zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
For $8,000, Could This 1999 Subaru Impreza RS Be Your Franken-Sti?
For $8,000, Could This 1999 Subaru Impreza RS Be Your Franken-Sti?-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:56

The seller of today’s Subaru RS ends his ad with the plea to please not waste his time. I don’t think we’ll bother him at all deciding if his price for this Subie is RS-ting.

There was an odd atmosphere hanging over the discussion of yesterday’s . On one hand it was a well-kitted longroof from a venerated marque that arguably was the literal melding of sport and utility, all seemingly well presented, warts and all. On the other hand, it was a new enough Bimmer to be appreciably complicated, and yet one that was old enough for those complications to very likely have, well, complications.

That all added up to a lack of certainty around its disposition, and in the end a frustratingly narrow 53 percent Nice Price win.

Still a win is a win, and in a similar apothegm it should be pointed out that a Subaru is a Subaru. It’s not every car maker that carves out so unique a niche as has that particular Japanese car maker, and then had ongoing success maintaining its carvery.

That’s been the case with Subaru, whose AWD and boxer engines have defined the marque for decades. Beloved by both flannel-wearers and rally wannbes alike, their cars have also gained a rep for their parts interchangeability, which leads us to today’s candidate, .

As a prime example of that plug and playability, this car started life as an RS Coupe with a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four. That wasn’t all that bad a car straight out of the barn. Now it’s… well, it’s had things done to it. Perhaps the most notable of those is the 1996 EJ20G turbo motor now calling the car home. Those originally ran in the WRX where they made somewhere around 200-bhp depending on year and specific edition. The seller says the engine in the car has 90K on the clock.

There’s twice that amount on the body, however that same body has had it’s own share of upgrades, updates, body shapes, scoops and grates, all of which are on display for you to contemplate. I’m not going to delve into the details—hell, the seller won’t even do that, instead including the long list as a couple of iPhone from what are likely a previous seller’s ad.

What we will discuss is the paint, which is appreciably new, but apparently not great. We should also address the aftermarket (ABW in front, VIS in back) fender flares wrapped around a set of gold Rotas. Those, along with various scoops and wings makes the car appreciably badass in its appearance.

We don’t get any shots of the interior, but the seller notes that it shows signs of the 199,000 miles that it has travelled. There’s a CEL on the dash, which the seller says is related to some cold starting issues he’s not interested in addressing. It also exhibits an airbag light as the quick release steering wheel lacks an airbag. The stock wheel with its airbag comes along with the car though. In fact, there are enough extra parts offered up with this Subie that the seller recommends binging another car just to haul them all home. No making two trips for you, buddy!

Other negative nancys include a trunk that doubles as a fish tank when it rains, a clutch master cylinder that hates its life, oil leaks (hey, it’s a Subaru), and coilovers that are—yep—so over.

Yeah, it’s a mad monster party of a car, but damn if it doesn’t look pretty sweet from 10-feet. Now imagine that sitting in your driveway, how much would you pay for that view? The asking price for the car, the parts and the problems is $8,000. Would you pay that much to get RS-ted?

You decide!

Boston MA , or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to Sam Bonacci for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a fixed-price tip, and remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
According to its seller, today’s Nissan 4X4 shows “pride of ownership.” Let’s see if it would take swallowing one’s pride to pay its asking price. Opinions were split on how well the design of yesterday’s has held up over the years. Some of you commented that the design still...
May 14, 2025
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Let’s cut right to the chase: buying a is not a good idea unless you have deep enough pockets for the upkeep. For those not in the know, they’re sirens. They draw you in with their premium Italian image and sweet songs of and then go in for the...
May 14, 2025
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
One of the calling cards of today’s Plymouth Colt is its “Twin Stick” overdrive gear change, which gives the car eight speeds going forward and two in reverse. Let’s see if this project car has anything else to offer. Just as Goldilocks discovered when appropriating Papa Bear’s lifestyle and...
May 14, 2025
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
Today’s Mustang is being sold by a towing yard, which means it’s probably a lien sale. Let’s see if this clean title convertible is priced to put a new buyer on the hook. The general consensus on last Friday’s was that it would be the perfect car for someone...
May 14, 2025
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
The (and Tacoma) have a death grip on used values. It’s been this way for years. Go ahead, go try and buy any TRD trim that’s a couple of years old; it’ll cost you as much as a new one — not that you could buy a new one...
May 14, 2025
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
The seller of today’s Caddy claims they should be selling it at auction but says who’s got time for that? Let’s see if we have the time for this custom convertible at its non-auction price. Many of you agreed that the $950 asked for yesterday’s was “chump change.” Even...
May 14, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved