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Should I buy this STI? Would greatly appreciate response

1502 Views 12 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  blacknblue06STI, 
MarkRadwin
Hello guys!
Im new to the thread. Well, Im new to Subaru. I am, and always have been a mazda guy (i know, boo me away haha) but I am really into the thought of owning an STI. My price range was low for an STI so i gave up... until I found this sti...

It has 102k miles. Rebuilt title (driver side door was hit). No frame damage, and (apparently) didn't touch anything under the hood. The door looks great now and you wouldn't be able to tell one bit. He was honest with me and let me know the things that are wrong with it, including: its going to need a new clutch and flywheel soon, he found a really small leak in the radiator, he thinks the passenger tie rod is broken (when i took it for a test drive the clicking noise sounded like rear left, not passenger side), the front bumper is a little loose, it will need new brake pads soon, and the left tail light is a little loose.

He's asking 11,700. I met him, and he seemed extremely nice, and was extremely honest about the car. He has never brought it to a track, and has never pushed it hard. He's not sure about the previous owners though. He has a work truck and never drives his STI so he could use the extra cash to help buy a house.

I looked into how much getting everything fixed will be, and it will be a few G's, but to me it would be worth it.

It does seem a little too good to be true, but the guy was extremely honest with me about everything, and seems like a dude I could trust.

I would like your feedback on if to you think this would be a good deal. I would love to join the STI family.


Thanks,
Mark
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E
I don't personally buy blemished title cars or cars with accident history. sometimes they just never drive the same again, no matter how much $$ went into repairs. too many unknowns. the savings are not worth it to me.

if you really want that particular car, get a pre purchase inspection from a reputable subaru shop (not a dealership, go to an actual enthusiast shop), also get a leakdown / compression test performed to have the engine health looked over.
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MarkRadwin
Theres a subaru enthusiast the guy actually recommended i bring it to. So I plan on getting it checked by them and also having them replace the clutch if I end up purchasing the car.

I wish I could say Ive driven an STI, but I haven't, so I wouldn't know how they really feel. Driven modded WRX's but I know they don't have the same feel as an STI.

Thanks for your response!
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got2boostit2
So I must have missed it, where do you say what model year? Also, any pictures you can share?
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MarkRadwin
4
Sorry i didn't specify. Year is 2006

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B
if it has a salvage title than more than just a door was damaged. Did you see pictures of the car when it was damaged?

It sounds to me like its been beat to death...If the engine doesnt burn oil that would be a big plus..but I'd keep looking for a one or 2 owner car that hasnt been totalled. Some would still look at that as a very low entry price for an STI especially an 06, but you will most likely spend thousands to get it up to par.
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Kravur
I'm no professional mechanic (just self taught enthusiast) and I've only owned one Subaru, but I have owned a lot of used cars in my lifetime. Wait it out and find one with a clear title, no damage and less wear. My .02
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HarthSubie13
I would save the money on a more secure buy.... You're throwing a lot of money down.. you wanna make sure it is worth it instead of having it break down in a lil while, it is tempting but i would wait. Instead of throwing down a few extra thousands to get it up to par i would just save that up and get something better! :domo::naughty::domo:
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MarkRadwin
I also want to mention that it was rebuilt at 10k miles, and had a transferable warranty until 100k. He's had zero issues with it, and the previous owner was a friend of his and never had an issue so going 90k without anything major popping up after the accident seems decent to me.

I wish he had pictures of the accident but I'm guessing the pictures are with the previous owner.

Thanks for your input guys! Im going to have a leak/compression test done but will keep looking for a decent priced STI or decently priced newer WRX. Problem is around here the car is either really damn expensive with low miles, or really dirt cheap with like 170k miles.
Selling my car this week so will need to find something soon.

Will keep updated
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W
This sounds like a great candidate for a 2nd vehicle or track day car. If you can get it for significantly less than he's asking it might be worth it to make a built motor hot rod. If it has rod/engine issues then take time to have it built with better internals and go enjoy it.

If this is for a primary daily driver then I would take the advice above and move on.
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stiboost21
Why not finance a new Sti or wrx? There are decent interest rates right now and they usually offer decent values for a trade in.
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BlueScooby
even if this car is "cheap enough" to work for your budget, if it is in as bad a shape as it sounds like, it will cost you much more to maintain...
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B
how can he say he hasnt had any issues with it when there are body panels that are loose and broken suspension parts??:eek: Rebuilt at 10,000 miles? Doesnt sound like it was rebuilt very well at all. If you want to make it a track car your going to have to rebuild it anyway....it sounds like its going to need at least $5000 in repairs just to make it safe and reliable. Making it into a modded street stalker or track car will add thousands more on top of that. The price tells the story. A nice 06 with average mileage will change hands for 18,000-20,000 or more. For it to be 11,000 probably means the isurance adjusted the value after $10,000 or more worth of appraised damage. Salvaged titles are issued for a reason. Its a parts car.
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