vtwinjunkie Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 (edited) Greetings subi gods, I am looking once more at another outback. Taking my time to find the right one for a second vehicle....An adventure vehicle for myself, my lady and our dog. I recently found a 2005 with 97k miles on it. 2nd owner. Here is a pic Here is what I know from the owner, He sounds like a good guy and is upfront about what he knows: 1. We're second owners since May 2006. 23,000 miles or so then, so we've put 75,000 or so on. The mileage is actually 97k-ish 2. My wife did the servicing, so it was almost certainly as set out in the manual. It was our only car for a long time. It needs a service now, though, and that will be the timing belt service. In addition it will need rear wheel bearings and some brake/brushing work for the safety inspection. I have a pretty full service history. It was worked on last year, and I certainly have the receipts since 2011 or so, and some before. I'll see if my wife has anything else from before then. We may have a list of work needed from the last place that looked at it - we just got new cars as my wife has a new job. 3. Two low-speed door knocks. One was me, embarrassingly, reversing and hitting a tree with the door in 2008 or so. Simple replacement. The other was around then too, an uninsured driver collision which needed the passenger side rear door replacing. There's trim missing on the passenger side, too. We certainly have the paperwork from the collision. No long-term effect, and a long time ago. but we want to give full info on a 'we'd expect the same' basis. We also have the huge cargo box and a recent Tomtom. Custom seat covers, but they might not be to your taste. Given this info....What else should I be looking for? what is a good price for it? Edited February 24, 2016 by vtwinjunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 It's over due by age and nearly due by mileage for a timing belt job. Install a complete kit with pulleys and tensioner. $600 - $1,000 at a shop/dealer. Or $200 if you DIY. It's easy - takes 3 hours or less. Wheel bearings fail routinely on those - they are bolt in bearings and cheap and easy to replace. Not as problematic as older Subaru bearings can sometimes be. 2005's had some catalytic converter recalls/issues - see if that VIN qualifies and if any work/servicing was done/needed for that? ATF, front diff, and coolant fluids should all be changed shortly if they havent' been already. Those all directly impact engine and transmission longevity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 A guy that cares enough to do the write up, most certainly would have maintained the car well. Still, things to consider>>>>>>> Check rubber half shaft boots on the outer side at the road wheels for any tears in the rubber Look for any oil drips, or coolant drips where parked. Oil drips would most likely be valve cover gasket, an easy fix. Any coolant leaks can be fixed by adding Subaru sealant to the cooling system. Check the tires for wear. How does it drive..........any steering wheel pull in any direction?? How does it stop........straight and true?? Ask owner for repair receipts. It helps to know the history of maintenance, to know when it may need a tune up, or brake work. Sounds like a nice car, hope you can strike a deal to buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtwinjunkie Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 (edited) It's over due by age and nearly due by mileage for a timing belt job. Install a complete kit with pulleys and tensioner. $600 - $1,000 at a shop/dealer. Or $200 if you DIY. It's easy - takes 3 hours or less. Wheel bearings fail routinely on those - they are bolt in bearings and cheap and easy to replace. Not as problematic as older Subaru bearings can sometimes be. 2005's had some catalytic converter recalls/issues - see if that VIN qualifies and if any work/servicing was done/needed for that? ATF, front diff, and coolant fluids should all be changed shortly if they havent' been already. Those all directly impact engine and transmission longevity. I can do all the work myself/ with help. That is good to know! All very good info. I think I can get this car at a pretty good deal. Would 4500 be too much? or maybe 4k? A guy that cares enough to do the write up, most certainly would have maintained the car well. Still, things to consider>>>>>>> Check rubber half shaft boots on the outer side at the road wheels for any tears in the rubber Look for any oil drips, or coolant drips where parked. Oil drips would most likely be valve cover gasket, an easy fix. Any coolant leaks can be fixed by adding Subaru sealant to the cooling system. Check the tires for wear. How does it drive..........any steering wheel pull in any direction?? How does it stop........straight and true?? Ask owner for repair receipts. It helps to know the history of maintenance, to know when it may need a tune up, or brake work. Sounds like a nice car, hope you can strike a deal to buy it. I thought the same thing. It sounds like he took care of it but I will def check everything listed. Do you think 4k-4500 would be a fair price? I will