Time For The 205 To Go?

[maturin23 10]

Hi all,

 

I've done some thinking on the subject, just thought I'd open it to the forum to get some other opinions.

 

I never thought I'd sell the 205, given how cheap they are it was going to be a car I'd have forever, but now I'm not sure.

 

The original plan was to sell my Caterham HPC to release some cash for a business venture and keep the pug as a second car.

 

The Caterham was always a short-term use of some spare cash whilst interest rates were low; when I bought it I promised the wife that as soon as I got started on my venture, the HPC would have to go. I'm just about at that point now.

 

The problem is I need a second car that's reliable enough and relatively stress-free to leave with the wife/2 kids, as I'll be needing to use the diesel Focus for client visits.

 

Although I've been steadily sorting the Mi16 out over the last 7 years and she's a very sound car mechanically the Pug is giving me some minor electrical niggles - the usual click-starter things - no big deal to fix if I had the time, but I don't, plus I don't have the time or the inclination for the preventative maintenance these cars need and deserve if they need to be relied on day in day out. As a third car it would be perfect, but whilst living in London and starting a business three cars is hard to justify.

 

The other issue is the steering weight - I have a PAS rack with the PAS removed. I love it like this, but it's bordering on dangerous when Deb tries to drive it.

 

How do I replace those two cracking cars? It needs to be:

 

Up to £5000 but ideally less

definitely not FWD

not an E36 BMW

relatively quick, certainly no slower than the Mi16 (180 bhp/ton +)

safer than the Pug in a crash,

at least slightly exciting to drive

it also needs to be reliable.

ideally at the bottom its the depreciation curve.

 

So... I've spent the weekend looking at ads for Imprezas,

 

I'm looking for a low mileage (60k or less) UK Turbo saloon in Dark Blue Mica, either 1999 or 2000.

 

No 'rally' stickers, no STI spoilers or body kittage, no atmo dump valve and standard silver 17" wheels and ideally with the Prodrive Performance Pack.

 

I basically want the same car that I owned in 2000 - 2003, which to my eyes is pretty much the only Impreza that still looks just about OK - below is a photo from when I lived in Amsterdam.

 

 

 

 

Any comments? Anyone think I've made the wrong choice given my parameters? Does anybody know of one that fits the bill that might be for sale?

Edited July 26, 2010 by maturin23

[Batfink 201]

Whats the reason for discounting the E36 BMW?

I was in desperate need for a car and ended up going to test drive one and it was brilliant. The chassis is great for a big car and you can have so much fun when it snows. 4 years of hassle free driving until i broke it. I will be getting another as 328's are now dirt cheap (sub £1500).

I want a scooby but they are apparently a bit clinical and too surefooted at normal driving speeds to be fun (until you drive it like mcrae)

Edited July 26, 2010 by Batfink

[maturin23 10]

Unless it's an M3 the E36 doesn't feel that special to me. I had a 325i Coupe as a regular 'borrower' back in the day and it was good but not as 'special' as the Scooby felt.

 

I always got a buzz from the Impreza - after some geometry work (including bump-steer removal) the understeer was far less pronounced, and actually found it pretty adjustable at the back with a bit of trail braking. This wasn't McCrae type stuff!

 

The cliches seem to be that 205s spit you into a hedge after giving you an orgasm, and Impreza will bore you to death until you stuff it - but the truth is they are both fairly twitchy but still quite safe.

[Mad Scientist 106]

I had a UK turbo Impreza like that. It was an MY99 model in dark blue mica. I loved it dearly!

 

I would have to agree they are a bit easy to drive and quite clinical, but it sounds like that is what you want. Rest assured, if you prod them a bit they can be very entertaining as i'm sure you remember! I certainly remember losing it at Curborough and banging the sill up an inch!

 

I spent a lot of money getting mine to around 320bhp. (Bear in mind things were dearer back then!)

 

In the end, I put it back to standard, since it was plenty on the back roads.

 

The price of the Scoobs is so low now you can get a really good one for not much cash. Just make sure it has FSH with the belts done.

