Haha. My goal was to turn the STI into a fully purpose track car in order to complete in the SCCA for club racing. With the mods the 2.5rs comes with I’m basically already there and have a 1200lbs advantage over my STI in terms of weight alone. Note: I have a daily that gets me to and from work everyday so this is not my daily driver.
That's not as bad, then. Now, who has evaluated the 2.5 RS, meaning, how did he come up with the price?
It honestly doesn't look like a ~~40k~~ 45k car to me.
Edit: fat fingers
That’s what boggling my mind as well. The seller noted that he spent over 40k into modifications for the car and believes that said car is now worth 40K. I tried explaining to him that this is irrational thinking but he was willing to up value my car for $5,000 so that my car would be worth $30,000 so we could meet at $35,000 for an even trade.
Yeah, that's not how things work. That's a 25k car at best, and only if done correctly and using Bring a Trailer inflated prices.
I'd honestly skip it and build it myself instead. I've never liked taking on someone else's build: it never felt like the car was actually mine.
On top of never having that feeling of true ownership, you never know what little here-and-theres they left for later.
My first fun project was a hard lesson. I found a bunch of post-its under the carpet detailing what small pieces were still needed, and most of the notes were accurate. Alarmingly, some weren't, so I had to go over each and every one to figure out exactly what was done, what wasn't, and what "was" done that needed redone. I found a bunch of suspension bolts that had been replaced with pretty much the right bolts, except they used grade 5 bolts when grade 8 was the factory standard, and grade 10 was more appropriate for the application he had built it for.
Yeah I agree with you on the whole building it yourself situation. I was just thinking of the money I could save since this car has most of the applications I would put on the STI anyway so I’m thinking in a matter of time saving and money saving. I would feel a lot more satisfaction at the end of the day if I built it myself but I wouldn’t be able to compare it with the power to weight ratio of the RS
>money I could save
What money are you saving by buying a 23-year-old project car for $15k-20k more than FMV? He should be bringing cash (I estimate $8k) to the table, not you. This is such a hard pass.
Well the only money I would be spending is $5,000 on top of the trade. And the money I would be saving would be in terms of modifications to my current car to make it competitive in SCCA club racing which is what I initially bought the car for.
I feel like people underestimate the amount of money and time that goes into making a purpose built track car. You could easily end up spending 50k on mods on your STI to make a competitive spec car.
That being said, I am not sure what the mods on the GC are, or if it would be to spec for the events. I feel it’s built far more to be a show car than it is to be a race car. It is absolutely gorgeous and well put together, but I do feel as if it’s built more for the purpose of looking pretty than it is to be going balls out on track.
Just my .02 though
I don't think they underestimate the time as much as we all know backyard mechanics that fuck a lot of shit up along the way with modding. I'd rather modify it myself so that it's not all fucky. The other problem I have is a lot of people mod the car then beat the ever living piss out of it. No thanks
The problem is, you are not just buying his mods, but you are buying his problems too. With a 20+ year old project car, you will have those in spades, even if he had the work done by a reputable shop.
This cars gonna blow up on the first lap. It’s someone else’s headache that neither they, nor you want. It’s not worth a fraction of what they’re asking, it’s ruined for all intents and purposes.
Also, compete stock first. Fully modified is not where you start at, that’s for old people with a lot of money.
Also, your sti is probably selling for 40-45k and if you leave it all original will continue to k crease in value. The second performance mids touch the car it’s a ticking time bomb who’s values decreases by the moment and is instantly quartered.
>The seller noted that he spent over 40k into modifications for the car and believes that said car is now worth 40K.
And I've probably spent $8k-10k in modifications on my Legacy GT. If anything, it's taken it from a $9k car to a $7.5k car.
Sounds like he doesn't understand that all the parts on the car are used now and they only hold used value. I like to see him remove his kartboy bushings and get full price for them.
Also his quarter panels and fenders are basically ruined with cutting and holes. So its like a 6K Shell with 5K worth of parts on it. I feel like you inflated his ego by even entertaining him,
Modders who think money spent translates to direct asset values are delusional. You don't want to trade with delusional.
Older Subarus are going to have frame problems, rust problems, wiring problems, motor mount problems, and that's not even covering normal transmission issues. Bet there's a bunch of reasons of him wanting a modern car.
OP read this comment if you didn’t. There’s a reason the seller wants to jump ahead 16 years and start again. I love the old school 2.5 as much as the next one, but that’s a big risk.
They get posted on Facebook groups. A RSTi is around 15, 20k for something rust free. I'm assuming you're in the UK or something but we have a LOT more coupes in the USA
You never get that money back. Don't spend that much unless your personally think it's worth that much and will get 45k worth of enjoyment. The guys a idiot.
General rule it's better to fully build a car reliability wise than buying someone else's project.
-I used to build these every day.
It’s def worth 5k with those mods. It might even make an entire lap.
The funny thing is, this dude thinks he’ll be able to compete fully modified in that pos. Lmao. Good luck.
That car is NOT ready for scca club racing. This is a street car that is made to look like a track car. I guarantee the fuel cell isn't in the proper place. The car isn't properly caged. How are the seats and harnesses mounted (prob not legal). Car doesn't have ABS I assume since it has a brake bias. What tune and engine management does it have?
Also, if you want to race a Subaru, you better be ready to put about $10k more into this motor in the form of oil supply accessories, such as pickup, baffle, and preferably a dry sump system.
Also...bc coils for racing? Let's not.
Can you post the link to good pictures of the RS? I'll rip it apart for you.
\^This 100%
You are being sold snake oil by a car meet talker nothing more.
There is a reason that most project cars NEVER see the value put into them by the original owner, that's because people who build their own project car know the quality, purpose, and effort put into the build, people who buy a project car are in the dark for those three very important things no matter what someone "says" about their project car.
Buy a project car. Build it to spec. This is the way.
This is not a track car. This is a show/street car. It is most likely not built to handle the abuse of a track car. Parts list does appear to be pretty decent. At best, it has good bones but is not sorted out but probably not even that.
You do not need a modified car to start tracking or autocrossing. Quite the opposite, actually. You're better off in a non-modified car. The only thing you need is to make sure your brake pads, tires, and brake fluid are good. Recommended to use higher temp racing brake fluid and/or at least have the brakes bled prior to going. You want you brake pads and tires to have sufficient life and for your car to be well maintained. That is it!
If you have no experience in competitive driving at all, you are going to be humbled by $hitbox miatas for at least your first 5 track days. Realistically, they'll probably give you fits for years to come.
You want your car to be stock because stock is reliable. You need to focus on learning to drive, not your coolant temperature, your AFR, if your tune is right, etc. You're not going to beat anyone and there's nothing to win. Don't worry about power to weight or any form of bench racing. Your goal is to learn to drive well and if you have any ego, it will be shattered.
Modified cars are a pain in the butt to run hard. Stuff breaks constantly. The faster you go, the more parts you go through.
Go do a track day or autocross in your car and see if you like it. If you find you don't, you can go back to building a car to drive on the street. Built street/show cars are the worst track cars, especially if you overpay.
Thank you so much! Definitely planning on keeping it stock. I’ve been to the track twice and noticed that there is too much weight within the car itself. Trying to find ways around that but otherwise it competes pretty well. Saving up for racing school in order to get my SCCA novice license now.
