Found another possible donor.

[michael everson]

2002 WRX with 136,000 miles. No damage but has a rotted frame. Seems strange. $3000.00
If this was a Mustang, I would have no problem using it for a donor. How are all the Subaru bits holding up once they pass the 100,000 mile mark?
Mike

[wallace18]

IMO too much money.

[michael everson]

What would be fair to offer? 2K?

[flatfourspec]

There are a lot of variables. I have seen cars on their 3rd motor by 100k and I have seen EJ20's make it to 300k without being opened. It all depends on if it was modded correctly and/or beat on. The weak link in that setup is definitely going to be the trans.

[michael everson]

Its completely original. What is wrong with the early transmissions?

[el_jefe]

They are made with paper mache and aluminum foil . But it may not be as much of an issue in the 818

[wallace18]

If the car runs, shifts and otherwise seems fine 1.5 to 2K would be OK IMO. I bought a 276K 2002 WRX for 2.8K but it had a rebuilt longblock in the trunk. I still had to put over 5K in it to get all parts in the condition I wanted for my 818. I was able to sell 1K worth of parts so far. I hope it works out for you.

[michael everson]

based on your donor and mileage, I dont see how $3000.00 is too much. I will go look at it and buy it if everything checks out.
Mike

[skullandbones]

Mike,

I'm with you that it's worth looking at. If there is no damage on the sheet metal you could recoup a big portion of that along with glass etc. That would justify the buy.

Good luck, WEK.

[RM1SepEx]

IMHO $3000 is too much

you can see details on my 05 roll over on the working on the donor thread, last couple pages, post 256...

we all have to look at it and make compromises... I HATE RUST!!!! Might be a good deal, might not. Check out all req donor parts... pull every wheel and evaluate condition, bent suspension pieces, brake issues, wheel beearings... all run up cost, then there are so many variables.

If the chassis is rusted out to the point of it being unsafe they are selling parts, not a car...

ALL Maint up to date? Timing belt was due at 105,000 Abuse? It takes eyes and ears to be able to judge a car's true worth. Wallace18 had a rebuilt engine in his pocket as added value

[Mechie3]

If the chassis is rusted, it's likely that you'll have the control arms rusted out, the lateral links seized, hubs seized, brake slider pins seized, etc. I think I paid mid $4k for my 70k miles 06 WRX.

[Kalstar]

I agree, at an asking price of 3K, worth a look.

[flatfourspec]

It doesn't seem like a horrible price. You have to factor in the used parts market the EJ20 will fetch $1500-2400 on its own, and then another 700-1300 for the trans. I lucked out and scored a local 04 sedan hard rollover for $800 and already sold the carbon fiber lid for $200!

[LS1RX7owen]

at 136k you might need to refresh a lot of parts - bearings, bushings, hubs, etc. and inspect the lines on and around the engine and trans, you dont want to get into a rusted mess on the major component you need for the 818.

$3k isnt bad depending on the interior's condition and how much of the donor is in great shape to sell off to recoup some of the initial cost.

at least go look at it.

[NonProfit]

I think I paid mid $4k for my 70k miles 06 WRX.

Am I just looking in the wrong place? The cheapest '06 WRX on cars.com is almost $11K and that's with twice the miles yours has.

[timmy318]

Am I just looking in the wrong place? The cheapest '06 WRX on cars.com is almost $11K and that's with twice the miles yours has.

Those all appear to be in usable condition(eg. not wrecked or visibly damaged). If nothing else is wrong with them then those prices seem to be about right. Now on the other hand, IMHO if they're wrecked they should go for around $3-5K. Personally, I wouldn't buy a perfectly drivable car to use as a donor for several reasons:
A: Waists money that you could be using for other things(tune, paint, interior....)
B: You're taking a car apart that shouldn't be taken apart. Someone else could use that perfectly good car to get around, you can use it as a donor. Some else CAN'T use a wrecked subie as a get around car, but you still CAN use it as a donor as long it is in a feasible condition.
C: Taking apart a donor is also technically recycling & you get a beautiful "brand new" car out of it and some extra $$$$ from the parts you sell.

