kdixey Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I'm starting grad school and my wife and I (and wee little son) need to get a car, but given the fact that grad student = broke, so we're looking at getting an older Subaru. I've had an Impreza before (and loved it). What we need now is a cheap reliable car that can make it the next 3 or 4 years and if possible squeeze in 4WD (we live in the Northwest). We've been looking at mid 80's GLs up to early 90s Loyales (We're limited to about $1,000). I've been going through the forum and looking at the posts (I've just read the "things to Fix" post and found it to be a real help). Do any of you kind souls have any advice as to what models would be best to look at, and what to look for (as in common problems). Links to threads that be useful or your own experiences were be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingwill Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I've found good cars here on this board, but also check the local paper in your area or surrounding area, Old sub's are like dirty gold, Most people do not know what they have ahold of and give them up for cheap. You buy it. give it a bath, fix a few things and you have a car the is like the energizer bunny and a tank. It keeps going and going and for some, looks better with dents and battle scars. check out: http://seattle.craigslist.org/ Ebay is good but only if the car is local, don't want to bid on a car you don't have a way to get it. I sometimes find stuff in the nickel ads but rarely. I think for the money this board is the best place to go. I have found many great deals here (cars, parts and advice) And even though we all come from different backgrounds we all love these cars. Hope that helps a bit. Brad Oh and good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belizeanbus Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Welcome. There have been a few threads on the board recently focusing on the best/favorite soobs of the members. You can try the search feature and see if you can come up with them for an in depth discussion of the pros and cons of each individual love affair. Everyone is partial to a particular style/model/year. The Loyale gets a lot of points and it would get my vote. A 1990 served as grad school car for my wife and I (Ph.D, Biology, lots of field time, mountain and backroad driving, with loads of equipment in the back). Being in Washington would seem to be an advantage in terms of finding a lot of nice, oldish soobies. One of mine came from up that way. Keep your eyes open,...there are deals to be had. I now have a 1992, high mileage, but a strong runner that was picked up for six hundred and some change. And that was down here in Cali, where older Soobs are often scarce. Loyales are a good bet for getting around (excellent gas mileage, 4wd, etc). Also great for road trips (lots of room, stylish in a funky sort of way...you're bound to fall in love with it). Be prepared to get a little bit dirty... you are looking for an old car and you are looking for it cheap. Some folks say these Loyales are indestructible and will run over 300,000 miles on one engine with a little lovin'. But still they are old...and quirky...and sometimes won't run just right. With that in mind, you are in the right place. I've always been a bit more of an academic than a mechanic, but I'm not afraid to try, and the folks on this board are GOOD. Ask when you don't know, and they will help...and don't forget the search feature to retrieve old threads. Things to look for...and this is not exhaustive...just some notes from experience... first of all... oil leaks. these engines are notorious for dripping a bit. But they can also blow out cam seals with age. A bit of 'weeping" is okay. A lot will lead to expensive or time consuming repairs. Make sure the clutch is solid, and 4wd engages easily, seemlessly, noiselessly. Check that oil pressure guage...I've heard a lot of problems with oil pumps, pressure and guages. Can't think of anything else just now... But rest assured... there's a reason for the cult following. They are great cars. belizeanbus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukas Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Welcome! I also think the best soob for you would be the Loyale. It is reliable, has lots of room, its comfortable and its got a soul. Ask Bucky92;) . But if you are limited to about $1000, it will be hard to get a good, well-cared-for Loyale. You can also look for an 88 or 89 Subaru GL or DL Wagon/Sedan/Coupe. I dont know which bodystyle you prefer, but I think for your little family it would be the best to look for a wagon or sedan. The 88 and 89s are fuel injected and as reliable as the Loyale. Don´t know if they are better rust-protected, but rust is also a problem on the Loyale. I hope you will find a good Soob, they are great cars, you have to love