Im New, Just Saying Hi (with A Few Questions)

[evolutions_end]

Hey all

ive watched this forum for ages, and only now decided to register. My names Phil, i live in Ringwood, Eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Ive seen 2 stag's around my area. One was at the timber and woodworking show around october last year (standard, grey in color) and the other one was at the AFI gig at festival hall november last year. It was white with a black carbon-fibre bonnet and a red greenday sticker somewhere on it. Is that any of you guys?

i dont own a stagea at the moment, im in the market for one. But i need convincing! Im currently on my p-plates until october this year (2007), and ive been driving a 1985 VK commodore wagon since before i got my license. Im a wagon man, and im keeping the tradition going. Ive got just under $15K at my disposal, and the only other car that takes my fancy is a Subaru Liberty, which is in direct competition with the stagea. What advantages does the Stag' have over a '03 subaru liberty?

Now i have my heart set on the Stag', but theres a few things i need re-assuring about first.

-How much, and where do you go for your regular service?

-Where is the best place to test drive one, (I live in Melbourne)

-Where did you buy yours from? Ive found alot on ebay, but im not too keen on buying a car over ebay.

-Are there any other p-platers that drive one, or has anyone driven one on their probationary license? If checked out the insurance threads in the FAQ, but theres no mention of p-platers being able to insure them.

-What are thefts like? Being a rare(ish) import, im guessing they are often targeted?

-What are parts like? im not sure if its the R33 skyline thats similar, but what parts are transferrable between the skyline and the stag? What parts are most often to break, and do turbo's have bits and pieces that break more often?

-And whats sort of year/model am i looking for with between $13k and 15k?

and the not too important question...

-Fuel consumption. My commodore is on gas/dual fuel at the moment, and im getting 300-350 kms out of a 55 litre tank that costs me $30 to fill. Is the stag' better than this?

If anyone can give me ANY help, id be more than appreciative. I plan on hangin round these forums and learning as much as i can about my next ride!

Thanks all!!

[eMsta]

1-How much, and where do you go for your regular service?

2-Where is the best place to test drive one, (I live in Melbourne)

3-Where did you buy yours from? Ive found alot on ebay, but im not too keen on buying a car over ebay.

4-Are there any other p-platers that drive one, or has anyone driven one on their probationary license? If checked out the insurance threads in the FAQ, but theres no mention of p-platers being able to insure them.

5-What are thefts like? Being a rare(ish) import, im guessing they are often targeted?

6-What are parts like? im not sure if its the R33 skyline thats similar, but what parts are transferrable between the skyline and the stag? What parts are most often to break, and do turbo's have bits and pieces that break more often?

7-And whats sort of year/model am i looking for with between $13k and 15k?

and the not too important question...

8-Fuel consumption. My commodore is on gas/dual fuel at the moment, and im getting 300-350 kms out of a 55 litre tank that costs me $30 to fill. Is the stag' better than this?

cant say much for the other questions - but the first 2 - i have seen stageas being serviced at RE Customs in springvale. and the second question - id test drive at kamikaze motors - they are pretty flexible for test drives. They are in nunawading. I dont know if warren is still working there, but hes a good guy to talk to about cars and test drives.

[sy300]

I can't answer anything about prices (I live in NZ), but I'd have a Stagea over a Subaru anyday. They are bigger, (arguably) more reliable, not every one has one and (at least in NZ) not targeted by thieves.

A number of Subaru owers I know swear black and blue that their car is the best. But then you hear about the oil leaks, spun bearings and f%^&ed turbos.

Fuel consumption is in another thread. You can expect about 10-12 l/100km on the open road and 14-16 l/100km around town. Gas is more expensive as you can't use 91 (most of us seem to use 98).

In summary, you won't regret it if you buy a Stagea, I haven't.

Good luck.

[Mr_RS4]

Now i have my heart set on the Stag', but theres a few things i need re-assuring about first.

-How much, and where do you go for your regular service? Depending on how good you are with cars basic servicing can be done by your self, anything your unsure about you can probably find on here. But otherwise I can't seen why it would be anymore expensive than most other modern cars.

-Where is the best place to test drive one, (I live in Melbourne) Sorry can't help you there.

