Edit: Questions, questions please...

"The Lurktastic Opponaught" (oppolurker) 09/06/2016 at 15:02 • Filed to: None

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My wife is strongly encouraging me to go look at an STI that went up for sale down the road from my house. I know the house. It catches my eye because they run quite a few modified subies, so I know it’s been modified but I don’t know how. I’ll be stopping on my way home to get some more info- what questions should I ask?

I just don’t know what’s relevant to the discussion- useful performance versus catastrophic engine/driveline mods, chassis and bodywork modifications, etc. This could be my first foray into someone else’s project, and I’m inclined to be cautious.

Edit:

When I stopped on the way home, I was told that the owner was still at his shop-I take that as a good sign. The sign out front also noted new tires and timing belt. Could it be a unicorn? A well modded and professionally maintained STi? I know, I shouldn’t get my hopes up.

Also: 117k and asking “16k OBO”

I’m going to call tomorrow at lunch.

Ash78, voting early and often > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:06

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Just hop in and check the Radio/XM preset stations. That's worth more than maintenance records :D

For Sweden > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:06

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Your wife just wants a rally car to beat on

The Lurktastic Opponaught > For Sweden 09/06/2016 at 15:08

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I'm ok with that.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Ash78, voting early and often 09/06/2016 at 15:09

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If the owner comes to the door wearing a flat brim hat...

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:11

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Find out if they’ll throw in a free vape pen.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:12

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I’d suggest maybe going and talking to them and getting some basic info first, like year, mileage, and what modifications have been done, and if it’s ever been dynoed, and report back.

The reason is that for a certain mod, one brand may be preferable over another. Also, it will give an idea of how much power the car is making, as I believe STI blocks are only good for about 500HP or so. It will also give an idea of what kind of “tuner” this person is - are they treating the car as a system and upgrading appropriately, or are they just slapping parts on because they think its cool? I seem to recall from my WRX days that injectors were a big thing to look for, the stock ones were okay but it wasn’t too hard to push them past their limits. So if a car has a big turbo with stock injectors you’re probably going to have issues down the road, but if you he’s done both, it might give the impression that the person actually knows what they are doing, which would make me at least somewhat more inclined to trust that they know how to build a car right.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > For Sweden 09/06/2016 at 15:13

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This is a problem how?

The Lurktastic Opponaught > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 09/06/2016 at 15:14

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Depending on how it's been modified, that may be the most valuable part of the deal.

Tripper > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:16

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Anywhere local you can take it for a PPI?

For Sweden > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 09/06/2016 at 15:16

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What if she doesn’t share?

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:16

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Not an STi owner nor do I know much about them – but I did have a Legacy GT before. I’d typically say the less modifications the better, obviously. But things like suspension “upgrades” as long as they used decent parts (just search forums to see what people recommend and use often) and proper work (i.e. no cutting springs to lower) and reputable ECU upgrades could be fine…like a Cobb stage 1 or 2 upgrade shouldn’t be too alarming. But going much further beyond that, pushing the engine that much harder – what other work did they do to make that a reliable set up? Is it work you trust or something you’d be OK with? At that point is it even a car you’d want to drive.

For turbo subarus I wouldn’t want to go much further than suspension + Cobb stage 1…but really comes down to personal preference and how much risk you’re willing to take. Especially with an STi with the complicated center diff and whatnot I’d rather be more conservative and find the car that has the least signs of abuse or over-stressing the drive train by previous owners. Because by default you know these things are already driven hard.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Snuze: Needs another Swede 09/06/2016 at 15:22

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Thanks. Basic vehicle info is high on my list, because I don’t want to put myself in a position to be BS’d. From what I’ve seen, these folks have been running modified subarus for a long time, and they always seem to be nicely maintained (from a distance).

My problem in looking at a car like this is from my own ignorance. I just don’t know what I’m looking at. The forums can be such a cesspool of bullshit that I have a hard time putting stock in anyone’s anecdotal evidence as to what works and what doesn’t for these cars.

I’ll report back to the Oppo hive mind once I have more info.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Tripper 09/06/2016 at 15:24

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If it gets that far, yes. There’s a speed shop that I would consider paying for a PPI on a car like this.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > For Sweden 09/06/2016 at 15:26

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I like doing snownuts in the outback, despite the the CVT. We can share.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:27

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I think that’s a good plan. I’ll try to be on the lookout for your post. I haven’t fooled with Subies in a long time but I still remember a bit and I know there are other Oppos here who can help you out.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Snuze: Needs another Swede 09/06/2016 at 15:31

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Thanks!

The Lurktastic Opponaught > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 09/06/2016 at 15:35

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Thanks for the advice. A modified STi doesn’t exactly say “rarely redlined and driven responsibly” but there are degrees of abuse I’m willing to tolerate if I know what I’m getting into. It’s not going to be a year round DD, so I don’t mind some issues. I just don’t want to be replacing a long block in 12 months time.

WRXforScience > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:38

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I recommend trolling through the NASIOC forums, you can find the known issues for the model, typical “good” and “bad” mods, and you might even be able to find the build thread/history of the car you are looking at.