them! Lukas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Welcome! I also think the best soob for you would be the Loyale. It is reliable, has lots of room, its comfortable and its got a soul. Ask Bucky92;) . But if you are limited to about $1000, it will be hard to get a good, well-cared-for Loyale. You can also look for an 88 or 89 Subaru GL or DL Wagon/Sedan/Coupe. I dont know which bodystyle you prefer, but I think for your little family it would be the best to look for a wagon or sedan. The 88 and 89s are fuel injected and as reliable as the Loyale. Don´t know if they are better rust-protected, but rust is also a problem on the Loyale. I hope you will find a good Soob, they are great cars, you have to love them! Lukas Awwww Lukas You little sweetheart!! I love the Loyales and basically all EA82s for the reason Lukas just stated. My 92 Loyale I sware will run forever ...you show it love it shows it right back..Nice thing about the EA82s and all Soobs is they are SO easy to work on yourself..even if you have little to no mechanical knowledge...a couple manuals and this board can get you through almost any repair. Oil leaks are an issue but as long as they arent to bad you can let them go for awhile until you desode to spend a weekend doing timing belts (only a couple hour job) but while you are in there thats the best time to take care of the leaks. They have more room in them than the Imprezas (even though I have been looking at those to maybe retire Bucky to back-up/project car). Another one to look for are Gen1 Legacys...another great car. And Yes..I feel all Soobs have a soul...but the DL/GL and Loyales have a stronger one..just because they know they are not the Flashiest or the fastest.They dont have the best options and some they have are kinda odd so they have to make up for it in other ways. I picked mine up for $600 (from a dealer) almost 2 years ago..I have put around 25,000 miles on him with very very little problems. Now this winter has put a hurting on his appearance but I will take care of that in a few weeks,once it gets alittle warmer out. Good Luck ...they are out there and just waiting for the right person to come along to make them part of the family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karinvail Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I am also in the pacific NW and have a friend in Bellingham - a friend of her husband's is a Subaru mechanic and buys fixer-uppers to resell. I personally love the GL 4x4 Wagons and they are fairly plentiful here in the pacific NW. Finding a good one is sometimes tricky because they have not all been loved like we would like. The *first* thing I look for is the front drive axles and see if the boots on the CV joints are intact. I had a car (an 83 DL Wagon) that went through so many CV joints it was unreal and made it NO FUN to own. A set a year, no joke. And, at $100 for a reman. axle or $180 per side if you have LesSchwab do it, it's not cheap. Find one with good axles and hopefully it's not an 'axle eater' like my last one was! My latest one has good axle boots and they don't look brand-new, so I can assume it's not going to be one of those axle eaters The next thing I would look for is the front timing belt cover - if they are melted and drooping, then that engine has been overheated and has a good chance of having problems. I wouldn't buy another Soob that's had an overheating issue myself. The electric fans sometimes will quit coming on by themselves because of a sensor in the radiator that can go out - a lot of Soobs in the 80's that I've been around/seen have had a manual over-ride switch wired in by it's previous owner so you can turn the fan on when you need it or leave it off when you don't need it. Sometimes this is a blessing, sometimes it's a headache if you don't remember it. Look around and be choosy for your $1000. You should be able to find a pretty decent Soob for that around there. Meridian street (used to be Guide Meridian) in B'ham has loads of used car dealers if you head north toward Lynden - I often see a bunch of used Soob's along there...... Good luck! Karin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill90Loyale Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Here's an idea that has worked for me: Invest the $50-75 necessary to place an ad in the largest local newspaper. Talk the paper into putting the ad in the "cars for sale" classified. Along the lines of "Wanted - Subaru Loyale or older Legacy wagon - running or not ok. Call ......" With this approach, you sometimes capture the "little old lady" cars that relatives are trying to get rid of (they're browsing the cars for sale section to see what people are asking for their cars). Sometimes these cars won't start and people can't figure it out and don't want to sink any money into them (the "broken timing belt classic"). Best of luck, and make sure you have a good car seat for that little one. P.S. I'm