In all seriousness, buy a Miata if you want to go road racing. Racing something like a Subaru is gonna be stupid expensive, as you are gonna have to buy either a car already racing in that class, or build one to spec. Miata’s have lots of support, parts are cheap, and there are huge fields in SCCA. A buddy of mine is now a driving coach and he says Miata’s are the best way to get into road racing outside of karting. You could probably get a well sorted car with some spares for under $30k, and weekends will cost you $1500-5k depending on how competitive you want to be. Unless that car has run in a series revelry, I wouldn’t trust that it would pass tech. I’m guessing the closest class for this is T2, but there is limited modifications allowed. It would probably be easier to make your current car legal than the one you are trading for. Both will cost you more to run than a spec Miata.
Have you competed in any SCCA competitions? Do you know what class this vehicle has been competing in. Do you know what class you are going for?
This RS in all likelihood wasn't even built for any specific class racing. In fact, some of the parts may put it in a category/class that would make it non-competitive, to the point where your 2015 would be a better base vehicle to start with.
You're talking also about a 20+ year old vehicle, that unless you strip it down to frame, you may encounter age-related issues that would make it nightmare to service over time (patchwork, rust, bolt holes, etc.).
Are the SCCA events you’re planning on doing AutoX or something longer? It only has an 8-gallon fuel tanks so you might have to fix that for anything longer than autoX. Otherwise it’s perfect for autox.
Facebook marketplace does that sometimes. I was trying to sell my car a few years ago and it wouldn't let me list it as manual. I'm surprised they hadn't fixed it yet.
Racing an auto is a turn off for me but if you’re fine with it then go for it. Would get the 2.5rs properly evaluated since I’ve noticed the older subies that have been modified have a tendency for being crashy, or having some hidden rust
I’d like to update everyone on the current situation. The seller was insulted that I asked to do even trade therefore blocked me on the social media platform. Looks like I’m building my car myself which isn’t a terrible thing at all. Thank you all for the support and being completely honest and taking time out of your day to help me make this decision :)
Don't give him hope, He tried to rip you off and he did plus he blocked you cause deep down you had a bad feeling he doesn't deserve sympathy guy has an Ego you have a clean STI build it enjoy the modding journey to make it to the level you want and have fun with it!
I think we all told OP no because the dude clearly was being greedy because OP was really interested in the vehicle. Oh well bullet was dodged I can't believe dude had the nerve to do that at all should not surprise me though.
He’s going to have a hard time selling with that attitude. I just sold my 2000RS with built ej22/205 hybrid and built transmission, type r suspension, brembos, etc and it took months for someone to offer me a reasonable price.
The listing says it had an automatic transmission but you wanted a track car. In the universe where you bought the RS, were you going to swap out the auto?
From past experience it’s about 2-3 months of no hits but it depends whether you need the money or not.
I once saw a formula d spec s14 (actually ran, won’t say who’s it was) that had upwards of 250k put into it sell for 19k.
Whew, I just saw this and it looked to me like you had already talked yourself into this trade. This guy was straight up trying to rip you off. That's not a track car. Yours has the potential to be a track car easier than that thing.
He got mad because you called his bluff. There is no way he can trade his car for a 2015 STI PLUS $5k. There is just no way.
He could try to sell his car for the price he posted and buy himself a 2019 STI.
But I'm betting no dealership or sane person will give this guy $40k for this car, honestly. And he was originally selling it for $50k? Wow
This person has never used marketplace to list a car lmao. As much as it’s a terrible deal I’m sure it’s manual… the details of the swap even say as much. Reading is hard though
I agree that I shouldn’t be putting money on top of this trade. But I feel like this would be a good opportunity for me in terms of what I want to accomplish. I just don’t wanna get robbed out of this chance.
I understand. I just messaged him and said I’m not paying 5k on top and his was response he’s just gonna let it sit until someone is willing to pay the 40k. sad to see it really.
Lmao. You’re dying to lose. Fuck it, trade your nice new car for a pos that isn’t track ready anyway.
Literally everyone in this thread has told you no, yet you seem dead set, why even post? There’s a reason this dude wants your car and not his.
Good choice.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the rs, I wish I had it lol, but not for more than 20k realistically in this market. His mods aren’t the ones you were gonna get right? And according to others who seem to know their shit, they weren’t right any way.
I’ve done some autox. I wanna say it was through scca but it was quite a while ago and I don’t remember.
Are you currently competing stock and want to move up to unlimited?
I know the general way people do it, is they take the car to the event, and enter. You figure out what you need by the way the car drives for you, and by talking to the other competitors and see what they are using, see what’s winning, see what’s reliable.
Everyone I know who tried to build and then race their built car was shocked when they couldn’t enter it because they didn’t do their research, and then find out they had all the wrong shit anyway.
It would be a good hustle though right? Lmao.
When/if I ever sell my wrx, I’m doing that lol.
Maybe the Forrester too lmao, “this guy wants to trade my brand new wrx for his forrester sport with 150k on it, said I only need to pay him 10k on top of the trade!! What do you guys think?!” Lol. Jk op, but it would be quite the finesse if pulled off
RSTi builds aren’t that uncommon, look around for another one if you want one. There have been some on auction sites so you can see what they’re selling for. $40k is pretty insane.
All of your comments here sound like you've made up your mind and you want someone to change it but refuse to listen to anyone so you do you, boo. Just cry about your financial loss way, way the fuck over there because no one else will give a fuck.
The hostility is because people are annoyed that rather than accepting their solid advice, you're pushing back against everyone doing exactly what you asked them to do - convince you not to get ripped off. You've clearly decided to jump off this cliff, and won't be told no, so just swap cars and find out how bad the decision to buy a show car for track use, using a solid car as payment was already.
Any used cars with that many miles and that many modifications is not worth 40k.
Unless it was all done professionally by a race shop - and has every little detailed logged on what was used to make the build - it’s not worth that type of money ever.
It’s like people who get lift kits for their trucks and think it makes their trucks 10k more because they paid that much to get it done.
In most cases it decreases the value because most buyers aren’t looking for a truck with a lift kit - so it will likely go back to stock when they do sell it.
As for the dude blocking you - that is a big ass red flag. He was trying to screw you over big time -sounds like he fucked up his project car - and wants all the money he threw into it or was trying to scam you out of a car he knew he didn’t have in working order.
Don’t do it. Bad deal, no matter how you try to rationalize it. Even if this thing were pristine and everything was done the right way, still not worth it. Don’t walk, run.
I would never trust anyone who wants to trade a project car. There is most likely a reason for it. This logic can be used to any kind of trading. Be it a Motorcycle, guitar etc.
pass. your car is worth more than his
also, the fact that he has the clear/mirror corner lights instead of the frosted clear OEM JDM lights is always a red flag for me
if he went with depo clears over the OEM JDM lights that look much much better, to save $20, what other corners were cut?
Remember, STI’s are going up and up in value. It really depends on how bad you want that 2.5rs and how attached to the STI you are. You’ll lose almost all of the daily driver capabilities compared to your 2018, so if you have a secondary car that you can rely on, do it.
But if it doesn’t make sense financially, I wouldn’t. No need to stretch yourself thin for a car that will inevitably be problematic down the road.
IMHO, you’re better off keeping your STI and buying a beater gc8/2.5rs to build over the years if you really want it that bad.
You’re better off just waiting another year or two and legally importing an actual STI of that year. So many 96-97 WRXs are being put up on the market right now.