[maturin23 10]

Whatever I get it will need to be a compromise - I know I won't get the same palpitations that I get on the rare occasions I'm driving the Pug or the 7 without passengers down a country road, but I'm trying to avoid the palpitations I'd get if I got a call from the wife stuck somewhere with the kids in a non-starting car!

 

I'm obviously thinking on similar lines to you MS in terms of current value, maybe I'm kidding myself but a nice standard UK Turbo shouldn't drop much over the next few years.

[mainline 2 1 Cars]

I am gonna suggest something that breaks one of your rules straight away, but after owning one, I would not rule it out.

 

The Honda Integra Type R DC2.

 

More fun to drive than the 205 GTI. More adjustable too thanks to the LSD.

 

The best seats in any standard vehicle that I have ever sat in. Supportive, comfortable and tactile at the same time.

 

Utterly completely reliable. Mine needed a set of rear suspension bushes in two years and 25000 miles. That is reliability.

 

Economical (if a little dull) below 5250 rpm. Tantalisingly quick over 5250 rpm right up to 9000. And the good thing about the VTEC is that becuase you need to make a conscious effort to extract all the acceleration and noise, it always feels special when you do.

 

Proper hydraulic steering which means you can park it no problem, but you can feel every treadblock when you lean on it through a tight corner.

 

Only problems are a little bit of susceptibility to rust on the rear arches (only on the UK one), the slightly bland interior (but you were thinking about an Impreza anyway) and the noise intrusion on long trips (turn up the stereo).

 

Overall, it was a joy after the VX220 because it was so easy to live with, so I would say after having an MI16, that you would find it a similar ownership proposition.

 

Also, if you want a free de-cat pipe, give me a shout!

[AJA_GTi 0]

Economical (if a little dull) below 5250 rpm. Tantalisingly quick over 5250 rpm right up to 9000. And the good thing about the VTEC is that becuase you need to make a conscious effort to extract all the acceleration and noise, it always feels special when you do.

 

I drove a modified JMD 'teg' when my mate was running an import business and it sure was fun on cam. Surprisingly big boot too cos of the hatch so practical for a coupe

 

 

[Baz 421]

Evo?

[AJA_GTi 0]

Evo?

 

 

^^^+1 (evo 6 GSR )

[Alan_M 66 1 Cars]

Out of interest, whats the reliability like on Impreza's and consequently what are they like to work on (DIYable?/Parts availability?).

 

I'm surprised you've discounted an E36, as even 325s are dirt cheap now. 328s are a credible performance car still, and with an easy swop of the inlet another 20bhp can be gained.

[screwloose 6]

3rd cylinder BANG!

[MrG 3]

what type of car does she want? Weird question I know but she may not want a rally rep like a bewinged EVO!

 

Those scoobies though, and the early Evo's are pretty good, they look unassuming to which is on their side however bloody awful interiors, all plastic and quite horrid looking (my opinion only!). But why not hunt down an e36 M3 saloon? 3.0 in Avus Blue or Daytona violet.

[Richy_cti 0]

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/classifieds/1882839.htm

 

its slightly moddified but i know the guy selling it and the garage that just done all the work to it and its bomb proff and they owner hasent put it over 3000rpm since the re-build eather

it does have an aftermarket s/s sytem and dump valve, est 310-320 bhp hasent been roaded yet.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Richy_cti

[maturin23 10]

My plan is that the car will be 'mine' most of the time, but she'lll need to drive it if I need to visit clients by car - 45 mpg at 80 in the Focus v 25 mpg in a Subaru. I work locally so I'm not too fussed about local MPG.

 

Deb is an excellent driver, and she'd love another Subaru. When I mentioned my thoughts at the weekend she was very pleased - she used to rag that proverbials off the one we had in Holland. She did imply that she'd be keen to grab it for day-to-day use, but if I do get one she can fight me for it.

 

Evos are too pricey, plus (along with JDM Imprezas and DC2 Type Rs) they are just too 'ricer' for me/Deb. Great cars to drive (all of them) though,

.

I like the pipe-and-slippers look, and a very tidy very standard UK Impreza in dark blue or green looks a little more that way for me.

