Thinking of getting a Subaru...
 

I've always loved them, but just recently started to really think about picking one up. I don't want a new one... I'm looking for something around 5-6k. That being said I'm okay with having to fix it up a bit. I know there are some subaru buffs on here so I figured I'd ask for a few tips.

I know the basics, but is there anything subaru specific I should look for.. good and bad.

I'd really like to get the wagon, and I found a WRX Wagon for around 6.5k with 121k miles. Does that sound reasonable for one in good mechanical order? I only just started really digging into them so I haven't really found if that is a good price. From what I could tell, based on the mileage it seems like an okay price.

But then again I don't know how long these things usually last. I'm sure it varies but are there a lot of guys driving around with 100k plus subies?

check compression/leakdown. one of the biggest engine problems on these cars is blown ringlands. specifically #4. check transmission thoroughly, most importantly 3rd gear on the later ones and 1st/2nd on the earlier ones. STAY AWAY from 02 WRX's.
Don't be afraid of turbo's on their way out. Easy and cheap to replace. Obviously try to get a non modded/unmolested one. If it has an atmospheric bov tell the owner he's a fucking retard.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. Car buying FAQ for these cars can be found on NASIOC and is very thorough.

good luck

One good thing about the WRX wagons is that they are often over looked by people who want to mod a WRX but they are just as fun and can haul more.

18 psi, what don’t you like about the 02 WRX? Only bad thing I heard was the transmissions were weaker then the later ones.

dont buy it off any punk looking kids or if it has any mods. subarus are the biggest car scene in mass and ive seen a bunch of them getting beat to shit on by kids with rich parents. I know one kid who went through like three transmissions in one

personally, i'd love to have a wrx or sti swapped gc8

Gah the one I'm looking at is a 2002. I'm not really in any sort of hurry, so I'll hold off a bit more I guess and get one after reading through the car buying FAQ.

Pink body panels are always a plus.

yeah i just had a 04 wrx and the trans blows! oh and the wheel bearings all die. check for play. all of mine were toast at 37k miles

WRX's have weak transmissions. They are called the "glass box" for a reason. Well, the 02 has an EVEN weaker transmission. So much so that a lot of it was changed updated for 03, and even it was shitty, so it got upgraded for the 04.5-05 model year. Then the 06-07's got a 3.7fd and while have awesome gearing, 3rd gear was the weak link and kept breaking like a bitch. For 09+ they changed it to some other design of which I still don't know much about.

next is brakes. of all the wrx's, the 02's got the shittiest brakes. And had issues with brake lines.

next is radiator/fans. for 03 they got updated and changed a bit due to some fuck ups in design.

There are other issues I just don't have the energy to get into.

looks like yours was rallied or abused.
Ive replaced bearings on many subaru's and its anywhere between 80-100k for fairly abused ones.

My $0.02 in the matter.

I was also in the bandwagon for either a WRX wagon or a Forester XT recently. I was almost sure that is what I wanted, until I drove a friends '04 wagon 1000 miles in one day. I got to really know the car, and realized I hated the way it drove. I hated the brakes, I hated the clutch, I hated the gear shift feel, the ride was unimpressive, the handling was unimpressive with vague steering response, just overall not a fun or flattering car. I was very underwhelmed and have since decided against Subaru. Not saying everyones experience is the same, as apparently many people like them, but to me they just don't feel right.

PS, the interior is bland, and the seats are uncomfortable. I am more comfortable driving my tiny ass car with stock seats.

I couldn't disagree more.

Its no miata, weighing over 1000lbs more and having a low compression h-4, so steering input is obviously number and throttle response is lazier, but the torque and traction as well as sound are great. And with VERY few choice mods it absolutely transforms itself.

Opinions are like assholes, so I'm not not hating. Its definitely not for everyone.


Come to CA and I'll let you drive a few PROPERLY modded ones. I have a feeling you will change your opinion REAL quick:D

With mods any turd can be made decent, I was referring to my opinion on the stock ones. Of course it could always be that his was abused in its 6 year life and is worn out. Either way, from what I saw it turned me off to Subaru. Maybe one day I will get a chance to drive another that I don't absolutely hate. Maybe it is just the Miata messing with my head. Everything about the WRX felt vague in comparison.