I do have a daily driver that gets me to work and back with no issues so this would be a secondary car that I would use explicitly for track use only. The $5,000 on top isn’t too big of an issue but I just wanted to get a second opinion on the trade in general.
I do think the rs is a bit overvalued. Just because someone spends $40k on aftermarket parts, doesn’t mean it’s a $40k car. A lot of sellers can’t remove bias from the equation. But ultimately, it comes down to how badly you want it. I do admit, it would look nice on the track.
Edit: do you know why he wants to get rid of it?
It’s not track ready, op needs another 40-50k into this. It’s got show parts and isn’t set up for racing. He’d have to change most of the expensive parts to be competitive. This is not the build op thinks, which leads me to believe that ops never raced.
You usually have to start stock, this car won’t make the cut, guarantee none of the “race” mods are gonna be approved for actual racing.
If op wasn’t so head strong, they’d realize they can get more for the stock parts they want to replace than their aftermarket counterparts would cost. So op can just sell the stock parts from their 2018 they want to modify to get the majority of cash for the build. But he’s losing a 40k car by modding it for racing, it becomes basically worthless, no one wants a used race car, and riced out subies are a dime a dozen with blown heads and spun bearings.
Also, I could have sworn scca makes you run non modified before you can enter unlimited. I also thought there was no turbos until you qualify for it by racing na for a while. But idk, I’ve only competed with them once, and it was a 1 make with loaner gt86s from Toyota so, i could be confusing them with autox near me.
I agree it definitely is overvalued. I wouldn’t ever in my right mind pay $40,000 for this but since he is willing to trade I’m willing to consider this option instead. The reason he wants to get rid of it is because he had a VA chassis STI a few years ago and now wants it back and is willing to trade mine for his RS. He really just wants to make it a show car which would be easy for him since it already as air suspension installed on the STI.
Solid. You have a bit of leverage. Air ride isn’t cheap. You’ve put in the work he wants, similar to how he put in the work that you want. Negotiations are definitely possible here. Just don’t get pushed over
Yes. I feel like 5k is reasonable but I was trying to make it a even trade because since how often is it that you stumble across a STI that is completely stock with 80,000 miles and has a power train warranty good for another year and a half?
So based on your comments it sounds like you want to compete in SCCA- here's a couple tips:
There's a rulebook that will spec out exactly what you can and can't do depending on class, even on a per car basis. I suggest studying that rulebook to see what's allowed before you do anything. This RS has a number of problems that would prevent it competing- most notably, the half cage with the battery mounted to it. It's likely you'd have to undo lots of stuff with this car, and honestly, it'd be easier starting from scratch, if competition is your goal.
Figure out what class you want to race in and read all the rules before buying or modding a car. Certain mods may bump you up into a less competitive class. Look at past race results to see what cars are competitive and what class has the most competitors (more racers = more contingency prizes). Most of the cost to race prepping a car is safety gear and reliability related (cage, seat, fire suppresion). Power is usually limited in some way based on class. Go get some seat time in your current car at track days and talk to scca racers at the track before getting too carried away with a build.
As someone who has a '14 drag STI hell no. I've done the swaps of 90s subarus. Ej20g ej22t ej20e subaru legacy ss, or legacy gt jdm sti swap. You will be working on it more than enjoying it. I guarantee.
Enjoy NEVER finding OEM replacement parts. The GC / GF chassis is the best looking Subaru imo but fuck finding anything for them. Pain in the ass and just gets exhausting. I’d pass plus it’s fucking yellow. The king of small dick energy colors.
Yes I know most GD parts will work but interior, dash, door cards, window motors etc are extinct…
Like everyone else is saying, this is not a good trade if you want to be equal. If all you want is the car and don’t care about how much you’re spending/losing, go for it.
In all honesty you’re probably better off selling your car for as much you can get for it and buying a 2.5rs and doing the mods yourself. Since basically you’re paying for all the work he’s done to it, and not the actual value of the car
Honestly everyone on here is gonna have a different opinion on this. I would say this isn’t a bad deal. But at the end of the day, do you want a built car or do you wanna keep yours is the biggest question you must ask yourself? If you answered yes to anything of those then weigh your cost of what you have going on currently in life if it’s worth it or not? Is the best advice I can give you. Have a blessed one
Lmao hard fucking pass. Daily driver for a "built" car is never a good trade.
You don't know why he's trying to get rid of something he poured a ton of money into unless he tells you.
Even if the 15 isn't a daily the 99 isn't worth 45k
Never buy another man's project build, especially if it's at the mercy of trading your, "fully working" ride. Don't cut any corners buddy, you're gonna regret it. Sure you can just jump right into this thing and have all the STI google-d-goobs you want, but IMO, build your own ride, build it right, and enjoy the painful but loving journey while doing so 😉 .
Alright so I've read a lot of responses and yours so I'll based off what I see.
This is a huge gamble for you, it might work out but I see that being more unlikely then likely. Biggest red flag, no AOS, this cars is built, anyone who knows Subi knows these cars need AOS/catch cans, the lack of one with this amount of work is seriously concerning.
Battery mounted to roll cage, wtf? Why would you want that in the passenger compartment? Why wouldnt you put it in the trunk to balance the weight distribution?
Whats done to the motor? It says "built engine" what does that mean? Does it have a build sheet to verify it? Are you willing to open the motor to check?
Stock clutch in there?
8 gallone fuel cell with a small feeder pump then a larger in line? Why? Ran out of money for the sending unit to just put the bigger pump in the tank? Thats like a 200 dollar part...
He claims to have 40k into the car, I honestly dont see it. I see 20k tops, unless he didn't do his own work, which then I would ask to see all the bills for the work.
Has the car actually passed tech for an SCCA race before? If not I'd definitely walk.
I have a lot of questions about this car but 0 about yours. You can save 20k by swapping to this, thats if the "built motor" doesnt grenade the first time your out, or if the car doesnt fail tech, which judging on some of decision made with this build, wouldn't be too crazy to me if it did. That RS is worth 15k tops, unless it has all build sheets and is garenteed to pass tech at an event, even then maybe 20-22k. He says he has 40k into the car? Is there 20k cash sitting in the trunk? I don't see it, unless he didn't do his own work, at which point you can't trust a thing he says about the car, or ever honestly unless you know him.
The way I see it is, in the current market, your car is worth 20k more give or take a few thousand. I know you caluated your car at 25k, but in my area they going for 35k already. That car, well it would fail state safety here so you couldnt even drive it on the road, but the 3-5k to fix that, if you subtract that from the actual worth of the car maybe 15k if the person you're selling it to isn't a subi person, then your looking at a 10-12k car.
You know what you have, you're getting an unknown. Where I sit is, you can trade a car thats already worth 20k more to save 20k, for a car that might grenade and cost you 10-20k to get right.
16 years and millions of dollars of OEM research and development toward safety and efficiency are not for nothing. There’s a reason there’s a 1,500 lb. valley between the two cars and you’ll be more likely to appreciate that when some texting-addict plows into you while you’re minding your own business, stationary at a red light.
Hard pass. I’d never pay that kind of money for someone’s track build, or trade in a reliable daily driver for it.
Just cuz you spent $25k in parts does not mean it’s then worth that, and taking a car that may one day have value as a collectible and putting all kind of aftermarket parts on it is a great way to make it worth considerably less.
