Long time, no Subaru. My Xt has been out for the count for the last few years with a blown headgasket and severe underbody rust.

I saw this loyale on Craigslist for $400. Dude says it needs a water pump. Should I be wary of a blown head gasket? Being single range, would this car be decent for mild offroading if I install a 2" lift and 28" tires? (I already have the lift and wheels+tires)

 

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/5836457592.html

 

Anyone interested in buying a rusty intercooled 87.5 Xt awd turbo with $2,500 worth of new parts? It was my daily before I parked it.

If it's rust free, and otherwise decent shape. If the headgaskets are original, they usually need to be redone anyway, due to oil leaks. Needing a water pump may or may not indicate that it's been overheated. Has it been run over normal temperature while low on coolant? That has been the sure way to kill headgaskets in my experience.

Ask why it needs a water pump... The only way subaru waterpumps really fail is they leak externally. If he says it needs a new waterpump because it overheats, it's BS. It has headgasket issues or something.

thats one from my area. I know if you'd stuff larger tires on it with the single range, it won't crawl, it'll be tall gearing. We even have a dual range with lift and big tires and it wont climb anything close to the stock dual range wagon with stock tires. Tall tires, tall gearing. My nephew called about that $400 wagon couple weeks ago but never got a call back. I suspect head gasket as well. 

pretty much goes like this:

 

Ask why it needs a water pump... The only way subaru waterpumps really fail is they leak externally. If he says it needs a new waterpump because it overheats, it's BS. It has headgasket issues or something.

 

but yeah - either way, it comes down to your own time, abilities, and needs.  even if it needed headgaskets - a reseal, new timing components, and tune up could land you in a 100,000 mile reliable vehicle for $1,000. 

Too late... he just sold it. I asked, and he said it wasn't overheating. Just leaking. Oh well. Maybe I'll get lucky and eventually something with a dual range might come along.

Edited November 2, 20169 yr by 87.5ea82txt

Subaru water pumps fail at 25,000 miles if you don't plug up the hole on top of the housing with some gasket maker.  My subaru dealer used to change them every 15,000 miles, because they weren't interested in plugging up that little hole.