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  #1  
Old 07-26-2003, 09:02 PM
breezd
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Question Is it worth buying?

First off, i just wanna say hey im new 2 tha board. I DONT own a SVX but i am very interested in getting one that is for sale down here.

The question is that is this car worth buying?

1992 SVX w/ 3.3 H6 engine
109K miles
Green
Sunroof
Leather
Power everything

they are asking 4800 for it i figure i can talk them down a little cuz it needs new brake pads & the left tail light is cracked a bit.

plus the paper in the car that all dealers in WI are required to fill out was REALLY faded, almost not able to read, and it said the car had 105K. so i think that they have had the car for a while. the guy i talked to said something about his father driving the car during last winter. SO......

is there anything else i should look for before possibly getting this car? any feedback is welcome

thanx in advance
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  #2  
Old 07-26-2003, 09:25 PM
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mikecg mikecg is offline
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Doesnt sound to bad to me. I havent had mine long, up Ive larned from people around here is the car has 2 problem areas.

The biggest is the transmission. It isnt designed for a high performance sports car. Id'd find out if its been replaced already, and when. If it hasn't It could cost you a little in the not to distant future. For info on parts go to SmallCarPerformance.com . Many of the current owners are looking at converting to a manual transmission. If your looking for a great car that is fun to drive and a good project Id go for it. These cars are rare. Less than 18,000 sold in the US in 6 years. If your looking for something to turn into an import racer, think hard about it. You can't just stroll into any speed shop for parts. Don't get me wrong the car has alot of potential, but it is a rare car so parts distributors dont make parts for it. The main place Ive found parts has been on this web site. Most parts have to be custom made. The people on this site are good about sharing info, and when they have something designed and made they try to do a group order to get a better price.

The secound problem is far easier to deal with, and in my exspierence its a problem with many sports car. The break rotors tend to warp.

Ive owned mine for 2 months now, and love it more than any car Ive owned, and Ive owned 8 cars in my driving life time. I dont have any to worry to much about maintience yet. My SVX on ly has 23000 miles on it. From what Ive heard from the others the problems I listed or the only problems they've had. Other than those, the car is exstremely dependible.


Hope I was a help. And If you decide to buy, welcome to the SVX Family.
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  #3  
Old 07-28-2003, 06:29 AM
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CigarJohnny CigarJohnny is offline
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Welcome to the board, Breezd! It's always great to see new people enamored of our 4-wheeled beauty.

The SVX you found does not sound too bad at all for the money. Aside from all the basic things to look for when buying a used car, there are some points ot be aware of. Like Mike said, the biggest problem area is the transmission. It is actually a very strong transmission and can handle the power the engine makes but it suffers from poor cooling and if it runs hot the fluid breaks down quickly and it will fail prematurely. Check to see if it has an external tranny cooler installed. Also take it to a trustworthy mechanic or tranny shop to have it tested. If it is the original transmission you can figure on replacing it and should bargain on the price with the dealer accordingly. Average cost from what I've seen is between 3 - 4 grand for a Subaru rebuilt installed. If the tranny has already been replaced it could be hit or miss on durability if not maintained and cooled properly.

The second biggest problem area is wheel bearings. In the rear particularly. Take it for a drive and listen for howling or grumbling from the rear. Take a buddy and have him/her sit in the back and listen for noise and if there is any, which side it's coming from. Price for replacing rear bearings can range from $70/wheel (for the do it yourself type) to $250/wheel.

There are no real rust issues with these cars but be sure to check the trunk for water in the spare tire well. Many of them leak water around the trunk seals and/or tail lights. Not a big deal to corect but if it is severe and has been leaking for some time there may be rust in the trunk.

What you describe sounds like a fair deal assuming the mechanicals are up to snuff. You should be able to bargain heavily if any mechanical issues are found. If you do buy one be sure you can afford to replace the tranny if and when it goes. Mine died a couple months after I bought it. Luckily I planned ahead and purchased an extra warranty.

Best of luck to you! Don't be afraid to walk away from it if it does not feel quite right. While they are rare cars, they always seem to turn up for sale somewhere. Take your time and be choosy. You will not regret it.
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Pearl '92 LS-L 179K (Historic 1st 5-speed SVX)
Mods: 5-speed, 4.11's, Group-N motor mounts, dual Magnaflows, cone air filter, Kenwood MP-228 CD/Receiver, white-faced gauges, '97 grill, custom window tinting.

Ebony Mica '92 LS 80K Oct 2002 - Dec 2004: Victim of theft. She served me well.

You can tell the lack of craftsmanship by the wrinkles in the duct tape.
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  #4  
Old 07-28-2003, 06:32 AM
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CigarJohnny CigarJohnny is offline
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I almost forgot...

Have a Carfax run against it. While not infallible, they can tell you if there are serious skeletons in the trunk. There are those on the board with Carfax accounts who would be happy to run one for you so it won't cost you any more than a sincere "Thank you!".
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Pearl '92 LS-L 179K (Historic 1st 5-speed SVX)
Mods: 5-speed, 4.11's, Group-N motor mounts, dual Magnaflows, cone air filter, Kenwood MP-228 CD/Receiver, white-faced gauges, '97 grill, custom window tinting.

Ebony Mica '92 LS 80K Oct 2002 - Dec 2004: Victim of theft. She served me well.

You can tell the lack of craftsmanship by the wrinkles in the duct tape.
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