Ive been looking for a 91-94 Legacy turbo for a while now. Every now and then I find one for sale, but never too close by. Hopefully Ill be looking at one for sale soon. I was wondering what are some things to check and look at when shopping for a Legacy? I know with the older Subarus rust was a problem, so thats a no brainer to look for.
Sorry if this has been covered before.
Thanks for any help.
What to look for when buying?
Moderators: Helpinators, Moderators
What to look for when buying?
00 Impreza RS
93 Legacy SS
93 Legacy SS
Has the service been done at recommended intervals?
Does the coolant tank leak/look like it's gonna fall apart?
TIMING BELT!!!!
How much has it been modded if any?
Turbo health?
Water pump replaced? (This was the first thing to blow on both my scoobies. They let go around 120k miles, but they do vary.)
Are the brakes fubared yet?
Automatic or manual transmission? Both have their ups and downs. All AT's do go after a while, and clutches wear out. It's easier to change a clutch in my opinion. The AT's are freakishly huge and heavy too.
Accidents? (Carfax is good for this)
How many owners?
Who drove it? A granny or a 16 to 25 year old?
Was it beat on for some/most of it's life?
Has it been smoked in (if you're bothered by that)
How is the suspension?
Was it origionally a California car? (x-tra emissions crap)
Has it ever failed emissions?
I guess all of this depends on what you plan to do with the car. If you're going to gut it and make it a race car, whether or not the interior is shitty doesn't matter. If you're going for a good daily driver, a beat-down car with tons of mods isn't good for you. Besides, mods are most fun to do yourself (especially on a virgin car like mine).
Are you near a major chain parts store like Checker (Schucks, Kragen), NAPA, or Autozone? Or is the only thing near you a mom/pop store that has never heard of a Subaru? Is there a Subaru dealership (with competant parts personnel) in your area for those hard to find parts? Things do break. Happens with any car. Whether or not you can get the goods to fix it is a huge factor due to our cars being somewhat rare. Go into the parts store and ask for a few things like alternator, water pump, brakes etc. If they have them or can get them, you're in good shape. Some things (like perhaps a radiator) are usually a dealer-only part, so having one of these in the area is helpful.
If you don't do the work yourself, you suck. Just kidding. But be prepared for some problems there if you have to get work done. A seasoned mechanic could have some headaches if they're not used to Subarus. Labor cost, depending on what needs to be done, might cost you a good chunk while they figure things out. I've been able to get by with a Hayne's (yuk) manual and this site. Actually, this site is in most cases all I need. You can't ask a book questions. These cars aren't Ferrari-complicated, but they did throw in a few mysteries like how to get to the torque converter to flywheel bolts. Knowing where to look/how to do it is helpful.
Subaru did throw in a few nice things. Brakes are simple and straightforward. Checking engine codes is quite easy. Every car regardless of make/model has it's ups and downs. Knowing what to expect and how to deal with it is key to having a good car.
I really hope this helps because it took a while to type.
Good luck and congrats on such a fine choice of automobile.
Does the coolant tank leak/look like it's gonna fall apart?
TIMING BELT!!!!
How much has it been modded if any?
Turbo health?
Water pump replaced? (This was the first thing to blow on both my scoobies. They let go around 120k miles, but they do vary.)
Are the brakes fubared yet?
Automatic or manual transmission? Both have their ups and downs. All AT's do go after a while, and clutches wear out. It's easier to change a clutch in my opinion. The AT's are freakishly huge and heavy too.
Accidents? (Carfax is good for this)
How many owners?
Who drove it? A granny or a 16 to 25 year old?
Was it beat on for some/most of it's life?
Has it been smoked in (if you're bothered by that)
How is the suspension?
Was it origionally a California car? (x-tra emissions crap)
Has it ever failed emissions?
I guess all of this depends on what you plan to do with the car. If you're going to gut it and make it a race car, whether or not the interior is shitty doesn't matter. If you're going for a good daily driver, a beat-down car with tons of mods isn't good for you. Besides, mods are most fun to do yourself (especially on a virgin car like mine).
Are you near a major chain parts store like Checker (Schucks, Kragen), NAPA, or Autozone? Or is the only thing near you a mom/pop store that has never heard of a Subaru? Is there a Subaru dealership (with competant parts personnel) in your area for those hard to find parts? Things do break. Happens with any car. Whether or not you can get the goods to fix it is a huge factor due to our cars being somewhat rare. Go into the parts store and ask for a few things like alternator, water pump, brakes etc. If they have them or can get them, you're in good shape. Some things (like perhaps a radiator) are usually a dealer-only part, so having one of these in the area is helpful.
If you don't do the work yourself, you suck. Just kidding. But be prepared for some problems there if you have to get work done. A seasoned mechanic could have some headaches if they're not used to Subarus. Labor cost, depending on what needs to be done, might cost you a good chunk while they figure things out. I've been able to get by with a Hayne's (yuk) manual and this site. Actually, this site is in most cases all I need. You can't ask a book questions. These cars aren't Ferrari-complicated, but they did throw in a few mysteries like how to get to the torque converter to flywheel bolts. Knowing where to look/how to do it is helpful.
