Rusted 05 LGT - Seeking Advice

[Tovarish1013]

I have an extremely badly rusted out 2005 GT Limited.  I've been told to send it to a junkyard because of the rust but I feel bad junking a car with only 90k miles, especially in this crazy car market.  I was wondering if it may be worth repairing to sell or better yet sell as is to some enthusiast looking for a project car?

Photos included.  Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.

https://imgur.com/a/JG06b7y

[KZJonny]

Dude, my car looked like that(ish) when I got it, and in Ontario it would be considered pretty clean.

All I can see that is really bad is the exhaust system, and unless there are holes in the subframe that you’re worried about… with a new catback system, a wire wheel and a gallon of Fluid Film, you’d have a drivable car again.

Not a top dollar car, mind you, but if someone knows what they’re doing, it can be made whole.

If all you were going to get was scrap value for it, I’ll come down and take it off your hands…. 

Edited June 3, 2023 by KZJonny

[Tovarish1013]

I think if you open the photos in a new window you can zoom in and see the damage in more detail. I wish it were that simple.  The pipe on the end of the cat is rusted and fallen apart.  Unless someone can weld on a new end to attach the rest of the exhaust to, you need the entire system.  I think cat & sensors are still good since there was no CEL when I drove the car last year.

Also the bushings are shot and as far as I know you replace the whole control arms when you replace the bushings.  Car handles terribly.  Didn't feel comfortable driving it on the highway even before the exhaust fell off.  I basically haven't driven the car since start of Covid except took it for an oil and filter change last year.

But I'm glad to hear that there could be a way to revive this thing and make it road worthy again.  Hopefully someone with the time and will to fix her up sees this.  Otherwise I'll let you know

 

[KZJonny]

Sure, it’s a bunch of work, but I would say it is definitely a saveable car.

The stock DP is worth enough as scrap these days to pretty much pay for an aftermarket version with a high flow cat. Or a good shop will be able To weld on a new doughnut flange on the DP, assuming there is enough to weld to.

~$1000 for an entire new cat back exhaust system.

All the bushing on the arms can be replaced with a press, or a freezer, a hammer and some patience. Mevotech front control arms are aluminium Spec B copies and come loaded. Nice little upgrade.

Not saying you need to take it on, but if it doesn’t have a tonne of mileage, it’s maybe a weekend of work to replace that for someone who does much DIY….

rusted gas tank is a pain in the ass, but still doable as well.

Good luck with a sale, if you decide to go that route.

[pleiadesfella]

lol if that's "extremely badly rusted out" to you, then you REALLY wouldn't want to see what my 07 gt looks like. my 08 spec b has similar rust on the rear control arms as yours, and its considered a very clean car by east coast canadian standards. the rust on the diff does look bad on your car, but if it works, diff rust doesn't really matter as much as subframe rust - especially considering they're easier to replace than subframes. and KZJonny is right about the exhaust, not a big deal since you can get an aftermarket catback quite easily.

the exterior pics of your car look absolutely great compared to my gt. you barely have any rust at all on your rear arches, and your clearcoat looks good save for the strange scratches that could prob be buffed out, and the slight paint fading on the bumpers.

I'll send pics of the rust on my 07 gt, you'll be thankful about your car after seeing them  

the second pic is the rust hole I have on my rear passenger side wheel arch covered in jb weld (and road salt...) as it failed inspection due to that hole and I needed a quick and cheap fix at the time.

 

 

[Tovarish1013]

Haha, yeah, the scratches are the result of my 2 year old's artistic endeavor with a small rock.  I also think most of them can be buffed out except a couple of places where they seem rather deep.

You guys almost making me feel like fixing and keeping the car, but the wife would not approve.  I am planning on getting the new WRX after I sell this.

I need to find a shop around Brooklyn that does welding and deals with with rust I guess.  See what they say.  I haven't bought or sold a car since 2010, so what are some good places to auction off a car?  Is Ebay still good?