About 4 years ago i convinced a friend to get a WRX, on the premise it was a combination of Jeep and sport.

It's true. They feel like a hybrid between a sports car and a Wrangler. Recently, me and the friend put on a full 3" catless exhaust, uppipe, down pipe, accessport... some other stuff. Response has really picked up, the engine actually feels decent now.

The rest of a car? Still numb.

Disclaimer: My idea of a good family car is my modified 91 E30 318i or RX8. High bar to meet.

Isn't that EXACTLY what our cars are and what we do with them?

A miata is so slow stock a damn prius will give it a run for its money. And handling is NOT all that great on stock shocks and stock tires.

So I honestly don't know where you're getting that from.

for roughly 500 bux (tbe+3port solenoid+tune which is free) my 05 ran 13.2@101. and that's the 2.0L version. with that much in an 06+ well tuned and well driven you're looking at GOBS more torque due to .5L increase and avcs

Any interest in a modded RHD '93?

Find an STI from an adult who tracks it. That way you know its been maintained and respected.

well i am in hawaii and theres no race track. there used to be a long time ago tho. so its all been street miles i got rid of it at 38k miles for a 85 supra that i put a 1jzgte in

I think for 7k an STI is out of the question. I'm not looking for anything amazing. If it needs work I'll do it.

Back in march I took care of a friends WRX for a month. I was switching between driving that and my miata. At first I didn't like it... I had to force myself to drive it instead of my miata. But as the month went on I got used to it, started get the feel for it, and by the end of the month I was only driving the WRX. Now keep in mind it was upstate NY so it was snowy/rainy and damn cold... so the maita was not exactly in it's best environment.

But by the end of the month I was fairly convinced I would eventually get one.

The 02' sounds pretty terrible and I think I'll try and steer clear of it.

On a different not I've been thinking of getting a old diesel Mercedes...slow as balls... but baller status.

The shop I work for specializes in Subaru/Mazda stuff...18psi pretty much made every major point I would make.


The 2L WRXs tend to spin bearings more than crack ringlands from lack of oil or shitty oil, the 2.5 motors will crack them ALL THE TIME if not tuned correctly. We had a 7k mile 08 STi (stock) that cracked the #4 ringland...


You can find a few decent cars at 6k. At the mileage you are going to find them they are more than likely going to need:

A timing belt job (usually a failing idler that breaks and ruins your shit before a belt or water pump failure)
Struts
Clutch
Turbo
Up-Pipe Cat Failure

Honestly that isn't a bad idea. After all the stuff we have to fix at work I would recommend buying a track car with good compression that has been taken care of or a BONE stock Subaru.

There is no way in hell you're finding any sort of decent STi for under 10k. If that were possible I'd have one as my "other" car right now. They're 12k for a high mileage beat up one or salvage title. All else is 15+ at least.

A WRX wagon really isn't hard to find unabused.
Its like the "other" wrx that not very many stupid young punk kids prefer. Same everything, just a tiny bit more weight and its in the back helping the car rotate a bit better than the WRX when cornering.

If you're into wagons than you'll find a low mileage clean and well taken care of WRX with not much problems. At least around here. Not sure what kinda demand you have in your area.

That is pretty much what I'm going for. Seems like there is a good selection for around that price range. Definitely not trying to find an STI around that price lol.

There was a GRM article a few months ago (6ish I think) about looking at the Saab 9-3x as an alternative. It's like the WRX wagon is to the sedan, usually ignored and well maintained. If you can stand the different looks to it, it could be a much better choice. It's nothing but a re badged Subaru as far as I know.

Also, is there a reason you're ignoring the Evo? I'm not going to go look up used prices, and they may be much higher, but something to look at.

