Choosing a car, help needed!

[McRooster]

Hi,
Im looking at a 1995 Legacy RS, can someone please help me out on the following:
What sort of HP do they make stock standard?
Im a bit worried about getting a quad cam, how reliable are these engines? What sort of problems can i expect? the car has done 97,000 km's, belts have been done.
Also how well do they stand up to a bit of tweaking, thinking of maybe doing pod filter, free flow exhaust from the headers back, fuel pump, injectors, ecu, etc maybe turbo's depending on cost.
Any information at all would be appreciated.
My other options are an early wrx or maybe gt-b wagon, ive got a thing for the gt-b wagons .

[tris91ricer]

Good choice. Any of those cars are wonderful to drive. Ownership is probably where it crosses some lines.. With an early wrx, you're lookin at so many more parts, mods, and people who know what your car is, as well as what can go in it and what you need to make it fast. I don't know much about the gt-b wagons, but I'll tell you that any subaru wagon is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to handling. As for the 95RS, well... It's equivalent to our Legacy, I'd suppose. Our forum here kinda cuts off at the 94 model years before the legacy/liberty platform changed to newer specs. However, we can all assure you that buying a subaru is probably the best choice you could make as far as cars go. Yes, there's always some inherent problems with any vehicle, and subarus are no exception, but at the same time, you will find a high owner loyalty among subaru owners than with any other import car.
Start with a legacy/liberty, see how you like it, and if it's not your style, choose for the wrx... like i said, i don't know about the gt-b wagons...
-=tristan

[Dr Nick]

Im a bit worried about getting a quad cam, how reliable are these engines? What sort of problems can i expect? the car has done 97,000 km's, belts have been done.

97,000km's?? Barely run in McRooster. My UK-spec Turbo wagon (c/w Subaru intercooler - just under 200 BHP as stock) has done 188,000 MILES (I believe that's around 300,000km's) on the original clutch, gearbox and turbo. No special treatment just regular oil changes with decent oil and the belts etc done at the correct intervals.

I wouldn't worry about the engine if the vendor has evidence of regular servicing...

[McRooster]

Thanks guys, any advise on what i should be looking for befor i buy, im getting an AA check done to the car but is there anything else i should be looking for???? maybe a compression test........
cheers

[professor]

Look for body corrosion, that's a bigger killer of older Subarus than anything else. Sometimes the low miles means the wife only took the car out to the market and put it away wet

[evolutionmovement]

Oil leaks. Rust is most common at the base of the front fenders behind the tire (usually confined to the fender) and the rear wheelarch where mud or whatever can collect. No surprise places for rust that I've seen. These are leagues ahead of the older models for rust. Make sure the crank pulley is cranked to over 100 ft/lbs (whatever metric =). Everything else is the usual stuff on any car.

Steve