tips??

**mornin-it-up** · 07-07-2011 07:10 AM

hey, this is my first WRX. I'm hopefully looking at it tomorrow. could you give me some tips?
this is what i know so far.

Its a 03 with bigger turbo, motor and trans were all redone it has alike 350 WHP on pump and like 425 on race fuel tuned from what my buddy thought. car is supposed to be spotless and also has straight cut first and second gear. it is swapped/ upgraded to a sti .

silver in color`with a Carbon fiber hood.

guy is asking 7500 obo.

thanks

**nyr8er** · 07-07-2011 08:42 AM

well...as with anything that is used and modified (from what it sounds like, heavily modified) you can never be certain exactly what was done or how it was treated. Nobody makes a car 350+ HP just for show. Just give it a good look over, be sure it has a tune, test drive it. Don't buy on impulse, be sure it's something you are comfortable with. Good luck!

**Mahtava** · 07-07-2011 08:46 AM

Thats solid advice I would deffinitely take an in depth look at the car you dont want to lose a large investment of money! But goodluck on your search brother

**mornin-it-up** · 07-07-2011 09:34 AM

the guy that owns the car has several highly modded cars. he has this wrx that was a sti swap and then another sti and a supra that has like 450 whp. they are sunday drivers to him and are clean.

is the price sound about right for the year?

**mexicanzero** · 07-07-2011 05:34 PM

seeing that this is your first wrx... do you have experience with awd cars in the 350whp range? how bout 400+?
price seems ok for a stock car, low for something that modded... although being modded doesnt increase the cars value(actually decreases it most of the time), most people will still try to get top dollar seeing as the swap alone may have cost close to the selling price, so theres a good chance he wants to get rid of the car quickly due to issues and so priced it competitively...
watch out, and if you do buy it dont expect 200k of trouble free miles

-Alex

**MainFrame** · 07-07-2011 05:46 PM

Who built the engine?

**Scooby_K** · 07-07-2011 05:59 PM

A proverbial Pandora's Box... UNLESS you were there with the guy and know this car as well as he does... just be careful. I'm in the process of buying, too, and these past two weeks have been quite an experience... good pointers by the other guys...just be careful and realistic with yourself and abilities bcz in the end, it will be your car and you will have to know it as well as you know the back of your hand. Bonne chance mon ami!

**mornin-it-up** · 07-07-2011 06:08 PM

All motor work was done at some tuner in chicago don't remember name off hand.
me pistons eagle rods, all new heads spare stock motor, has some aftermarket gears 1-3 don't remember name tuned and theres subs and more ****

I havnt worked on a wrx but I've worked on high hp diesel pulling trucks. Tractors also... my buddy also said if I ever have problems with it he'll help me. I was wrong about ask price. He wants 8500

**MainFrame** · 07-07-2011 06:36 PM

If you don't know the reputation of the engine/transmission builder I would stay away from it. I will say that who actually built it is probably the most important thing to consider in a purchase such as this. And I certainly would NOT purchase the car if you aren't going to have a second car to drive when this one goes down.

I bought my car in a similar situation, and the engine was built by a Subaru dealership. I figured it was good, but I soon came to find out that the person that assembled my engine didn't know what they were doing and it has cost me over $10,000 and four years to fix.

**mornin-it-up** · 07-07-2011 06:39 PM

I should also say this isn't going to be my DD.. once a week or so when its nice parked winter and parked under a cover...

I have a a1986 f350 with a 5.9 Cummins swapped as a DD and I have that turned the pump on and has more than enough power...

**Scooby_K** · 07-07-2011 08:16 PM

Well, since you can turn wrenches and are no stranger to turbos, then you are the best judge of what your comfort zone is. I'd go for it, but defo find out the place in Chicago that did previous work and go there if you can and just observe and talk to customers as they come out. Anyway, that's me, but good luck either way man!

**mornin-it-up** · 07-07-2011 08:35 PM

The guy is out of town till this coming week... im going to be honest I very high expectations on this car and im very excited to look at next week. I don't need the car so going to look and see what it and see what it is and then i'll know about buying. Any problems or things to look for.. any thing go on these all the time?