Im back, AGAIN!

[Bserk]

Hey fellow Subie people... Long time, no see. Ive been 'between' Subarus for a while, but I always knew I'd be back! LOL! Traded in at the non-Subaru dealership where I work, was the classic ole lady car, and I couldnt resist. 1999 Outback Wagon. Identical colors to the '96 that I sold a while back (Green on top, gray bottom) and for a '99 in this part of the country, it is sweet. No rust, shiny paint, spotless interior. It runs strong, I hear no piston slap, no torque steer issues, no blinking AT temp light, no 'check engine' light, coolant is full and clean, the overflow bottle shows no signs of the dreaded 'crud'.... The odometer reads 34,000 miles, but that was a little too good to be true. Turns out the speedo head died and was replaced, but the old head is in the car. Adding the miles together equals still low for a 1999 (right at the 100,000 mile mark) I called and talked to the original owner....get this- she apologized for trading it in in such a 'filthy' condition.. LOL!! The thing is cherry, honest to god, it shines better than my 96 did after buffing, polishing and a lot of sweat equity. The tires and brakes are new, the exhaust is solid and still wearing all the heat shields (huh??) The only thing I could find wrong is a torn inner CV boot on the right side. The bad news is, as meticulous as this owner was, she could not remember ever doing head gaskets or a timing belt. She did say she has a pile of paperwork of everything she has done to the car, and promised to drop it all off to me. She is elderly, and perhaps she doesnt know exactly what was done. Believe me, I know a well-cared for car, and this is as good as it gets for a 10 year old trade. On the phone, she kept stressing that the mileage was not accurate, that I had to add the miles on the old speedo....she was that worried about misleading the next owner. Sweet lady. So, I think I have my winter rat a lot of months early this year. I wasnt in a hurry to find one yet, but when it comes along, you have to grab it. I wont make any decisions on what Im going to replace until I see the records, but unless its verified that the TB and related parts were done, I'll tackle that before I drive it far. OK, bottom line... I paid 2 grand for this car. I think I could do NOTHING to it, drive it for the winter, and still not lose my shorts. But the anti-Subie idiots at work think Im nuts for spending that much on a car I dont even plan on driving for 5 months or more. I know a few of you die hards will support me, so I had to log in and get some good vibes.

[tcspeer]

Sounds like a good buy to me. These kind of cars dont show up to often.

[Rooster2]

I think I am driving the twin of your new car, a 99 OBW, green top, gray bottom, with a dark gray interior. Gee, $2,000 for a nice car in terrific shape. I spent a lot more for my car three years ago with 148K on the odo, with just a so-so body.

 

You got a hell of a deal. Welcome back to Subie land.

[Twitch de la Brat]

That's awesome.

And only $2000, you luck SOB.

I would kill for a car like that for that price.

 

Twitch

[johnceggleston]

the timing belt isn't due until 105k so it probably hasn't been done. depending on who you ask, head gasket will go, it's just a matter of time, some went at 60k, but the ones i'm seeing for sale now are around the 160 - 190 mark. so who knows. but the $ question you have to ask is, if you have to do the gaskets this fall, will you still be happy with your purchase.

 

some of the 99s w/ auto tend to develope a delay to engage from N to D. but folks have had good luck using 'trans-x' to correct the problem. apparently there is a seal that 'shrinks'? and causes the problem. this trans-x additive for this problem is one of the few times anyone suggests an additive for subarus. (seafoam is another.)

 

enjoy the car, i would be so tempted to do the timing belt sell it for $5K and smile.

[Bserk]

'enjoy the car, i would be so tempted to do the timing belt sell it for $5K and smile.'

 

 

Well, John...If you remember me from before (Im the Nissan guy) , you know that IS a possibility... I never even got plates on my Impreza OB and someone waved a LOT more cash in my face than I had invested.. and it had to go bye bye. I dont really want to part with it, but profit is a nice word, isnt it? LOL

[johnceggleston]

you might consider adjusting the speedo to indicate the correct mileage. since the there has only been one owner, when you buy it the speedo mileage may look accurate. if there isn't anything on a carfax report about the mileage, when you sell it will just look like you drove it a lot in a short time.

 

of course this doesn't matter if you keep the car, but it will be slightly more accurate for the next buyer.

 

i have read that it isn't too hard to advance the speedo, just don't try to turn it backwards.

 

just a thought.

[edrach]

I'd keep it. You'll not likely see such a good deal again for a long time.

 

As to the headgasket and timing belt issues: Do the timing belt and related items (water pump, idlers, etc.) if the records don't reflect that it's been done before. Have the headgasket issue checked by looking for hydrocarbons in the coolant. I wouldn't consider doing the head gasket unless there's an issue.

 

I have a friend that I rallycross with who owns a '99 Legacy GT with the same EJ25 and automatic you have (he bought it new). His headgasket didn't develop issues until he reached 160K miles on the car. His automatic didn't give him problems until 10K later than that. He's the original owner, takes good care of the car, and has driven in rallycross competition and autocross for as long as he's owned the car. He decided to do the headgasket when it started to give him problems (he still drove it to his shop) and recently had the transmission rebuilt to competition specs.