SVX Lifespan?

[n00b on demand]

I'd check to see if the under carriage is wet after the wash. Car washes also offer hot wax and a bunch of other stuff that doesnt get used and they steal your money.

[immortal_suby]

Engine is pretty bulletproof but as we get more high mileage svx's here I have read more and more stories of head gasket failures.

Still have yet to hear of any other catastrophic failure that wasn't the result of modding the engine.

[NapaBavarian]

Originally posted by Alycone

:O

[Wiz]

Originally posted by mohrds


It can with some love.

Now is the time in this car's age when decisions are made on dollars, not love. For me, replacing an engine in an SVX worth $1500 is not even a question. replacing suspension parts, brake and fuel lines (not that I've needed to yet) are a no brainier.

A lot of people would look at a 13 year old car and say "time to get a new car" but not me. I'll have my SVXes until they stop making gas.

I'll be that old guy with the CNC shop in his basement that the neighbor's talk about. "What's the old guy up to now?" "Ah, he's just making a part for some car with weird windows from 50 years ago..."

Doug

Agreed, although I'm gonna even try to convert it to the next fule assuming its hydrogen or something else the stock engine can be adapted to. Otherwise I might even give thought to a new engine if no other fule was avalable. Just to keep the design and styling alive, even if the engine is new. This is one design that does not deserve to die off like most others will.

[MNYPNNY]

Originally posted by mohrds


It can with some love.

Now is the time in this car's age when decisions are made on dollars, not love. For me, replacing an engine in an SVX worth $1500 is not even a question. replacing suspension parts, brake and fuel lines (not that I've needed to yet) are a no brainier.

A lot of people would look at a 13 year old car and say "time to get a new car" but not me. I'll have my SVXes until they stop making gas.

I'll be that old guy with the CNC shop in his basement that the neighbor's talk about. "What's the old guy up to now?" "Ah, he's just making a part for some car with weird windows from 50 years ago..."

Doug

AMEN!!!

[thumper_svx]

Just throwing my hat in the ring...

My feeling on looking at hte car from an engineering perspective is that it should last a DAMNED long time if well taken care of. Mine is over 130K now (96) and is still a damned reliable car. Now, I've got some problems, but they seem to be more sensor problems than actual engine problems. The performance of the car hasn't changed in the last 15K miles in any appreciable way, and I've not had a significant failure other than my oil seals blowing on the highway (frustrating, but noticed before I ran dry of oil so no engine damage from it).

The SVX is a superbly engineered vehicle... and Subarus in my experience are incredibly reliable cars. A friend's dad up until recently owned a 1983 or 84 Subaru that had over 200K on the clock, and once in its life had been picked up and tossed several hundred feet by a tornado... not to mention run off the road into a ditch more than once. Sure, it looked like crap, but even as of two years ago I sat in it, turned the key and it fired right up after sitting unused for 3 years. Makes ya think...

[svxsubaru1]

Over at the ultimate subaru measage board there was a guy with a old turbo 1.8 with orginal clutch, origanal turbo, and origanal engine at around 240,000 miles. And the turbo was almost within spec . My dads 90 legacy 5spd, awd went 350,000 miles, before it lost the compresion rings, and 4th gear, and it dident like 2nd. I then drove it school and back and put about 1000 miles with cam seals out of the engine, then we drove it to the junkyard and got $200 U.S. for it. That car never let go. It still had the origanal starter and power stearing system, engine, trannie. Amazing car, it still drove very nicley besides the smoke screen it produce before we drove it to its death.

[intellibomb]

two of my friends own 90 legacy awd wagons.

1: five speed, 218K on the clock, he drives the sh!t out of it and it comes back for more. last week i was with him and we were shmobbin on this crazy trail and we nailed this ditch..
BAM! it sounded like we broke the suspension..
it just bottomed out, popped the tire, and hurt his pride
we kept shmobbin with the spare (not the best idea but whatever, not my car!)

2: automatic, rear drivelin missing.
225K+ runs really well. once again, treats it like crap, doesnt change oil properly, things still smashes!

Granted these arent SVX;s, if the vehicle has a history of care then the sky (and the wallet) is the limit, as with any car, i suppose.

Subarus are some seriously beefy vehicles. Fuji Heavy Ind. knows their beef.

[Phast SVX]

Originally posted by mohrds


It can with some love.

Now is the time in this car's age when decisions are made on dollars, not love. For me, replacing an engine in an SVX worth $1500 is not even a question. replacing suspension parts, brake and fuel lines (not that I've needed to yet) are a no brainier.


Doug

5spd conversion in beat up SVX....CHECK
low milage motor...........................CHECK


looks like im full of love dosnt it? p.s. let me know when it comes time to buy that CNC machine, ill have to pitch in
phil