Looking for an Impreza - Wisdom Needed Please

[s_tubb23]

Hi chaps, sorry for the lack of updates. I have found an 96 WRX import that I am very close to buying (hopefully with some help and advice from here I will be buying).

It seems a good find and looked after but it has no alarm or immobiliser fitted and a couple of the quotes I've had are based on it having security. I've Googled and it seems to be letting me down so far so if someone could help it would be very much appreciated. 

 

How much would I be looking on average you think to get a category 1 alarm system and how much for fitting? Is it a job I can do myself or is it a minefield just not worth entering. 

 

As always thanks for helping. 

[Gambit]

I've never fitted one to be honest, I paid a company in Hull to fit my clifford alarm, I'm sure you have to have fitters for them types of alrms though. 

[wrxweston]

Yeah I advise getting it done professionally I had massive issues with my Clifford had to speak to a Clifford guy to get it sorted so complicated

[Steveuk260.Esq]

Yes jdm cars generaly do not have alarms fitted it will require a category 1 thathcham approved alarm to be fitted professionally for best insurance prices.

[Steveuk260.Esq]

One more thing. Make sure it has been remapped for uk fuel.

[s_tubb23]

Ahh sounds like a fun job then. I've seen a place in Stafford called secureacar that will fit a toad sterling cat 1 system for 180 which I don't think is too bad, is that a fair price you think?

As for the fuel I'm fairly certain it has been but will double check. I'll be running it on v-power as to hopefully get the best out of it. It's a fully closed block as well which I hope means it will be a solid unit and up to the job.

[Steveuk260.Esq]

I run 99 ron tescos momentum, a lot of people with turbo subarus run it. If jdm car has been remapped for uk fuel ask what fuel has it been remapped to and run that preferably.

[wrxweston]

i run Shell vpower only although the misses keeps trying to get me on momentum for the clubcard points :)

[Scooby Pete]

I've run both nitro and momentum, performance wise nitro does seem to give a little crisper throttle response at least in my mind it does probably a very minuscule amount in reallity.

Mpg no noticeable difference, but then I'm doing daily commute no A or M roads.

Rewards Momentum far outstrips Nitro who seem to have cut right back on the rewards.

Plus filling up with Momentum adds to the club card points you can use on Fuel save.

[s_tubb23]

Thanks for the fueling advice, didn't realise Tesco's Momentum was so highly rated, I've decided to go with V-Power for now as there is a Shell at the end of the road but will monitor how it goes 

 

As an update the car I thought I had an agreed sale on was sold the day before I was due to go and collect. I have however managed to get my hands on a 93 WRX import with a V2 JDM WRX engine in it. The joys of this means I've been able to get it on classic car insurance and got a quote for an honestly silly low price of £132 for the year - limited to 5000 miles as it's a second car. 

 

I haven't paid that much for the motor either as it has a few niggles but the guy seemed honest enough and seemed to know everything about Subaru's and seems honest enough to help out with the work needed. He has a number of Subaru's and is currently having a 400bhp forged engine stuck in his main Impreza so his got experience of working on them.

One thing I may need some advice with though is the clutch/gearbox. The guy says it had an uprated clutch put in start of the year(can't remember the exact clutch as I'm at work and can't see the paperwork). Now the issue I have found is that the gearbox will crunch slightly when changing gear sometimes. Seems to really only happen when changing up into 3rd and 4th and happens more when the car is warmed up. If you double clutch, or change slowly - so clutch down, into neutral for a second then into gear it changes fine with no issues. 

The clutch is not slipping and there is no horrible clutch smell but the biting point is very low, pretty much foot hard down to the floor and then slight movement the clutch is already starting to bite. Could it be that the clutch bite is so low that when changing gear the clutch is not engaging and disengaging properly?

I am looking at flushing the clutch fluid this weekend but is that something that would help and maybe bring the biting point up a little or is this something more technical? Could I be looking at a dodgy clutch or worse a dodgy box?

[savage bulldogs]

Just had a similar issue on mine , although it suddenly had a low biting point on a long journey .

I could pull the clutch pedal up with my foot and thw the biting point was fine for 10 or so changes , then gradually it got lower .

I traced mine to the hydraulic "flexi" pipe from bulkhead to slave had a slight weep .

Luckily I have a few spare slaves and a pipe , once changed over) with a fluid refresh ) it's been fine

Have you checked the gearbox oil level ?

[s_tubb23]

Thanks for the reply, very interesting that the fluid leak was causing the bite to move about. Did you have any issues with getting into gear while it was leaking?

 

I tried to give the car another test last night so I let it warm up for a while on the drive but then discovered I now can't select any gear, seems like the clutch was just not working at all. Had a quick scan underneath and I think there is something leaking but until I get it jacked up and give it a proper inspection I won't be able to confirm. 

I'm hoping the issue is to do with the clutch fluid leaking as new piping or new master or slave cylinder is a hell of a lot less work then a clutch change. 

 

I haven't checked the gearbox oil level yet but as you've mentioned I will check it when doing the clutch fluid. If I wanted to change the gearbox oil how many litres would I need?