A compression test is usually a good idea, many of the STi’s have headgasket issues (plus this is a great way to quickly gauge the overall health of the motor). You should also put it in 4th at low rpm and floor the car to check for clutch slip. Clutches on AWD drive cars are much more labor intensive than in FWD or RWD vehicles ($2-$3k at a shop).

14FeistyFieSTa > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 15:53

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I think a better question for you is - what are you looking for? Are you looking for a new daily driver? Weekend auto-x/track day/rally-x car? An 800hp project car just for fun?

I haven’t owned an STI myself, but I have contemplated getting one for years... I’ve had friends who got relatively stock ones and really enjoyed them, and I’ve had a friend who bought one with a lot of mods (main thing being a bigger turbo + supporting mods) and always had issues with getting it running well.

If you’re looking for a DD or even just a reliable weekend car, the fewer major mods the better. Intake/exhaust are common, as are COBB tunes (and the like “off the shelf tunes”). Intercoolers, stuff like that are fairly common too. FMIC is a bit more than a replacement TMIC, but not necessarily bad. When you get into things like custom tuning for a bigger turbo, that’s when you might have to be a little more cautious of what the previous owner did.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > WRXforScience 09/06/2016 at 16:19

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Thanks. I’ll fire up the non-pocket computer tonight and see what I can learn via NASIOC. I also commonly forget that one of my wife’s relatives works high up for Subaru NA- that might be a useful path to people to bounce questions off.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > 14FeistyFieSTa 09/06/2016 at 16:24

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I’m looking for a fun summer car, weekend driver, occasional autoX, and maybe even track day car if I can prove to myself via autoX that I’m not a hazard to myself and others. The intent isn’t to replace my DD, or even come close. I’m looking to buy my first automotive toy. Aside from that, I’ve had a bad case of the automotive “hngggggggg” for Subaru since childhood. This would provide a means of scratching the itch.

Arrivederci > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 16:39

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What generation? IIRC, earlier ones had transmission issues when people started putting down more power. Headgasket is an eventuality, if modified, I’d be curious as to what it’s purpose was. If AutoX, track or especially rallycross, it may have lived a tough life.

OTOH, its owner could be meticulous who wanted a slightly modified daily or something. My biggest tell on it would be the quality of parts (not eBay or Chinese knock-off crap), quality of installation and receipts/maintenance logs.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Arrivederci 09/06/2016 at 16:50

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I think it’s an ‘06, a.k.a. the ugliest Impretza. My big questions are: why did you build it up, and why are you selling it? I suspect I know the answer to the latter: the new ‘16 STi that showed up recently in their driveway.

Needmoargarage > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/06/2016 at 17:41

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Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope!

Unless you like doing this sort of work:

This is an ‘07 STi. Unless you absolutely know it has never been modified, stay far away. These cars are fickle, have a few major design flaws, and are very expensive to repair/maintain. I’ve had a few now and all have had major problems...however I like the challenge. :)

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Arrivederci 09/06/2016 at 18:09

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The transmission issues were mostly with the 5-speed used in the base models and WRX.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Needmoargarage 09/06/2016 at 20:08

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This is the most recent shot of my current basement project. One basket case is probably enough. I’m not sure I can fit a car down here. In pieces, maybe- but that seems to be what you’re suggesting.

What are the major mechanical issues? When I stopped on the way home, I was told that the owner was still at his shop- that’s a good sign. The sign out front also noted new tires and timing belt. Could it be a unicorn? A well modded and professionally maintained STi? I know, I shouldn’t get my hopes up.

Also: 117k and asking “16k OBO”

Needmoargarage > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/07/2016 at 00:02

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What year is it? Common major failure points (engine alone) are a terribly designed oil pickup tube that shears, difficult to service inline filters in the turbo and AVCS systems that clog, head gasket sealing issues, etc. Most engines spin a bearing due to oil starvation from above problems.

I really really don’t trust any modded Subaru...even ‘safe’ off the shelf maps like Cobb. I’ve seen many run lean and otherwise unsafe conditions frequently...keep in mind people frequently change air intakes or exhaust downpipes without an appropriate calibration change. You maybe can find a person that spends hours tuning with a true professional, but even then unless the block’s internals have been modified it is pretty hard on the EJ255-57. Timing belt changes on STis often mean the engine has been apart for another reason.

That is probably a fair asking price if he has complete service records and the car is just about perfect. For reference, mine was about 6k with a blown engine.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Needmoargarage 09/07/2016 at 05:56

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2006.

14FeistyFieSTa > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/07/2016 at 09:16

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What it sounds like is you don’t want to take on someone else’s project. So just keep that in mind. I’m not sure where you live, but in general STI’s aren’t that hard to find. I was looking just last year and found a number of 2004-2007 STIs for <$20k in good shape. I’m assuming that’s what you’re looking at, based on the price you mentioned in your edit.

Last thing you want is to take on someone else’s project and have it be a headache for you. But if it’s clean and the modifications are to your liking, go for it.

Good luck!

brianbrannon > The Lurktastic Opponaught 09/07/2016 at 09:42

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It’s about time for a burned valve on cylinder 4