Prices are much higher (for a half decent condition one)

Fuck, I would drive a forester xt. Wait, I do drive a forester xt. Lighter than an STi, moddable, hauls shit, about as common as a wrx wagon blah blah blah. Expect to pay 7-10K though for one with 100K miles. Can put sti shock on it for a good 2" drop. Yay.

much

lol
3210 lbs.
vs
3,263lbs

18psi, I know you know you know your Subaru shit, and I'll probably be asking you for tuning advice soon for my 08.

But here is my anecdotal experience with an 02 WRX. I bought it new in feb of 02, I did the stoptech stage II brake kit, other than that it was kept stock. It's life was lived consistently at redline, I sold it 6 years later with 111k miles on it. It never, not once, gave me a problem. I know it wasn't modded, I only dragged it a couple of times. It was a canyon basher that was always rev matched.

I guess my point is I've never loved any car, more than my 02 WRX, and it made me sad to see you bash them. /Rant.

LET ME CLARIFY:

I wasn't specific enough and I apologize: SOME of the 02's are a nightmare. Specifically the earlier ones.

I've seen a bunch of well running ones. But the few I've seen with problems had LOTS of problems. Researching the matter a little deeper I found out that there are a lot of people out there with "lemon" 02's. Dealerships did a good job of NOT BROADCASTING it either lol

1st model year, of course its expected.



I'm glad yours was great. I too love the bug eyes:)

Though my all time favorite to this day is the 22B gc8:D
http://www.autogaleria.pl/tapety/img..._1998_01_s.jpg

Yes these are very nice. I did the ridgecrest rally school with a guy who had one of those with a STI swap i believe. It was really nice.

Suck a dick. Quit whoring wikipedia.

3060 lbs fxt
3175 lbs sti

per http://www.carfolio.com

Nyways 100lbs difference between them. If I could have a miata station wagon that weighed 2400lbs, I would. Have it.

I was referring to my Miata, which is still a turd. Handling wise, it feels much better to me than a stock WRX wagon. I could understand what I felt from a Forester, but I expected something else from the WRX.

You suck a dick. they are not 3k lbs. And an sti is not 31. They are both over 3200. Don't make me dig up pictures of them getting weighed on the scale. or numerous threads on suby forums proving you wrong.

*edit:
X XS XS PREMIUM XT TURBO XT TURBO PREMIUM
3,135 3,140 3,175 3,250 3,300

the 1981-1984 300D turbo is pretty decent once you get past the turbo lag. Be sure to have a mity-vac to troubleshoot vacuum problems or your engine won't turn off and your transmission will shift so hard it will take your fillings out.

I was looking at a 5spd 190D 2.2... which I hear is slow as ballz. But I'd want it for more of a tinkering car than anything.

The later W124 body diesels are really nice, for a driver/distance cruiser. Worlds of improvement over the earlier cars.

Best Impreza IMO. Love the 22b.

I would take a 22B even if it was as bad as the newer wagon. Awesome car.

The best tinker car would be the W123 240D with a manual transmission. If you get the post '81 you'll get a whopping 67HP.

It's the easiest car I've ever worked on by far. The 124's drive great, but they are much more complicated and the engines are not as bulletproof.

My :2cents:
2 door impreza FTMFW. If you like tinkering you can throw a turbo on the 2.2l. I did that to my '97 outback sport (impreza wagon). Pretty awesome car, perfect daily driver. Or WRX swaps are very common and can be done when you get the funds.

My bone stock 2.5l turbo with 85k miles had a cracked exhaust valve. The PCV system is dumb IMHO.

Hrmm sounds tempting... I just really love the 190D body.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi.../W201-mopf.jpg

But this isn't too bad.

http://automobilesdeluxe.tv/wp-conte...e-1024x682.jpg

I've just about decided to hold off on my suby plans for a bit. I think I want something a bit older. I'd love to have a 2DR Impreza... but I really would like an older turbo diesel merc.

I have owned 3 of these. Maybe 4.

I recommend an 84 or 85. The year range actually starts in 79 and goes to 85.

The 85s have the best and strongest transmission. Also look at 300TDs which are the wagon version. My dad actually has a very good condition 83 TD for sale.

