alwysbrkn91k5 Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Alright so I'm new here and new to Subaru. I'm always been interested in older vehicles and very different imports. Need to know if these Subs are worth buying and reliable. Found a 87 Subaru Gl10 turbo 5 speed wagon 4x4 or awd, need to know what to look for when buying this vehicle or any other Sub. For example rust issues, where to find the engine tag to make sure it has the right engine with or without a turbo, and if there is a place to look up vin number decoding. I plan on purchasing the car i described and giving it to my son after i make it reliable. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus56 Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 So the big thing about this car, is, that its a turbo. Those motors blow head gaskets so easily if they are even a teaspoon low on antifreeze. Other than that, you will have a reliable car, unless there is rust. Rust around the rear wheel wells is normal, but check underneath the car, a little bit is ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwysbrkn91k5 Posted January 24, 2010 Author Share Posted January 24, 2010 The car had 227k before the engine was replaced by a supposedly jdm 30k engine. I've been reading on the website about what you described when it comes to cooling the engine. Would a engine cooler help anyway? The car is in Texas and will be driven in Texas heat during the summer. Would redoing the radiator and replacing all the hoses help from overheating or is there any troubleshooting problems i should look for? Would looking for a non turbo car be better than this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 (edited) So the big thing about this car, is, that its a turbo. Those motors blow head gaskets so easily if they are even a teaspoon low on antifreeze. Other than that, you will have a reliable car, unless there is rust. Rust around the rear wheel wells is normal, but check underneath the car, a little bit is ok. That is slightly dramatic. They are not always 30K motors, even though that is what is claimed. The best thing is having old service records. Emissions hoses get hard and brittle. Check for signs of overheating. Check oil and radiator caps for water/oil residue. Even wear on tires with an AWD Subaru is a must. Timing belt should be done in 60K intervals. Although, it is not an interference motor. A non-turbo model may be better for a young driver though. Carfax may be able to give you some good info. Rust issues will show on front frame rails, rear wheel wells, pinch welds(rockers). Non-modded vehicles are reasonably reliable. If it has been beaten on or modded I would probably pass on it. Edited January 24, 2010 by Qman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwysbrkn91k5 Posted January 24, 2010 Author Share Posted January 24, 2010 That is slightly dramatic. They are not always 30K motors, even though that is what is claimed. The best thing is having old service records. Emissions hoses get hard and brittle. Check for signs of overheating. Check oil and radiator caps for water/oil residue. Even wear on tires with an AWD Subaru is a must. Timing belt should be done in 60K intervals. Although, it is not an interference motor. A non-turbo model may be better for a young driver though. Carfax may be able to give you some good info. Rust issues will show on front frame rails, rear wheel wells, pinch welds(rockers). Non-modded vehicles are reasonably reliable. If it has been beaten on or modded I would probably pass on it. Thats the thing with buying old vehicles. I check all that you mentioned. But like my last purchase i blew the transmission and replaced the engine and a/c and now the rear axle needs replacing. Just my luck I guess. Thats why i'm looking for a economical car for now just to drive about 500 miles a month,if that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 do a new radiator and new hoses. a lot of times these engines overheat due to some obscure hose blowing out. do all of them now and never worry about it. the car will be reliable in stock form with good maintenance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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