Deal or no Deal (Subaru for free)

[djugurba]

I may be able to acquire a 97 Subaru Legacy wagon with 125k for free.
It's part of an estate, and has been sitting for about a year. Car is clean and in good shape; seems to have been well-maintained with an open checkbook at a small independent shop. It's a NE car all its life - I know both prior owners.

Tires are flat (and crappy goodyears) and battery is dead. When I looked at it, there was no key present, so I couldn't see how much fuel was in the tank that I'll have to drain.

So: What should I expect to get this car back on the road? Worth the bother?

expecting: drain fuel/oil, new filters all around, pulling plugs - marvel oil in cyls, new plugs, jack it up and test wheel movement/bearings and brakes, examine belts and hoses, look for critters/nests in inconvenient locations, probably (almost certainly) new tires and obviously new battery.

Should I pull the serp. belt and turn everything by hand prior to giving it a shot or go for broke after the oiling/prep? Transmission and/or AWD system need any prep?

Thanks!
k

[kerry]

My 74 Olds Custom Cruiser had been sitting for over a year. Just put the jumpers on it and fired it up. Was a little concerned about the old fuel but I sold it to a guy who just drove it home figuring he'd fill up the tank with new gas and hope for the best. He never called me back and I know he registered it.
Go for it.

[Nate]

Do you need the car, and is it worth spending around $500 to get it road worthy?

Automagic or stick?

Smelly inside or no?

Good glasss or no?

Rusty or no?
It really depends, so it's up to you...

Bad place is the airbox for critters...

Mentionables:

Get the fuel filter, trans filter, tune up, and brake fluid changed.



I'd defintly get it
~Nate

[djugurba]

Originally Posted by Nate

Do you need the car, and is it worth spending around $500 to get it road worthy?

Automagic or stick?

Smelly inside or no?

Good glasss or no?

Rusty or no?
It really depends, so it's up to you...

Bad place is the airbox for critters...

Mentionables:

Get the fuel filter, trans filter, tune up, and brake fluid changed.

It's an automatic. It's clean, not smelly (which is good because some other estate items are moth-ball-tastic) Glass is good, body clean, no rust showing - haven't been under it, as it's sitting on 4 flats. It's been in a garage that doesn't evidence animal infestation (though there are signs of mice in the house)

I'm considering it for an AWD replacement for my fiancee's 07 Toyota Yaris. It costs us $270-ish/month plus full-coverage insurance. If I could get out of having the car payment plus lower the insurance cost PLUS give her an AWD ride for our snow/mud zone where we currently live... it would be great. I have to see what value the Yaris has vs. what we owe on it. Fewer debts the better, says I.

[TylerH860]

Originally Posted by kerry

My 74 Olds Custom Cruiser had been sitting for over a year. Just put the jumpers on it and fired it up. Was a little concerned about the old fuel but I sold it to a guy who just drove it home figuring he'd fill up the tank with new gas and hope for the best. He never called me back and I know he registered it.
Go for it.

YIKES!!! Did you join the local Land Yaught Club with that?

[t walgamuth]

I don't see how you could go wrong with it.

If you don't like it you can always sell it. Subies are tremendously popular cars for good reasons.....good quality, good economy and awd.

I agree with Kerry, jumpers and put the juice to her!

Tom W

[Jim B.]

I'd say go for it.

If you look at the other thread, "Jim B.'s new car" you can see that I just traded in a 1995 Subaru Legacy L Outback in on a brand new Subaru Outback.

The 1995 one had 123k on it, and it ran perfectly, with all services up to date, even the timing belt just done (needed every 60k or so).

I can honestly say it was the cheapest car to run I have ever owned, and I have owned a LOT of cars. All it needed was routine maintenance and it was (running great.

They are great all weather cars, trouble free, and pretty miserly with gasoline, too, though they don't climb hills too readily, at least not with the 2.2 engine and automatic, like mine had.

I just wanted a new car for the snow, there was nothing wrong with mine.

