The Dude Abides Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 http://desmoines.craigslist.org/cto/1510934464.html So my brother is going to look at this car and i was wondering what he should be looking out for. I believe these are the ones with the headgasket problems but need some clarification. Anything we need to be looking at or aware of. As far if this is a good price or not. Doesnt this have a turbo and intercooler. Any advice would be great. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 No turbo or intercooler. Yes, it is the model with the head gasket issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted December 19, 2009 Author Share Posted December 19, 2009 138k miles, 2500 bucks. What do i need to be on the look out for for a HG problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Coolant overflow bottle for yuck - or too fresh. Take it for an hour "spirited" drive. These usually heat up in 30-45 minutes when driven - especially at highway speeds. Listed for rod knock after it's been warmed up(when it's still cold you could be hearding piston slap). Ask about timing belt/WP, Idlers,seals - last time they have been replaced. This year the baffle plate also leaks onto the exhaust. Test Torque bind. Look for matching tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 HG - they can be very hard to track down when they first start to go which is why they're easy to sell (and buy) with issues. they might not show it for a week when they first start. constant stream of people on here that buy one only to find HG issues not long afterwards - my guess is that most of the time it was an issue when they bought it. dirty overflow tank and any recent coolant work (since folks often misdiagnose or hope to get lucky with an inexpensive repair) raises eyebrows - thermostat, radiator, water pump, hoses. Also check for torque bind. I've never heard or seen of a 90's Legacy GT in the US with a turbo, I don't think any of them will have that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzam Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 If the seller is showing receipts on work done like t-stat, water pump, coolant flush and new antifreeze etc. Could be a red flag that they were trying to fix an overheating bad gasket issue before they gave up and decided to sell. Otherwise it look like a nice buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I'd probably offer him 2000 for it assuming the body and undercarriage is in good shape (little to no rust). Dunno where he was finding the blue book to be 3800. Best I could find was 3200 for a Clean car. Very very few privately sold cars fall into the "Clean" category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWDfreak Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Nice that it has the 5-speed manual However, it is well past the 100k miles mark, which we can easily assume the head gasket issue had already occured. My car, 99 Legacy Outback, as the same EJ25D as that Legacy GT. My head gasket failed me in the 92k to 93k mileage. There were absolutely NO SIGNS of the head gasket failure until I looked down the coolant reservoir one time I had nothing better to do. It was almost empty, and I could see vapors coming out the bottom of the coolant reservoir. So I filled it up with Subaru long-life coolant/antifreeze and hoped for the best. Turns out I caught the problem early, it was leaking rather slowly (after adding the Subaru cooling system conditioner). However, it did NOT stop the problem. As long as it has the original gaskets, you're going to need to get the replacement gasket. Subaru has stopped producing the bad head gaskets and has made new gaskets that should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzam Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 However, it is well past the 100k miles mark, which we can easily assume the head gasket issue had already occured. My car, 99 Legacy Outback, as the same EJ25D as that Legacy GT. My head gasket failed me in the 92k to 93k mileage. There were absolutely NO SIGNS of the head gasket failure until I looked down the coolant reservoir one time I had nothing better to do. It was almost empty, and I could see vapors coming out the bottom of the coolant reservoir. So I filled it up with Subaru long-life coolant/antifreeze and hoped for the best. Turns out I caught the problem early, it was leaking rather slowly (after adding the Subaru cooling system conditioner). However, it did NOT stop the problem. As long as it has the original gaskets, you're going to need to get the replacement gasket. Subaru has stopped producing the bad head gaskets and has made new gaskets that should be fine. The conditioner from Subaru wouldn't do anything for a PHASE I 2.5 since it is an internal compression pressure leak. The conditioner is for the PHASE II external leak. No need to assume that it has already had a head gasket issue because some of the the 2.5 gaskets are known to go well into the higher 100k mile before showing symptoms. It isn't a sure thing that they will fail early. I've got a 98 2.5 with coming up on 150k and is running fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 My brother ended up picking it up today. I have never seen a more filthy car. I was happy to find lots of service records it though. But no head gasket. It feels like it has kinda chugging so it probally needs some intake cleaning or maybe plugs and wires. I didnt see coolant dripping or i couldnt smell or see it come through the exhaust. But you can smell it alittle bit when you open the hood. My brother fully aware of this says that if it goes a year and then needs replaced its worth it. Man it was dirty, like ive never seen any vehicle this dirty before. Ran and drove down the road nice and tight. Alittle clunking in the rear though and man that abs is annoying. Had the same size tire on them but they all had different treads. 1st thing hes buying is 4 new tires, then wiper blades, plugs and wires, fog light and the headlamp cleanup kit. Anything else i should tell him. I think ill direct him to this websight so he can get his info first hand. Thanks for all those who answered. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98obster Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 My brother ended up picking it up today. I have never seen a more filthy car. I was happy to find lots of service records it though. But no head gasket. It feels like it has kinda chugging so it probally needs some intake cleaning or maybe plugs and wires. I didnt see coolant dripping or i couldnt smell or see it come through the exhaust. But you can smell it alittle bit when you open the hood. My brother fully aware of this says that if it goes a year and then needs replaced its worth it. Man it was dirty, like ive never seen any vehicle this dirty before. Ran and drove down the road nice and tight. Alittle clunking in the rear though and man that abs is annoying. Had the same size tire on them but they all had different treads. 1st thing hes buying is 4 new tires, then wiper blades, plugs and wires, fog light and the headlamp cleanup kit. Anything else i should tell him. I think ill direct him to this websight so he can get his info first hand. Thanks for all those who answered. Ben one more neglected sooby rescued-good luck to your brother. Oh, and Dude, your book report is due Feb. 1. ha, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121610159 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Time for me to spend some time in the new gen area. Look for some new posts buy me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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