now approaching 100,000 miles (of my own) on the Loyale that I paid $1500 for a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beegeer Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Kdixey, I know your in the <$1000 range, however this might worth a call. http://seattle.craigslist.org/car/64263279.html See ya at work... Yellow wagon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdixey Posted March 18, 2005 Author Share Posted March 18, 2005 Thanks for all the advice. I'll keep you all informed as to my progress...and of course once I find the car I'll be back getting bugging everyone about fixing it. I am also in the pacific NW and have a friend in Bellingham - a friend of her husband's is a Subaru mechanic and buys fixer-uppers to resell. Do you happen to know the friends name? BTW, I'm finding that there are quite a few older Subaru to choose from in Bellingham. Not so much at the dealers up the Guide, but plenty through the papers. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 If I were you, I would go with any Subaru that is fuel injected - Hitachi carbueration has a nasty habbit of biting you when you least expect it - been there 4WD is a good idea - if I were you, I would look south and in a flat area for a 4WD wagon - those can be had for a song, even if they have been cared for - 4WD is a VERY good idea, given where you live - pushbutton works, but is undesireable as it is not as reliable as the good 'ol dual range btw dual range was only offered through 1989 - so you would be looking for a GL at that point STAY AWAY from automatics - they are a bit finicky and tempermental, in your position I would also recommend avoiding turbos - they use more gas and are not as reliable whatever you get, the CV joints and T-belts (timing belts) will need to be checked - they are the things that are most prone to failure - check for oil leaks too - these engines tend to leak oil after about 90k-100k, and they get bad as early as 130k (when I did my seals) - fixing them is not a big deal for a mechanic, he could replace all front oil seals/oil pump seals when he does the T-belts The EA82 wagons (Loyale and all post-1984 80's wagons) are very good cars overall. However, I think an early 90's Legacy would probably be a better option if you can afford it , though I don't know how the 4WD systems compare, as the Legacy's is AWD and won't lock on driver demand. However the EJ22 engine (the Legacy's) is probably one of the most reliable engines Subaru has ever produced, and it does not have as much of a tendency to leak oil. The Legacy would probably be better in a car accident too. That is something to consider especially since you have a young child. Either choice is a good one, both are safe and reliable cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MudisFun Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I have a subby kind of for sale, it's a 85 GL-10 if you want to take a look give me a call 733-8583 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdixey Posted March 18, 2005 Author Share Posted March 18, 2005 The Loyale gets a lot of points and it would get my vote. A 1990 served as grad school car for my wife and I (Ph.D, Biology, lots of field time, mountain and backroad driving, with loads of equipment in the back). Yeah, I'm headed into a Masters in Environmental Science and will be spending a lot of time in the back country as well. I'm headed out to look at a 90 Loyale with 210k on it for about $900. It's supposed to have been babied and have a clean looking interior. 4WD, 5 speed Wagon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill90Loyale Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I'm headed out to look at a 90 Loyale with 210k on it for about $900. It's supposed to have been babied and have a clean looking interior. 4WD, 5 speed Wagon. Questions: How old is the battery? ($75), When were the timing belts changed? (about $150), The clutch is original, you say? (parts about $175 + labor), and the oil pump and water pumps haven't been renewed? (about $90 + labor) = $490. 900-490 = $500. I think $500 might be a reasonable offer (if the body is basically sound). Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Questions: How old is the battery? ($75), When were the timing belts changed? (about $150), The clutch is original, you say? (parts about $175 + labor), and the oil pump and water pumps haven't been renewed? (about $90 + labor) = $490. 900-490 = $500. I think $500 might be a reasonable offer (if the body is basically sound). Good luck. I heartily agree - $900 if all is still in good repair, and has been replaced recently, but with that much stuff ready to go - and the miles - $900 is VERY high how about rust - any rust through the rocker panels, and that car is not something you want to mess with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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