To cage or not to cage.......

blacky · Post by **blacky** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:49 am

Right, as some of you know, a few weeks ago i had a bit of an off Sprinting my car at Goodwood.

At the moment it is getting repaireed, and my thoughts were to install a bolt in cage to the car, but on further investiagtion I have found the cage I am keen on requires welding box sectional mouting points inside the car. I had previously thought that these plates were welded on the underside of the car, thus, if I wanted to return the car to standard could take out the cage!

But now, its pretty much a permenant modification requiring the carpet to cut around the mounting points etc.

My issue is, my car is quite a good condition Limted Edition Impreza that comands a premuim on other Impreza's of the same age, so I am wondering what to do :? :? I intend to Sprint the car again.

I will post up pics later, when I have time to load them on photobucket.

V8_EATR · Post by **V8_EATR** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:54 am

Fit it!! I'm sure the next person buying the car will use it for the same intent you are. More fun for you now, and less work for the next bloke, plus higher resale value.

blacky · Post by **blacky** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:57 am

You think it will get a higher re-sale value?? I suppose it would to the right buyer, only issue is I then narrow my market for selling big time.....

Pike · Post by **Pike** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:14 am

The way to look at it Blacky is that you've paid good money to ENJOY a good car. If caging it is going to add to that enjoyment go for it!
You could decided to leave it standard only to have some muppet write it off in a car park, and forever regret leaving it standard.
It may be a more bespoke vehicle after the work has been done but you will find the right buyer at sale time, it may just take a bit longer.
Go for it, shit or bust mate!

Post by **Ben** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:19 am

You don't buy a car to worry about what it's worth in the end ... shieeet if we did - we'd all be pedestrians.

blacky · Post by **blacky** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:33 am

All good points lads.......

ESL · Post by **ESL** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:52 am

Not wishing to be rude to a sprint buddy, but an STi5RA isn't really a rarity, good nick and trick though yours is (Spencers cost 6.5k though it did need an engine pretty quickly). I know its a eurofighter compared to my 93WRX, but you've just been on your roof at Goodwood mate. If that'd been me I'd have enough scaffolding in it to paint the ceiling.

I reckon, make it shiny and flog it, buy an early wrx for tweakage and compete in it without fear of wallet bashing upon binnage , or

Make it shiny and cage it, compete in it in the knowledge that binnage is always a possibility, especially given that you are a bit of a limit-nudger. As murano says, a competition car is a written off cost before it turns a wheel in anger. Any other approach is asking for trouble!

V8_EATR · Post by **V8_EATR** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:03 am

blacky wrote:You think it will get a higher re-sale value?? I suppose it would to the right buyer, only issue is I then narrow my market for selling big time.....

People don't usually look for a limited edition Impreza to go get groceries in. I'm sure you'll be narrowing the market to granny, but increasing the market drastically to peeps like us......and there are many!

To add to what Ben said above, YOU bought it for a reason, now use it!

blacky · Post by **blacky** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:20 am

No offence taken Andy

I know there are better cars out there, and its not really the total cost of the car thats bothering me, as its my car 100%, no loans etc. Just almost seems a shame to cage a nice road spec car that all I am thinking, but as said above, I really should say f*ck it, and cage it and give it 110% in Sprinting, because, as you have seen its a competitive car with the right bits on it......

Thing with buying an older WRX, is that I would go thro teh same things as I have done with this one, so in that light, I should keep mine and just use it! If I hadn't crashed it i suppose I would not be thinking like this and would still be out ther at all the Sprints giving it all anyway, so I think I have talked myself into ust keeping what is an lovely base car that I can develop, and all the hard bits are done, Engine, brakes etc!

You know whatever I drive in competition I will be trying anyway

So might as well be in one I like alot.

Before my off, I was really pushing the car, with the centre diff locked up a tad, it was amazing how much grip you could get thro and out of the corners, I was loving it.....just went in too hot to that corner and lifted...bad mistake, ,and paid the price!

I am looking into one of these 1 on 1 driving tuition days once the car is back, just to give me more confidence to handle and react to teh car at higher speeds....

ESL · Post by **ESL** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:29 am

Depends how you define 'better'. There isn't very much faster than yours with a roof around a sprint track. None of the Ferraris or Porsches have gone quicker yet.

Like you say, your car is sorted and I'm beginning to think a cage is an essential now especially with the Nurburgring looming in the near future. Did that once without a cage but not keen to do it without again!

I've been on the look out for a prepped early classic with cage, brakes, PPG and forged mill as ultimately it's going to be cheaper to do that than spec mine up. But they seem a little thin on the ground. Mainly because if I had one of those, I wouldn't want to get rid either