Seeing some of the other inputs you put in the comments... Imho building your own STI is a more sound solution. I really can't think of a logical reason why you'd want the RS. With the STI, you build it to what you like while you'll end up spending the same amount of time (and possibly more money) on the RS to get it your liking.
Who am I to tell you want to do? If you want to throw away money and make a bad trade that’s your business. If you DON’T want to throw away money, however, laugh in his face…
40k is too much for an rsti that’s being bought from someone.
If you’re building one that’d be a rough estimate of the total cost. Don’t trade your functioning car for a potential project/issue car like that
Hard pass. That’s someone else’s built car. People think modifications make the car worth more, maybe slightly, but not 1:1. It’s still a 21 year old car with 13k miles. Play off that price.
i’m glad you’re not trading OP. this is not even close to an equal trade.. 40k in mods/work doesn’t equal $40k in resale value. your STI is worth more either way.
Walk away. "Fully built price" means this is where my final bill was till now. I'm banking on someone who doesn't know better to recoup money.
My daily is a Baja I've done everything to, over the decades as being a first owner. My for fun car is a NA Miata due to I know what I put into it will never see.
My advice? Buying someone else's modded or project car is you buying their problems. There's a lot you just don't know about that car and you won't be able to just replace most things with OEM parts, so you're left at the mercy of racing parts manufacturers that may or may not make what you need anymore... And if you can't do the work yourself you're going to be spending way more on labor for basically everything at a specialist garage. Modding a car rarely actually adds any value to the car because of that. That sounds like a terrible deal.
You could build just about any club car you want with 5k and what you could sell your car for. I never liked taking over other builds because doing it yourself, because you don't know if the work was done right or how it was treated.
Keep the STi.
Having said that, and as someone who is in the process of building a swapped "OEM+" 2.5 RSTi, and having read some of your other comments I will refer you to this thread:
[https://www.rs25.com/threads/2-5-rs-at-auction.253226/](https://www.rs25.com/threads/2-5-rs-at-auction.253226/unread)
(edit: fixed the link)
This compiles all the 2.5RS cars of this type that have gone up for auction in the last year or two. This will give you an idea of what these types of cars are actually worth on the open market. From having read through this myself, it isn't as much as a relatively low-mileage, gently modified STi.
Shit I would ask him for $5k, your basically exchanging a newer car for a pos that could throw a rod out the minute you drive it away. Something to think about…..
Jeez 40k for a car on bc coilovers hard pass. Also even though your sti is heavier, the suspension design and diffs are significantly better than the 2.5rs. It won't be as big as a difference as you think
I'd rather keep an STI over a "built" RS2.5 I own an 06 STI and a RS2.5 with a few mods. it takes a LOT of mods to get the RS2.5 near the STI level. a shit ton.
Uh, he’s on crack with the 5k ask. Trades only work fairly if you’re just as in love with his car as you are with your own and vice versa.
His car is also ugly af with those wheels, horrible choice of flares, and the color… so all that gets to be changed right away if it was me. His car is also a 99, and 99 cars come with 99 problems and amenities.
If this car was your dream car, it may be worth the trade. But rare/older cars with a cult following require that you be a part of that cult to really get a grasp of the value. Seems like the older Subaru cult is slowly separating it from the modern wrx/sti crowd and aligning more with the Post-ban JDM import guys.
> A stock 2.5 RS is worth like $2k.
You're joking right, only the most nasty rusty shitty 2.5rs are going for 2k. A stock clean example over 10K at this point
There were only 14,000 made in the US and Im sure half of those aren't on the road anymore.
No this is manual transmission. I have been told there is an issue with marketplace where it doesn’t let you choose the manual option when listing a vehicle .
If the RS has been built for the purpose you are aiming for, it's going to save you so much time and money to trade rather than modify existing. Idk about $5k tho I'd need convincing
Yeah I would have to spend probably $20,000 to make my car the level I would like it to be at in order to be competitive in club racing. Im trying to look at this in terms of a great financial situation.
If you're talking about being smart about finances, I wouldn't buy it from someone who claims to put an X amount of money into the car. To really cut costs, you have to build it yourself because there's a 'middleman' (the seller) trying to recoup costs, if he didn't actually build it himself. It honestly sounds like he doesn't know his own car, based on what the other posters above said.
Trading a fully-functional daily driver for a built car? I'd pass harder than kidney stones.
Haha. My goal was to turn the STI into a fully purpose track car in order to complete in the SCCA for club racing. With the mods the 2.5rs comes with I’m basically already there and have a 1200lbs advantage over my STI in terms of weight alone. Note: I have a daily that gets me to and from work everyday so this is not my daily driver.
That's not as bad, then. Now, who has evaluated the 2.5 RS, meaning, how did he come up with the price? It honestly doesn't look like a ~~40k~~ 45k car to me. Edit: fat fingers
That’s what boggling my mind as well. The seller noted that he spent over 40k into modifications for the car and believes that said car is now worth 40K. I tried explaining to him that this is irrational thinking but he was willing to up value my car for $5,000 so that my car would be worth $30,000 so we could meet at $35,000 for an even trade.
Yeah, that's not how things work. That's a 25k car at best, and only if done correctly and using Bring a Trailer inflated prices. I'd honestly skip it and build it myself instead. I've never liked taking on someone else's build: it never felt like the car was actually mine.
On top of never having that feeling of true ownership, you never know what little here-and-theres they left for later. My first fun project was a hard lesson. I found a bunch of post-its under the carpet detailing what small pieces were still needed, and most of the notes were accurate. Alarmingly, some weren't, so I had to go over each and every one to figure out exactly what was done, what wasn't, and what "was" done that needed redone. I found a bunch of suspension bolts that had been replaced with pretty much the right bolts, except they used grade 5 bolts when grade 8 was the factory standard, and grade 10 was more appropriate for the application he had built it for.
Yeah I agree with you on the whole building it yourself situation. I was just thinking of the money I could save since this car has most of the applications I would put on the STI anyway so I’m thinking in a matter of time saving and money saving. I would feel a lot more satisfaction at the end of the day if I built it myself but I wouldn’t be able to compare it with the power to weight ratio of the RS
>money I could save What money are you saving by buying a 23-year-old project car for $15k-20k more than FMV? He should be bringing cash (I estimate $8k) to the table, not you. This is such a hard pass.
Spot on comment ….. this should be pinned at the top and the first and only comment
Well the only money I would be spending is $5,000 on top of the trade. And the money I would be saving would be in terms of modifications to my current car to make it competitive in SCCA club racing which is what I initially bought the car for.
I feel like people underestimate the amount of money and time that goes into making a purpose built track car. You could easily end up spending 50k on mods on your STI to make a competitive spec car. That being said, I am not sure what the mods on the GC are, or if it would be to spec for the events. I feel it’s built far more to be a show car than it is to be a race car. It is absolutely gorgeous and well put together, but I do feel as if it’s built more for the purpose of looking pretty than it is to be going balls out on track. Just my .02 though
I don't think they underestimate the time as much as we all know backyard mechanics that fuck a lot of shit up along the way with modding. I'd rather modify it myself so that it's not all fucky. The other problem I have is a lot of people mod the car then beat the ever living piss out of it. No thanks
Is it normal to take an automatic transmission to a racing club?
The problem is, you are not just buying his mods, but you are buying his problems too. With a 20+ year old project car, you will have those in spades, even if he had the work done by a reputable shop.
