ISO Legacy GT - things to consider?

[Aphex28]

yes, a compression test is always good. But it won't really tell all unfortunately.

 

I did a compression test that came out perfect. (My car was eating oil at an astronomical rate). 1 month later, one of my valves had a hole in it that I could almost fit a pencil through.

[olympic1]

I did a compression test that came out perfect. (My car was eating oil at an astronomical rate). 1 month later, one of my valves had a hole in it that I could almost fit a pencil through.

Yikes. Sounds like a full leakdown test would have been needed to find that. I just spoke with a dealer about what they charge for doing a compression test and was told 3.5 hours @ $154 per hour. That comes to $539 just for a compression test. That seems really high.

[olympic1]

Yikes. Sounds like a full leakdown test would have been needed to find that. I just spoke with a dealer about what they charge for doing a compression test and was told 3.5 hours @ $154 per hour. That comes to $539 just for a compression test. That seems really high.

Called around and seems Indy shops will do it for about $275-$300 which seems more in line.

[Alexmed2002]

Yikes. Sounds like a full leakdown test would have been needed to find that. I just spoke with a dealer about what they charge for doing a compression test and was told 3.5 hours @ $154 per hour. That comes to $539 just for a compression test. That seems really high.

 

That's absurd. Definitely try a local mechanic, their rates are far more reasonable.

[Aphex28]

if you can change spark plugs (easy job IMO) you can compression test.

just borrow one from autozone/advanced and you have everything you need

[Aphex28]

Yikes. Sounds like a full leakdown test would have been needed to find that. .

 

yeah most likely, we think it had a crack in it that would build compression but let oil pass through at higher pressures

 

[olympic1]

if you can change spark plugs (easy job IMO) you can compression test.

just borrow one from autozone/advanced and you have everything you need

I have a compression gauge, but not sure that a seller (dealer or private) is going to want someone other than a certified mechanic pulling plugs and compression testing their engine.

[olympic1]

yeah most likely, we think it had a crack in it that would build compression but let oil pass through at higher pressures

 

 

Yeah by the looks of that I'm surprised it didn't show up on a compression test.

[dgoodhue]

Yeah by the looks of that I'm surprised it didn't show up on a compression test.

 

That valve would definitely show up in a compression test. His failed after he bought it. The car I bought with a burnt valve wasn't that bad and it basically was 0 compression.

[olympic1]

That valve would definitely show up in a compression test. His failed after he bought it. The car I bought with a burnt valve wasn't that bad and it basically was 0 compression.

Ah that makes sense. Yeah seems if you have to pull the head on these it's expensive.

[olympic1]

Thinking out loud...How many miles are too many? Obviously lower miles in general are better. There have been comments that these can go 200,000 miles. I don't know whether we should just stay away from ones at 150k+ miles or still consider them if the car has been maintained and has perhaps been a one or two owner car.

 

Seen one in person and others remote (pictures) that could use front and/or rear bumpers repaired or replaced. I see some of the inexpensive aftermarket pre-painted bumpers which are pretty reasonable (about $375 for the cheapest ones) but I worry about paint match on car that is 8-10 years old, not to mention fitment.

 

I'm sure patience is probably the key here waiting for the right one to come up within a days drive or so that checks all the boxes of good maintenance, clean car, reasonable price.

[FLlegacy]

I think you were on the right track first, looking for a 1-2 owner car, the less miles the better for all intents and purposes, but lets be straight any performance car is going to have a limited lifespan for "reliability" compared to other models. I think if you really start looking nationwide you will be able to find a decent example, or a very cheap example that would be a good starting point. I wouldn't rule out something needing an engine, only because eventually they will all need one if performance driving is your goal.

[olympic1]

I think you were on the right track first, looking for a 1-2 owner car, the less miles the better for all intents and purposes, but lets be straight any performance car is going to have a limited lifespan for "reliability" compared to other models. I think if you really start looking nationwide you will be able to find a decent example, or a very cheap example that would be a good starting point. I wouldn't rule out something needing an engine, only because eventually they will all need one if performance driving is your goal.

Thanks. Yeah it's apparent we will have to be patient for one to come up in our area that checks all the boxes (mileage, ownership, maintenance, condition and price) or expand the search nationwide. The challenge with out of the area cars is the added cost to ship it (or fly out and drive it back) and the wonderment of how nice it actually is. For the right one it's certainly an option.

[Infosecdad]

The three Subarus I purchased involved:

1999 Outback - Bought on eBay, flew to NYC one-way, drove it home to TN

2001 Impreza RS - Bought from family member in Calgary, flew one-way, drove home to TN

2005 Legacy GT (current) - Seller drove it from Spokane to Seattle for me because he was convinced I would buy it after I drove it. I did.

[olympic1]

The three Subarus I purchased involved:

1999 Outback - Bought on eBay, flew to NYC one-way, drove it home to TN

2001 Impreza RS - Bought from family member in Calgary, flew one-way, drove home to TN

2005 Legacy GT (current) - Seller drove it from Spokane to Seattle for me because he was convinced I would buy it after I drove it. I did.

Yeah, I can relate. I've bought some of my cars that way. Bought my Audi in Southern Cal and drove it back to WA. Bought our 2016 Legacy in Boise and drove it back to WA. With COVID it's a big tougher to range as far but still possible. Shipping is also an option if I feel I can trust it's condition.

