[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Guna

You do get 2004/2005 foresters as well.

I got my KL registered forester (2004) in 2010 and had to pay more then 1.5 lac for re-registration. If you get a 2003 forester, you may end up paying 25-30 k for re-registration which will only last for 1 year (as it would live it's 15 years life).
I don't have much idea about re-registering. IDV should be less then 2 lakhs.
My suggestion : Try to get 2005 model and stick to only KA registered cars.

Even if I get a 2004/05 vehicle I'll be left in the same situation by 2019/20. How was your 1.5 lacs calculated? And how do you suppose it would be only 25-30k if I pick up 2003 forester? I would love to pick up a Forester from Bangalore itself with KA registration but hard to come by any. I saw one on Droom cars but owner is asking for 3.5lakhs non-negotiable and I have to pay a 7000 advance even I just want his phone number. No way am I doing that. Currently I am looking at a Forester in Kottayam.
The car has done close to a lac kms and the owner has had belts changed, new ac condenser, new clutch, new bushes, ironman suspension kit with coilovers, new radiator, new water pump, new tyres and new brake rotors. Owner is asking for 4.5 lakhs which is again a lot but then it seems like all the work that I would have to do if I pick up a car that has done more than 80k kms, has already been done so I am seriously considering it unless I can find a KA registered car for a reasonable price considering I will have to splurge for all of this stuff unless it has already been done.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

How was your 1.5 lacs calculated? And how do you suppose it would be only 25-30k if I pick up 2003 forester?

They have taken the invoice value (let's say 12 lakhs), considered tax for 9 years (15-6 years) at the rate of 18%.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Guna

They have taken the invoice value (let's say 12 lakhs), considered tax for 9 years (15-6 years) at the rate of 18%.

I'm sorry not quite sure that I follow. Invoice value is the cost of the car ex-showroom when new? In that case 18% or 12 lakhs would be 2.16 lakhs, but you said you had to pay 1.5 lakhs. Also I don't follow how I may only have to pay 30k in my case if buying a 2003 car. Sorry this is all flying over my head could you please elaborate a bit?

I tried the Karnataka RTO website to see if they had any information on all of this and the whole home page is in Kannada no idea how to translate it also.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I'm sorry not quite sure that I follow. Invoice value is the cost of the car ex-showroom when new? In that case 18% or 12 lakhs would be 2.16 lakhs, but you said you had to pay 1.5 lakhs. Also I don't follow how I may only have to pay 30k in my case if buying a 2003 car. Sorry this is all flying over my head could you please elaborate a bit?

I tried the Karnataka RTO website to see if they had any information on all of this and the whole home page is in Kannada no idea how to translate it also.

Invoice value/ex showroom value I have quoted may not be accurate, but this is the logic.
Value when new: 12 lakhs
18% tax : 2.16 lakhs (for 15 years)
Tax for 9 years : 1.3 lakhs.
Tax for 2 years : 28 K
Now I know that I paid more then 1.5. It is possible that the tax rate was more then 18%. Or may be they considered 10 years (mine is a late 2004 model)

[IshaanIan]

Folks I am going to be inspecting a 2005 Forester this Thursday, the car has done genuine 60000 kms and the owner seems very nice. I have a good feeling about this one. The owner has been very open in telling me that it was not used very regularly since he has more than a dozen other vehicles and is extremely busy lately, but before putting it up for sale he drove it for a while and claims that everything seems fine. Any pointers on what to look out for? I want to be able to do a thorough inspection, spot faults if any in the drive-train and other areas like how to spot if anything is faulty in the S-AWD system, or if any work needs to be carried out on the engine and gearbox also this will be my first car with frame-less windows so anything that I have to look out for in specific regarding the power windows also please let me know so that I can negotiate an honest deal with the owner asap. Appreciate all of your inputs. fingers crossed I will finally have a Forester in my garage very soon

[IshaanIan]

Update: The 2005 car turned out to be a 2003 model. Owner was very apologetic and claimed he had forgotten, I doubt that but either way, did not want to let that get in the way of what I wanted. I inspected it, everything seems more or less fine with the car. Not perfect but definitely alright for a car that is nearly 15 years old and has been neglected for quite a long time. Had it professionally inspected as well, odo reading is genuine, engine is running perfectly (oil was a bit burned, but no drop in oil level which means no leaks so that's good), shocks are fine, brakes are fine, no juddering at any rpm/braking/steering, AWD is working, electricals are fine (except for airconditioner), no accidents etc.

