Rik

Jay762, Thanks very much for trying to assist ... it's really appreciated. TBH I often wish I lived in central England, as it's just so much better to get stuff sorted. Sadly, I'm roughly 200 miles from Sheffield and the car would need to go on a flatbed in its present state, so costs would be heavy I would imagine. The ironic thing is the car was bought from Snaith, about 30 miles north of Doncaster and could do with going back there but the guy who sold it is obviously a con - man. Hence our present problem. A great forum BTW. Regards, Rik

Timmyjk7, You're welcome. Remember to research the spray shop's work before commiting your hard earned dosh. Good luck. Regards, Rik.

Dgarside hits the nail on the head ... don't go for low priced re-sprays. If you value your car then going down that route, will cost you money in the long run. Two pack systems are costly to buy, along with all the ancilliaries required, so check out the spray shop firstly and enquire. If any garage decides to tell you they only use synthetics or cellulose, instead of two pack systems; acrythane etc; then steer clear of them. There are very important things to look for on any vehicle with regard to it's paint finish. Orange peel and what I call 'dry finish'. If a vehicle has 'Orange Peel' - looks like the surface dimples of an Orange, then whoever painted it has no clue as to viscosity values. 'Dry finish' gives a sort of matt / sateen finish, ususally caused by over atomisation through too high a pressure at the nozzle and also incorrect viscosity values. Lots of mass manufactured 'Top end' vehicles often have this horrible looking Orange peel mess over the bodywork and it's usually caused by bad management and poor paint mixes in the spray booths. So, before you spend your hard earned, have a good look at the work that comes from your local spray shop / garage. Regards, Rik.

ScoobyGhost, That's something I hadn't thought of. Again, that's another consideration. Thanks for the input. Rik.

Yes, That's something to be taken into account and will definitely be considered. Thanks. Regards, Rik.

Wide Sam, Last week I phoned a very large Scooby specialist in Derbyshire and was told £3,000 or more would be the cost to rebuild the engine. I had my doubts about having to have a rebuild, until you guys confirmed it. Finding £3,000 is out of the question right now, so will take your advice and will have a look on the net to see if we can find an honest reliable mechanic in our area. Thanks once more for your help...appreciated. Kind regards, Rik

The front skirt is usually plastic and if not perfectly prepared, prior to painting, then paint or lacquer may show depeciation within a few years. Weather conditions can have a serious effect too. Special etching primers are used for various types of plastics and plasticisers are also used before top coats are applied. If these chemicals are applied without proper cleansing of the plastic, then finishes will start to crack within a short space of time. Many factors can be attributed to lacquer cracking or peeling from base coat surfaces. Rik

Wide Sam, Thanks again for giving me valuable advice. At this point in time we need all the help we can get. I've just watched a video on YouTube of an American guy removing the engine from an STi and to be honest it looks pretty darned hard to do, even with all the gear he has to hand. I don't have that luxury. Years back, when I was young, I would have stripped one out without a second thought but at my age it's a no go situation. Hence my appeal for info and maybe a well equiped garage that could undertake the work. Will obviously keep all posted if we can get it sorted out. Regards, Rik

Scooby Ghost, Thanks for the warm welcome... it looks to be a great club and I'm happy to be here. :D Regards, Rik

Martyc, I hadn't expected to get any replies as quick as this, so thanks for telling me what I've dreaded to hear. ScoobyGhost, Once again a thank you is in order, though trying to get someone to carry out the work locally, may prove very difficult. WideSam, Thanks to you for your input...appreciated. Just wondering, when you say "your bottom end went", do you mean the block cracked, or was it the crankshaft in two bits, or maybe both. Or, were pistons blown to bits? I'm concerned as to whether the heads are cracked? I daren't tell you what the garage 'Up North' have quoted for an engine re-build. Regards, Rik.

Hi all, My son bought Impreza WRX 2.5 wagon a month back from a private seller and as far as we know head gaskets were blown, but my son had no knowledge of the problem when he bought the car, until the engine boiled over on the same day as he bought the car. The seller was not interested in taking the car back, so we're in muck street now. The car has been laid up since the day of purchase and we need some serious help to get it fixed. I've tried to get reliable info relating to this problem, re blown head gaskets and all sorts of conflicting info has arisen, hence my asking you guys. Now without going into the gory details of the sale etc; I wondered if any of you have changed these gaskets and solved the problem entirely, or, have you had to do an engine re-build because of a gasket failure. Can any of you recommend a reliable mechanic to sort this out? Any suggestions or help will of course be very greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Rik

Hi all, I'm Rik from the sticks and If this is posted in the wrong place then set out the gallows, but please use soft rope, as I'm an old timer. This looks to be a great forum and I'm here to beg for help and my G do I need it, but will post wherever the help threads are. Treat me gently if I make it without having that rope around my neck first. Rik