[kickstand]

98 vw, 2 door hatch thingy. manual trans, I assume 2.0 4 cylinder?

155000 miles.

Looking at it for a winter beater/keep the miles off my truck vehicle.

what to look out for on these guys?

 

[canadmos]

Are you going to keep a hammer in it to beat on it?

 

[canadmos]

I think a wagon is in this threads future.

 

[jonKranked]

Old subie would make a better winter car if you get routine snow. And winter tires.

 

[jdcamb]

I was looking at a used 2010 Toureag. Smelled like a ashtray inside.

 

[StiHacka]

VW sucks. I know cuz I have one here and one in Yurop and they both fall apart randomly.

Get a Jap car instead.

 

[Pesqueeb]

You could probably get a much newer diesel VW for just as cheap given VW's latest woes.

 

[jdcamb]

VW sucks. I know cuz I have one here and one in Yurop and they both fall apart randomly.

Get a Jap car instead.

I like the Acura. Plenty fast and fun. Nice ride also.

 

[kickstand]

Old subie would make a better winter car if you get routine snow. And winter tires.

wife has 2015 impreza, I haz 4x4 tahoe, not worried about snow and ice performance, more so beat around town and save miles on my truck and let it rust out instead of my truck.

98 2 door thingy listed for sale down the road, rusted out, cheap, beater, just don't want to plunk down $1,000 on something useless.

 

[Pesqueeb]

98 2 door thingy listed for sale down the road, rusted out, cheap, beater, just don't want to plunk down $1,000 on something useless.

 

[kickstand]

Blue book suggests 1,000 in rough shape, he's asking $1400. Reliability sounds decent on these guys. I'm gonna offer him $650. If he takes it I'll beat around town in it and save some wear and tear on my truck and hopefully some miles of salty roads.

All cars in Michigan older than 3 months are rust buckets, it's the nature of dumping piles and piles of salt on our roads, combine that with how many dirt roads we have and it eats cars pretty fast

 

[stevew]

98 vw, 2 door hatch thingy. manual trans, I assume 2.0 4 cylinder?

155000 miles.

Looking at it for a winter beater/keep the miles off my truck vehicle.

what to look out for on these guys?

if it is a six cylinder....timing chain.

 

[jonKranked]

wife has 2015 impreza, I haz 4x4 tahoe, not worried about snow and ice performance, more so beat around town and save miles on my truck and let it rust out instead of my truck.

98 2 door thingy listed for sale down the road, rusted out, cheap, beater, just don't want to plunk down $1,000 on something useless.

my point is you'd have way more fun.

 

[kickstand]

my point is you'd have way more fun.

There's also not a subaru around in my area for anywhere near the price of this little guy. I looked. I wouldn't mind another RS coupe or an older wrx, but they're worth far more in my area.

The VW should be plenty fun for my intended purpose.

 

[jonKranked]

There's also not a subaru around in my area for anywhere near the price of this little guy. I looked. I wouldn't mind another RS coupe or an older wrx, but they're worth far more in my area.

The VW should be plenty fun for my intended purpose.

i was derping around CL last night for michigan and found some older legacy's for under 2k

 

[Adventurous]

Vroom Vroom! Perfect winter beater.

 

[stevew]

i was derping around CL last night for michigan and found some older legacy's for under 2k

have they had head gaskets done yet?

 

[jonKranked]

have they had head gaskets done yet?

i can't remember - did that affect the legacys? or was it just outbacks and forresters of that generation?

 

[Westy]

i can't remember - did that affect the legacys? or was it just outbacks and forresters of that generation?

Subaru is a head gasket company that also makes cars.

 

[jonKranked]

Subaru is a head gasket company that also makes cars.

no, fuji heavy industries makes industrial construction equipment, helicopters, and also cars.

 

[SkaredShtles]

i can't remember - did that affect the legacys? or was it just outbacks and forresters of that generation?

It was every Subaru that had the 2.5l motor. Of EVERY generation. The head gasket issue started with 1996's and continues to this day.

 

[kickstand]

i was derping around CL last night for michigan and found some older legacy's for under 2k

Please derp around further. Winter beater in my neck of the woods means <$750, if you make it through winter and save some miles on your nicer car and can beat around in it the following summer you found a winner.

I'd LOVE to have another RS coupe or an older WRX, but I'm looking at something as cheap as possible. My Tahoe has 100k on it, is rust free, and is of the age that a Michigan winter could turn it into a winter beater over night, if I can use it sparingly through the winter and save a few $$ on gas along the way, the goal would have been accomplished.

 

[Jm_]

They don't

It was every Subaru that had the 2.5l motor. Of EVERY generation. The head gasket issue started with 1996's and continues to this day.

err, 2.2. The gaskets are a weak point on nearly all subarus, (new 2.0 design may be immune), so that's where the others come from.