most def try to talk him down off his 5k (but negotiable) asking price due to all the work needed but I dont want to be a jerk. I wont offer until I get a chance to look at it though...have to make time to get the car as it is 1 hour away. Edited February 24, 2016 by vtwinjunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 if it's as described, 5k is a good deal. anything less would be a no brainer. Not many with under 100k and those that are are usually very pricey. Here in California that car would cost double. If you can talk him down, great but if it checks out and feels right, I'd jump on it. Buy the parts and work on it for a weekend and drive it for many many more miles. Read up on head gasket symptoms and what to look for. This year is still in the spectrum where they may need replacement somewhere between now and 200k. If you catch it early, it's not that bad. If you can do a timing belt, you can do head gaskets. Just takes longer and will require some $$$ for machining. Likely that it years down the road. If there's any regularity to it, they seem to need done around 150-175k. Done right they will last the life of the motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Looks good, sounds good and the price is probably fair. Where did you find it, on Craigslist? How long has it been listed? Remember that's not a hard-and-fast "price"--it's what he'd like to get for it. If it's been up for awhile he may be more receptive to reasonable offers. I'd start at $4k and see what happens. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Looks good, mileage is good, price seems good. Where in VA are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtwinjunkie Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 Looks good, mileage is good, price seems good. Where in VA are you? Northern va just outside of DC. Going to check out the car tomorrow and bringing cash. I had a buddy pull up the carfax as well and it matches spot on to what he has told me so far about the car. def a good sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtwinjunkie Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 Well I ended up with it at a great price. Wheel bearings were not as bad as the PO had thought (although one or both will need replacement) the issue was exacerbated by rust accumulation on the rotors I believe. I drove it the 45 miles home without issue. I have a stack of papers indicating a near complete service history since 25k miles and a carfax report to max. This is possibly the best craigslist sale I have ever found haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Congratulations! A little TLC and regular PM (Preventive Maintenance) and she should serve you well for a long time. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtwinjunkie Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Thanks guys! Going through the service records yesterday I noticed that the car has quite a bit of service! It seems like it has had a trans service every 30k (3 times so far), spark plugs at 50k, rack and pinion replaced at 70k and the list goes on. Although the Previous owner was wealthy, I hope the car just isnt a lemon! Either way it seems like they took very good care of it. I will be buying the timing belt kit and rear bearings this week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Sounds like previous owner just took super good care of the car. Enjoy your new wheels!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtwinjunkie Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 The only thing the car is missing off hand that I cannot stand is the lower passenger side rocker panel. It is missing and is driving me nuts. Anyone know where I can source one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Are you talking about the plastic cladding on the rocker? On the lower part of the door? Or both? Maybe it's something you can find at a Pull n' Pay. (But I have no idea how they're attached to the car!) Can you post a photo of the damaged area? It might 'ring a bell' with someone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtwinjunkie Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 (edited) Are you talking about the plastic cladding on the rocker? On the lower part of the door? Or both? Maybe it's something you can find at a Pull n' Pay. (But I have no idea how they're attached to the car!) Can you post a photo of the damaged area? It might 'ring a bell' with someone! Sorry Its actually below both doors if this makes sense? It is attached via simple pop clips. Trying to source the part. Edited March 8, 2016 by vtwinjunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Wow, that's a good looking wagon! Be sure to check the color code for the cladding--I think it should be noted on the driver's door plaque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtwinjunkie Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share Posted March 13, 2016 Today was a great day. oil /filter change, timing belt, water pump, pulleys, tensioner, coolant flush, shampoo interior! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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