In fact, the dealer was anxious to keep it to resell off their lot, even though it is 13 years old, because they said there is a strong market for car like this.
(Especially for people on a budget).

They could not understand why I wanted to trade the car in, but were very eager to have it. Whoever buys it will get a good car for their money.

I think you should keep it. The '97 would be very much like my '95.

You can see also: www.subaruoutback.org as a fantastic, helpful place to get more specificc answers on this vehicle.

[djugurba]

I previously had a 98 Outback (unfortunately with the leak-tastic 2.5l) and really liked it. Unfortunately it suffered the 2.5 fatal flaw.

I'm pretty sure that I'll take it. If I can dump the Yaris without too much difficulty from the fiancee... I think that it would save us in the long-term.

Keys are available, just weren't there when I was there. I'd have the timing belt done asap... boxer no likey broken timing belts!

[Jim B.]

Song Lyrics:



Making Love in a Subaru
That's what I wanna do with you
We can always feel around the steering wheel
There seems to be so much that we can do

An alibi that I will not allow
is when you tell me that you don't know how
'Cause it's just like being in bed
all your clothing you must shed
You can stick 'em in the glove box for now

Don't try to tell me it's a sin
Just lie back, I'll put a hickey on your chin
When you act this indiscreet, creating so much body heat
the tachometer will nearly start to spin

And now let us lie between the sheets
and thank heaven for reclining bucket seats
Don't touch that, for goodness sake
you'll release the parking brake
We'll both start to roll down the street (yipes)

Now I'm gonna try to lock your door
Wait a minute, now I'm feeling sore
It's not that I'm not able, something's sticking in my navel
My gosh, it's the four-on-the-floor (ouch)

Pigeons overhead flying high
Circling above us in the sky
Now I'm feeling ill-at-ease, my darling would you please
close the sunroof; something just fell in my eye (yuck)

You say that something's pinching at your feet
Hey look what you just found, hey ain't that neat
It's my roach-clip and my bong
They've been missing for so long
All this time they must have been beneath the seat

Now you're suffocating and I'm water-logged
All the windows are beginning to get fogged
So my dear with your consent
I'll open up the flow-thru vent
I only hope it also isn't clogged

There are other things that we can do
but only if you're tired of getting scratched
Honk the horn real good
and you'll wake the neighborhood
and they'll have a marvelous view

Making Love in a Subaru, my friend
Making Love in a Subaru

[kerry]

Originally Posted by TylerH860

YIKES!!! Did you join the local Land Yaught Club with that?

It looked a lot nicer than that. The sad fact is that when I put it on Craigslist, I got tons of phone calls, all from demolition derby drivers! The buyer, probably in an attempt to console me, promised to let his son drive it for a year before putting it into final service.

[TylerH860]

Originally Posted by kerry

It looked a lot nicer than that. The sad fact is that when I put it on Craigslist, I got tons of phone calls, all from demolition derby drivers! The buyer, probably in an attempt to console me, promised to let his son drive it for a year before putting it into final service.

I be the car kicked A$$ in the demo derby. You should have asked him to call when the time came.

A free W116 comes to mind describe in another thread... how fun would that be?

[PaulC]

Especially prized were the versions with the optional third seat, as they apparently had additional frame reinforcement in the back to protect the kiddies.

[Skid Row Joe]

No way.

[OldPokey]

I'd jump on that in an instant. My little underpowered Impreza (1.8L, AWD, Auto) is as reliable as can be. It has always leaked about 1.5 quarts between oil changes (3K-4K) but otherwise is sterling.

[Mr.Kenny]

I gave my 1992 legacy to my son; & that Subie is totally reliable, nice riding, peppy, has 160,000 on the clock and doesn't use a drop of oil. (Fastest, hottest heater in the west.) We took it to Colorado and all over last year and it never missed a beat.
He is taking to California this summer; I have no worries.
You would be very pleasantly surprised with that car when you get it going and nice balanced tires on it. Touch the gas and they zip.