-Where did you buy yours from? Ive found alot on ebay, but im not too keen on buying a car over ebay. Priviate sale about a year ago for $19,000. Up here in QLD a lot of import yards have them, you'll get a better deal with a priviate sales but you could also look into importing your own. Check out www.j-spec.com.au or www.prestigemotorsport.com.au

-Are there any other p-platers that drive one, or has anyone driven one on their probationary license? If checked out the insurance threads in the FAQ, but theres no mention of p-platers being able to insure them.

-What are thefts like? Being a rare(ish) import, im guessing they are often targeted? I'm going to asume that you under 25 and probably around 20ish. So your probably not going to find insurance too friendly. I pay $930 full comp through just car insurance for rating 1, my g/f would cost almost $2000 as she only comes off her P's end of this year but has a clean record and would be about a rating 4.

-What are parts like? im not sure if its the R33 skyline thats similar, but what parts are transferrable between the skyline and the stag? What parts are most often to break, and do turbo's have bits and pieces that break more often? Stagea's are a bit of a mix and match car (almost as if Nissan were trying to clear out some parts when it was designed) Most R33GTST and GTR parts will fit in different combonations. They are a pretty reliable car, nothing I can think of can be classed as a common problem. It depends on the condition of the car you buy and how you look after it that will be the decider. Keep your servicing up, Use descent fuel, Keep it in good tune and just treat it right and it will treat you right. 12 months and almost 150, 000kms now and no problems for me yet.

-And whats sort of year/model am i looking for with between $13k and 15k? Best your going to get is a series 1. But if you were to look at importing your own series 2's have been dropping lately. Save a little more and you might be lucky to get one for $16000ish. But if your going to buy local then I wouldn't get your hopes up, a series 1 is what you'll be looking at. Which is still a fantastic car, thats what I've got.

and the not too important question...

-Fuel consumption. My commodore is on gas/dual fuel at the moment, and im getting 300-350 kms out of a 55 litre tank that costs me $30 to fill. Is the stag' better than this? HAHAHA well to be honest they aren't the greatest, but the results vary (there are many threads on here about this so do a search). When I first got it driven normally I would be lucky to get $350 to a 60ltr odd tank (that was on the fuel light and allmost on fumes) and highway wasn't a whole lot better. But I now have an Apexi SAFC and am trying to find an SITC (if not will be upgrading to an emanage) and it has improved a lot and has room for more imporvement with further tuning. Some on here have gotten 500kms or more on the highway. Also depends on your driving style, and when your on the highway its best to try and keep the boost off and the torque converter locked up (do a search if you don't know what I'm going on about)

If anyone can give me ANY help, id be more than appreciative. I plan on hangin round these forums and learning as much as i can about my next ride!

Thanks all!!

All in all I have never regretted it, I love the car and you won't regret it either. Good Luck

[Wildcat]

Now i have my heart set on the Stag', but theres a few things i need re-assuring about first.

-Are there any other p-platers that drive one, or has anyone driven one on their probationary license? If checked out the insurance threads in the FAQ, but theres no mention of p-platers being able to insure them.

Thanks all!!

ok this is the only question im going to answer cause the boys are much more knowledgeable

i was a p plater when i got my stagea and i had no issues with insuring it, it was more of who could give me the better deal! seeings that i was a p plater i swear they just kept bumping the price up, then i went to shannons and they were more then happy to give me my 65% no claim and give me insurance for $1100 which listed my car as 'modified' and insured for $20k.. most of the people i rang were more surprised that i was a young female who had just imported a car from japan--strange!!!

from my personal experience you will not have any troubles getting people to insure you, but it might be a cost that you dont like Good luck and all i can say is go the stag

[pixel8r]

-How much, and where do you go for your regular service?

So far I've only had one oil change and that was done when the turbo was replaced so hasn't needed anything else. Cant see why prices would be any different from any other car though. I'd recommend only using full synthetic oils though which will make your service cost more but that goes for any car also.

-Where is the best place to test drive one, (I live in Melbourne)

Maybe someone on here would be happy to let you test drive theirs? otherwise maybe try a dealer that sells them??

-Where did you buy yours from? Ive found alot on ebay, but im not too keen on buying a car over ebay.

I'm in SA and bought mine from a dealer on the Gold Coast, QLD. I hadn't test driven a stagea at all and pretty much only saw photos before buying it. Pretty risky that way but I'm happy with it.

It sounds like either private sale or getting one imported through jspec or prestige is the way to go though.

