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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ ot: thinking of buying this subaru

Posted by: thelogo Jan 21 2016, 04:37 PM

It seems like a nice car

But I don't know a lot about subarus .

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/5413145592.html

I'm gonna off 4200 if everything is too my liking

But I always like to check here first ,

Are there any specific area on these cars that need to be looked at closely

And it's got Oregon plates , so is that a deal breaker right there
I intend on driving it in California , slow la

Posted by: madmax914 Jan 21 2016, 05:36 PM

On the 2.5L at the 100,000 mile make not only should the timing belt be changed but also the head gaskets. If you do it before it needs it you'll avoid costly machine work on the heads. A good repair shop can do it all for around $1,000. if the head gasket goes out you're looking at $1,300. The new metal gaskets available now will allow that car to go for 300,000 plus miles.

Good price, if you can get it for $4,200 that's a great price!

Posted by: jmill Jan 21 2016, 05:40 PM

No idea what to look for. I will say I bought the wife a 2014 Outback with the 2.5 and CVT. It's a dog off the line and I wouldn't dream of towing anything with it. It does handle snow and ice like a dream and is great for where we live.

Why do you need AWD in LA? If I was still in California, I'd go with the Jetta wagon. Less to maintain and peppier.

Posted by: matthepcat Jan 21 2016, 08:59 PM

I have an 06 WRX wagon. I purchased new and now it has 117,000.

Been a great car, but yes you need the timing belt and pulley set swapped out. Look for good service records. AWD requires tranny and diff fluid changes every 30k. Radiators usually go at 100k, but they are cheap. If it was a shitty CVT I would say skip it, being a manual will be much better.

Regular coolant changes usually avoids the head gasket issues.

Small stuff will rattle, and the frameless windows sometimes require a rubber seal to be changed.

Posted by: thelogo Jan 22 2016, 12:52 AM

Owner says head gaskets were NOT changed

So I guess I'm gonna pass on the car ,not looking for something that requires a immediate
Investment and I don't need 4wd or 4wd maintenance issues added weight and complexity

I really like the car and the price was right but it seems like Subaru s may be a bit more expensive to own then your """" typical"""" 4 cylinder 5peed econo box .

Really glad I checked here

Saved my assass again

Posted by: somd914 Jan 22 2016, 01:17 AM

I have an 05 GT wagon with a Cobb 2 engine setup bringing an additional 30 HP and 50 lb-ft of torque, I've also increased max boost by a few pounds over that tune. I have 145,000 miles, tuned above factory at approx 80k miles. Head gaskets are original, but the ej255 engine is ess prone to failure which is more attributed to ej251 engines from what I have read. Believe the 06 NA Legacy is running an ej254 also known to be less head gasket troublesome.

For me it's been minor wiring issues that have been the most troublesome - seat heaters, wiring bundle into hatch gets pinched breaking wires, dome light ground, key in ignition micro switch. Mechanically has been been pretty robust.

My second gear synchro is starting to go, but can't complain given mileage and driving style.

At the advertised mileage I would assume ball joints are worn along with control arm bushings in addition to shocks. Also agree radiator is likely soon to crack but an easy and inexpensive repair.

Posted by: dflesburg Jan 22 2016, 06:59 AM

being a damn hippie, wearing stupid shoes, not bathing often and shopping at the "farmers market" where no farmers would be caught dead.

Posted by: wobbletop Jan 22 2016, 08:57 AM

Never heard of ANYONE changing the head gaskets along with the timing belt. He changed the water pump with the timing belt which is overkill, but shows he was concerned about maintaining the car properly.

Do a compression and leak down test, and you're good.

I agree about AWD in LA though. Why?

Posted by: audio_file Jan 22 2016, 09:17 AM

I've owned 5 Subaru's of various age and trim, and that looks decent to me...

The Good:
It's N/A (the boosted legacys are known to eat their turbos)
Timing belt changed
Price

The Bad:
At 126k, no mention of clutch change. This will be necessary soon/now
ALL Subarus (since the beginning of time) have headgasket issues eventually, and usually they ARE changed along with the water pump, pulleys, and timing belt. Its both an ignored design flaw (you don't see water-cooled Porsches having headgasket issues), and a consequence of the physics of a flat watercooled engine (gravity pulling the oil and water from their passages toward the ground at the weakest link, the headgasket).

I'd buy it, but you will need a clutch, and eventually you will replace headgaskets, maybe multiple times.

Hope that helps

edit: Re: maintenance... I've never had issues with the AWD on any scoob I've ever owned, never had to replace shocks/balljoints up to 200k, fuel economy will be in the low 20's in town, and mid 30's hwy, and Ive never had "a lemon", mine have all been as reliable as any Honda/Toyota

Posted by: ThePaintedMan Jan 22 2016, 10:48 AM

I dont think the head gaskets are a deal breaker. As mentioned, the later EJ25s are less prone. I believe this one came with MLS gaskets OEM, which are a much better design. Clutch of course will need to be done eventually. But the good news is that pulling these engines is a puece of cake. Buy or rent an engine hoist and you can have it out in a couple hours max. Also would be a good time to do a coolant flush with Zerex Gold - I still believe most of the HG issues on these cars is due to lack of routine maintenance, primarily coolant flushes.

Posted by: madmax914 Jan 22 2016, 10:48 AM

I was told by a Subaru expert that the head gasket material from the factory is corroded by the antifreeze. The reason the water pumps are changed during the head gasket replacement is because its easy to do at the time of the repair. The replacement head gaskets are of much better material eliminating the head gasket issues.

With this car being a manual transmission, this car would be bullet proof after the head gasket replacement.

If you can get the car for the lower price I don't think you'll be disappointed.