Few Questions about SVX's before I buy
 

Hello,
In getting a car (1991 Volvo 240 w/ 210k) for my sister from a guy, I saw that he also had an SVX (Long story, I can explain later if you'd like) for sale. It's a 1992 SVX with Touring Package, which I verified by looking at the VIN for the X35. He says it is completely optioned, visible by the spoiler and CD player. I just have to verify that it has an engine block heater (Not important to me, just curious). It was a Virginia car, meaning NO RUST, which is important to me living in NY. Here's all the info I have-

1992 Subaru SVX
100,000 miles
Touring Package
BLACK!!!
New set of wheels
New exhaust
New wheel bearings
Brakes turned down
$5400

I'm no n00b to home car repair, but I'm no mechanic either. I do brakes, minor cosmetic repair, and I would like to start doing my own oil changes.

I guess what I'm really asking is, Is this a car which will last me for the rest of college and some time there after? What should I check/look out for/be wary of? I've got 4 years left to go, and I probably drive about 10,000 miles per year. I've become religious with oil changes. This will be MY first car, as my current one is owned by my parents. I love the car not only for the fact of how it drives, but also due to the fact that I have seen 2 in my entire lifetime.

P.S. Did I mention it's :D Black :D ?

i don't want to be a downer, but a 100k mile SVX probably isn't the best choice as a first car for a college student with 4 years of school left.

it could possibly run reliably for you and not give you any trouble, or it could REALLY bite you in the arse. are you a gambler?

my advice: save your loot ( if you can use your parents car - continue using it), finish school, get a job, and then get yourself something nice.

Yeah that sums it up best. Not a great car for a first car. Some of us get lucky...but sometimes the car ****s on you and your going to be in a huge financial hole. Get a legacy or an impreza as your first car. Great reliability and AWD..not to mention fun beaters :D

If you want to see what to look at on the car, click on this link. This is in the How-To Documents and will give you some pointers on SVXes. The heater was not a standard option. It could be installed, but I would doubt that it has it. The spoiler was also an option, even on the touring package. I would have to agree with the above comments, and suggest that you be cautious when looking at this car as something that will last with low maintenance. Some are good, and others are nothing but trouble. Good luck on you decision. If you have any more questions, be sure to ask. We will try to answer them, even though we will be honest and the answers may not be the ones you are looking for. :)

My car came with the LS-L block heater.

If you want to know whether it's there or not, just look under the driver's side valve cover for an outlet. If something is plugged in, that's a block heater.

I'm a bit of a gambler...
 

Well,
The more and more I think about it, the more and more I want the SVX. One of the main reasons I don't think of this as much of a gamble is because of the person I'm buying it from. Here's the long story, it may help you understand my trust.

We bought the Volvo from him a few weeks ago. We looked at it once, and shook on it that day. Brought it home, and everything worked great. But after a while, the oil started to leak, AC was not cold at all, and a few other problems which I can't recall of hand. Either way, the car went back to him, and he fixed it no charge, but upon driving it home after that, more problems ensued. We brought it back that day, which brought me to the point I am today now contemplating owning my own car. We picked the volvo back up yesterday, when I verified the fact that it was a touring package SVX.

Now I'm not expecting to have free repairs from this guy for the life of the car. Nor am I expecting to have no problems whatsoever. What I am expecting is that there will be no major failures (transmission, something largely wrong with the engine, etc). Thanks ensteele for the things to look for. I'm definately gonna do most if not all of them. I'll do the Carfax so I can get it on my car again to help sell it. The next time I see/speak to him, I'm gonna ask him these questions-
1.Do you think the car will last me through college
2.Would you give it to your daughter
3.Engine block heater?
4.Can I take it to a mechanic
5.Can I get it washed (It was sitting under a tree, and got a little dusty)

Are any of my questions not needed, or are there any I should add? I sat in the car yesterday again, and I need to look over everything once more.

Again, thanks for your help.

-Brooks

Nobody can know whether the car will last you through college. It largely depends on your driving stile and the milage that you have to plan for - a '92 model hardly makes it to 150.000 miles with the first transmission, especially without separate tranny oil cooler and filter. So if you start saving some money for a rebuild tranny, it may last longer than college. The better idea would be to buy a later model, where some tranny bugs were fixed. You should definitely ask the guy whether he changed the tranny fluid regularly, at least every 15.000 miles - and negotiate the price accordingly. $5.400 sounds like the price here in Europe - that should be too high for the U.S.
Other things to negotiate the price:
condition of original rims
condition of brake rotors (must have no shivering when braking)
A/C
Furthermore your driving style can kill the car soon, or let it live long. The SVX is not a race car. Although it has the power, it is far too heavy. Using the power often puts a lot of stress on all mechanical parts. It is a great car for relaxed long distances.
An average mechanic without the Subaru repair literature is lost - but you find many things here in the forum. My Subaru garage has a mechanic, who did all the SVX trainings :) - Do you have a Subaru garage nearby?
Cleaning? If it was parked under trees for years, it will be a challenge. The Subaru coatings are not the best. Maybe have it professionally cleaned once.
My recommendation - look for a cheaper, more reliable car - e.g. I did drive Mazda MX-6s, both series, each for almost 6 years or 60.000 miles without any trouble. Although the later one was an automatic, it accelerates faster and needs 20% less fuel than the SVX.

