czmakesitez Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Hello everyone, looking to buy an 05-06 lgt, found an 05 with 110,000 miles on it with regular maintenance. Only mod is a catback exhaust. Wondering if this is most likely a good car to purchase? I'm ready to regularly maintain it as this car would become my baby. So just wondering.. smart purchase or no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BX77 Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Yes and no, its a crap shoot with these cars. mine seemed great then went boom 28 days later. Have it checked out by a Subaru Shop, if your in NYC bring it AZP in NJ, they know their stuff. If the place/person wont let you, then walk! It can get expensive real quick, Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 It all depends on how it was taken care of and what kind of abuse it has seen. Are you sure their isn't a downpipe and stage2 tune on it? Taking it to a well known shop like AZP could make all the difference between a baby and a loathsome money pit! Do your homework and pay for a good inspection before you buy, an honest seller should have no problem taking the car in for a pre purchase inspection. As far as I can see their is no crapshoot in buying a used turbo subie, it all comes down to how an owner cared for the car. A well-tuned motor should last a long long time, and just so we are clear well tuned does not include any off the shelf tunes IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowsports Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 There is nothing wrong with OTS maps. Are pro tunes better, sure, but in general an OTS map is conservative and safe. Can they knock a little, yes, but if you aren't tracking or racing the car, you'll be fine..... said the guy with an OTS map czmakesitez, Do take your potential purchase for a pre-purchase inspection. A honest reputable seller should be willing to split the cost with you if there is nothing to hide. The seller should be able to provide maintenance records.. heck, I have a ring of crush washers for every oil change I've done on my car. I know every inch of the vehicle, have taken pride in its maintenance and can speak to all service performed. I also have detailed maintenance records/receipts. This is the type of seller you want to make a private party purchase from. If its a dealer, then maintenance records are what matter. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afrascione Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 110,000 miles on a turbo? I'd pass unless the price was too good to pass. from the experience I've read and talked to turbo owners, 100,000 miles is usually it. expect to buyer a new turbo soon and hope that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dujo Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Timing belt service interval is 105,000 miles. Has that been done? If not, tack another $500-$1000 to swap the timing belt. (Is that what that costs at a dealer/shop? I'm only at 85000.) Ignore this extremely important maintenance item at your own peril. These are interference engines; a stretched timing belt can eventually lead to disaster. I wouldn't be afraid of a turbo LGT with 100,000+ miles on it, but afra is right that a turbo is a wear item. It should be expected to go at least 100,000 mi and there are folks on here with 200k mi still on the original turbo. But be advised that it will very likely need to be replaced between those two intervals. Note that it is much, (*much*) better to swap the old turbo out *before* it blows. How will you know when it's about to blow? There's the problem. So, you might not need to worry about the turbo right away, but you immediately need to start saving to replace it. Hey, good opportunity to upgrade, but just be advised that a high mile turbo Subaru is *not* a maintenance free endeavor, keep those costs in mind when purchasing. Also note, a prepurchase inspection with a good Subaru shop should include dropping the downpipe and checking the turbo for shaftplay, which is an indicator, but not a guarantee of the condition of the turbo. Where I would be worried is an LGT with a turbo that has been replaced recently. Seems counter intuitive, right? Why wouldn't I want a brand new turbo? The problem is that often, if a turbo blows on these cars, folks don't know how or don't care to pay to fix it correctly. Even dealerships struggle to get this fix right as it requires a lot more than just slapping on a new turbo and go. This site is littered with stories of blown turbo, swapped and blows again in 5000 miles. Search for more info on that. There's just no way to know if a fix was done properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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