I know you guys warned me against paying $4.9k. I wound up talking the guy down to $4k, but I got it from a consignment dealer, so he took advantage of Kelley Blue Book and my being an inexperienced 21-year old female without a ride. My mechanic said I shouldn't pay over $3.5k, but I was in utter despiration.

 

It's listed as a 1997 Subary Outback Legacy, green with grey cloth interior. (I hate leather.) They replaced the standard am/fm with an am/fm/cd player and the a/c runs perfect. It had 155808 miles when I got it, and the mechanic was saying he doesnt think it'll last me more than another 50-60k. Is this a possibility? I hope it'll last me another 100k!

 

Anyway. It's in good condition, the timing belt was replaced recently, some wires and plugs and stuff were replaced the day they put it up for sale, and I checked it for torque bind. My baby spins in circles without any shaking or rattling or any of that! The same person has owned the car from 1997 to now and the lady kept all of her service records, the Carfax was completely clean, etc. The only down side is that I cannot find whether or not the head gaskets have been replaced. Of course, there's a whole lot of paperwork to dig through...

 

I'll try to post pictures later, once I get the turtle wax I bought today all over 'er.

 

Has anyone had an issue with bass causing the rearview mirror to rattle? Well, not rattle... but make it so that when I look out through it, the stuff behind me is moving all fast with the beat and kinda makes me dizzy. I'm a total idiot when it comes to stereos, but I think I got it turned down enough for it not to make me sick every time I look behind me.

Ive got a '99 and the rear view and driver's side mirror rattle with the bass. it makes it more fun.

same here, and i wouldn't worry about the head gasket. its either bad or its not not much you can do. i've never had a prob with them in my outback.

Personally, 155,000 is a bit high for $4 grand, but if the car is in super sweet condition, and you love what you bought (and could afford it), then it sounds like you are happy and that's all that matters. It sounds like the car has been maintained very well from one previous owner, so that might very well be worth and extra $500. Provided there aren't any hidden problems, you did fine.

 

I've got a 95 LSi wagon that I bought at 152,000 miles. (I'm not saying what I paid, though.) Been driving it for three years. Rolling over 215,000 now and still love the car. The EJ22 is one heck of an engine. (Subaru experts help me out here--97 still had the EJ22, right?) My car is dependable and peppy. However, my car does have leather interior, and after owning it I will also look for leather seats. No comparison... I wouldn't blink at the expectation of getting 200,000 miles from your car.

 

Ever owned an AWD car before? Handles GREAT, huh?

 

 

 

My Sube is now at the point of needing attention. Stuff like CV shafts, replacing window tint, regular aging maintenance stuff. Lots of little things. This is when most people wash and vaccum and take it to the lot to trade in on something newer. I, however, will invest that $$ instead into making my wagon fresh again. In October, I'm doing a custom paint job to freshen things up. I already stripped and recoated the aluminum wheels. I want to see just how many miles I can log before my drivetrain goes kaput. (Anybody think I'll hit 300,000???) And, when it goes kaput, I'll drop a new motor/tranny in and keep going...

no the 97 is a 2.5 but i haven't any serious problems with either of mine. knock on wood lol:)

Around here (Colorado) that would seem like a pretty fair price if the car is in good shape like you say. Don't worry, just enjoy it!

you might want to check what was changed with the timing belt, especially if the tensioner was changed (it should have been!)

ENJOY!

I don't think your car will have a bit of trouble going another 100k as long as you keep it serviced and well maintained. Is your mechanic knowledable about subaru, or is he just a local "jack of all makes" type guy?