I also fell in love with the SVX. I bought it with many upgrades. The previous owner did alot of work on the car. I paid 5,000 dollars for it. I've owned it for about a year, and I've invested over 4,000 dollars on it, not on cosmetics, but on mechanical work. This car can be costly to maintain. I agree with the others, any other subaru would be ideal for a first car. Wish you luck.

I'm about to make almost ~$1k in repair and I've owned it since October last year... And my windshield has a chip in it which means I will have to replace the eventially too(~$1k more). This car is not cheap by anymeans and is deffiatly not for pizza delivery. Premium fuel yesterday ran me $47 to fill the tank and figure I have to do that once a week. also you have to pay more for insurance than many cars. Decide wisely.

two words...wheel bearings
 

If the wheel bearings were just changed I will best $$ that you'll have to do it again in another 18-24 months. That will run you $400 every time you have to have it done. If you do get it, invest in a tranny cooler. IF that tranny has 100K miles on it already then (on the 92's especially) I would not count on it making it to 200K. As everyone stated before, repairs are expensive, it takes premium fuel, doesn't get the greatest gas mileage and may require a lot of TLC. Being out of college I can accept most of those, but if i were back in school i wouldn't go near this car with a 10 foot pole....even though it is the funnest thing i have ever driven before. Its a trade off that i'm not sure you are in a position to make yet. I could be wrong, thats just my $.02. If you do decide to get it, we'd love to have you here and if you are fairly mechanically inclined most of us can tell you how to fix most anything on the car.

~Ray

PizzaMan,

It definitly is a gamble for ya... being in college myself, I can relate... However I have two cars... A daily driver and the SVX... If I just had the SVX, I would have been in trouble... I had a recent car fire (due to a shorted out ground) and that set my car out of service for about a week and a half.... Luckly, I just fixed it and got it back on the road... But really though, I would have been introuble if I didn't have my little VW...

I would say, go for it.... But have a backup.... Not that the SVX isn't reliable.... Just that a car that is 8-13 years old is gonna run into problems at times... Overall though, my car has been EXCELLENT.... I have "hacked it up" quite alot (suspension, transmission, audio, ect...) though so I expect some issues more than the average SVX driver...

Good luck with the decision making :)

If you do plan to buy that SVX, remember that you're more than likely going to have to do some repairs on it considering it's 13 years old w/100k miles. You've seen this with the 1991 Volvo. Unless the car was abused, I'd say you're pretty safe on the engine, but what's going to cost you a shiny penny or two is the tranny. I'd keep a few G's on hand just in case it went out. If you can deal with that, then I'd say get it. If not, I'd recommend something like a Honda or a Toyota. Cheap cars with little/cheap maintenance.

Price?
 

I believe the price of $5400 is considerably to high for a 92 with those miles even considering the things that have been done to it recently. Like everyone says--if it has not had the tranny rebuilt, it is due for failure. If you test drive the car and let the tranny reach operating temperature and there is no slippage, that is all you can reasonable expect from a seller guarantee. He has no way of knowing when it will fail as along as it is operating properly at temperature. The same applies to the engine, but if it uses no oil, major leaks or noises and no obvious smoking or low power, it should be good for many more miles.

The SVX is not a light to light speed burning car. Used in this mode it will significantly reduce the life of all engine and drivetrain components. If you want a fast car off the line----DO NOT BUY AN SVX.

Lee

Don't Fall in Love
 

It may be too late for you, but NEVER fall in love with a car that you don't already own. TROUBLE! You should avoid envisioning yourself in a car you are thinking about buying. Buying a car is a BUSINESS decision and you will be much better off if you keep it that way. A used car is a gamble regardless of the year and mileage, things can (and DO) go wrong. Even a new car is a gamble, but they are covered by a warranty that means something. Listen to those who have responded to your inquiry. Their advice is tempered with wisdom and experience. Best wishes.
Preston

PizzaMan,

Also a student here. I've had my car now for 2 years and 3 months. Had my fair share of problems with it as well. Bearings right now, transmission, and so forth. It really is a cash cow and though I really love the car, I anticipate the day that I will be financially independent and tossing loads of cash into won't hurt as much.

I love my car, as do most of the owners here, but you have to be prepared for these monumental problems that cost a lot of money to fix.

That said, they're great cars and a lot of fun to drive.

BTW, since you seem to enjoy pizza, are you planning to deliver pizza in it?

Eric