College DD or too risky?

[JackColeman]

Hey guys, new to the forum and possible new LGT owner (maybe), but I wanted to know you guys's opinion on what kind of overall reliability I should expect. There's an 05 LGT near me with 150K on it for just under 5K. I'm going to community college next year and need a new car but for now 5 is about all I have. I've been looking for a quick daily driver and have been a fan of subaru since my dad put one in a tree and lived and growing up with a sister owning a 96 legacy with 300,000 miles on it. I'm a big fan of the reliability and safety but from what I’ve been reading the turbo failures have been pretty crippling with this car. I don't plan on pushing it much past stock probably just an AP and tune so it won't be under crazy stress but is a 150K mile LGT a money pit? i was under the impression a subaru could last me another 100K from there but is that too much to ask of the vf40/turbo'd ej? Also is there anything i can do to avoid a lot of issues or should I play it safe with a NA Legacy/Look elsewhere for a car? Personally I've been a GM mechanic for a year now and am no stranger to most things on vehicles but I'm really looking for a minimal fuss vehicle because i want college to be my focus. I've read the stickies and it's not looking good for the LGT for what i need. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[SSpeed]

An LGT can be reliable if you take care of it, mine hasn't been a money pit. The turbo failures you can really reduce risk by getting rid of the banjo bolt filter.

 

That said, this car you are looking at has 150k miles. Things start to creep up on any car as miles get above that, especially if it wasn't taken care of. The scarier part is who knows how it was driven it's whole life and what mods it had at one time or another. $5k isn't a bad price, even for those miles. If your focus is college and you don't want to do anything to the car, then I wouldn't even get an AP. You're a mechanic, so I assume you know what to look for. If the car hasn't been beat to hell and leaking all over the place, I'd consider it.

 

For your reference:

 

- Bought my car with 40k on it, and immediately went stage 2.

 

- At 100k miles replaced my VF40 with a BNR 16g. The VF40 had stock feeling shaft play, nearly none.

 

- Been running the BNR16G at 21 psi for nearly 50k miles now, my car's at 145k. I just checked the turbo a few minutes ago and it feels just like the day I put it in.

 

What have I spent money on:

 

- 3 clutches, all my fault

 

- Timing belt

 

- Mods (that is the money pit, let me tell ya)

 

- Valve cover gasket

 

I just do the regular maintenance, if it weren't for the mods I've done (which are what usually fail), this car has been very reliable.

[TheMonaLisa]

If you really want to own the car and play it safe, since your mechanically inclined, preform a compression test and possibly pull the down pipe to check for turbo shaft play before buying.

There are some wise preventative maintenance/ mods you should do if you buy. Catless up pipe $100, intercooler bullet proof kit $90, remove both banjo bolt screens $free, and get off the stock tune with the Accessport. All that would make a mighty fine daily.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JackColeman]

SSpeed I appreciate the advice but what kind of risk am I taking if I don't go to the BNR? Couldn't the turbo start going and put metal in my oil?

 

TheMonaLisa what kinda time frame am I looking at to do a compression test? I honestly don't even know where the plugs are on an EJ and what kind of numbers should i be looking for? ~150?

[Mike07LGT]

In my opinion you should buy a non turbo legacy and learn the ins and outs of the car first, and not have to worry about replacing every little thing as it comes up. I bought mine with 53k miles on it and only had 1 owner, and Ive already spent thousands on just replacing normal maintenance things like suspension bushings, brakes, oil changes are more because you should run synthetic, and also you have to run 93 octane which will increase your daily driving duties quite a bit if you drive a lot. Also my clutch needs to be replaced soon, timing belt and all that goes with it is also due, I had to put new tires, new rotors and pads, and the list goes on and on. Id stay away from a turbo until you have the extra funds to be able to afford everything that goes with the purchase. Its been a great car to me so far, Ive put 45k miles on it since I purchased it and have only had to do what I posted above, and thats put me in the hole quite a bit. Do alot of research on the car you are looking to purchase before you jump the gun. Trust me it will save you in the long run!

[Dispatch20]

I'm with Mike on this. If I was going to college soon, I'd want a reliable, economical vehicle with good storage space. Once you graduate and land a good job that can pay the bills, then it might be a wiser time for an enthusiast car.

 

For example, there is a college student member on here that bought an LGT and soon after his engine blew. It cost him $6k+ for a new shortblock. Not long after that, he realized he had a different turbo on the car and it wasn't tuned right. He was running lean under boost and was likely going to blow his engine again. Oh, and both of his front calipers are seized, too. He's having a lot of fun, I'm sure.

 

For what it's worth, I lived on campus and I'm glad I had a reliable beater. Nice cars got broken into, vandalized, etc. If you commute to school, your experience may vary.

[GipsySpec.B]

Ditto to mike, general maintenance can really add up. modding adds more of a headache than you want to believe. College is enough of a money grabber as is. Get a non-turbo legacy. try and find a nice 4th H6. Still good power, no turbo lag and WHEN you want to start modding you can.

[JackColeman]

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'm gonna look for a NA Legacy and go from there. Trying to get through college and hopefully then I'll go for a 15 wrx when i can afford it and have my fun. Unfortunately in my area and price range, there's more GT's than 2.5i's, what a fantastic problem to have

[Mike07LGT]

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'm gonna look for a NA Legacy and go from there. Trying to get through college and hopefully then I'll go for a 15 wrx when i can afford it and have my fun. Unfortunately in my area and price range, there's more GT's than 2.5i's, what a fantastic problem to have

 

Yea but theres a reason why so many are for sale! People that buy lgts and take care of them and put alot of time and money into them, dont want to sell or get rid of it unless they have no choice.. things happen in life and having a car note can get in the way easily. But finding one of those is much less likely then finding one thats had a bunch of issues and the owner just doesnt want to deal with them anymore so they sell to someone like yourself. Just make sure you get a solid inspection on any vehicle you purchase! Best of luck with your search! It took me 6 months to find mine and I got extremely lucky finding the exact car I was looking for

[SSpeed]

A mid 2000s NA Outback would be a great college car.