1999 subaru legacy 30th anniversary limited edition sedan with 127k miles for $2500

[Milkywitness]

I am interested in purchasing a 1999 subaru legacy 30th anniversary limited edition sedan that has 127k miles and they are asking $2500 for it. They said they got the timing belt and head gasket replaced around 115k miles, and that it didn't blow but had a leaky gasket. They say it runs fine. The pictures of it are very clean, I have not gone out to go see it. I am not sure if this is a good deal or not.

 

https://images.craigslist.org/00O0O_lebdyrsBMsA_1200x900.jpg

 

https://images.craigslist.org/00J0J_6Ijgb8ZlCw8_1200x900.jpg

 

https://images.craigslist.org/00202_47UNkTW4IiU_1200x900.jpg

 

Any advice on this purchase?

[doublechaz]

What part of the country is it from? Thinking road salt.

 

It looks pretty nice to me. Do you know the shop that did the work? Are they good?

 

Do you have a relationship with a shop where you can take it for a pre purchase inspection or are you a good enough tech to do that yourself?

 

If it passed my inspection, including having new tires, I would pay that much for it if I didn't already have one that I love.

 

Things to consider pre purchase. Make sure the ABS works right. Make sure the suspension isn't all used up. Make sure the tire wear is even across the width of all the tires. Uneven would mean alignment problem which in this age of car might mean serious suspension rot. Try to be sure you can see a fully cold startup. You want to see if it smokes at first start. You want to make sure it doesn't smoke black or blue or smell bad. You want to see the coolant before hot to see it be bright green not dull and no rust or contamination. You want to look at the motor oil. You want to see the brake fluid be not brown.

 

If you buy it consider replacing the coolant. It gets acidic over time and is the cause of head gasket failures. Change the trans and differential fluids unless you can document a shop service sheet showing that was done very recently. Consider changing out the brake fluid if it has any color to it at all.

[Milkywitness]

This is in Oregon, we didn't used to salt roads until recently so the bottom shouldn't be too rusty.

 

I have no idea what shop did it, waiting to hear back if they have a receipt for the job. I would try and inspect myself, get a clip board of everything to check while I go look at it.

 

Good to know you'd get it if it passed an inspection and had decent tires.

 

I will take note of all these things to look out for! Thank you!!

[doublechaz]

Some other things to look at.

 

Make sure ride height is even all round.

Leaks of course.

Apparent age of belts and hoses.

Make sure nothing is wet at the struts or brakes.

Check the brake hoses at the wheels for age.

Listen for bearing noise for the wheels, drive shaft carrier, inside a manual trans.

Make sure a manual goes into each gear smoothly.

Make sure an auto trans is confident knowing when to shift at various engine loads.

Make sure it doesn't bind up and act weird at parking lot speed with the steering cut all the way over (center diff bind).

Make sure the half shafts don't click when steering.

Make sure the front strut tops don't clunk as you are steering.

Make sure the steering has no sloppy dead zone in the center.

Make sure the diffs don't whine or groan during acceleration or coasting.

Make sure the tires and steering don't wobble or throb at any speed, while accelerating or slowing down.

Make sure the windows go up and down, the doors all open and close and lock including the trunk and hood.

Make sure the headlights aren't all faded and work a real brightness.

Turns and hazards and backups and brakes.

Bounce each corner with your body weight. If it goes more than down and back up the struts are weak or bad. Down up down might be serviceable for a while, but past that and it's a right away thing.

No more than injector tick when it's running.

No noise from the alternator, steering pump, A/C.

 

If you can get under it and look at things that would be best.

 

Each of these things indicates a repair coming up right away and the price should reflect that. e.g. if it needs a front half shaft then you can knock off about $300 if you do the work yourself and around double if you are paying a shop.

 

Any valve or rod noise from the engine and it's a pass. Any trouble or sounds with the trans and it's a pass. Any sound from the differentials and it's a pass unless they go to roller price.

[Senseless1]

Some other things to look at.

 

Make sure ride height is even all round.

Leaks of course.

Apparent age of belts and hoses.

Make sure nothing is wet at the struts or brakes.

Check the brake hoses at the wheels for age.

Listen for bearing noise for the wheels, drive shaft carrier, inside a manual trans.

Make sure a manual goes into each gear smoothly.

Make sure an auto trans is confident knowing when to shift at various engine loads.

Make sure it doesn't bind up and act weird at parking lot speed with the steering cut all the way over (center diff bind).

Make sure the half shafts don't click when steering.

Make sure the front strut tops don't clunk as you are steering.

Make sure the steering has no sloppy dead zone in the center.

Make sure the diffs don't whine or groan during acceleration or coasting.

Make sure the tires and steering don't wobble or throb at any speed, while accelerating or slowing down.

Make sure the windows go up and down, the doors all open and close and lock including the trunk and hood.

Make sure the headlights aren't all faded and work a real brightness.

Turns and hazards and backups and brakes.

Bounce each corner with your body weight. If it goes more than down and back up the struts are weak or bad. Down up down might be serviceable for a while, but past that and it's a right away thing.

No more than injector tick when it's running.

No noise from the alternator, steering pump, A/C.

 

If you can get under it and look at things that would be best.

 

Each of these things indicates a repair coming up right away and the price should reflect that. e.g. if it needs a front half shaft then you can knock off about $300 if you do the work yourself and around double if you are paying a shop.

 

Any valve or rod noise from the engine and it's a pass. Any trouble or sounds with the trans and it's a pass. Any sound from the differentials and it's a pass unless they go to roller price.

 

This list is perfect.

Another thing to check is make sure the tire tread depth is about the same all around. You never want to only replace two tires on an AWD vehicle, but so many people either don't know or don't care. Subarus generally wear very evenly from what I've seen, so if they aren't close you might have some junk tires on the car the previous owner slapped on just to keep going.