2004 MY05 STI Questions
 

Hey guys

im new to the wrx thing and am currently trying to sell my current car to buy one. iv been looking around in perth and there isn't too much to offer but i have found a 2004 MY05 STI that im pretty interested in....just a few noob questions....

are there any common issues with this year of STI, what should i look for if so? the guy says he has had it since new pretty much and has the oil changed every 5000k's yada yada yada. im still to go check it out but i will be going this week some time.

its got a few mods like:
verso tune
TBE
CAI
Lowered Coils

and thats it i think so pretty common mods i think, all i would do to it is put some coilovers in it so i can go nice and low, throw some nice wheels on it and its set :)

thanks for any info you guys can provide

cheers

dan

MY05's are arguably the most sought after STIs....

My advice would be to take it to a Subaru specialist for an inspection....Stechnic/ ASG etc...

yeah that would be the safest way to go about it...are any of these garages more preferred over the rest? iv heard of ASG and Stechnic, theres also ova boost i think and maximum motorsports?

Hi there all i can offer is my experience whatever you do check the car properly either get a mechanic or take it to a shop to make sure it hasn't been thrashed and if theres anything wrong with the gearbox,clutch ect. Its a no go i had to learn the hard way with my car because i didn't get it checked. As for the year/make im not sure of any issues hope this helped:)

Its a Sti with mods.

At some point it will have been thrashed. Do not live under the dream that someone who owns a Sti has never belted the thing.

Make sure it has been maintained and you will be fine.

thanks for your input...the clutch has just been replaced and new tyres have been put on....im pretty mechanically minded so if anything stands out or there are some weird noises ill be able to pick it but i really do like the idea of taking it to a shop that specialises in these STI's so they can have a good look over it and see what condition its in.

yeah i understand that someone thats spent some money on mods is obviously gonna put their foot in it every now and then...i would do the same thing, but maintenance is key, theres a difference between thrashing something and occasionally giving it some haha

ill definitely be going that route if i'm happy with how it is this week, when i see it. fingers crossed i can sell my car and this checks out fine haha i could be the new proud owner of a MY05 STI :):)

Welcome to Perth-WRX.

Seeing as you're in Morley, I'd suggest you get it taken to MMS for a check up as they specialise in Subaru's. Unless, ofcourse the car is SOR then as mentioned S-Technic would be your best go.

the car is about 25mins from my house but he does get it serviced at maximum motorsports so im sure he would be happy to cruise it down for a check up :) ill have a word with him about it when i see him

I'm pretty sure I went to see the same car you are looking at. Crystal grey with sunroof? If so then...

My comments on inspection;

- It has an ECUtek tune, not a Verso tune.
- The body is in OK condition, but it does need some TLC in my opinion. Front bar has some paint removed near the bonnet, I was suspicious of how this would have happened, you'll see what I mean if you have a look. Few dings here and there
- Rims have bad gutter rash, pretty much all of them
- Interior is below average. Front seat bolster is completely worn. I couldn't live with it - but I'm anal about my cars, might be OK for others.
- Sunroof is a great gimmick.
- He couldnt remember if it had an upgraded fuel pump or not. (A common upgrade when doing tune, zorst etc)

The guy is a great bloke, but you get the impression he is not a Subaru enthusiast.

On the test drive I felt it wasn't quite 'right' Call it gut feel, but it just didn't have the pull of a well sorted car, lag was hideous from a 'tuned' car. I would have expected better.

It may well be a good car, but my gut instinct said hold off and wait for another.

The guy is dead keen to offload it too, so if you really wanted it you may get it for a good price.

Cheers
Zombee

How many k's
and basically get under it
and look for diff leaks, esp rear
and if your keen,check the heads/block, a small hairline fracture isnt unheard of and can knock a couple of g of the price if its still a go
check underbody, signs of heaps of offroad, crash damage
and just anything out of the ordinary
Also look out for clutchs and damaged syncros