon for carting stuff around makes it worthwhile for me... especially when the other cars I own are Fieros. (I do currently own a '94 Elantra, and I've really enjoyed it for the last ten years, but it'll be going bye-bye when I get another car with a back seat.)

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 11-27-2016).]

Patrick NOV 27, 08:24 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

I'm supposed to be going to look at this '98 Subaru Impreza JDM WRX STi wagon on Sunday...



I just got back. The car looks pretty good, and certainly goes pretty good. No... it goes really good. Damn!

I'm a bit concerned though that the rear hatch area leaks like a sieve. The spare tire tub in the back was FULL of water. That's like about six inches deep! It's no wonder the owner had a container of desiccant on the floor in front of the back seat. It rains here a lot, and I'm forced to keep my cars outside, so a leaky car is a big headache... unless it's possible to figure out where all this rainwater is getting in.

The rear bumper is also held on with zip ties, and it appears that there are plastic panels missing from inside the rear wheel wells. If this was a Fiero, I'd know exactly what might be missing... but it's a Subaru, and this is all virgin territory to me.

I'm wondering if there might be a connection between the rear bumper which has been off the car and mickey-moused back on, and the rear hatch not being water tight. Like perhaps something is cracked or slightly twisted due to an impact which is now allowing rainwater to leak in. The car does have a clean title (not rebuilt), but paperwork can be misleading.

I didn't want to buy the car on impulse, so I said I'd get back to him in a couple of hours. The price is very reasonable. Hmmm...

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 11-28-2016).]

Patrick NOV 30, 03:35 AM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

I didn't want to buy the car on impulse, so I said I'd get back to him in a couple of hours. The price is very reasonable. Hmmm...



I brought it home a few hours ago. I'll need to start a new thread.
Dylpro DEC 02, 04:26 PM
Excited to see some more pictures! Congratulations on the purchase. I've never had the opportunity to participate in an auto cross but it sounds like something that'd be a great time for any gear head! Unfortunately as of now my Fiero is strictly an A to B daily driver, for better or worse

Curse the United States and their ridiculous 25 year rule! I moved away from Canada long before I could drive though, or even have the opportunity to look around for some interesting imports.
2.5 DEC 02, 04:57 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

I'm a bit concerned though that the rear hatch area leaks like a sieve. The spare tire tub in the back was FULL of water. That's like about six inches deep! It's no wonder the owner had a container of desiccant on the floor in front of the back seat. It rains here a lot, and I'm forced to keep my cars outside, so a leaky car is a big headache... unless it's possible to figure out where all this rainwater is getting in.




Unless a proper fix is doable. Drill a hole in the bottom of the spare tire tub, and remove some of the soft stuff back there, I.E. carpet and padding
Patrick DEC 02, 04:57 PM

quote
Originally posted by Dylpro:

Excited to see some more pictures! Congratulations on the purchase.



Thanks. I'll start a new thread and post plenty of pictures. However, it's been raining since the day I bought it, so I haven't taken any shots of it yet.


quote
Originally posted by Dylpro:

I've never had the opportunity to participate in an auto cross but it sounds like something that'd be a great time for any gear head! Unfortunately as of now my Fiero is strictly an A to B daily driver, for better or worse.



I drove my 90 HP '84 duke at autocross for the first three years or so, then I drove my 150 HP '88 Formula for the last couple of years... and starting next season, I'll be driving this 280+ HP '98 Impreza STi. The Fieros were great fun at autocross, but the power and performance of this car is in a whole new league!


quote
Originally posted by Dylpro:

Curse the United States and their ridiculous 25 year rule! I moved away from Canada long before I could drive though, or even have the opportunity to look around for some interesting imports.



As I began my research into JDM vehicles, it didn't take long to discover that Vancouver here on the west coast is basically where all JDM imports are funneled through for North America. It quickly became a no-brainer to realize that a good deal could probably be found here on a JDM Subaru. It took me a year, but I think I eventually snagged a real good one!