I will be making the payment and picking it up this Diwali weekend. Couple of issues though, few parts are not upto the mark and I would want to replace them: the lower arms, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, bushes, strut mounts and the AC condenser/compressor (yet to narrow down which is not working). I would like to know where to source these parts? If online, how do I handle shipping and customs? Also where should I get this all attended to? I have a trusted garage in Hyderabad where I am thinking of giving the car to get all the work done, but I would like to source the parts myself and preferably get the work done in Bangalore itself since that is where I am staying at the moment. Help!!!

Thanks in advance

[IcarusMan]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I will be making the payment and picking it up this Diwali weekend. Couple of issues though, few parts are not upto the mark and I would want to replace them: the lower arms, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, bushes, strut mounts and the AC condenser/compressor (yet to narrow down which is not working). I would like to know where to source these parts? If online, how do I handle shipping and customs? Also where should I get this all attended to? I have a trusted garage in Hyderabad where I am thinking of giving the car to get all the work done, but I would like to source the parts myself and preferably get the work done in Bangalore itself since that is where I am staying at the moment. Help!!!

Thanks in advance

Generic repair/maintenance parts can usually be sourced from amazon.com and rockauto.com. With amazon you pre-pay customs duties and they ship pretty fast via their carrier Aramex. But not all items ship to India. (Also, got to mention that an item for my Forester - rear brake liners - I currently have on order with them is yet to be shipped more than a month after the order. Dang). With rockauto.com, be prepared to pay the PO customs duties as high as 40% of item (cost + shipping) if you ship by the cheaper USPS. I still like rockauto.com because this store has the charm of a small family-owned business. Their parts catalogue also helps you to narrow down on brand selection based on popularity etc, instead of googling all over or reading reviews on amazon etc.

For engine parts or non-generic parts (such as seals or small plastic trim parts), it's better to go with Subaru OEM parts. I've had good experience with subarugenuineparts.com recommended by WRXX here. Be careful while ordering parts that you are not sure are common to the 2.0 lt and 2.5 lt engines. (I've been burned once when ordering air filter element. They sent me the wrong part because, apparently, the 2.5 lt engine uses a different air filter. Corollary: Do not order air filter from the US).

Milestone Garage on Hennur Road is a very good option for servicing in Bangalore, now that Trident Chevrolet in Kalyan Nagar seems to be defunct. The owner Mr. Jacob has strong technical knowledge and long experience with servicing imports. (This garage specialises in imports). Expect to pay repair charges at least at par with ASS. But it's more than worth it because Mr. Jacob is a straight arrow: you can trust him.

[WRXXX]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I will be making the payment and picking it up this Diwali weekend. Couple of issues though, few parts are not upto the mark and I would want to replace them: the lower arms, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, bushes, strut mounts and the AC condenser/compressor (yet to narrow down which is not working). I would like to know where to source these parts? If online, how do I handle shipping and customs? Also where should I get this all attended to? I have a trusted garage in Hyderabad where I am thinking of giving the car to get all the work done, but I would like to source the parts myself and preferably get the work done in Bangalore itself since that is where I am staying at the moment. Help!!!

Thanks in advance

@ishaanIan : Owners like Icarusman and Guna are a great resource to refer to here as well. Since yours will be a 2003 forester which has some minor mods compared to 2005 model (ABS, steering wheel, braking system etc.)
The below Factory Service Manual might still help for the most of the mechanical work, please download and keep it handy (if you don't have it already that is).