Subaru did throw in a few nice things. Brakes are simple and straightforward. Checking engine codes is quite easy. Every car regardless of make/model has it's ups and downs. Knowing what to expect and how to deal with it is key to having a good car.
I really hope this helps because it took a while to type.
Good luck and congrats on such a fine choice of automobile.-2004 Liquid Silver WRX "Pretty Hate Machine"
The current legacy Im looking at is a 94 auto with 131k on it. According to the ad it has a newer tranny and brakes. I guess its been sitting for a few months since they got a new car. Ill probably run a car fax on the car. Its a few hours away so I cant go look at it easily. Theres rust on the bottom of the fenders so I asked for pictures of the rust so I can see how much there is. Other than the rust, the guy says its in good condition, but the current pictures arent the best. What do you think would be a good price to offer for the car?
I plan on using the car as a winter beater since my RS will be dangerous in snow. Come spring I would like to yank the motor, rebuild it completly, and swap it into my RS then put the RS motor into the legacy and hopefully keep it as a 2nd car/winter beater.
I do pretty much most of the work on my car, its still under a warrenty so theres some stuff I dont do. There is a Autozone near by and a dealership near by. I have a buddy that works at the dealership as the service manager, so I can get parts at their cost.
I plan on using the car as a winter beater since my RS will be dangerous in snow. Come spring I would like to yank the motor, rebuild it completly, and swap it into my RS then put the RS motor into the legacy and hopefully keep it as a 2nd car/winter beater.
I do pretty much most of the work on my car, its still under a warrenty so theres some stuff I dont do. There is a Autozone near by and a dealership near by. I have a buddy that works at the dealership as the service manager, so I can get parts at their cost.
00 Impreza RS
93 Legacy SS
93 Legacy SS
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monty's legacy
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- Posts: 145
- Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2006 7:40 pm
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Be wary of the AT transmissions! I just got a 94 legacy turbo last month with 150K, that had a used tranny with 89K put into it. Now I've learned that that its eating itself (metal shavings in the pan/filter) and there is a delay when engaging.
Now I have to decide to
1) sell the car at a los
2) spend $2-3K for a remanufactured tranny
3) spend $2K to swap in a manual.
Now I have to decide to
1) sell the car at a los
2) spend $2-3K for a remanufactured tranny
3) spend $2K to swap in a manual.
'11 WRX Limited
'94 SS | 3" TBE, 07 TMIC, TD05H-16G, Revtronix Stage 2, Walbro -- Sold
'94 TW | R.I.P.
+1 for AT wearyness. The Stomp-O-Matic was a real fun ride, but having two trannies die wasn't. Changing them, IMHO, is a freakish nightmare unless you're really set up for it or have a couple grand lying around for someone else to do it.
BSOD - F*ck the standard AT. Get a built up one or a 5mt. DO NOT PUT IN A JUNKYARD AT!!! Mine failed rather quickly, and I did everything right. A rebuild would probably suffice, but while they're in it, why not have them beef it up a bit? Don't sell the car unless its for another Legacy Turbo. You'll miss the AWD/boostiness. Trust me.
That's my $0.02.
BSOD - F*ck the standard AT. Get a built up one or a 5mt. DO NOT PUT IN A JUNKYARD AT!!! Mine failed rather quickly, and I did everything right. A rebuild would probably suffice, but while they're in it, why not have them beef it up a bit? Don't sell the car unless its for another Legacy Turbo. You'll miss the AWD/boostiness. Trust me.
That's my $0.02.
-2004 Liquid Silver WRX "Pretty Hate Machine"
Im just hoping whatever car I get, the tranny will last through the winter. I plan on doing some swaping come spring/summer. You die hard legacy fans might not like this, but I plan on taking out the ej22t, build it up a little, and use a wrx or sti tranny, and put it all into my RS. Then Im going to swap my ej25 from my RS and put it into the legacy, probably with the stock RS tranny too. So pretty much as long as the tranny lives until I can swap everything, Ill be happy. This way Ill have a killer fast RS, and a legacy with some power for winter/when the RS is down.
00 Impreza RS
93 Legacy SS
93 Legacy SS
Whatever's clever dude. That's a bit of a bastardization of a 22t, but at least it's not going into a Volkswagen Beetle or something. There are better engines for that application you know. An STI motor would be a good start for you. They can be found, but they do cost money.
I'll sell you my old 22t for $7000. It only needs head gaskets. Then I can get an STI motor for myself. Muahahahaha.
I'll sell you my old 22t for $7000. It only needs head gaskets. Then I can get an STI motor for myself. Muahahahaha.
-2004 Liquid Silver WRX "Pretty Hate Machine"