The vacuum system is indeed a pain as the same system runs both the door locks and the transmission. That's a lot of lines to get old in a ~30 year car. You will also need to replace the windshield gaskets, door gaskets etc. They also rust. And most of the ones for sale are "firm" at 2x blue book because they're FS by fucktards who think that just because it's a benz it's worth $$$$ even though their car is in shit condition. Nice ones are fairly nice, but really now, the Miata interior (I have a NB) is ++++ compared to a W123. They are also pretty damn loud. About as loud as your miata, but swap out the engine for a diesel. Replacement engines are not cheap. Expect to pay over $1000 for a longblock with 200k+ miles. Shit can go wrong, with the motor too; I know. Water pump dies, your engine overheats and dies. It happened to me twice. They burn oil. They leak oil. But you can run them with like, 1quart in them. Cold start is a pain. Get a block heater. Make sure your freaking glow plugs are working. Glow plugs are expensive, like $100 apiece. You will need to replace ball joints and your suspension will be saggier than your grandpas dick. Africans (not african americans) will adore your car as they are highly esteemed over there. Mobutu sesei or whoever the fuck dictator of any country in that continent will be carted around in a benz or whatever but moreso they are used as cabs etc and will "run forever" in that hell on earth. Then again, so will a fucking caprice and parts are much much much cheaper.

I did however learn how to drive fast in these cars. They are by no means fast, or quick, and they do not "move" at all. 0-60 is 15-20 seconds, depending on whether you are heading up or downwind. Momentum is the name of the game and it's all you've got.

Lastly, I do not recommend the 86+ w124. They are shit in comparison.

holy shit.

sounds like the biggest headache I've heard of

Wait I have more.

Electrical bullshit is common. Expect to have to replace your AC compressor at $400. HVAC control panel is obtuse and pretty much you will only be able to run it at full blast heat or not at all. The buttons in general, only sometimes work. Expect mileage to have been fucked with because dash cluster tach and speedo dies and the fix is to replace. Sunroofs requires special MERCEDES BENZ BRAND AUTHENTIC GREASE and if not greased will stick. Closed. Or open. To manually open or close them you have to rip off the headliner to get to the manual gear. Windows will fall "off track" and slam down into the door. Cruise control will not work and accellerator pedal is heavy. Your turbo compressor piping will likely crack and fucking die because it is old. In the winter they take like 15 minutes to warm up and you will be freezing until that engine heats up. Then you will need to run the HVAC on defrost (hot air) because nothing else blows hot air and your fucking face will burn while the system blows hot air on the glass and cold air on your feet. If you have a fucking mechanical crisis, most shops will refuse to work on it because it's a MERCEDES and is "SPECIAL".

More lasterly, diesel is fucking expensive. Bill Clinton ain't around no more and diesel is not 99c /gallon.

Plus side is for $6000 you should be able to find a fairly decent one with under 200k. Budget $6000 more for repairs. Just fuck yourself with a band saw instead and die.

For that much $ you can buy a super nice built engine miata. Fuck, buy the ugly LS1 miata someone linked to and unfuck it.

You just ruined my day.

Been around Benz forums for a long time, and i've not heard that except by those who despise complexity.

Everything i've heard about the later W124's has been pretty much just awesome.

The later 300D's get 143 horsepower, almost 200 ft/lbs of torque, handle well, and get above 30mpg. They're also supposed to be very solid.

Not as solid as the W126 diesels, but still incredibly well made compared to any other engine.

Yes, they're a newer car, so they have more to go wrong, but if you test drive the two, one will feel much newer.

OP: Recommend checking out Peach Parts. Great forum for older MB's, BenzWorld is more for newer ones, though they have some good people there too.

damn it

Lol, i feel that. Trying to keep a 560SEL in top shape is... difficult. Personal experience.

i'll stick with my M42 E30 BMW, thank you very much.

Very entertaining...

pssh, get an evo.


but personally, i'd want a 2.5rs coupe to tinker around with. i have a friend that droped the ej20 into it and it's a blast. i love the sound they make, and they make good numbers