[creep_nu]

if you're looking further away you can always have a pre-purchase inspection done. might cost you 100-$200 or whatever, but a local indy subaru shop would be able to give a good idea on the health of everything before picking it up. can get pricey if you're doing it on multiple cars, but if you find what appears to be a good one owner with decent miles, might be worth the extra cost before driving/flying out

[olympic1]

I appreciate the sounding board and collective hive mind here. I welcome feedback on these as we continue to search and ponder our options, expand our search area, and watch for new ones to come available.

 

First up a couple of two owner limited's both with about 100k for miles:

 

Car A is stock and all up to date on maintenance with recent clutch, head gasket, timing belt and water pump. The issue is while a two owner with no accident history it has had some paintwork and am told one side doesn't quite match the other and that the current owner bought it that way. Also told front end and hood re-sprayed a year ago for rock chips.

 

Car B is a two owner that has stock engine/turbo but does have TGV delete, Cobb tune and bypass valve, aftermarket engine/trans/rear mounts, downpipe and cat back, coilovers, whiteline swaybars. Timing belt has been done and it has an upgraded clutch. Told it's been a daily driver and running on the tune the last three years or so.

 

Both of those cars are priced similarly.

 

I've also been considering a very nice car with a rebuilt title, but the issue there I've learned is that my insurance company doesn't insure cars with rebuilt titles. Got quotes from a couple that do but they are pretty high (more than double what we'd pay for full coverage on one with a clean title) and that higher rate doesn't include collision or comp on the rebuilt. Knowing it's for my son makes that tough as insurance already isn't cheap and you also add the risk that if he was ever at fault in an accident the car itself wouldn't be covered. I considered whether to move our entire cars over to one of the companies that will cover rebuilt titles to see if more attractive rates than just putting one over there, but those I've contacted were not even close to competitive with what we pay today.

 

The search continues. Have a great weekend everyone!

[Alexmed2002]

Car A: Stay away. That thing sounds like it's been through hell and back. A car being re-painted at different times on everywhere but one side just tells me to stay away. The first owner probably got clipped on one side and didn't have it reported as an accident. They also might have hit something stationary and didn't have it reported. It just sounds too sketchy to me.

 

Car B: That car sounds like a lot of the Legacy GTs from this forum lol. You and your son should try to do research into all the parts/modifications added to that car. If you guys feel comfortable with the car and its aftermarket things, it might be the one for you. Obviously a car that is heavily modified is a bit nerve wracking since it's not stock. You should definitely have a mechanic look it over. I would also put some money on the side just incase something were to happen to the car (not for just this car specifically, but for whatever car you eventually find).

 

Car #3: Rebuilt Cars are not the best choice. Like you said earlier, insurance companies don't like them for a reason. You don't know how well they were actually rebuilt. There could have been SEVERE damage that someone "fixed", but it could not have actually been fully fixed. Also, if you were trying to sell a rebuilt car in the future it would be brutal for you. You shouldn't try switching to another insurance company just for a rebuilt car. I would stay away from this car, just like I would stay away from Car A.

[olympic1]

Car A: Stay away.

 

Car B: That car sounds like a lot of the Legacy GTs from this forum lol.

 

Car #3: Rebuilt Cars are not the best choice.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[coco26]

My car is basically a combination of A and B, meaning it's modified but either has or needs some paint work here and there. The only real "damage" my car has is where a rock bounced off the door on the highway, so having things repainted isn't necessarily a huge red flag for me. I'm currently considering having the roof, passenger doors, and hood repainted just because of how many rock chips and scratches have added up over the years. I'd just do a very good inspection for bent supports or replaced panels, and see if the color difference is noticeable.

 

Nothing about B stands out too much (compared to cars on here), except for maybe the engine mounts. A few people have done trans and diff bushings, but we all seem to stop before the NVH associated with engine mounts. Worth a test drive to see if your son is going to want to swap any mounts/coilovers to get some comfort back in the car. Also, I'm not sure what WA's emissions testing laws are, but the downpipe may cause you problems there.

[olympic1]

Thanks coco26. We’re going to be checking out car B this week.

[Alexmed2002]

Thanks coco26. We’re going to be checking out car B this week.

 

Good luck with the car .

[olympic1]

Good luck with the car .

Thanks will keep everyone posted on how it goes.

[dgoodhue]

Car B: That car sounds like a lot of the Legacy GTs from this forum lol.

 

 

We’re going to be checking out car B this week.

 

Good luck, hopefully it is a nice example.

[olympic1]

Looked at car B today. Going to have a shop do a PPI tomorrow. I noticed a couple things I'm going to have them check. The biggest thing is a vibration noise (hear more than feel) upon deceleration. It's pretty noticeable. It drives, shifts and brakes fine. It's just upon deceleration you have a pretty loud vibration noise. Sounds like it's coming more from the rear but hard to tell. I notice a vibration noise (again noise more than feel) upon acceleration from a stop. It's short lived and seems to go away once out of 1st gear.

 

I'll have the shop road test it for their thoughts. I will do some searching but because time is of the essence thought I'd post here for any thoughts. Some quick things I found as possibilities:

- bad axle(s)

- input or output shaft bearings

- differential

- clutch chatter

- typical subaru "characteristic" that some cars have

 

The car has an act clutch and does have aftermarket mounts for engine, trans and rear diff which I understand can make any vibrations more noticeable. It just seems a bit excessive. Thanks