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw...HhIc2hndy1XU0E

From what I guess since you are very mechanically oriented/inclined, if you find a skilled Garage that is willing to listen to you that would be of great help. Like Icarusman mentioned his Garage and the Pride Cars in Bangalore South (Some hand holding needed there) are kind of Garages that will do the job. You can stock fuel filter, oil filters and crush washers(better to find a local replacement).
And I had changed the air filter to K&N to avoid periodic replacements. Cabin air filter is another consumable that you might want to stock(Changed once in 12-15K kms). Please get a rear Diff guard fitted if you are doing a lot of off-road trips. Given the nature of the car, other things you need to bother only when it demands attention. Like the suspension at 1L kms and Timing belt at 1L+ (120K?) kms etc.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by WRXXX

The below Factory Service Manual might still help for the most of the mechanical work, please download and keep it handy (if you don't have it already that is).

Thank you so much for the manual lot of Forester forums don't seem to be opening in my browser and this will be a HUGE help

Originally Posted by WRXXX

From what I guess since you are very mechanically oriented/inclined, if you find a skilled Garage that is willing to listen to you that would be of great help.

I have decided to give the car to Mr. Prabhu who owns and runs New Mars in Hyderabad, I know him well and trust him completely. Since this car was never in my possession until now, I have decided that I would like him to take care of the car and bring it up to shape, detailing, treating rust, cleaning axles, rectifying the issues I have identified etc. as he knows how I like my vehicles to drive. I will check out the other garages recommended in Bangalore in the future for routine service.

I was hoping to gain some more insight on how and where to source forester parts. Icarusman mentioned rockauto and amazon any other suggestions?

[Guna]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I was hoping to gain some more insight on how and where to source forester parts. Icarusman mentioned rockauto and amazon any other suggestions?

Ebay is a a source. But mostly good for aftermarket brands. Occasionally you get someone selling original Subaru parts as well. subarugenuineparts.com and subarupartswarehouse are the options I have tried in the past. But they may get stuck in the customs. Many times the last mile delivery is from Indian post and I had received the items in bad conditions.

[th2]

Just wanted to let folks know that Amazon UK is a decent source for some parts specific to the India-spec Forester. Have also ordered parts recently from

https://www.eurocarparts.com/ - they are yet to be shipped though. One problem with eurocarparts was that shipping charges to India was calculated and billed as a separate transaction (not the web interface, but via customer support) and I was asked to give out my credit card CVV.

Also looked at https://www.gsfcarparts.com/ - good selection of parts but unfortunately they do not accept Indian credit cards (i.e., cards with an Indian billing address). Paypal is an option, but since I do not have a Paypal account, passed them over.

[IshaanIan]

The deal has been done bought a 2003 Forester with 61k kms on the clock from Pune. Far from perfect condition but bought it at an honest price and work on it will begin shortly and be completed by the end of this year if not the new year. Read my post on the Pune-Hyderabad route queries thread for first impressions on the drive and a picture taken from cell phone

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post4309782

[(Alok)]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

The deal has been done bought a 2003 Forester with 61k kms on the clock from Pune.

Now this is called enthusiasm.

AFAIK this is/was the only boxer engine vehicle available in Indian automobile history.

Please post the snaps of 1. Engine bay 2. Close up of horizontally opposed cylinder block.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by (Alok)

Now this is called enthusiasm.

AFAIK this is/was the only boxer engine vehicle available in Indian automobile history.

Please post the snaps of 1. Engine bay 2. Close up of horizontally opposed cylinder block.

Thankyou I am in Bangalore at the moment have my exams coming up in a week's time. Will get back to Hyderabad and give everyone updates on the Forester after 15th December which is when my exams will finish

[IcarusMan]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Read my post on the Pune-Hyderabad route queries thread for first impressions on the drive and a picture taken from cell phone

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post4309782

Enjoyed reading your post; *almost* makes me wish I weren't selling my Forester again ;-) But after 5 years, it's time to let the car go. Furthest I ever took it out of Bengaluru was Nandi Hills! That blue is brilliant; must have been the original color on my scoobie too before the first owner painted it white, pity. Enjoy your Subaru.