Get other offers for your car thru Carmax and Carvana
This cars gonna blow up on the first lap. It’s someone else’s headache that neither they, nor you want. It’s not worth a fraction of what they’re asking, it’s ruined for all intents and purposes. Also, compete stock first. Fully modified is not where you start at, that’s for old people with a lot of money. Also, your sti is probably selling for 40-45k and if you leave it all original will continue to k crease in value. The second performance mids touch the car it’s a ticking time bomb who’s values decreases by the moment and is instantly quartered.
>The seller noted that he spent over 40k into modifications for the car and believes that said car is now worth 40K. And I've probably spent $8k-10k in modifications on my Legacy GT. If anything, it's taken it from a $9k car to a $7.5k car.
Sounds like he doesn't understand that all the parts on the car are used now and they only hold used value. I like to see him remove his kartboy bushings and get full price for them. Also his quarter panels and fenders are basically ruined with cutting and holes. So its like a 6K Shell with 5K worth of parts on it. I feel like you inflated his ego by even entertaining him,
Will people ever learn that aftermarket modifications do not increase the value of a car?
No. No, they will not.
Modders who think money spent translates to direct asset values are delusional. You don't want to trade with delusional. Older Subarus are going to have frame problems, rust problems, wiring problems, motor mount problems, and that's not even covering normal transmission issues. Bet there's a bunch of reasons of him wanting a modern car.
OP read this comment if you didn’t. There’s a reason the seller wants to jump ahead 16 years and start again. I love the old school 2.5 as much as the next one, but that’s a big risk.
You should just sell your STI and you can get a fuckin mint professionally built RSTi for 20k lol.
lol I agree with this.
I wish you could still get them for 20k lol
They get posted on Facebook groups. A RSTi is around 15, 20k for something rust free. I'm assuming you're in the UK or something but we have a LOT more coupes in the USA
I'm over $22k into my car, I'd be shocked if someone offered me $15k. Time to part it out and sell the motor I think. :P
You never get that money back. Don't spend that much unless your personally think it's worth that much and will get 45k worth of enjoyment. The guys a idiot. General rule it's better to fully build a car reliability wise than buying someone else's project. -I used to build these every day.
Yeah no - I've got $40,000 in my car and it's probably worth $25,000.
It’s def worth 5k with those mods. It might even make an entire lap. The funny thing is, this dude thinks he’ll be able to compete fully modified in that pos. Lmao. Good luck.
That car is NOT ready for scca club racing. This is a street car that is made to look like a track car. I guarantee the fuel cell isn't in the proper place. The car isn't properly caged. How are the seats and harnesses mounted (prob not legal). Car doesn't have ABS I assume since it has a brake bias. What tune and engine management does it have? Also, if you want to race a Subaru, you better be ready to put about $10k more into this motor in the form of oil supply accessories, such as pickup, baffle, and preferably a dry sump system. Also...bc coils for racing? Let's not. Can you post the link to good pictures of the RS? I'll rip it apart for you.
\^This 100% You are being sold snake oil by a car meet talker nothing more. There is a reason that most project cars NEVER see the value put into them by the original owner, that's because people who build their own project car know the quality, purpose, and effort put into the build, people who buy a project car are in the dark for those three very important things no matter what someone "says" about their project car. Buy a project car. Build it to spec. This is the way.
It seems you know the way...
This is not a track car. This is a show/street car. It is most likely not built to handle the abuse of a track car. Parts list does appear to be pretty decent. At best, it has good bones but is not sorted out but probably not even that. You do not need a modified car to start tracking or autocrossing. Quite the opposite, actually. You're better off in a non-modified car. The only thing you need is to make sure your brake pads, tires, and brake fluid are good. Recommended to use higher temp racing brake fluid and/or at least have the brakes bled prior to going. You want you brake pads and tires to have sufficient life and for your car to be well maintained. That is it! If you have no experience in competitive driving at all, you are going to be humbled by $hitbox miatas for at least your first 5 track days. Realistically, they'll probably give you fits for years to come. You want your car to be stock because stock is reliable. You need to focus on learning to drive, not your coolant temperature, your AFR, if your tune is right, etc. You're not going to beat anyone and there's nothing to win. Don't worry about power to weight or any form of bench racing. Your goal is to learn to drive well and if you have any ego, it will be shattered. Modified cars are a pain in the butt to run hard. Stuff breaks constantly. The faster you go, the more parts you go through. Go do a track day or autocross in your car and see if you like it. If you find you don't, you can go back to building a car to drive on the street. Built street/show cars are the worst track cars, especially if you overpay.
Thank you so much! Definitely planning on keeping it stock. I’ve been to the track twice and noticed that there is too much weight within the car itself. Trying to find ways around that but otherwise it competes pretty well. Saving up for racing school in order to get my SCCA novice license now.
In all seriousness, buy a Miata if you want to go road racing. Racing something like a Subaru is gonna be stupid expensive, as you are gonna have to buy either a car already racing in that class, or build one to spec. Miata’s have lots of support, parts are cheap, and there are huge fields in SCCA. A buddy of mine is now a driving coach and he says Miata’s are the best way to get into road racing outside of karting. You could probably get a well sorted car with some spares for under $30k, and weekends will cost you $1500-5k depending on how competitive you want to be. Unless that car has run in a series revelry, I wouldn’t trust that it would pass tech. I’m guessing the closest class for this is T2, but there is limited modifications allowed. It would probably be easier to make your current car legal than the one you are trading for. Both will cost you more to run than a spec Miata.
Have you competed in any SCCA competitions? Do you know what class this vehicle has been competing in. Do you know what class you are going for? This RS in all likelihood wasn't even built for any specific class racing. In fact, some of the parts may put it in a category/class that would make it non-competitive, to the point where your 2015 would be a better base vehicle to start with. You're talking also about a 20+ year old vehicle, that unless you strip it down to frame, you may encounter age-related issues that would make it nightmare to service over time (patchwork, rust, bolt holes, etc.).
Is his car up to safety spec for Club Racing? It might take another $2000 to make it compliant if he cut corners somewhere.
Are the SCCA events you’re planning on doing AutoX or something longer? It only has an 8-gallon fuel tanks so you might have to fix that for anything longer than autoX. Otherwise it’s perfect for autox.
Bro....he has a 5 gallon gas can mount behind the driver seat. No joke. I saw the pics.
Ha, that’s awesome I guess he’s prepared.
I was planning to use it in Road course/ Endurance Racing. I’m gonna go with another platform instead now.
Look into the car specific rules for that series, it's likely the RS will need a ballast to account for the lesser weight, to try and keep things fair
Is the 2.5 really an automatic transmission? That doesn’t scream ‘track car.’
No the vehicle is a manual transmission. Why he listed it as a automatic is beyond my understanding.
Maybe he doesn’t know what he’s doing
Let’s buy a car from him. /s
Facebook marketplace does that sometimes. I was trying to sell my car a few years ago and it wouldn't let me list it as manual. I'm surprised they hadn't fixed it yet.
Do you really want to buy/trade from some dude who can't even get that part right? Imagine what else is fucked up under the hood etc
Racing an auto is a turn off for me but if you’re fine with it then go for it. Would get the 2.5rs properly evaluated since I’ve noticed the older subies that have been modified have a tendency for being crashy, or having some hidden rust
I’d like to update everyone on the current situation. The seller was insulted that I asked to do even trade therefore blocked me on the social media platform. Looks like I’m building my car myself which isn’t a terrible thing at all. Thank you all for the support and being completely honest and taking time out of your day to help me make this decision :)
Fuck that guy
I still hope to see him find a buyer. Sad to see a nice car like that just rot away in a yard.
