Be grateful you're not in Norway, i've just been over there for a month working and you would not believe the prices they pay for cars........ ten year old saf cossies with over 120,000 miles on the clock are changing hands for around 130,000 norwegian krona, thats about 11 grand in uk money As for newer cars , they are mortgage money, i spotted an 04 subaru sti with prodrive upgrade for sale on a norwegian forecourt for half a million krona, thats about £46,000. We can buy the same car here for half that.
To answer your original question though, much as i love safs (I've owned mine for four years trouble free) I wouldn't consider one for the sort of money you're talking about , not if you are able to buy a newer jap model for the same money. As for importing from over here, uk cars have spent their lives on british roads where salt is used yearly and that means that rust will always be a problem given that the youngest ones are now 11 years old. Having said that, a well kept saf running stage 2 or mild stage 3 tune @ 280/300 bhp will outpace most things on the road and will be as reliable as any other car provided it is serviced regularly. Mine has suffered from the odd electrical gremlin over the years but mechanically is as fresh as the day it was built and even though it is only stage 1 and running about 260/270 @ 15 psi it is as quick as anything i've met on the road yet, especially in a straight line.

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