February 3, 201115 yr I am about to head down to a dealer to look at a 86 Hatchback. They are asking $897 for it. Here are a few pics Looks like I'll have some work to do on the interior, mainly the back seat but the body looks sound. Was told that it had been stored in a barn with about 1K miles put on it a year after she stored it. It's a 1 owner car.
February 3, 201115 yr sorry if this seems wrong in Australia i wouldnt pay that price for that sorry just had to say with an interior like that it wouldnt be in a car yard just had to say how strange it is
February 3, 201115 yr That thing look's really solid! I love those hatchbacks, is it the 1.6? Also I really like the fact that it doesn't have carpets! Nice find!
February 3, 201115 yr I can only imagine what those seats look like when you take the seat covers off. I love how the dealer sprayed tire cleaner on the spare. I hope you don't over pay on that thing.
February 3, 201115 yr loos like a STD 1.6 2wd.... no door molding rubber floor mat STD/DL guages First thing I noticed, sad Subaru is sad If you want a car that gets great gas mileage as a commuter this is your rig though, if you're light on the go pedal you should get North of 30 mpg
February 3, 201115 yr Author Just got back from the dealership. I can say, they been had! They paid $750 for this thing and it was not worth half that. The body was in good shape. Some rust but repairable. Opening the hood began the warning signs. Looking at the spare showed dry rot cracks. You could tell they (dealer or owner) hit it with a tire shine. Looking under showed a sound underbody and exhaust but there was evidence of an oil leak on the back side of the oil pan. There were cob webs here and there. Interior was rough and suffering the usual age and sun related damage. The heat worked great. It fired up on the first try but the idle was high for a few mins until I tapped the gas. It hesitated each time I tapped it and stuck on a high idle a few times. It sounded like a Subie engine. Looked around and under. Checked the oil cap and there was rust colored sludge at the top of the tube. We fired it up and hit the clutch and.......Holy crap. It engaged about 1 or 2 inches from the floor at best. Taking it around the lot wasn't fun. After that we talked to the dealer and I told him it is not worth what they paid for it and that it make it worth buying, maybe was to drop a few hundred off the price they paid. 100 mile round trip for nothing. Bummer. Edited February 3, 201115 yr by MaddCelt
February 4, 201115 yr Sucks dude, that's the way these things work. No shame in passing on a rough vehicle.
February 4, 201115 yr Tightening the clutch cable will fix the engagement problem. That's not really an issue.
February 4, 201115 yr Oil leaks are not horrible to fix or expect. Put your money on the condition of the body. The car would be worth 700 in the rust belt if it was complete and ran. 500 is the more ideal price if the dealer just wants to cut the loss and wash their hands of it.
February 4, 201115 yr In Maine, even cars that don't run, but have no rust are worth a few hundred. I just dropped 400 on a car with a pooched engine, but no rust at all.
February 4, 201115 yr So how was $800+ on a 2wd hatch ever a good deal to begin with? Even if it were MINT; it's a 2wd dl. That was easy to spot from the very first picture. I paid far less for a hi low 1.8 hatch in better shape, in a better economy. No TACH FAIL:-p
February 5, 201115 yr In Europe any EA71/EA81 car with a decent body is worth more than that. All the issues you posted are fixable w/o much cost. Swap the seats. Adjust the clutch. Clean the carb.
February 5, 201115 yr Author For me it wasn't a deal regardless of the cost. Looking up parts locally turned up nothing. There are no local junk yards with Subies and I am in need of a car I can safely drive when I buy it, with no major repairs needed. I have neither the time nor the spare money to throw into anything. For anyone interested, it is at the Sam Swope in Clarksville, IN. They said a few people have came out to look at it but none have returned.
February 5, 201115 yr I think a first gen Legacy that has been taken care of would be your best bet on a good car.
February 5, 201115 yr Ah, Indiana. Sorry, but i used up all the old soobs in NE indiana 10 years ago. I'm surprised they still turn up.
February 8, 201115 yr It fired up on the first try but the idle was high for a few mins until I tapped the gas. It hesitated each time I tapped it and stuck on a high idle a few times. Other than the hesitation, everything else is classic operation of a factory auto choke which only needs some adjustment.
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