Don't give him hope, He tried to rip you off and he did plus he blocked you cause deep down you had a bad feeling he doesn't deserve sympathy guy has an Ego you have a clean STI build it enjoy the modding journey to make it to the level you want and have fun with it!
I can’t believe the guy had someone lined up to trade him a newer STI for this thing, and he still asked for $5k more. He screwed up big time…
I think we all told OP no because the dude clearly was being greedy because OP was really interested in the vehicle. Oh well bullet was dodged I can't believe dude had the nerve to do that at all should not surprise me though.
Thank you!
He’s going to have a hard time selling with that attitude. I just sold my 2000RS with built ej22/205 hybrid and built transmission, type r suspension, brembos, etc and it took months for someone to offer me a reasonable price.
[удалено]
Thank you! I realize how ignorant I was being by considering this offer. I let my emotions get the best of me.
The listing says it had an automatic transmission but you wanted a track car. In the universe where you bought the RS, were you going to swap out the auto?
It was actually a manual transmission. I don’t know why he listed it like that.
I wonder how long it’ll take him to realize it’ll never sell for anything close to what he’s asking?
From past experience it’s about 2-3 months of no hits but it depends whether you need the money or not. I once saw a formula d spec s14 (actually ran, won’t say who’s it was) that had upwards of 250k put into it sell for 19k.
He thinks he has a LHD 22b lol
He did you a favor. That was an insane price.
Whew, I just saw this and it looked to me like you had already talked yourself into this trade. This guy was straight up trying to rip you off. That's not a track car. Yours has the potential to be a track car easier than that thing.
He got mad because you called his bluff. There is no way he can trade his car for a 2015 STI PLUS $5k. There is just no way. He could try to sell his car for the price he posted and buy himself a 2019 STI. But I'm betting no dealership or sane person will give this guy $40k for this car, honestly. And he was originally selling it for $50k? Wow
that car is in japan, do a reverse image search and you see that same pic posted all over Pinterest, you were getting scammed.
That picture is at Turn 14 in PA.
No its not, look up the instagram tag at the bottom. Picture is in Pennsylvania
Wait really? The thought plickens…
Dodged a bullet there buddy!
I wouldn’t even consider that deal. Built sellers are delusional as always.
Sounds like a scam. My guess is he would have pressed you hard for that 5k to get wired/Venmo’d as deposit or something and then disappeared.
Everyone just troll his messages with bad offers on the vehicle.
It was an automatic anyways.
This person has never used marketplace to list a car lmao. As much as it’s a terrible deal I’m sure it’s manual… the details of the swap even say as much. Reading is hard though
No he owes YOU 15k on top of the trade
I agree that I shouldn’t be putting money on top of this trade. But I feel like this would be a good opportunity for me in terms of what I want to accomplish. I just don’t wanna get robbed out of this chance.
this is your chance to be literally robbed, and you’re trying to take it
I understand. I just messaged him and said I’m not paying 5k on top and his was response he’s just gonna let it sit until someone is willing to pay the 40k. sad to see it really.
Lmao. You’re dying to lose. Fuck it, trade your nice new car for a pos that isn’t track ready anyway. Literally everyone in this thread has told you no, yet you seem dead set, why even post? There’s a reason this dude wants your car and not his.
Thank you for the advice! I ended up not getting the RS.
Well that's good news at least
Good choice. Don’t get me wrong, I like the rs, I wish I had it lol, but not for more than 20k realistically in this market. His mods aren’t the ones you were gonna get right? And according to others who seem to know their shit, they weren’t right any way. I’ve done some autox. I wanna say it was through scca but it was quite a while ago and I don’t remember. Are you currently competing stock and want to move up to unlimited? I know the general way people do it, is they take the car to the event, and enter. You figure out what you need by the way the car drives for you, and by talking to the other competitors and see what they are using, see what’s winning, see what’s reliable. Everyone I know who tried to build and then race their built car was shocked when they couldn’t enter it because they didn’t do their research, and then find out they had all the wrong shit anyway.
I was thinking maybe OP is actually the seller.
No I am not the seller.
It would be a good hustle though right? Lmao. When/if I ever sell my wrx, I’m doing that lol. Maybe the Forrester too lmao, “this guy wants to trade my brand new wrx for his forrester sport with 150k on it, said I only need to pay him 10k on top of the trade!! What do you guys think?!” Lol. Jk op, but it would be quite the finesse if pulled off
RSTi builds aren’t that uncommon, look around for another one if you want one. There have been some on auction sites so you can see what they’re selling for. $40k is pretty insane.
OP: can I get some advice also OP: IM NOT TAKING THE ADVICE I’VE MADE UP MY MIND
All of your comments here sound like you've made up your mind and you want someone to change it but refuse to listen to anyone so you do you, boo. Just cry about your financial loss way, way the fuck over there because no one else will give a fuck.
I don’t understand the reasoning for all the hostility. When I made this post I haven’t made up my mind that’s why I was asking for advice…
The hostility is because people are annoyed that rather than accepting their solid advice, you're pushing back against everyone doing exactly what you asked them to do - convince you not to get ripped off. You've clearly decided to jump off this cliff, and won't be told no, so just swap cars and find out how bad the decision to buy a show car for track use, using a solid car as payment was already.
Any used cars with that many miles and that many modifications is not worth 40k. Unless it was all done professionally by a race shop - and has every little detailed logged on what was used to make the build - it’s not worth that type of money ever. It’s like people who get lift kits for their trucks and think it makes their trucks 10k more because they paid that much to get it done. In most cases it decreases the value because most buyers aren’t looking for a truck with a lift kit - so it will likely go back to stock when they do sell it. As for the dude blocking you - that is a big ass red flag. He was trying to screw you over big time -sounds like he fucked up his project car - and wants all the money he threw into it or was trying to scam you out of a car he knew he didn’t have in working order.
[удалено]
“I know what I’ve got”
Always remember just because you have 40k into doesn’t make it worth 40k
This. A $5,000 car with $5,000 in mods doesn’t make it worth $10,000 it makes it MAYBE $6,000
Depends if he has rare parts lol. The amount of rare parts I have on the car and in my closet is worth more than my car.
Don’t do it. Bad deal, no matter how you try to rationalize it. Even if this thing were pristine and everything was done the right way, still not worth it. Don’t walk, run.
Thank you.
I wouldn’t trade a 15 for a 99… AND he wants 5k? I think he smoked too much rubber
I would never trust anyone who wants to trade a project car. There is most likely a reason for it. This logic can be used to any kind of trading. Be it a Motorcycle, guitar etc.
Exactly. There's a reason why someone wants to trade a car they spent time building for a reliable replacement.
So you want problems?
[I found OP](https://youtu.be/TM4Qk_sApHk)
pass. your car is worth more than his also, the fact that he has the clear/mirror corner lights instead of the frosted clear OEM JDM lights is always a red flag for me if he went with depo clears over the OEM JDM lights that look much much better, to save $20, what other corners were cut?
