1st gen STI or 2nd gen WRX

[hughrich]

Hi there everybody, am thinking of importing an impreza however only have enough money for either a first gen STI or a 2nd gen 2004 or 2005 WRX. could possibly get an STI bugeye if i stretch the budget. which one should i go for?

Thanks in advance

[Guest]

Whats the use and plans for it? Also budget and wag or sedan?

[hughrich]

Daily driver, wont have to take any passengers, just get me to and from uni and i prefer look of sedan. around 7k but can go higher

[Guest]

Not much of a budget for any of your preferred options. V7- is just a far nicer stronger car out of the 3 and lends itself well to more power easily and cheaply. 8-10k would net a nice v7 sti hatch or early sti. 9-11k a nice v7 sti sedan or 2004-5 wrx. Just have to wait for good deals.

[hughrich]

yeah it looks like anything over 100km over there goes for a lot cheaper so might have a look into a higher mileage car

[Guest]

Worth a look. If no receipts for timing i wouldnt believe it.

https://touch.trademe.co.nz/motors/listing/view/895819521

https://touch.trademe.co.nz/motors/listing/view/896317773

https://touch.trademe.co.nz/motors/listing/view/897152648

https://touch.trademe.co.nz/motors/listing/view/893800515

[hughrich]

cheers for the links man, that 99 sti is beautiful!!

[Guest]

Best of tm under 12k. 99 for win subarus best shape too...

[hughrich]

yeah i always thought that colour looked amazing on the 1st gens

[boon]

 hughrich said:

Hi there everybody, am thinking of importing an impreza however only have enough money for either a first gen STI or a 2nd gen 2004 or 2005 WRX. could possibly get an STI bugeye if i stretch the budget. which one should i go for?

Thanks in advance

You can't import any of those. They aren't emissions compliant.

A 2005 WRX might just, just be compliant but it's bloody rare for turbo Subarus pre roughly 2009 to be OK.

2004 earlier, not a chance, the standard they have to meet only existed from 2005.

[hughrich]

 boon said:

You can't import any of those. They aren't emissions compliant.

A 2005 WRX might just, just be compliant but it's bloody rare for turbo Subarus pre roughly 2009 to be OK.

2004 earlier, not a chance, the standard they have to meet only existed from 2005.

oh right....is there anywhere online that i could check out the specifics of those regulations? and do you think a B4 GT Turbo would pass emissions?

Edited June 6, 2015 by hughrich

[Koom]

 hughrich said:

oh right....is there anywhere online that i could check out the specifics of those regulations? and do you think a B4 GT Turbo would pass emissions?

www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/importing/

[GC8E2DD]

Of course you could import an MY97 - MY00 STi Type R as a special interest vehicle. You get an automatic tick for two doors.

[Koom]

Do they have to be from a true limited edition run i.e. 22B? Or do all two door specials come under that dispensation?

[GC8E2DD]

There are a number of criteria you can claim (and you must claim three from memory), but two doors are a shoe in. Also a limited run, which is claimable on all Type Rs as I understand, and popular conception as a classic performance vehicle; any number of journalistic articles will concur (including our very own NZ Autocar, and anything drawing a comparison to the heady days of WRC dominance I'm sure). It is similar to what you would go for to get an old GTR, Celica GT4s, RZ Supras, NSXs, Mazda 323 GTX + FA/FB/FC/FD RX7s of any number of special editions + old MX5s, GTOs (if you're masochistic), that kind of thing into the country. And rightfully so IMO.

[Zenki]

The catch: there's a strict number (IIRC 200?) of vehicles allowed to be imported as "special interest" per year, and you can't resell it for several years.

[GC8E2DD]

Well it is not supposed to be a money making loophole; it is there to let you legitimately import a modern classic sports car for your own use. And last time we had this discussion somebody claimed that the 200 per year quota was nowhere near fully utilised.

[hughrich]

do you guys think a 2005 legacy b4 would meet emissions?

[boon]

 hughrich said:

do you guys think a 2005 legacy b4 would meet emissions?

If the chassis code starts CBA or DBA then it will. If it doesn't then it won't. It's that simple.

There aren't a lot of 2005 Turbos that meet the standards.