91 AWD turbo

[omegax]

Hey all, i just recently joined here after i inherited my moms subaru 91 L 5mt. Ever since she got it ive been driving it around and have been a big subaru fan. Since i started looking into hooking up that car i realised its not worth it... FWD.. non-turbo engine.. so ive been looking into buying a used 1991 AWD turbo subaru though ive gotten mixed responses from friends at work. One guy though i was nuts and made a crack about the turbo putting out 1 pound Ive seen two so far that look interesting but i rahter shop around a little longer to find one with lower milage.
one is a 91 auto 2895$ has had quite a few parts replaced and a "certified" used turbo replacing the old one.

The other is a 91 5mt.. 2995 which I am more interested in they say "runs perfect" but it says that on all car ads They are both out of state ad would require a good trip to go see the cars. ( Which is not that big of a problem im an airline employee and travel is cheap but i hate to waste a trip for nothing.

Any tips on buying one? what should i look for and what should i avoid...
Anything would help . To keep it truthfull im new to the whole performance car thing. Other than an oil change.. tuneup and maybe a brake change i havent dont much more nor know alot more about cars. Though i am sure we were all there at one point or another.

Konrad

[georryan]

haha, buddy don't listen to those guys! The subaru sport sedan is one of the most accepting cars to modding you'll probably ever find. Finding parts for it isnt always easy. Most mods are a DIY or some sort of modification job.

You'll need to keep a few things in mind:

It is a turbo so there is a lot of extra heat under the hood. Watch out for cracked hoses and vacuum lines. Subarus always have issues with their cv joints. Other than that there is the usual checks on how it shifts and accelerates, does it stumble on idle,....the basics. I can't really think of anything too major there. Look for leaks and all that as well. Get records if you can. Make sure the oil and fluids were changed on a regular basis especially if it is a turbo, and see if the milage is highway or city. Highway is preferrable.

As far as performance, these cars didn't come with an intercooler, and generally speaking the boost was set to 8.7 psi. Although that actually fluctuates depending on altitude. Add, an intercooler, a new exhaust, and raise the boost to 15 psi (with the help of a manual boost controller and a fuel cut defender) and you will have in the ballpark of 260+ hp.

There is a guy here that did all that and added a new computer and on the stock injectors ( I believe) he felt he was pushing close to 400 hp on stock internals ( I think). He also had a larger turbo. So there is power there if you want to find it. It is fun to drive completely stock as well. It is all a matter of time and money. Most of us aren't ricers and will be willing to give you plenty of information since we absolutely love these cars. A search will go a long way as well.

Good luck on your buy, and since you DO own a legacy currently...welcome to the club.

-Ryan

[omegax]

Thanks , if anyone else has some insight im all ears. And yeah ive faced the cv joint problem about 3 times already in the one i have now.
I abosolutely hate ricers, its a joke to me when you own a car and cant drive over a speed bump straight or loose your body kit on a dip in the road. Then theres exhaust jobs that overpower your stereo.. When i finally find the right one you will probably hear from me more often. For now ill just be gathering info. If anyone here is selling theirs im all for offers, id trust a car from someone here knowing it was probably taken better care of than someone who only brought it into the shop when a service light went on or the car wouldnt drive. A friend of mine gets a daily smack from me for that. Especially when he was wondering why his engine sounded bad and was making alot of noise... after finding out he cant remmber his last oil change and adding about 2 1/2 bottles of oil it sounded alot better.

Konrad

[Matt Monson]

Yeah,
I got a tip. Buy that 5 spd. Those are super rare and hard to find. If you don't buy it, please post where to find the car as someone here will likely want to buy it.

Aside from that, Subarus tend to spring oil leaks in the valve cover gaskets, the cam seals and the main rear seal. None of these are major issues if the oil level has been kept up...

p.s. where are you ? It helps us get to know you if you will out your profile.

[omegax]

Well im not the richest guy but i figure anything can be fixed. Im sure we have all seen even the oldest cars be reborn. And theres just something about the car that i like, fast but not too flashy and most of all a bit more unique than the 100's of civics, accords, maximas driving around. Maybe with you guys help i can make it happen.

Konrad

[evolutionmovement]

What everyone else said mechanically was good. Check for smoke at start up, etc.

The only other show stopper I think is a body rot, but you're in luck as these cars were well rust proofed and 100 times better than their competitors. The front fenders behind the tire in the sill area almost always rust but just look bad - very rarely is the under sill area bad. New fenders are cheap and easy to fit. Another spot is the rear wheelarches like any other car - there's a little shelf where the rear bumper mates to the body behind the rear tires so that's another big spot. There are other misc places, but those are the common spots. I have seen a couple severely rotted Legacys but they were obviously grossly abused.

Also look for accident damage - check spot welds in the trunk/tailgate section and under the hood and for bent stuff, new body parts, stuff that doesn't quite line up, etc. Doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it, but it gives you an idea about the car's prior life, what you may be dealing with, and is a good bargaining point.

I drove from here (Boston MA area) to Detroit to look at a POS (one of those severely rotted ones I saw) and drove a couple hours a few weekends in a row for another. So if you want one you usually have to hunt a little. There's a lot of owner loyalty for these things and they're relatively rare.

Good luck.

Steve

[omegax]

Well today I almost cried, I called up the dealer to confirm he still had it and make a downpayment on the car after putting the money together and i hear that someone in Denver snatched it up.
It was from Metro Motors in Minnesota, if anyone here has purchased the car congratulations. It was a 91 AWD Turbo Legacy 117k "beige, champagne" or whatever you wanan call it.

Konrad

[douglas vincent]

Dont knock the old suby. I hit 130 in my old 1990 FWD wagon. These things still are fun and hit way over 100 easily. I was taking my new 1990 wagon AWD to the drags and getting 16.75 1/4s. And this was with 200,000 plus miles and a tired clutch.

If you strip that baby I bet you will get close to a 16 sec 1/4.

[evolutionmovement]

Awesome! Another guy in the 16s with N/A. Most people I think doubt my 16.3 with my lighter fwd N/A (but that was 80k miles ago).

Steve

[Aerotech]

Keep Looking! YOu will not regret the chase; I appreciate my '91 more every day and with every mod. Replacement parts are plentiful as far as sheetmetal goes, and many mechanical components can be upgraded w/ WRX parts... I can't wait 'till people start balling up STIs and parting them out! E-bay rules!