Red92 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 (edited) So I went to look at another EA82 wagon yesterday, the big selling point being that it was a car from out west with "NO RUST". Granted, that was right... but the seller seemed to think it was made of gold because of it. $2k for a 200k+ mile vehicle with faded paint, an ash tray of an interior, a range of minor electrical issues, and the loudest engine tick/knock I've heard in a long time. The blue book value is less than half of his asking price, but in the rust belt, I have seen cars go for a bit of a premium if the body is in exceptional shape. What do you guys think? Are these old wagons rare enough now that they can command that much of a premium for a rust-free body? If it didn't have the engine tick, I would be more inclined to call it an "investment"... but I'm not sure just how fatal the "Tick Of Death" is, nor how costly it is to have repaired. :-\ Edited August 29, 2011 by Red92 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinthe202 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 When it comes to older cars, it really comes down to what you are willing to pay. You might not think it's worth 2k given all the other problems, but maybe someone down the street does. There's no way I'd pay 2k for an ea82 wagon unless it was in much better shape all around. No rust is one thing, but if you have to sink a bunch more in just to have a reliable car, well that's not worth it to me. In short, there isn't a good answer to your question as it changes from person to person and state to state. I'd say, decide on what it's worth to you, then give 'em an offer which will either be accepted or not. good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red92 Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Thanks. Yeah, that's pretty much where I was at, just hoping to get a few opinions on the matter from those of you with a bit more experience. In terms of making it reliable, I think that the engine is the only real concern. Otherwise it drove OK, brakes worked fine, the lines looked good, etc. The clutch pedal was a bit "gummy" feeling, not "weak", just kinda slow to move? He said it had been making the engine noises for at least 3 years (as long as he has had it)... so I don't know if that means that it isn't as serious as it sounds... or if it means that it's already on borrowed time and ready to die any day now. :-\ What all is involved with a lifter replacement? Do the heads have to come off, and/or does the engine have to come out of the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 i look specifically for no rust cars because i'm tired of corrosion problems, the time saved is worth it to me. i bought an 89 XT6 last year from California, and an XT6 the year before from Texas strictly because of rust. it cost $760 to ship the last XT6. total cost with shipping was about $2,000 with some parts, was running, no issues, new clutch. find the car you want out west/south and have it shipped. $2,000 sounds high for my area, i wouldn't expect to sell one for that in a by the way you describe it, but like he said above - you just never know, it's worth whatever someone will pay for it and that varies a lot for older cars at $2,000 or less. all it takes is someone that needs to get to work and a cheap car. i'd move on or wait a month until he comes down in price....chances are higher that he won't sell it than he will sell it. i sell and list a few subarus a year (have a few now for sale). i don't see him selling it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarule Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Rust-free Subes are not that hard to come by. If the inside is grunged up & looks like an ashtray then that's what you can expect for the way the whole car was treated. Who wants a car that's been owned by slobs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinthe202 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Rust-free Subes are not that hard to come by. typed like a true west coaster If the inside is grunged up & looks like an ashtray then that's what you can expect for the way the whole car was treated. Who wants a car that's been owned by slobs? This is a good point though. If they beat up the rest of the car, what are the chances that it's been well maintained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeryst Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I just bought a 90 Loyale Turbo AWD station wagon. AT. Full time 4WD. No rust. Very nice paint. Beautiful interior. 105k miles. Still had the original radiator and heater hoses (which I just changed). Everything works except for the cruise control. Had a minor starting issue, but that has been resolved. Paid $1300 for it. I think $2k is way too high for it. Show him $1200 cash, and tell him you will not be back if he doesnt take it. There are better deals out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red92 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 If the inside is grunged up & looks like an ashtray then that's what you can expect for the way the whole car was treated. Who wants a car that's been owned by slobs? This is a good point though. If they beat up the rest of the car, what are the chances that it's been well maintained. Yeah, I had thought about that too... but it had service records for an oil pump seal, timing belt change, struts, and strut mounts all in the last 10k miles. I got the impression that he mostly only fixed things when they "needed" to be fixed, but I think he did the timing belt as preventative maintenance. The car isn't really beat up, just sort of pitted out. I think it could be cleaned up, it is just a bit unfortunate as it could have been much nicer. :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red92 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 i look specifically for no rust cars because i'm tired of corrosion problems, the time saved is worth it to me. Yep, that's why I'm still looking too. i bought an 89 XT6 last year from California, and an XT6 the year before from Texas strictly because of rust. it cost $760 to ship the last XT6. total cost with shipping was about $2,000 with some parts, was running, no issues, new clutch. find the car you want out west/south and have it shipped. $2,000 sounds high for my area, i wouldn't expect to sell one for that in a by the way you describe it, but like he said above - you just never know, it's worth whatever someone will pay for it and that varies a lot for older cars at $2,000 or less. all it takes is someone that needs to get to work and a cheap car. So realistically, how do you find a "good" Subaru out west and organize the purchase & shipping without getting scammed? The big-name sites (Auto Trader, eBay, etc) seem to have very few of these old Subarus... and I've had enough experience with Craigslist that I