I want YOUR advice - Help me buy a car!!!!!!!!!

[funkytown]

its still WAAAY over priced, and due for its 100km service ??? ???

contact Rick (Ichi Ban) he has a GTB thats just got a brand new engine in it, looking for 9k and its totally stock.

sell yours private and your quids in

[dvs-b4]

hey if u want to go 4 a ride in an rsk b4 revision D give me a pm mine is slightly moded but nothin major. does have adjusties now tho ;D

[Guest r0ksta]

hey dvs yea could be keen on that, Ill let you know. just trying to sort out my current car at the mo

[Guest]

 r0ksta said:

Hey mate

Thanks for the info, much appreciated, just what I was after!

I must admit, sitting in the half leather seats of the RSK & GT-B felt very nice, I liked the feel of the RSK B4 actually as a car, just sitting in it, felt solid, but not show off like if you know what I mean, it was a perfomance car without being 'look at me in my boy racer subaru' type thing, which I can imagine I could get from the WRX.

What about throwing the RSK B4 and GTB around corners? Whats better or heavier feeling?

What suspension mods can you do on them, mainly on the RSK B4's to get them to sit a little lower and sstill get a great smooth ride? Personally stock looking RSK"s look a little high for me.

Same goes with the GTB too.

Also, whos best to get that sort of stuff done in Auckland and also exhaust tips and tricks to get that famous subaru rumble and BOV/boost gauge install in Auckland.

BOV's are really easy to install so no problem there but it pays to be selective about the type you fit (ideally you want one that vents 50% to atmosphere and 50% recirculated back into the intake). Instead, at least to start with, do a snorkelectomy because after that you can hear the factory BOV and it costs nothing but time

Suspension... if the Bilstein shocks are in good nick, you can put a set of lowering springs in it to drop it a little and stiffen it up. A good set of coilovers new will set you back $2500+ and you have to get the car certified so lowering springs is definitely the easier and cheaper way to go.

Also, coilovers tend to be a fair bit firmer then a set of lowering springs. Some consider my setup to be quite bouncy. It is the price you pay for the cornering ability it has

In terms of other suspension mods, extra bracing can be a good idea but seriously, the first suspension mod I would do to one is a larger rear swaybar. Even with my coilovers and bracing, the addition of a larger rear swaybar helped flatten out the cornering A LOT and reduced it's tendency to understeer. In fact, in all circles, bigger swaybars are considered the best bang-for-buck suspension mod.

Actually, I'd do stuff in this order:

1) Snorkelectomy (since it is free and easy and you can hear the turbos spool and the factory BOV).

2) Good rubber all round (around $800-900). Do not underestimate the importance of good tyres. Without them, everything else is for naught.

3a) Larger rear swaybar ($100-150?). Makes them a little more tail happy, negating the tendency to understeer. It also flattens out the ride really nicely inspiring more confidence.

OR

3b) Lower it ($500-800 for lowering springs fitted, cheaper if you do it yourself). I expect this would have a similar impact driving confidence wise, to the rear swaybar so you could swap them round since lowering it has cosmetic benefits

Oh, and if your driveway is tricky, you may want to reconsider lowering it or at least try it without for a bit first. Mine is only a little lower then factory and I have to be very careful in many driveways and ramps because the factory bumper with the lower lip is fairly low.

[Guest r0ksta]

Hey dude, cheers for info.

Might hit some of you up when I get a car to help me get it sorted. Prob look at getting a GFB BOV as Ive had one of them before and was quite good.

Prob also just lower it slightly on some springs, the B shocks should be good in it I should think plus I dont like a stiff ride.

Exhaust set ups? Any ideas?

Is the rear swaybar for both RSK's and GTB's? Im still not sure what to go on yet, it depends on what dealers can give me for my vehicle that will really decide and basically what I feel like on the day. Still entertaining the idea of a WRX but I think I am just being hopeful, its most likely a RSK. Really want a Black RSK B4 or a blue/white/rusty organge GTB with sunroofs if I got a GTB.

[dubbedup]

get a spec C... ;D

[ReubenH]

DON'T Buy a WRX. If you chose to go with an impreza, get an STi, plain and simple. I'd much rather an older sti for 15K, than a newer wrx for 15k ANY DAY.

If you're getting a legacy, well, it's a legacy, so get a wagon for practicality. The handling point is moot in my opinion, they handle very well, and if you were getting a sedan cause it handles better, you gotta ask, why are you getting a legacy at all then, when you could get an STi. The only real difference between sedan and wagon's is the styling. Some people want the comfort and style of a legacy, but don't like wagons.

