Tidgy

check the recall list, not sure exactly which models were affected by i know some suspension parts were part of one. might save you some money.

What is on the vin plate? i;ve never heard of dvla taking owners club info as gospel, they have always said must come from the manufacturer in the past :S

Subaru uk seem to be doing everything in their power to make the subaru brand on the uk fail, only offering auto's, poor deals, only selling from stock rather than what folks order etc etc tis rather sad 😞

Need to get a leak down test done that will tell you if you have valve issues.

o other thing is they just seem to make it up at times,,, hahaha

manufacture date should be on the vin plate even on a jap import.

Just a slight correction, they are Vmaxx, no Kmaxx. https://www.v-maxx.com/en/products/big-brake-kits found out when i went looking at brake upgrade options haha

Insurance prices seem to vary massivley depending on history, location etc etc etc Best bet ring round a few places that specialise and see what you get, I've used Keith Michaels for a number of years now as they always come out pretty much the cheapest and i've had good service from them.

hate to say it but never buy a car with a check engine light on, especially a performance car. Just because they says its because of decat it might well be something alot more serious. As said you need to get it to a specialist to find out whats going on.

My dads needed a new wheel bearing alot sooner than expected circa 18 months/2 years so worth getting that checked out. See what the dealer finds and go from there 🙂

very familiar car to me i think?, bought it from a mate of mine ben?

welcome 🙂

Prob cos of who mapped it,,,,, sorry tongue in cheek joke, i wouldn't trust the clown to map my toaster, but reality is it could be nothing to do with that. Second hand engines are just that, you don't know how it was treated before you got it. I would always a have a fully rebuilt engine so its a know thing. But that said could be any number of reason from human error during assembly or just mechanical failure. what ever happens it's worth stripping it to fully and assess whats gone, could be more than just headgasket, if it is as its had a hard life could find the bearings are worn etc.

bummer, sorry to hear. know what milage is on the engine? might be worth a full refresh while its appart.

waaaay strong money given its on the stock 2.5

what sort of budget are you planning on spending? that will really define what you get

Is there a usb input in the centre cubby hole?

was a factory option instead of the foam. dad has one in his. need to get the boot foam shape (not sure what to call it), which raises the boot up, and the spare.

just to add a slight correction, it was my old type r that had ap's, my current car is on brembo's with uprated pads, and given the extra weight between the two they are a bit meh, bear in mind i am running 380/390 and aiming higher and even on a road car the current setup just wont be up to it. price isn't as much as you think, https://www.godspeedbrakes.co.uk/impreza-1993-1998-wrx/218-impreza-classic-newage-wrx-ap-6-pot-330mm-kit-.html £1700 https://www.godspeedbrakes.co.uk/impreza-1993-1998-wrx/292-subaru-impreza-ap-6-pot-355mm-kit-.html £1800 although it isn't with proper AP disks. Given the power levels being talked about, i expect the 330mm kit will be plenty although your only talking £100 difference i'd personally go for the larger ones anyway (check wheel fitment), RCM do em at £2500 for 355 kit. alcon kit is slightly cheaper. https://rogerclarkmotorsport.co.uk/store/product/732-rcm-alcon-6-pot-front-brake-kit-black-343mm £2200 tbh its something i wanna look into as its on my to buy list.

i dont tend to drive my car from the outside or passenger side tbh,,,,,, hahaha

personally i wouldn't want to loose the vent, but i like my creature comforts hahaha

piston slap isnt needed to be cured, it's just a natural result of putting forged pistons in it, If your worried about it get it checked out by a specialist.

are you sure its not piston slap your hearing?

after having subaru road cars with and without, i would have for sure, standard brakes are pish by comparison

idealy you wanna fit it and do as little milage as possible, but leave the actuator disconnected and keep the revs below 3k and should be ok.