to buy or not to buy ?
 

gday all
ive been looking around for a wrx and found a few i like. i have a non turbo forester and after driving the wrx's i was blown away by everything about them. I have to choose between 2 of them now, one a 2001 black hatch, and the 2nd a 97 white hatch. the black one is stock with average kays, the white one has a few things done to it with average kays also. should i be worried about a 97 model being almost 10 years old now or do these cars live forever if looked after properly ? Need people opinions and advice.

Cheers

i would go for the 2001 model. bit newer nicer interior, less problems

i was in the same boat a couple months ago and i decided to go for the bugeye hatch. It is heavier and the bugeye aint as pretty but like above post, they are newer and probably a bit more refined.
If your after track work and stuff, go the lighter 97 model

Ive always liked to buy my vehicle's standard and work them from there, that way you can guage what everything has done as you have modified it.

If there is no reason you'd choose a GC8 over the other models then just buy the newer one, it only makes sense to me (newer and improved).

But i also only like GC8's and not really any of the newer ones (biased). Weight for me is also an issue

New = fat (heavy, with same engine 2L = more to push), stiffer from factory + wider (aint shit you can really do about that for a gc8 besides a 22b kit and lots of money to get the wheels further out)

Old = light (at least i know the sedan is, infact the MY00 STI weigh's 10kg less the a FC RX7!).

[QUOTE=SilentKilla]New = fat (heavy, with same engine 2L = more to push), stiffer from factory + wider (aint shit you can really do about that for a gc8 besides a 22b kit and lots of money to get the wheels further out)
[/QUOTE]
Just a few things to consider:

The 2001 hatch is NOT as wide as the corresponding 2001 sedan.
It also has the same gearbox ratios as the GC8 WRX's ie old 3.9 diff ratio, heavier and with the same KW as the 00 GC8, which is why its the slow fattie of the WRXES.

Everyday driver = buy the 2001 Hatch.

Trackwork/MC's/Sprints = get the cheap 97 Hatch and mod the shit out of it.
Even if the engine goes pop or gearbox goes bang, there are many cheap parts around these days. :)

J

I loved my old 98 wrx light and went very well but when i bought this one i needed somthing that was going to not give me any problems, somthing newer and i really do like the newer looking interiors.. makes it feel newer. ok car is a bit heavier but damn i dont do track work so dont really care.

well i would go the GC8 i guess for more looks than anything else. but i believe you can get a conversion kit for the front of the old bugeye model to make it look like the peanut 1. i guess it all comes down to what you like the look of and how much money you have to/ want to spend on it later. if you dont like the look of the bugeye then dont get it coz you will almost certainly get rid of it not long after and i guess its applies the other way too. also what things have been done to the car...mods. i think simple mods such as pods, front mount and air induction and even computer upgrades are good. as the other guys have mentioned, the newer 1 would be the more sensible choice, but as i said i would go the GC8...

LoL ndfourspd, who said we are sensible? :D

Why do people buy Sprinters and S13's, etc.

People with some money that is, not barrel scrapers.

yer dont wanna spend more than 30k including trade in so im thinking the 01 wagon. cheers for the help

[QUOTE=SilentKilla]LoL ndfourspd, who said we are sensible? :D

Why do people buy Sprinters and S13's, etc.

People with some money that is, not barrel scrapers.[/QUOTE]

hahaha yeah sorry silentkilla......my bad! i know i just spent alot on mine and still got a few more $$$$ before its where i want it to be! and dont ask......theres only 1 way to find out hahaha......