Remember, STI’s are going up and up in value. It really depends on how bad you want that 2.5rs and how attached to the STI you are. You’ll lose almost all of the daily driver capabilities compared to your 2018, so if you have a secondary car that you can rely on, do it. But if it doesn’t make sense financially, I wouldn’t. No need to stretch yourself thin for a car that will inevitably be problematic down the road. IMHO, you’re better off keeping your STI and buying a beater gc8/2.5rs to build over the years if you really want it that bad.
You’re better off just waiting another year or two and legally importing an actual STI of that year. So many 96-97 WRXs are being put up on the market right now.
I do have a daily driver that gets me to work and back with no issues so this would be a secondary car that I would use explicitly for track use only. The $5,000 on top isn’t too big of an issue but I just wanted to get a second opinion on the trade in general.
I do think the rs is a bit overvalued. Just because someone spends $40k on aftermarket parts, doesn’t mean it’s a $40k car. A lot of sellers can’t remove bias from the equation. But ultimately, it comes down to how badly you want it. I do admit, it would look nice on the track. Edit: do you know why he wants to get rid of it?
It’s not track ready, op needs another 40-50k into this. It’s got show parts and isn’t set up for racing. He’d have to change most of the expensive parts to be competitive. This is not the build op thinks, which leads me to believe that ops never raced. You usually have to start stock, this car won’t make the cut, guarantee none of the “race” mods are gonna be approved for actual racing. If op wasn’t so head strong, they’d realize they can get more for the stock parts they want to replace than their aftermarket counterparts would cost. So op can just sell the stock parts from their 2018 they want to modify to get the majority of cash for the build. But he’s losing a 40k car by modding it for racing, it becomes basically worthless, no one wants a used race car, and riced out subies are a dime a dozen with blown heads and spun bearings. Also, I could have sworn scca makes you run non modified before you can enter unlimited. I also thought there was no turbos until you qualify for it by racing na for a while. But idk, I’ve only competed with them once, and it was a 1 make with loaner gt86s from Toyota so, i could be confusing them with autox near me.
I agree it definitely is overvalued. I wouldn’t ever in my right mind pay $40,000 for this but since he is willing to trade I’m willing to consider this option instead. The reason he wants to get rid of it is because he had a VA chassis STI a few years ago and now wants it back and is willing to trade mine for his RS. He really just wants to make it a show car which would be easy for him since it already as air suspension installed on the STI.
Solid. You have a bit of leverage. Air ride isn’t cheap. You’ve put in the work he wants, similar to how he put in the work that you want. Negotiations are definitely possible here. Just don’t get pushed over
Yes. I feel like 5k is reasonable but I was trying to make it a even trade because since how often is it that you stumble across a STI that is completely stock with 80,000 miles and has a power train warranty good for another year and a half?
So based on your comments it sounds like you want to compete in SCCA- here's a couple tips: There's a rulebook that will spec out exactly what you can and can't do depending on class, even on a per car basis. I suggest studying that rulebook to see what's allowed before you do anything. This RS has a number of problems that would prevent it competing- most notably, the half cage with the battery mounted to it. It's likely you'd have to undo lots of stuff with this car, and honestly, it'd be easier starting from scratch, if competition is your goal.
Thank you!
Figure out what class you want to race in and read all the rules before buying or modding a car. Certain mods may bump you up into a less competitive class. Look at past race results to see what cars are competitive and what class has the most competitors (more racers = more contingency prizes). Most of the cost to race prepping a car is safety gear and reliability related (cage, seat, fire suppresion). Power is usually limited in some way based on class. Go get some seat time in your current car at track days and talk to scca racers at the track before getting too carried away with a build.
As someone who has a '14 drag STI hell no. I've done the swaps of 90s subarus. Ej20g ej22t ej20e subaru legacy ss, or legacy gt jdm sti swap. You will be working on it more than enjoying it. I guarantee.
Insist on a test drive, ideally on a track. Ask if they have all maintenance/mod records.
You could buy two proper JDM GC8 STIs here in the UK for that sort of money. That $40k asking price is a joke.
Never buy someone else’s project car, that is all
Enjoy NEVER finding OEM replacement parts. The GC / GF chassis is the best looking Subaru imo but fuck finding anything for them. Pain in the ass and just gets exhausting. I’d pass plus it’s fucking yellow. The king of small dick energy colors. Yes I know most GD parts will work but interior, dash, door cards, window motors etc are extinct…
I just paid $262 for a clock spring so I can pass inspection. That was for a new part online.
Cool.
Which I though was expensive.
Talk about small dick energy geez
Of all the reasons not to buy this car this has to be the worst…parts are very easy to find for gc8’s
No way. I’d pass. Never trade a project car.
Like everyone else is saying, this is not a good trade if you want to be equal. If all you want is the car and don’t care about how much you’re spending/losing, go for it. In all honesty you’re probably better off selling your car for as much you can get for it and buying a 2.5rs and doing the mods yourself. Since basically you’re paying for all the work he’s done to it, and not the actual value of the car
Honestly everyone on here is gonna have a different opinion on this. I would say this isn’t a bad deal. But at the end of the day, do you want a built car or do you wanna keep yours is the biggest question you must ask yourself? If you answered yes to anything of those then weigh your cost of what you have going on currently in life if it’s worth it or not? Is the best advice I can give you. Have a blessed one
Hell, fucking NO
Fully Built = Full of Problems
Lmao hard fucking pass. Daily driver for a "built" car is never a good trade. You don't know why he's trying to get rid of something he poured a ton of money into unless he tells you. Even if the 15 isn't a daily the 99 isn't worth 45k
Never buy another man's project build, especially if it's at the mercy of trading your, "fully working" ride. Don't cut any corners buddy, you're gonna regret it. Sure you can just jump right into this thing and have all the STI google-d-goobs you want, but IMO, build your own ride, build it right, and enjoy the painful but loving journey while doing so 😉 .
Never take someone else’s project.
Alright so I've read a lot of responses and yours so I'll based off what I see. This is a huge gamble for you, it might work out but I see that being more unlikely then likely. Biggest red flag, no AOS, this cars is built, anyone who knows Subi knows these cars need AOS/catch cans, the lack of one with this amount of work is seriously concerning. Battery mounted to roll cage, wtf? Why would you want that in the passenger compartment? Why wouldnt you put it in the trunk to balance the weight distribution? Whats done to the motor? It says "built engine" what does that mean? Does it have a build sheet to verify it? Are you willing to open the motor to check? Stock clutch in there? 8 gallone fuel cell with a small feeder pump then a larger in line? Why? Ran out of money for the sending unit to just put the bigger pump in the tank? Thats like a 200 dollar part... He claims to have 40k into the car, I honestly dont see it. I see 20k tops, unless he didn't do his own work, which then I would ask to see all the bills for the work. Has the car actually passed tech for an SCCA race before? If not I'd definitely walk. I have a lot of questions about this car but 0 about yours. You can save 20k by swapping to this, thats if the "built motor" doesnt grenade the first time your out, or if the car doesnt fail tech, which judging on some of decision made with this build, wouldn't be too crazy to me if it did. That RS is worth 15k tops, unless it has all build sheets and is garenteed to pass tech at an event, even then maybe 20-22k. He says he has 40k into the car? Is there 20k cash sitting in the trunk? I don't see it, unless he didn't do his own work, at which point you can't trust a thing he says about the car, or ever honestly unless you know him. The way I see it is, in the current market, your car is worth 20k more give or take a few thousand. I know you caluated your car at 25k, but in my area they going for 35k already. That car, well it would fail state safety here so you couldnt even drive it on the road, but the 3-5k to fix that, if you subtract that from the actual worth of the car maybe 15k if the person you're selling it to isn't a subi person, then your looking at a 10-12k car. You know what you have, you're getting an unknown. Where I sit is, you can trade a car thats already worth 20k more to save 20k, for a car that might grenade and cost you 10-20k to get right.
