nathan.chase Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Dear fellow subie lovers, I have an 87 GL w 225k. It is tired and I am tired of doing long trips with an underpowered and sometimes uncomfortable car. I was looking at two cars at my local scrap yard for $800 each. I'd have to register and smog ($120) either. The '94 Legacy: MT, 225K, drives nice, but has engine light on and valve cover leaks. How do you code these? the '95 Impreza: MT, 210K, needs new steering rack, turn light and has sound from the rear bearings, so a replace or repack. I suspect the impreza gets better milage (1.8L engine right?). Space is obviously different between the two but I am not sure if it is drastic. What are your opinions of these cars and whether it is even worth it once I put $500 into getting them fixed up? Seems on the west coast these are solid $2000 cars. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Neither is worth much in the scheme of things. The Impreza is either an EJ22 or an EJ18 depending on trim level. Personally I would take the Legacy. Easier to find parts for in general. The check engine lamp is likely an easy fix - probably a solenoid or knock sensor or something simple and it's an OBD-I car so you can pull the codes by plugging in two connectors under the dash and it will flash the codes through the CEL. The general rule on the Gen I Legacy's is that you need about $1000 to make a nice running daily - if that means buying a good runner for $1000, or buying one that needs work for $500 - seems to end up right in that range most of the time. There are exceptions and amazing deals to be found but I would never expect to pay more. They just aren't worth it unless you are talking about a special model like a 94 GT wagon or a Turbo. The Impreza will likely be an OBD-II car and would need a code reader and all that crap. Not that it's a huge deal anymore, but there's a few more sensors and such to make them OBD-II compliant.... the Imps are worth a little more but it's not a ton - figure $1500 for a good runner however you make that happen. With the rack needing replaced and the wheel bearing I would go for the Legacy as the CEL and valve cover's sound like a lot less work for a beater with a heater. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 both good reliable cars so either way is a good chance for a reliable car. i'd probably personally want the one that looks better cared for or has had fewer owners. meaning if one had one owner and the other had 10 i'd definitely get the one owner car. at this age and mileage there's no substitute for good prior maintenance. steering racks are easy to replace and check engine light on the legacy is likely something very benign and easy to fix. as for the rear bearing, i wouldn't bother repacking/replacing the bearings, get a used hub assembly since there's no way to tell how long/how bad it is. repeat failures are common on these. used hubs usually end up being cheaper anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan.chase Posted September 3, 2009 Author Share Posted September 3, 2009 (edited) Thanks for the heads up. I would have to carFAX to get any history as they shop doesn't know anything. Both cars look well maintained. anyway of telling from the Vin if the imp is a 1.8 or 2.2? Do you know if there's a thread discussing the error codes if I went and read the light? I couldn't find one. Edited September 3, 2009 by nathan.chase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyKeith Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 For me it's the Impreza with out even a second worth of thought and here is why. You can get parts for the impreza off of Almost ANY impreza made from 1993 to 2007 and they fit! That goes for seats, dashboards, suspension, transmissions, fenders and the lot. (Trust me, they really are that interchangable. I know people that have put '07 interiors and front ends on '93s) The only issue is engines being that 95 on the Impreza was still OBD1, and the '05+ STi which wad some different suspension and wheels. The legacy on the other hand has only a 4 year window on most parts. Also, Imprezas numbers are going up in most junk yards near me where as 1st gen legacy numbers are going down. Just something to think about. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 where as 1st gen legacy numbers are going down. Here they are just hitting their upswing and there are still thousands of them on the road. Just a difference I though I would note - PA and OR/WA are two very different worlds when it comes to used Subaru's. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan.chase Posted September 4, 2009 Author Share Posted September 4, 2009 Here they are just hitting their upswing and there are still thousands of them on the road. Just a difference I though I would note - PA and OR/WA are two very different worlds when it comes to used Subaru's. GD how do you mean? My sense is on the west coast you can get 93-96 imp with 170-220k for little less than $2000 unless there are considerable issues. Legacies are similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 More like $1000 if you shop around. But what I mean is that on the east coast the Legacy's are dissapearing due to rust. Almost no Gen 1's left from what I've heard around here. West coast is completely different - cars don't rust here and thus we have TONS of gen 1's still around and tons more in the junk yards for parts. Thus my earlier comment about the Legacy being easy to get parts for. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyKeith Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 More like $1000 if you shop around. But what I mean is that on the east coast the Legacy's are dissapearing due to rust. Almost no Gen 1's left from what I've heard around here. West coast is completely different - cars don't rust here and thus we have TONS of gen 1's still around and tons more in the junk yards for parts. Thus my earlier comment about the Legacy being easy to get parts for. GD I totally get that. You guys have it lucky in that matter. FWIW I had NO clue where nathan.chase was from considering his location is a county. That's why I prefer people to put a city a state so that it's clear what you're dealing with. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 FWIW I had NO clue where nathan.chase was from considering his location is a county. That's why I prefer people to put a city a state so that it's clear what you're dealing with. I agree - heck I still don't know where he hails from..... I was just offering the west coast view on the car's. Out here we tend to have more Legacy's in the junk yards - very few Imps - only a handful really and only the early 90's stuff. They are more valued due to their smaller size and often better mileage - also every kid wants one to "STi swap!" Thus my comment about the Legacy being easier to find parts for - under any rock really. The Imp would be harder but then of course you have the aftermarket and in the comming years I would expect the picture to brighten up. Really there shouldn't be much of a problem with either one. But my preference is always toward what I can maintain with the least amount of money and the Legacy he is looking at *probably* needs less work. I admit that I don't give much thought to looks or aftermarket parts availibility but that may be a concern for some. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Legacys have better grade of build, more quallity went into them. Imprezas feel cheap and econo to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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