grmorrow04 Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Long story short, I'm looking for a cheap car to go back and forth to work in... I don't want to rack those miles up on my 05 LGT (it's a decent drive). I found a 93 Legacy L automatic, has a little over 100K on it (odometer stopped working 6 months ago and is stuck on 99K). The ad says it's FWD, which I thought was odd as I thought all Subaru's were AWD (still a Suby newb I guess!). Here's the ad: One Owner...Very Good Car. the AC is cold, All of the options work. Odometer has 99k but has stopped working about 6 months ago. Very good on gas...more than 30mpg as this is front wheel drive only...not all wheel drive. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone on here knows anything about the older Suby's, and if this would be a decent car to drive back and forth to work. Are there any maintenance things I need to look at right away, ask if it's been done, etc? Any known problems with these older Legacy's? Major things really; I can fix minor stuff as I go, but mainly looking at things like timing belt, engine issues, transmission, driveline, etc. I'm trying to keep a budget at $2000 or less... not really looking for anything specific, but some criteria are that it's got to be good on gas (28mpg or better), AC has to work, I'd prefer an auto, and it's nice if it's a 4dr, but that doesn't matter too much. I'm also open to other suggestions, or if you know anyone that has something that fits the bill, let me know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum_Racing Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 That is a great looking first gen! Very clean inside and out from what I can tell. Not only that, but with only about 100K miles on it she's not even broken in yet. AWD was an option on the Legacy until 1995 I beleive. I think the SVX had AWD as an option until 1997. After that they were all AWD. Don't worry though, the car still has the longitudinally mounted boxer engine design and layout. Before that the standard cars have FWD with AWD as an option. The timing belt should be replaced soon, but unlike the newer EJ25 engines the EJ22 in this car is a non-interference engine. That means that if the timing belt breaks, the engine won't destroy itself. There is enough clearance between the piston and the valves for the timing belt to break without consequence. Should the belt break, just throw a new belt on and it will run fine, although it is advised that you replace the water pump while you're at it. With that many miles there really aren't that many things to check. The EJ22 was a very stout motor and has the capability to easily last 300K miles. Usually with a first gen Legacy, the engine will outlast most everything else on the car. Check the brakes, tie rod ends, ball joints, tires, exhaust, battery, belts, vacuum hoses, valve cover gaskets, and the like. Most of this stuff is inexpensive and very easy to replace. Sometimes these cars will leak oil through the valve cover gaskets or the cam seals. In most cases the leaks are negligible and become more of a nuisance than a threat to reliability. The only other issue that I can think of which is very common with these engines has to do with the Idle Air Control Solenoid. They get dirty and gummed up causing erratic idle. If the car has an inconsistent idle between 100-500 RPM removing/cleaning the IAC should take care of it. Readjusting the TPS sensor will also help in some cases. If the car has an erratic idle, chances are its the IAC or the TPS. Both of which are free and very easy to take care of, so don't be afraid to buy the car even if the idle seems a bit lopey. Whenever I buy a used car, there are several things I either check, replace, or repair. 1) Spark Plugs 2) Spark Plug Wires 3) Air Filter 4) Fuel Filter 5) Oil Change 6) Transmission Fluid/Filter 7) Serpentine Belt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grmorrow04 Posted August 2, 2010 Author Share Posted August 2, 2010 Thank you, that's exactly what I was looking for! How hard is it to do a timing belt on these cars? I'm pretty mechanically inclined (I've torn engines apart, replaced gaskets, done clutches, etc), but I've never done a timing belt job. I understand how to and that I need to replace the water pump, idler pulleys and belt tensioners and whatnot while I'm in there, but do I need a special tool to hold the cams in place, or replace the cam seals while I'm in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqc151 Posted August 2, 2010 Share Posted August 2, 2010 http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1794043&highlight=diy+timing+belt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grmorrow04 Posted August 2, 2010 Author Share Posted August 2, 2010 Perfect, that doesn't look that bad at all. I just need to take my time and make sure everything lines up and it should all be good. Thanks for the link! Now I just need the guy to return my phone call! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fffourtwenty Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Looks like a good car and that airbag wheel is HUGE! Platinum_Racing is spot on with the check+replace list, I had some shoddy Autolite plugs in my car when I first got it with a gap big enough to drive through, go for the NGK line, they are very good though I went a range hotter as I'm at high altitude Was this a Craigslist post btw? D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slm90legacy Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 I would also make sure to look at the condition of the CVs, my passenger side cv went out after about 3000 miles, and the drivers side is going to go out soon i think. and look at the body itself at every angle possible, i have about 20 very small dents in both sides of the car, about 10 on each door. didnt even notice them until i got it home and was looking at it more. But from the pics it does look like an awesome car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Do a check for hidden rust. It will always be a sad surprise if you suddenly lose some part or the car decides that it's a good idea to sag in one corner because one strut won't stay in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated broknindarkagain Posted September 12, 2010 I Donated Share Posted September 12, 2010 In 1996 AWD became standard. 1995 and older was an option. I use to have a 93 Legacy L that was only front wheel drive. I loved it. It was reliable, good on gas, powerfull....until it got wrecked. As far as the mileage goes, who knows if its only been 6 months since its stopped working. I bought my car with the same problem (my 97) with 135xxx on the odo. The guy I bought it from said it had less then 10k miles on it since it stopped working. I happened to run into a prior owner of the car and he said that it didn't work when he owned it either, and he had put about 50k on the car. So God only knows how many miles are on my car. With it being an older vehicle, things will break on it and you need to be prepared for it. For a car that age, I don't think you could do any better then a first gen legacy -broknindarkagain My Current Project - Click Here COME AND TAKE IT "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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