Considering a Legacy....

[dreyko]

Hello all,

 

My name is Benjamin and I am considering buying a legacy. I am looking in the 1994-2004 year range. So second and 3rd gen cars.

I operated a car dealership for 4 years and sold a great many of them, therefore I am familiar with a few of their common problems.

Things I am aware of;

 

Rear quarter rust (almost every single car had some amount)

Oil leaks (front main seal, Head gaskets)

Overheating (clogged radiators)

 

What else should I be looking for?

I am planning to buy a legacy in the next month or 2, I want it to be non turbo, 5 speed, power options, and cloth interior is ok.

 

I have been a "mechanic" for the last 12 years, I've rebuilt engines, swapped suspensions, and can paint. So repairs will be done in house. I am looking for stone dead reliability and ease of repair.

 

Which year range makes more sense, (price not being an issue) I will use it mostly around town, but will also be traveling to the mountains and the beach. I would consider driving on the sand from time to time (the outer banks are awesome).

 

Any opinions are greatly appreciated!

 

Ive posted another copy of this in the 3rd gen forum, Im hoping to get a compare and contrast between the 2 generations.

[FLlegacy]

For reliability stick with a 2.2L the 2.5 dohc had head gasket issues galore and the sohc that followed has been only a little better. Other than that the transmission are fairly identical as will the creature comforts, or what passed for them in that day/age lol. Happy hunting.

[Sara32013]

Honestly I would go with a '95-'96 2.2. I have a '96 with 227,000 and the engine works great. The body is horrendous but other than a tick it runs GREAT. '95-'96 models are non interference engines, I personally love the look of the 2nd gen Legacys over the 3rd gen. Also as mentioned above, the creature comforts are mainly the same. Power windows, sunroof, etc. Not much else special about them. Some of the 3rd gens may have come with heated seats but I can't be certain, I know it was an option with 4th gen. Also I know there are a lot of options as far as radios in these things. I know in my '96 I had a double din radio out of a newer WRX, but I believe all Subaru radios are plug and play up to a certain year. You can run single or double din in them. I personally love the 2nd gen. My personal favorite would be a 2nd gen GT with a 2.2 swapped in... or a GT clone, lol. Good luck with your search!

[FLlegacy]

To add to the post a above there was a cold weather package available with heated mirrors, seats, and windshield I believe. I have found numerous legacy's in the junkyard with the heated seats still intact and wiring/switches but I do believe most were 3rd gen, not to say the parts couldn't be sourced and modded to fit a 2nd gen if one were so inclined. It isn't hard at all, and there are plenty of options for the radio as well.

 

Also a point I wanted to bring up is the newer end the third gen legacy/outback was available with a 3.0 H6 which is one of subarus most highly regarded engines for smooth performance and reliability, it gives up some gas mileage and may require 93 octane, but is a chain driven engine and will last a very very long time with consistent maintenance. Just more food for thought.

[Sara32013]

Great info FLlegacy, I forgot about the 3.0 cars. That's a great reason to go with 3rd gen right there. I see a bunch of the 3.0 cars around. There is a small buy here, pay here dealership not far from home that has 2 identical OBW's with the 3.0. Thank you for the info on the cold weather package, I was not aware of that.