Go for a drive with SpotMe some day. Legacy wagons handle JUST FINE. It's scary how much grip that thing has.

[Guest]

 ReubenH said:

Go for a drive with SpotMe some day. Legacy wagons handle JUST FINE. It's scary how much grip that thing has.

Hehehe, yeah ;D

For exhausts, all you need to unleash a little rumble is a new rear muffler i.e. a diff back exhaust.

Or if it has the factory exhaust, they have a flap that opens up the muffler for better flow under certain conditions (high rpm and fairly open throttle I suspect). I wonder what one of those mufflers with the flap permanently open would sound like?

[Guest r0ksta]

Yea I might just drop the whole WRX idea.

Still keen on a RSK-B4 but I would go for a GT-B wagon so long as it fulfilled a few criteria, ie color, sunroofs, bodystyling as some out there have had bodykits and all sorts put on and look like rubbish.

SO this is what Im really after:

RSK-B4

manual

black/white or dark blue

half leather int

2002+

GT-B

manual

white/dark blue/orange or gold

SUNROOFS!

2000+

[Guest]

If your buying an STI or Legacy Turbo ten years old there is a good chance the engine will self destruct at anytime. So be prepared to spend alot to repair it or get an engine warrenty. As a general rule the Legacys die abit before STI's of the same era.

[ReubenH]

And sunroofs, i'm quite anti sunroof's, they are the bringers of bad news.

[Guest]

 ReubenH said:

And sunroofs, i'm quite anti sunroof's, they are the bringers of bad news.

they're nice when they work though...

[Guest r0ksta]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=274981631

??? Any thoughts?

[Guest]

Looks a lot like what you're looking for except it lacks the half or full leather interior. Seems pretty pricey though and there is no mention of an alarm (essential for any Subaru... budget up to $500 for one).

Also, it will shortly be due for it's 100,000km service for which you need to budget around $1500-$2000 depending on where you get it done and whether you get them to do gearbox/diff oils, spark plugs, fuel filter etc as well.

Then again, all the ones you've been looking at will need their 100,000km service at some point.

Is it my imagination of have B4's gone up in price recently or something? I remember them being around this price when I was shopping for mine over a year ago and they generally had fewer k's on the clock!

[Guest r0ksta]

Hmmm yea. What does the big 100K service involve? Is it a standard thing to get done as per a service sched?

Could I use that as a negotiating lever in any deal on vehicles we look at?

[Guest]

Have you looked at an RS30 B4? Not that i am biased or anything?!

[ReubenH]

100k service involves a new cambelt, cambelt idlers, tensioner, and water pump. That's nearly $800 in parts alone. Getting it done at a shop will be anything around $1000+

I think you should set a budget of $14000 flat, including 100,000K service. Any more is pushing it. But i do think you've made a good choice to stick to the face lift's, they are very good cars, and still new enough to not really have many problems.

My dad's 98 BH, with 189,000k's is less reliable than my BG, and is constantly breaking this or that....

[dvs-b4]

 SpotMe said:

Is it my imagination of have B4's gone up in price recently or something? I remember them being around this price when I was shopping for mine over a year ago and they generally had fewer k's on the clock!

i think they have last year when i was looking for 1 they where between 8-12k and i managed to get mine for 9k and it had its 100k servise allready but i wasnt paying atention to the dealers prices. have you had a look on the turners car auctions web site? thats where i got mine from

[Guest r0ksta]

Yea but ive found some good ones around in Auckland and thereabouts so tomorrow we will see what we ca do. Im still keen o a RSK B4 but I know that almost anything could sway me to a GTB, but I dont need the room, I keep tellimg myself but it would come in handy says the other voice.

[Guest r0ksta]

Yo DVS, do you have any good pics of your car?

[Guest r0ksta]

I like the blitzen spoilers and mags but dont like the bodykits on them

[Guest]

 r0ksta said:

I like the blitzen spoilers and mags but dont like the bodykits on them

I personally don't mind the boot lid spoiler but don't like the rest of the Blitzen gear.

[Guest r0ksta]

Yea I think the rest of the blitzen gears yuck but dont mind the spoilers tho and the wheels, if I could chuck them on a 2002 ish black RSK B4 manual with the half half int I would be in heaven

[dvs-b4]

[Guest r0ksta]

how much is yours lowered by?

whats a cheap option to lower a standard RSK B4 only slightly as I think they sit slightly high as it is but only slightly.not dumped but just a little. kings?, dobis?