wouldn't ever buy something sight-unseen from there. i'd move on or wait a month until he comes down in price....chances are higher that he won't sell it than he will sell it. i sell and list a few subarus a year (have a few now for sale). i don't see him selling it soon. Yeah, I could probably wait a little bit... but I doubt it would stick around for a month. Once you get to October, you're at the start of the snow season, and a cheap 4WD is going to sell pretty fast I think. :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red92 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 I think $2k is way too high for it. Show him $1200 cash, and tell him you will not be back if he doesnt take it. There are better deals out there. It sounds like there definitely are better deals, just that they might not be local... It seems like it takes a lot of patience and a bit of luck to find one of the clean low-mileage examples. So we've established pretty universally now that $2000 is too high... so where does that leave us? Once you dip below $1000, the cars can turn into real basket cases around here. Nobody will fix the brakes properly, because it costs half the value of the car. Same with tires, exhaust, rust repairs, and everything else maintenance related. So the "fair" price must be somewhere in the middle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMK110 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Just picked up an 85 GL wagon E82 for 500 bucks in Alaska 154K Great shape. 2 grand seems way High.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Serviously for 2 grand, its not worth it. As you can get a legit EA82 out here for $500-$1000 in great shape. All the ones I reconditioned years ago only sold for between $900 and $1200. (Most around 160-220K on them with all new seals, timing belts, etc) Its cheaper to have one of us look at one and then you fly out and pick it up and it will be truly rust free. Hell maybe have General Disorder restore one for you so that you know it will make it home (and so he won't sell it out from under you) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r81gsr95 Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 2k is a little high. for 2k you could have my one owner all original 88 GL lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 forums like this are a good way to locate, buy, and arrange pick up of far off distance subaru's. i consider myself good at working with people to an extent, i have to have good feedback from the person before buying. if they're members of the forum, contribute, know what the'yre talking about, etc you kind of know something. if someone isn't calling back, isn't clear about things, doesn't follow through with questions or pictures, doesn't seem to care....move on. you could even start a thread and see what happens - might get lucky and have someone who knows their stuff on here help you out. i've flown 800 miles and driven a car home. and buddy of mine who flies for free, flew to texas to pick up a subaru for me and drove it to WV - now that's a friend! 1,500 miles, i love crazy friends! best to know a bit about cars and be fairly good at communicating and working with people though. which can be a tough read. not for everyone but a good way to expand your options with a bit of extra effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarule Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 typed like a true west coaster I bought the car in Colorado when I lived there. If you look at Subes for sale in Colorado, plus states north and south of it, and move west, you will find plenty of rust-free vehicles. Colorado may just have the highest concentration of Subarus anywhere in the U.S. Before SUVs became popular, it was THE car to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarule Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 So I went to look at another EA82 wagon yesterday, the big selling point being that it was a car from out west with "NO RUST". Granted, that was right... but the seller seemed to think it was made of gold because of it. $2k for a 200k+ mile vehicle with faded paint, an ash tray of an interior, a range of minor electrical issues, and the loudest engine tick/knock I've heard in a long time. The blue book value is less than half of his asking price, but in the rust belt, I have seen cars go for a bit of a premium if the body is in exceptional shape. What do you guys think? Are these old wagons rare enough now that they can command that much of a premium for a rust-free body? If it didn't have the engine tick, I would be more inclined to call it an "investment"... but I'm not sure just how fatal the "Tick Of Death" is, nor how costly it is to have repaired. :-\ How old of a Subaru wagon are you looking for? The year being no later than...??? This looks nice - maybe too new for you? General Disorder lives fairly close to where it's for sale. http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/cto/2566101461.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red92 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 2 grand seems way High.. Serviously for 2 grand, its not worth it. 2k is a little high. Yep, got it. I hear you guys. I'm not going to spend $2k, I'm going to try talking him down. That's why I'm trying to get a feel for where the price *should* be. If I can talk him down so that the price is within a few hundred of buying one from a distance and having it shipped, then it would be worth it just for the time savings. If a non-local car was in better shape, it would be more worth it to go that route... but I don't have a ton of time right now and can't get the time off of work to fly somewhere. :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red92 Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) How old of a Subaru wagon are you looking for? The year being no later than...??? Well, I had a RHD JDM '92 Legacy VZ Type-R before this when I lived in NZ, and while I loved that car, I've been quite underwhelmed by the trim levels of the first-gen Legacies here in the US. :-\ I've never really cared for the second generation or beyond... So I've decided to scratch an itch, and get an older Subaru. I'd prefer to stay fuel injected, it must be a manual trans, and I'll give it a mild lift and some off-road wheels/tires when funding permits. A dual-range trans would be nice, but I'm OK with swapping that in later if need be. I already have a '92 Loyale, but rust and other issues are making it questionable if it is worth keeping on the road: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=125450 However, it could be a donor for the interior (seats & carpet), which would go a long way towards "de-ashtray-ing" this other one... Edited August 30, 2011 by Red92 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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