Anyway, just my 2¢......

[timmy318]

Also, I suggest using ebay or copart to do your searches for donor cars. Those are usually good places to find wrecked vehicles on the cheap(well, sometimes). Good luck on your search btw!

[NonProfit]

Personally, I wouldn't buy a perfectly drivable car to use as a donor for several reasons:

I'm with ya, I was just looking for the wrong thing...

[Mechie3]

Am I just looking in the wrong place? The cheapest '06 WRX on cars.com is almost $11K and that's with twice the miles yours has.

My car was my DD that got wrecked by a red light runner. Insurance paid me $16.5k (plus tax, etc) for the car. I bought it back for ~25% of the payout value. A working 06 would cost around $11k.

[skullandbones]

Something that gets me about this discussion is the variation and how opinions differ. I am wondering if it is due to the geographic differences and therefore the market (Subaru WRX, STI, etc). I mentioned before about my son flipping cars. He's pretty good at it and finds good deals on trucks and cars, foreign and domestic. However, in this area (PHX), he just hasn't seen this type of car. He cruises Craig's list and other sites with no luck so far (parked on the road for sale, etc). When I have done similar searches, I come up with nothing that is even close to what you guys have discussed. It's almost like the $200 airline ticket to Hawaii that you hear about all the time. Personally, I've never come even close to that price. Once, just out of curiosity I checked out the salvage yard near me and found almost nothing intact that was Subaru. There were a few things that were striped to the bone. Maybe I'm not digging deeply enough.

Anyway, that's partially why I thought it was a decent deal at 3k. At least, Mike found one.

WEK.

[Mechie3]

Subaru's (well, Subaru of America's) selling tagline for years has been in the vein of "air bags save lives, AWD saves airbags". Their bread and butter is the Legacy and Forester. Those sell because for the longest time, the only other alternative to a decent car with AWD was an Audi, which was expensive. Subaru is popular in the snowbelt (all over NY where I lived, Indy where I live now, and Seattle where my in laws are). I go to CA often for work and have seen maybe 10 subarus in 3 years. All but 3 were the WRX/STI. There isn't a market for an AWD car that gets "ok" gas mileage in an area where AWD isn't a selling point.

[michael everson]

Lets put it this way. If I was buying a Donor Mustang for a Roadster with 136,000 miles for 3K I would do it in a heartbeat. Why should a Subaru be any different? I going with my gut and taking a look at it. If all the 818 needed parts are in decent shape, I will buy it.
Mike

[Oppenheimer]

^^^^^ If you drive through Vermont, it seems like every third car you see is a Subaru.

[skullandbones]

Hey Mike,

Will this be a customer car or is it your toy? I'd be interested on how your potential donor turns out. Let us know, OK?

Thanks,

WEK

[michael everson]

Dont really know yet. I very rarely keep any of the cars I build, But this is so different. I think it will be a great toy on the cheap.

[skullandbones]

Dont really know yet. I very rarely keep any of the cars I build, But this is so different. I think it will be a great toy on the cheap.

I'm glad you said that because I didn't want to wreck your thread but since you brought it up: Do you think this will be that much cheaper than a roadster? After looking at some of the options (no prices yet except wing maybe) and the donor costs, it could be more than 15k and maybe even pushing 20k. Since you have done it so many times, what do you think?

WEK.

[michael everson]

Its really hard to say without a kit in front of me. Keep in mind the Roadster parts selection has progressed so much, and the level of builds has gone way up making it hard to build a car on the cheap. FFRS philosiphy of a single donor still works to this day, but we all kow most people dont adhere to it. Same will be trure for the new 818. As people start building it, and making changes, the cost will go up. My guess right now woould be that the 818 will be cheaper to build by at least $8000.00 and probably much more. Just the fact that you dont have to paint it will save tons of money.
Mike