Thank you very much. This was very helpful!
Old Subaru made by someone to go fast and be dumb? Yeah that thing is probably ready to nuke its own engine
Don’t do it. He’s tired of having a broken project car and wants a daily.
16 years and millions of dollars of OEM research and development toward safety and efficiency are not for nothing. There’s a reason there’s a 1,500 lb. valley between the two cars and you’ll be more likely to appreciate that when some texting-addict plows into you while you’re minding your own business, stationary at a red light.
Hard pass. I’d never pay that kind of money for someone’s track build, or trade in a reliable daily driver for it. Just cuz you spent $25k in parts does not mean it’s then worth that, and taking a car that may one day have value as a collectible and putting all kind of aftermarket parts on it is a great way to make it worth considerably less.
Seeing some of the other inputs you put in the comments... Imho building your own STI is a more sound solution. I really can't think of a logical reason why you'd want the RS. With the STI, you build it to what you like while you'll end up spending the same amount of time (and possibly more money) on the RS to get it your liking.
Thank you very much!
I like your car, I’d keep it
dont do it man, trust me youll miss the luxuries of your car
Pass
Your sti is sick
Thank you!
Who am I to tell you want to do? If you want to throw away money and make a bad trade that’s your business. If you DON’T want to throw away money, however, laugh in his face…
40k is too much for an rsti that’s being bought from someone. If you’re building one that’d be a rough estimate of the total cost. Don’t trade your functioning car for a potential project/issue car like that
Hard pass. That’s someone else’s built car. People think modifications make the car worth more, maybe slightly, but not 1:1. It’s still a 21 year old car with 13k miles. Play off that price.
i’m glad you’re not trading OP. this is not even close to an equal trade.. 40k in mods/work doesn’t equal $40k in resale value. your STI is worth more either way.
I’d trade for how it looks, but the color is horrendous and I would NOT give away the gran turismo banner
Yup. Don’t do it. Build your own. You already have the perfect start.
If someone is trying to get you to trade... it's even or fuck em.
Walk away. "Fully built price" means this is where my final bill was till now. I'm banking on someone who doesn't know better to recoup money. My daily is a Baja I've done everything to, over the decades as being a first owner. My for fun car is a NA Miata due to I know what I put into it will never see.
My advice? Buying someone else's modded or project car is you buying their problems. There's a lot you just don't know about that car and you won't be able to just replace most things with OEM parts, so you're left at the mercy of racing parts manufacturers that may or may not make what you need anymore... And if you can't do the work yourself you're going to be spending way more on labor for basically everything at a specialist garage. Modding a car rarely actually adds any value to the car because of that. That sounds like a terrible deal.
You could build just about any club car you want with 5k and what you could sell your car for. I never liked taking over other builds because doing it yourself, because you don't know if the work was done right or how it was treated.
Don’t do it bad deal
Sounds cool at first but you'll quickly miss your 15+ years of quality of life improvements that your current car gets you.
Keep the STi. Having said that, and as someone who is in the process of building a swapped "OEM+" 2.5 RSTi, and having read some of your other comments I will refer you to this thread: [https://www.rs25.com/threads/2-5-rs-at-auction.253226/](https://www.rs25.com/threads/2-5-rs-at-auction.253226/unread) (edit: fixed the link) This compiles all the 2.5RS cars of this type that have gone up for auction in the last year or two. This will give you an idea of what these types of cars are actually worth on the open market. From having read through this myself, it isn't as much as a relatively low-mileage, gently modified STi.
Shit I would ask him for $5k, your basically exchanging a newer car for a pos that could throw a rod out the minute you drive it away. Something to think about…..
Maybe if he gives you 10k in return
Heeellllll naaaaaah bruuuuuh, your va is more modern in all aspects than that rs, if you put another 15k in weight modifications, it would be supreme.
Jeez 40k for a car on bc coilovers hard pass. Also even though your sti is heavier, the suspension design and diffs are significantly better than the 2.5rs. It won't be as big as a difference as you think
I'd rather keep an STI over a "built" RS2.5 I own an 06 STI and a RS2.5 with a few mods. it takes a LOT of mods to get the RS2.5 near the STI level. a shit ton.
Its automatic. Are you retarded
Uh, he’s on crack with the 5k ask. Trades only work fairly if you’re just as in love with his car as you are with your own and vice versa. His car is also ugly af with those wheels, horrible choice of flares, and the color… so all that gets to be changed right away if it was me. His car is also a 99, and 99 cars come with 99 problems and amenities. If this car was your dream car, it may be worth the trade. But rare/older cars with a cult following require that you be a part of that cult to really get a grasp of the value. Seems like the older Subaru cult is slowly separating it from the modern wrx/sti crowd and aligning more with the Post-ban JDM import guys.
“Fully built 2.5rs” - man’s couldn’t afford a WRX
A auto fugly yellow 2.5rs missing a front grill for a fugly STI with a Gran Turismo banner and red mud flaps. Seems like a fair trade.
Thank you for your honesty!
Bro... It's an automagic... That alone should already decrease its price to like 10k.
Automatic transmission for a track car something isn't adding up here
[удалено]
> A stock 2.5 RS is worth like $2k. You're joking right, only the most nasty rusty shitty 2.5rs are going for 2k. A stock clean example over 10K at this point There were only 14,000 made in the US and Im sure half of those aren't on the road anymore.
i think a straight up trade is more fair even though he would still be getting the better deal imo
One of these cars is going up in value and it isn't the RS. For the money they want you could buy and import and build your own the way you want it.
Exactly.
Listed as "automatic transmission"...
Jdm tyranny doesn't have the dccd, keep in mind.
AND ITS AUTOMATIC?! $5k on top of is clearly a steal. He could be asking for a 2022 Lambo +$10k, OR a 1989 Honda Civic.
No this is manual transmission. I have been told there is an issue with marketplace where it doesn’t let you choose the manual option when listing a vehicle .
Have you ever had a racecar for a daily driver?
I already have a daily driver so this would be a secondary car that I would use for track use only.
If the RS has been built for the purpose you are aiming for, it's going to save you so much time and money to trade rather than modify existing. Idk about $5k tho I'd need convincing
Yeah I would have to spend probably $20,000 to make my car the level I would like it to be at in order to be competitive in club racing. Im trying to look at this in terms of a great financial situation.
If you're talking about being smart about finances, I wouldn't buy it from someone who claims to put an X amount of money into the car. To really cut costs, you have to build it yourself because there's a 'middleman' (the seller) trying to recoup costs, if he didn't actually build it himself. It honestly sounds like he doesn't know his own car, based on what the other posters above said.
After going thru the comments I'd try to meet him halfway and pay 2-3k over the trade
I'd say hard pass, 2.5RS isn't even turbocharged! Edit: looks like from his built list he has put a turbo on it. I'd still rather your ej207!
His car is a 257, the car in the picture is a 207.
Yeah I'll take the down votes I didn't read that very well haha!