[pleiadesfella]

man, I wouldn't get rid of a 4th gen like that in exchange for a new wrx but I guess you can't ruin your marriage over a car  

what does the wife say about a used VA generation sti instead? I'd say that's a better tradeoff than getting a new VB wrx.

as for the sale, I would say get the exhaust fixed and the scratches buffed out, then if you're looking to auction the car you can try cars and bids. its basically a bringatrailer clone but free to use for sellers. don't waste your time on ebay motors, lots of sketchy stories about it. you could also try your luck with selling the car in the classifieds section of this forum, but it wouldn't be an auction format.

good luck  

[Tovarish1013]

I've actually grown to really like the new WRX. What is the issue with it other than the controversial styling and relatively low power?  Also been a 2nd hand owner all my life.  Kinda looking forward to owning a new car and for me there really aren't any options other than the WRX.

Thanks for the suggestions about the sites.  I'd list it here but honestly have no idea how to price the car.  I've looked at previously sold listings and they're all over the place.  Can you list it without a price and just take offers that you can accept or reject?

Edited June 5, 2023 by Tovarish1013

[pksystems]

That's better then the one I'm fixing.   Those donut exhaust gasket things were rusted out exactly the same.  I ended up welding some extra plates onto the ends of the exhaust to fix the pitted flanges, and put real exhaust gaskets on there.

[pleiadesfella]

3 hours ago, Tovarish1013 said:

I've actually grown to really like the new WRX. What is the issue with it other than the controversial styling and relatively low power?  Also been a 2nd hand owner all my life.  Kinda looking forward to owning a new car and for me there really aren't any options other than the WRX.

Thanks for the suggestions about the sites.  I'd list it here but honestly have no idea how to price the car.  I've looked at previously sold listings and they're all over the place.  Can you list it without a price and just take offers that you can accept or reject?

well, the controversial styling and the low power are the deal killers for me, but different strokes for different folks  
if you want one go for it, don't let a dude on a forum stop ya! I hope you do enjoy it. as much as I'd also like to own a brand new car some day, the styling of most modern offerings are a complete turn off for me (alongside the unnecessary drivetrain changes some cars have...)

I can't say for sure how you would go about listing it here without a price, I think it would be best to consult the site moderators about that and see if it's allowed for you to gauge offers from different people without giving your own price. if you want pointers on pricing, you can check sold examples on bringatrailer or cars and bids - or even craigslist and autotrader ads of other lgts in comparable condition to yours, then price it accordingly here.

[KZJonny]

FWIW - In my market, I would guess that car might sell for $2.5-3K (Canadian dollars) as is, broken rusted parts and all, maybe a little less. It's not hard work to do all those repairs, but it is work, and anyone can see that it desperately needs it. This is an off the cuff number, since there aren't a lot of other details aside from the photos. (extremely high miles, dirty interior, uneven/low compression et....)

With everything repaired, I am sure that price would double, in the *ready to safety certify* category. So, the question becomes whether or not you want to invest the time and money in repairing everything before selling, or save the effort and take a little (lot) less money.

You'll find a different buyer for either. If someone is looking for a good deal that they can put their own exhaust on, upgraded suspension parts etc.... then option 1 looks better. More appeal as a bargain.

If you figure your market wants 'ready to drive' then go the extra mile and do it. Either way I would probably have a go at buffing out those scratches.  Old and broken or not, appearance adds $$!

[subisubisu]

I've located two of my last three car purchases - all used cars - on Facebook Marketplace.  It seems to have largely supplanted craigslist here in the southeastern USA, at least - YMMV.  It's no better than craigslist or eBay in terms of it's still caveat emptor, and whatever the Latin word for seller is, too.

Best of luck to you.  My OBXT project was one of the two, found in another state and shipped to me with zero compression on #4 and a very cracked windshield.  I was looking for a project and found one, so those things do happen.

[Max Capacity]

Here's mine from last Aug with 305,000 miles. It's still running great, with it's new owner. These pictures were from replacing the oil pan that rusted out and was leaking...on my new garage floor.