Arethusa Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 A month ago, I left home in Connecticut and set out for California. This was a bad idea. Had everything packed tight into my 98 Altima, had been planning for months, thought I had everything covered— then things started to go wrong. Got a ticket in Ohio. Engine cracked a piston rod in Iowa; sold my car for scrap. Drove an expensive rental to California. Person I was going to stay with and who had promised to help me get settled and into school basically changed her mind and screwed me, which left me homeless with a rental car and a rapidly dwindling bank account. Got ahold of a friend at Stanford who told me I could crash with him. Made it as far as LAX before getting a flat and spending the night in an LAX parking lot. And that is the very, very abridged version. Basically, I'm stranded at Stanford (SF Bay area) without a car, and if any of you have ever been poor and in the SF Bay area— hopefully not at the same time— you know how unforgiving it can be. I need a reliable car with a manual transmission and enough room for all my stuff (basically, enough to equal all the internal space of a compact/midsize like my old Altima) that can make it back to Connecticut and last me. I have about 4-4500. A number of people have suggested Subarus, and I've been looking over various models in my price range. I think a 98-99 Impreza 2.5RS would be good, assuming they were made as sedans or 4 door hatchbacks, but they certainly don't seem to be common cars, and I'm having trouble not getting consistently screwed by craigslist (if you want an overpriced automatic EK/EG hatch, I've seen no better place). I suppose my other alternative is shipping my stuff back and taking a bus, but I'd still have to buy a car in Connecticut. The market in that area's a fair bit less consistently insane, but it's also a lot less active, and it is in rust belt territory. I don't know where I'd be better off, but any advice or connections would be really appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 i'd buy an older subaru with the EJ22 engine in the $1,000 - $2,000 range. then when you get home spend the money on new timing belts, water pump, oil pump seals, crank seal and cam seals. the EJ22 is your best bet in terms of reliability and not very expensive. don't spend significant amounts of your disposable income on a car at this point, that's a bad financial/long term decision. i can easily score EJ22 subaru's around the maryland area in the sub $2,000 range. 2.5RS are nice, but you don't want that 2.5 motor. when the headgasket goes out you're looking at another 1,000 - 1,500 to fix that. good luck and keep your head up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 also, some of the money yuo save could be spent going to texas or fla. to pick your new rust free car. good luck. i'd buy an older subaru with the EJ22 engine in the $1,000 - $2,000 range. then when you get home spend the money on new timing belts, water pump, oil pump seals, crank seal and cam seals. the EJ22 is your best bet in terms of reliability and not very expensive. don't spend significant amounts of your disposable income on a car at this point, that's a bad financial/long term decision. i can easily score EJ22 subaru's around the maryland area in the sub $2,000 range. 2.5RS are nice, but you don't want that 2.5 motor. when the headgasket goes out you're looking at another 1,000 - 1,500 to fix that. good luck and keep your head up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Normally i would defind the 2.5, but with the luck you have been having i would go with anything with the 2.2L as they are bullitprrof. Good luck, ive been where you are and its not fun. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil-allen Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Yes, I agree with nipper the 2.2 L is bullet proof and will serve you well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 Does it have to be a manual? Does it have to be a sedan? Give me a call. My boss has several for sale (mostly automatics, though) the manual we have is a 98 Outback with the 2.5L engine that I refurbished (correcting the headgasket issue with this car). 925-354-7718 Let's see if we can get you mobile. (Oh, and we are in the Berkeley area) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 Does it have to be a manual? Does it have to be a sedan? Give me a call. My boss has several for sale (mostly automatics, though) the manual we have is a 98 Outback with the 2.5L engine that I refurbished (correcting the headgasket issue with this car). 925-354-7718 Let's see if we can get you mobile. (Oh, and we are in the Berkeley area) YAY somone to the rescue .... i hate seeing somone get screwed and stranded. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 YAY somone to the rescue .... i hate seeing somone get screwed and stranded. nipper Yeah, coming to the rescue is what I do. That is why I drive a Subaru. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 Yeah, coming to the rescue is what I do. That is why I drive a Subaru. . . is it white? nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 is it white? nipper WHite? how about pearl white yaa:grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arethusa Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 i'd buy an older subaru with the EJ22 engine in the $1,000 - $2,000 range. then when you get home spend the money on new timing belts, water pump, oil pump seals, crank seal and cam seals. the EJ22 is your best bet in terms of reliability and not very expensive. don't spend significant amounts of your disposable income on a car at this point, that's a bad financial/long term decision. i can easily score EJ22 subaru's around the maryland area in the sub $2,000 range. 2.5RS are nice, but you don't want that 2.5 motor. when the headgasket goes out you're looking at another 1,000 - 1,500 to fix that. good luck and keep your head up... What's the EJ22? I'm not familiar with Subaru (or many other makers', honestly) generation names. The 2.5RS is definitely sportier than I realized when I originally posted. Even without the engine problems, I think it only came as a 2 door hatch, which is probably too small for me to cart all my stuff in. As far as the 2.5L engine goes, though, what's wrong with it? I spent a little while going over these boards, and there seem to be a lot of headgasket issues tied to it, which seems to run against everything I've been told about Subaru reliability. Does it have to be a manual? Does it have to be a sedan? Give me a call. My boss has several for sale (mostly automatics, though) the manual we have is a 98 Outback with the 2.5L engine that I refurbished (correcting the headgasket issue with this car). 925-354-7718 Let's see if we can get you mobile. (Oh, and we are in the Berkeley area) Thanks, man. I'll definitely give you a call tomorrow. Didn't read this until today as USMB seems to go down a lot. I'm not sure what to think of the Outbacks, though. People seem to have them here without too much complain, but I also looked over carsurvey.org and found a bunch of negative reviews for Outbacks (Impreza and Legacy lumped together, I'm assuming) in the model years I could afford. It wasn't just headgasket complaints, either; people were talking about oil filter failures, oil pump failures, water pump failures, etc. The regular Impreza/Legacy reviews were relatively glowing, so I'm not sure what to make of that at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 The EJ22 is a 2.2 liter engine that was featured as a base in all US Legacies between 1989 and 1999 (either 98 or 99). The early 2.5RS has the typical headgasket problem because of the design. The design of the stock headgasket led it to be prone to failure. After you replace the headgasket, it's fine. The Outback and Legacy were the same car until...1999? Basically, Outback was a trim level of the Legacy featuring a slightly lifted and more aggressive suspension tune. It also had two tone color and a bumper that could fit large fog lights. Mechanically, they're exactly the same as any normal Legacy, so I don't know why there would be more complaints about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arethusa Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 Then I am really confused. You can check them out at carsurvey (just google it and it's the first hit; I can't post links yet) to see what I'm talking about. You'll probably be able to make more sense of it than I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Then I am really confused. You can check them out at carsurvey (just google it and it's the first hit; I can't post links yet) to see what I'm talking about. You'll probably be able to make more sense of it than I can. The Outback did not become its own separate vehicle until the either 98 or 99. Before that, the car was called "Legacy Outback" because Outback was a trim level (like L or LSi or GT). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arethusa Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 Hm. I can post links after all. That seems to be when the problems start. The page for 1997 is not as uniformly negative, but 1998 and 1999 look pretty bad. Why do things go so wrong there? http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Subaru_Outback_1997.html http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Subaru_Outback_1998.html http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Subaru_Outback_1999.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 The Outback did not become its own separate vehicle until the either 98 or 99. Before that, the car was called "Legacy Outback" because Outback was a trim level (like L or LSi or GT). http://www.cars101.com/outback_archive95-97.html 1996 the first real outback. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arethusa Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 Heh. Now I am completely confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankosolder2 Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Heh. Now I am completely confused. Well, I think the others are forgetting the obvious. All early Legacy Outbacks (except '96 manual trans cars) were equipped with the 2.5 DOHC engine with the HG issues. "Regular" Legacy L's and such came with the 2.2 SOHC "no worries" engine. I think that's what a lot of the discrepancy is about. It's also possible that "Outback" purchasers are rougher on their cars due to the pseduo SUV marketing angle...one might see more wheel bearing problems, trans failures and such in a car that's used for light off-roading compared to the grocery getter Legacy L. Cheers, Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 I wouldn't trust carsurvey.com anyways. I read reviews for my car and most were bad! Plus, the people on there go to the stealership for repair...the dumbest idea ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 I wouldn't trust carsurvey.com anyways. I read reviews for my car and most were bad! Plus, the people on there go to the stealership for repair...the dumbest idea ever! i never heard of them. i know consumer reports worships all things honda nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bepa Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 hey man things with get better. subaru's are great cars. when you learn them they are even fun. easy to work on, good for someone just learning how to work on engines. look around for a legacy first generation; 90-94 model years. 2.2 or if you can find a 2.2 turbo. they can be got for a good price. I got one for $940. trany was gone. yes I replaced the trany with a friend and myself. no lift or anything but a jack and jack stands. one evening! since that time I have found 2 SPORT SEDANS for under a 1k. both automatic's. that are running strong. try autotrader and cars.com they are good site's for used cars. they use you zip code and how many miles around you you wish to check. I check every day. also use local used car papers, they are good places to look. anything subaru in the early 1990's is a good bet and can be got cheap if you look around. you should be able to get a good car for under $2000. keep your head up and do not tell the seller how bad you need a car. your looking for a second car. need a back up for when other car is in the shop, girl friend needs a car. anything but that you are in need of a replacement! helps you control the pricing of the first bid. always remember they have a car for sale, but you have the money. If they don't deal with you the way you would like; take your money and leave. money in your pocket does nothing for the saler if you leave with it! oh yes your stuff will be made to fit the car you get. try the legacy because you will not believe the space inside one of these. wagon is even better. look for a touring wagon. this is a turbo wagon, almost as good as a sport sedan, just the space of a wagon. popo do not even give it a second look as you speed by. good on gas. I get 25-26 at about 85 MPH. once even getting to 100 for 15-20 minutes and still getting 25.5 MPG during 600 mile trip. sticks are fun, in a subaru you need to treat them right, they will live a long time. auto's are another story, they must be checked. if you treat them right they go far. do not hammer them. You can drive hard, but they are easy to kill or hurt. if you over heat the motor it is best to change motor and trany fuilds quick. I've had four turbo legacy's, three were auto's. yes I would get them again. only one hard my wallet hard. I drive hard, respond to emergency calls and have family responsibilities. one is special to me, my granddaughter, father in marines. at times we drive thru several states during the night, deliver her and G/M to air port or to where we can see him for a minute , hour or a few days. my four subaru's have let me down only once due to a bad repair. bolt broke after a timing belt replacement. I do almost all of my own repairs now. saved a bit of money and learned how to repair subaru's. not to many suprises that way either. good luck, keep the faith and a good subaru is out there for you if you look. Be Well, bepa. (Daniel). let me know how it goes. wish I was more able to assist you. not on west coast, in new york. your be home when your near me, yet if I could assist hit me up. be safe and good luck to you. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokey12 Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Sorry to hear about your bad luck, both with the car and the girl. Although one of them can be expected but not both. I'm also from the Bay Area and I have had good luck with Carlsen Subaru which is real close to Stanford and you might want to try this one http://www.schillers-awd.com/. or Tillett's automotive in Sonoma. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pldawg Posted July 30, 2006 Share Posted July 30, 2006 so did you find a car yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted July 30, 2006 Share Posted July 30, 2006 ...or a girl? Try to get one with low mileage and a warranty... so did you find a car yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pldawg Posted July 30, 2006 Share Posted July 30, 2006 ...or a girl? Try to get one with low mileage and a warranty... hehe, now that's funny, I don't care who ya are...that's funny right there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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