 

Plus *that* exhaust note...

 

edited to add: Thanks Richy - did see that and thought it looked tidy - but I'm focussing on 'cherished' UK MY99 or MY00 models.

Edited July 26, 2010 by maturin23

[AJA_GTi 0]

But why not hunt down an e36 M3 saloon? 3.0 in Avus Blue or Daytona violet.

 

...With light grey leather - classy, reliable and quick

 

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1838021.htm

 

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1793716.htm

[maturin23 10]

Pure and simply because if I want a decent sub-100k with FSH car I'll be looking at 5k minimum. I don't want to buy a project!

 

I've seen some very tidy UK Imprezas with similar mileage and provenance for about 3k.

 

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1882311.htm - this is lovely for instance - but this whole exercise is about pulling as much cash as I can out of my garage for two or three years and putting it to work. Hopefully then that cash will be multiplied many times and I'll be able to start building up a proper collection of retro cars

Edited July 26, 2010 by maturin23

[Anthony 1,003]

Doesn't meet the "not FWD" criteria, but Accord Type-R? Superb drive, 2.2 VTEC with LSD as standard (AFAIK), pretty much bomb-proof, and get one without an ironing board on that back and it is distinctly pipe-and-slippers looks wise and doesn't attract the unwanted attention a Scooby can/does...

[MrG 3]

plus they're not cheap to run, you need proper servicing with an M derived car to keep them at their peek and many have been owned or fallen into the hands of those that can ill afford to do so. Regardless of what some say you need to have the proper services done and the clearences for the valves sorted correctly every 18mth/2 years.

[omega 82]

omega elite

all the bells and whistles

cheap to buy

cheap parts

and they look a bit like a scooby [if you squint a bit]

but the best bit nobody will try to nick it

[mainline 2 1 Cars]

If you want stealth, performance, RWD and reliability then how about a Lexus IS300.

 

They are quite rare, I have only ever seen a couple, but just did a quick look on PH and found a few, all were under £5k. Not sure what the exact performance stats are, but I remember they were a lot quicker than the IS200, with a sub 7 second 0-60 from the manual model, plus all the toys that you get with any Lexus, plus the reliability. Nice noise from the straight six too.

 

I ran an IS200 for a few months, and it was great, just criminally underpowered.

 

Might be worth a look.

[Russell_ds80 3]

subaru is the way forward. they need looking after but if you get a good one to start with then it should be fine. im getting one as soon as i can afford to insure one. i work in a garage and my boss worked at subaru for 10 years so he knows pretty much everything there is to now about them. so id go for a subaru.

[zebedy101 0]

I drove an Lexus Ls 430 a few months back, my god I was'nt expecting the performance it had, put your foot down and bam watch the clocks spin round. I would'nt personally own a Lexus though they are boring and a little to grown up for my liking.

 

You could look at a Celica GT4 lower insurance than the Subaru, 4 wheel drive, 2.0 turbo and 255bhp out of the can. I have been banging on about them for ages becuase they are so often over looked when thinking about this type of thing. In my eyes they look way better than the Subaru and will have similar running costs etc... But bang for buck, very reliable and great fun. The Mrss could drive it without worry too and have some fun. Obviously put some standard wheels on it aswell.

 

http://www.spectrum-imports.co.uk/photoarc...ives/1135_c.JPG

 

I know it's a little outside the box and probably of no interest but hey it's worth a look......

[Baz 421]

...With light grey leather - classy, reliable and quick

 

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1838021.htm

 

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1793716.htm

 

Neither of which are the much classier, less ''look at me i'm an M3-driving cock'' saloons like Andrew suggested!

[Anthony 1,003]

Neither of which are the much classier, less ''look at me i'm an M3-driving cock'' saloons like Andrew suggested!

To be fair, I'm not convinced that the E36 M3 has an image any worse than early Scooby's or Evo's...

[welshpug 1,657]

I'd be inclined to agree with Anthony! I'd certainly have one for that engine note

 

The subaru one doesn't really do it for me, it grates after a while! I'd be on the lookout for an equal length manifold!!