-Are there any other p-platers that drive one, or has anyone driven one on their probationary license? If checked out the insurance threads in the FAQ, but theres no mention of p-platers being able to insure them.

Not sure of exact prices but you'll probably find your best bet is through Just Car Insurance. I was under 25 when I bought mine but was rating 1 and paying $1200 a year full comprehensive. Factor it into the cost of the car - its all you can do. Insurance can be expensive for imports but for a car like the stagea its worth it.

-What are thefts like? Being a rare(ish) import, im guessing they are often targeted?

you kidding? its a "family wagon" - hehe. Nah seriously, maybe some car thieves know what they are but in general I'd say theft isn't a major issue with stageas (touch wood). You'll need an immobiliser fitted for insurance at the very least and an alarm wouldn't hurt. And then just be smart about where you park at night.

-What are parts like? im not sure if its the R33 skyline thats similar, but what parts are transferrable between the skyline and the stag? What parts are most often to break, and do turbo's have bits and pieces that break more often?

Like was mentioned before - there are no "common" problems with stageas really. Keep the boost below ~12psi and the turbo should be fine. Most things engine/gearbox related will be pretty much bullet-proof if kept within their limits - and as long as the car's had a healthy life till now. Nissan Imports are usually built very tough. They are basically over-engineered so there is no real weakness in the car. So saying, it is still a car so sometimes things do break. And if you are one of the (rare) unlucky ones then yes most mechanical parts are shared with the R33gtst/gtr in some way. The exterior is a different story and external parts would mostly need to be imported. However this isn't as expensive as you might think and your local Nissan Dealer may or may not be willing to help out here.

And just to clear up the turbo thing - so many people think that turbos always break and any turbo car must be unreliable. Talk to anyone on here and they'll confirm that its all about how you treat the car. Leave it stock and you'll likely get over 300,000km's out of it (some skyline owners have done). If the turbo is not boosted too high and is a good quality one I see no reason why it would be weaker than any other part of the car. And also note that the engine is designed stronger to handle the extra airflow. Nissan turbo engines are very reliable. Hope that clears things up for you

-And whats sort of year/model am i looking for with between $13k and 15k?

Series 1. You'll get a fairly good series 1 for this price but expect the km's to be around the 130-150K mark.

The good news is they are a performance wagon but being a wagon they "generally" are not thrashed as much as a skyline so your overall condition would (likely) be better than a skyline of the same year and km's.

and the not too important question...

-Fuel consumption. My commodore is on gas/dual fuel at the moment, and im getting 300-350 kms out of a 55 litre tank that costs me $30 to fill. Is the stag' better than this?

Fuel consumption WILL be better but obviously not being on gas you will pay more at the pump. Also bear in mind you'll need 98octane premium fuel. Have a look on this forum and you'll find plenty of figures.

On average a stock s1 would do about 10-11L/100 on the highway and ~14L/100 in the city. With an exhaust and some kind of piggyback ecu this can be improved by about 1/100km. And with a slightly bigger turbo you may push that to about 2L/100km since you're off boost more (as in my case). Its not exactly going to make a case for upgrading your turbo though just a nice side-effect if you do happen to go down that path. I have a s2 which are slightly more economical and I get under 12.5L/100km in the city and possibly under 10L/100km on the highway. Pretty good considering i have 150+ awkw.

All in all they are a VERY reliable wagon that has HUGE performance potential and great handling for a wagon. You have a turbo, 4 doors, and loads of boot space - everyone's happy!!

My advice, go for a stockie s1 and stick an exhaust on it, up the boost to 10-11psi and get an SAFC (or similar) piggyback ecu installed and tuned and you'll have yourself a really nice wagon. Not sure if this would all come in under your budget.

Good luck with your Purchase

[nachoman]

im glad someone has asked these questions - these would be the same i would ask as im still undecided on either a stagea/wrx hatch or an r33 coupe

this weekend ( saturday ) im going to a dealership in adelaide

( sinergy ) to have a look at a couple of stagea's

i think they are series 1 going by the price and km's its got

[stasis]

yea get a Power Fc , full exhaust system, drop in replavement filter, up the boos to 1 bar. ANd you got a beast.

[joe26f]

i'm a p plater i own and drive one everyday for the past 9 months insurance is $2856 from just cars insured for 22k