damien_summers Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 hey everyone, I am looking at buying a '93 impreza LS I have heard that the early imprezas had very good safety ratings and are very good cars, I do have a few issues though the current owner has upkept the oil changes and maintence but the car has 200,000 miles on the car now I don't drive a whole lot, so how many miles can I expect roughly before I start having major issues. Also the owner said that a couple people had drove it and they said that the piston rods might be loose, the car does not burn oil or leak or really use any, the owner says the car still runs great. What are the signs that the rods are loose, how hard are they to fix, and what else might it be. Thank for your time. Damien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 hey everyone, I am looking at buying a '93 impreza LS I have heard that the early imprezas had very good safety ratings and are very good cars, I do have a few issues though the current owner has upkept the oil changes and maintence but the car has 200,000 miles on the car now I don't drive a whole lot, so how many miles can I expect roughly before I start having major issues. Also the owner said that a couple people had drove it and they said that the piston rods might be loose, the car does not burn oil or leak or really use any, the owner says the car still runs great. What are the signs that the rods are loose, how hard are they to fix, and what else might it be. Thank for your time.Damien well, things can go wrong any time, and the 1.8l engines are very bulletproof. I would be sure to change all the fluids (diffs, tranny, engine) and change the timing belt. Other than that it should be perfect, just make sure it drives, nice and smooth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 you really need to find out if it's really a "rod" noise. if it is you probably don't want the car unless you like replacing engines. if it's not, then you're probably fine. piston rods to most people means the engine is toast. rods connect the piston to the crankshaft, that requires a complete tear down of the motor and big bucks. now it could be a misdiagnosis and it's really something much simpler. if it is the rods or bearings in the engine it's not going to last long at all and will require engine tear down and/or replacement. great motor and transmission in that car. when was the timing belt and water pump last replaced? the belts have a replacement interval of 60,000 miles, so there's no telling how old the one in there is. if the owner knows, then that's a plus. if i were getting and didn't know the history i'd change all the fluid, replace the timing belt, water pump, any noise timing bearings, oil pumps seals, and cam seals (all of that is done at the same time, since it's in the same area). the motor in that car is very reliable. the problem is it usually outlives it's water pump and or radiator. if those get old and leak or fail then the motor overheats and if the owner doesn't repair right away or properly then that can damage the motor. so...if it's in good shape and you keep it from overheating and running out of oil, you have a good shot of seeing 250,000 miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 hey everyone, I am looking at buying a '93 impreza LS I have heard that the early imprezas had very good safety ratings and are very good cars, I do have a few issues though the current owner has upkept the oil changes and maintence but the car has 200,000 miles on the car now I don't drive a whole lot, so how many miles can I expect roughly before I start having major issues. Also the owner said that a couple people had drove it and they said that the piston rods might be loose, the car does not burn oil or leak or really use any, the owner says the car still runs great. What are the signs that the rods are loose, how hard are they to fix, and what else might it be. Thank for your time.Damien Rod knock is easy. With the car running, remove one spark plug wire at a time. If it is a rod knock, the pitch of the noise well change. You can alos use a long screwdriver or wood dowel as a stethascope to see if the noise is a bearing noise (from the case) or a valve train nose (valve cover or cyl head). nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 It might have just been a lifter, is that possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 It might have just been a lifter, is that possible? yes. These engines, we dont know what thier upper end is as far as milage. As long as not overheated and oil changed, and timing belts done, no reason not to run for ever. Boxer engines dont really get bearing wear, since all the forces bascially cancel themselves out on the bottom end. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montana105 Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Damien-did you hear any noises yourself? You might have actually found a seller who is honest and relayed what they heard from a dishonest prospective buyer who may know distinctive sounds of Subarus and inflated it to try and get a better price. How much does the seller want for the car,and does he have receipts for repairs and tuneups? If the car is offered for between 1000.00 and 1500.00 I wouldn't worry about getting ripped off,you can easily get alot of mileage out of the car and if it does go to crap on you,you could easily scrap the car for parts or swap in another engine.Just my .02-John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 This is pissing me off. A subaru should hold its value 999999999x better then a dam ford or GM, i see a fricken oldmobile 1994, go for 10,000. THAT IS SO DUM!!! a subaru like mine after spending 9,000CDN can only pickup maybe just maybe 7,000! and u get way more car then a old rusted crapmobile, in crappy condition. I think that sucks. SUCKS!! a subaru is a unique vehicle. Boxer engine symetrical all wheel drive, reliable, nots off sophistication. THese cars should cost way more then 30,000CDN from the dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damien_summers Posted September 24, 2006 Author Share Posted September 24, 2006 hey again, thanks everyone for the continuous help, and eric its ok you don't have to freak out. I have not heard the vehicle myself I'm going to test drive it in the morning. It needs an alignment for sure so it could be just the front end. If it is the pistons how hard is it to get to the pistons I've heard you can get to them from the oil pan underneath, also if it isn't the pistons how hard is it to get a new timing belt on there. I'll let everyone know what I find out. Adios from NM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W. Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 For what it's worth....My daughter bought a 93 Impreza with 220K on it, and it screams!!! Far smoother running car than my 93 Loyal (though not nearly as loved). Daughter has put 10K on the car, and it still running great! If the car is in good shape and in the $1000 to $1500, I'd be all over it. Cheers, Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damien_summers Posted September 24, 2006 Author Share Posted September 24, 2006 hey everybody, well I test drove the car today and was impressed. It is leaking some oil so we'll have to replace the front seal I think is leaking, as far as the pistons we didn't test for that I took it to a couple of mechanics I know and they think that it was the alternator, also the bottom pully in front was a little wobbly so i'm not real sure what to do to fix it so any info would be helpful, i'll add some pics later. Thanks for all the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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