How long could she live?? 1992 Loyale Wagon

[Ruby]

Hi,

 

Just purchased a 1992 Loyale Wagon, automatic, lady driven, original owner and always maintained by dealership.

 

She has 356,000 kms or 222,500 miles and I would love to hear about like models with long lifespans?

 

Thanks!

[nipper]

Rust never sleeps ....

 

Cars can mechanically be repaired as long as you love it enough to fix it. Rust on the other hand, is almost unstopable if not caught in time.

 

 

You are inot the golden years of the car, which is sort of like living past 80. SOmone can die at 81, others can live till 100. It just depends alot on how that car was maintained up till now, and how its maintained after this point.

 

Change your fluids regularly, pat her on the dash board once in a while, and dont let maintanence items or weird running go to long.

 

nipper

[Ruby]

Thanks!

 

This is my first Subaru and she really has been well maintained - there is rust over the wheel wells in the front which I am looking at having repaired as soon as the back brakes are done and I think the master cylinder too. She has a funny ticking noise until she warms up - I always idle for a few minutes before putting her into gear.

 

I already pat her on the dashboard daily.

 

Rust never sleeps ....

 

Cars can mechanically be repaired as long as you love it enough to fix it. Rust on the other hand, is almost unstopable if not caught in time.

 

 

You are inot the golden years of the car, which is sort of like living past 80. SOmone can die at 81, others can live till 100. It just depends alot on how that car was maintained up till now, and how its maintained after this point.

 

Change your fluids regularly, pat her on the dash board once in a while, and dont let maintanence items or weird running go to long.

 

nipper

[Bucky92]

I absolutley adore my 92 Loyale...he has been a great great great car.. I have owned him for almost 5 years...they do have some hidden areas of rust ( which I just discovered) and if not taken care of as soon as you can...it can be the dealth of these cars...watch your inner rear wheel wells..right where the rear seat belt mounts and right above where the rear shocks bolt on...from the outside they will look fine...until you pull the interior back in the rear...and you find this:

 

 

This is what I found last week...and am in the process of fixing...and this is on a car that fromthe outside looks very very good and has been taken care of pretty darn well since I have owned him.

 

Keep up with her and you should be able to see another 100K easily...

[TahoeFerrari]

I have an '87 GL (what the early Loyales were called) 3-door - which is mechanically nearly identical to your '92 wagon. It just rolled over to 300K miles about a month ago.

 

The original engine lasted for 265K miles, but wasn't worn out yet. My old mechanic retired & the new one stripped a lot of bolts on the oil pump, timing belt tensioners, exhaust, etc. while doing a major timing belt / oil pump gasket / miscellaneous gasket service. He opted to replace the engine for me rather than helicoil the threads on all the stripped bolts. In fairness, I think many of the bolts had already been overtightened before he got to it, so I still use him for things I don't want to mess with.

 

Other than that, only things that you'd expect to wear out or sometimes fail had been replaced - like brakes, front axle CV joint boots, the radiator, and the starter solenoid copper contacts.

 

I have several friends (well 1 or 2, anyhow) that own GLs/Loyales with over 200K miles and all of them are alive and well to the extent of how well they are maintained.

 

The front fenders can easily be replaced - they are 100% bolt on. I don't know about Vancouver (really nice place), but around here it's possible to find the same year paint code fenders in a JY for around $25 each so they are nearly a perfect match for the original paint since they have been weathered just about the same.

 

So change the oil regularly, keep the tires inflated properly, and generally don't drive around with an obvious problem - it'll just compound whatever is wrong.

 

I plan to keep driving my '87 GL 3 door and '89 GL wagon (only 190K miles!) for at least another 10 years!

 

Good luck

[DaveT]

She has 356,000 kms or 222,500 miles and I would love to hear about like models with long lifespans?

 

A few things to check:

 

Radiator - look at the little fins that are between the tubes. If they are loose and crumbly, get a new radiator. The first to go are usually the ones hidden by the shroud around the electric fan.

 

Be sure all 6 coolant hoses are in good shape / less than 5 years old.

 

Timing belts and idlers - won't destroy the engine if they break, but you will need to be towed. I prefer to change them around 40K. I never had any make it to the recomended 60K, but many do.

 

Get new fenders. Paint them. Apply rust / underbody protection on the inside. Bolt them on.

 

For me, the only thing that forces giving up on a car is rust too far gone.

[Andy FitzGibbon]

Mine's getting close to 200K of hard, almost no maintainence miles (not by me). Burns a quart every 500 or so but still runs great, though a little low on power. I think of it as a constant oil change.

Andy

[Ruby]

Thanks to all for the advice - I will be checking a few things in the morning and definitely hunting around for some parts.

 

Will let you know the outcome over the next week as she goes to the mechanic for a review. I am also getting all the records from the dealership.

 

Since I reside in the beautiful Wet Coast I will really investigate the rust hot spots!

[86BRATMAN]

Keep on top of things with the ol' girl and she'll treat you right for a long time to come.

 

Also, the ticking is nothing major. You've got the complenentary TOD that comes with most all ea82 motors. TOD as it is refered to is the hydraulic lash adjusters on your motor. search for threads about "tick of death". And remember its an acronym and should not be taken as a literal interpretation of impending death, lol.

 

Welcome aboard...