 

[jonKranked]

It was every Subaru that had the 2.5l motor. Of EVERY generation. The head gasket issue started with 1996's and continues to this day.

i haven't heard of anything ~2010 or newer having head gasket issues. i think they moved away from that engine with the recent redesigns

 

[jonKranked]

Please derp around further. Winter beater in my neck of the woods means <$750, if you make it through winter and save some miles on your nicer car and can beat around in it the following summer you found a winner.

I'd LOVE to have another RS coupe or an older WRX, but I'm looking at something as cheap as possible. My Tahoe has 100k on it, is rust free, and is of the age that a Michigan winter could turn it into a winter beater over night, if I can use it sparingly through the winter and save a few $$ on gas along the way, the goal would have been accomplished.

using "my neck of the woods" means you should probably just get a snowmobile

 

[SkaredShtles]

They don't

err, 2.2. The gaskets are a weak point on nearly all subarus, (new 2.0 design may be immune), so that's where the others come from.

If the 2.2 also has the head gasket issue, it would be news to me. Common knowledge out here was if you could get hold of an old Legacy with the 2.2 you should be good... at least WRT the head gasket issue.

 

[SkaredShtles]

i haven't heard of anything ~2010 or newer having head gasket issues. i think they moved away from that engine with the recent redesigns

Well - those cars should be *just* about getting to the age (2010s) that the head gaskets are bound to start blowing with regularity now.

 

[kickstand]

the new subaru's have good head gaskets, but they burn oil like a mofo

 

[kickstand]

using "my neck of the woods" means you should probably just get a snowmobile

I did see an impreza wagon for 900, but it was beyond "rusted out" and needed a little bit of everything to get road worthy.

 

[Westy]

no, fuji heavy industries makes industrial construction equipment, helicopters, and also cars.

Thanks for the fun fact Stoney.

 

[Pesqueeb]

I'm not convinced at all that Subaru has fixed the head gasket issue, on any of it's 4 cylinder models, but it was the 2.5 that was the real bad one. I don't recall what year it was now but a coworker had a newer than our impreza model outback (08-10ish?) that the head went not 2 weeks after he had to do the timing belt. I know that anecdotes do not a statistic make, but his isn't the only one I've heard of. If I were to ever buy another subaru, which is highly unlikely, I'd get the 3.0. Not head gasket issues, timing chain vs. belt, and moar powerz!

 

[jonKranked]

I'm not convinced at all that Subaru has fixed the head gasket issue, on any of it's 4 cylinder models, but it was the 2.5 that was the real bad one. I don't recall what year it was now but a coworker had a newer than our impreza model outback (08-10ish?) that the head went not 2 weeks after he had to do the timing belt. I know that anecdotes do not a statistic make, but his isn't the only one I've heard of. If I were to ever buy another subaru, which is highly unlikely, I'd get the 3.0. Not head gasket issues, timing chain vs. belt, and moar powerz!

my '12 impreza is timing chain, not belt.

 

[jonKranked]

and fwiw the imprezas were a full redesign in '12, and the outback/forester shortly thereafter.

 

[Pesqueeb]

my '12 impreza is timing chain, not belt.

Well, nice to know they finally got smart about that. Any engineer that puts a timing belt in any motor should get a hard punch in the dick.

 

[kickstand]

Well, nice to know they finally got smart about that. Any engineer that puts a timing belt in any motor should get a hard punch in the dick.

so like half the cars out on the road?

 

[kickstand]

and fwiw the imprezas were a full redesign in '12, and the outback/forester shortly thereafter.

less than 400 miles on our impreza, but we're loving it so far. Kicks the shit out of our ford fuckus we finally got rid of.

 

[SkaredShtles]

so like half the cars out on the road?

Yup. That's a lot of dicks to punch. But they deserve it.

 

[jonKranked]

Well, nice to know they finally got smart about that. Any engineer that puts a timing belt in any motor should get a hard punch in the dick.

my wife has a '14 outback that is also timing chain. i think as of 2014 all subaru vehicles except the WRX and STI are timing chain.

 

[canadmos]

The new WRX should have a chain as well, it uses the new 2.0 engine.

The STi is still using the old 2.5. From what I read, the head gasket thing wasn't a major issue on the turbo engines as they used a different gasket.

 

[jonKranked]

The new WRX should have a chain as well, it uses the new 2.0 engine.

The STi is still using the old 2.5. From what I read, the head gasket thing wasn't a major issue on the turbo engines as they used a different gasket.

i remember hearing chatter in the last ~2 or so years that there was talk of the wrx/sti being split off into their own performance platform and no longer being based on the impreza