Hello. New to the forum.

sloperut · #1 03-23-2007, 08:35 AM

Hello everyone. I live in Utah and am looking for a SVX and found one at a local used car dealer: http://tinyurl.com/ypqmrv

I noticed a small puff of white smoke when I first started the and none after that. Could that be indicative of worn rings or just that the car had not been started for some time? the puff never came back despite my continued effort to bring it back by revving the engine while parked.

The SVX drove well, the transmission shifted without slipping and there was no rear bearing noise. Nothing stands out except a buzz at 2500 rpm (shroud or guard?) and a bit of oil seepage around the right side valve cover. The car seems clean enough except for some parking lot rash.

The car was listed at $3999 but the price was just raised to $4499. I guess it was on sale

Anything else I should look for? I'm a newbie regarding Subarus.

Thanks.

Jeff

PDSides · #2 03-23-2007, 09:02 AM

A small puff of white smoke on startup is usually of no concern. Moisture in the cylinders or exhaust system. Black smoke is a sign of burning oil or too rich fuel mixture. Here are a few items you might consider. The paint looks to have been buffed with a rotary buffer leaving swirls in either the wax or the clearcoat. If in the wax, no problem. If in the clearcoat it will have to be CAREFULLY buffed again with an orbital buffer to remove the swirls. The driver and passenger seats have obviously been recovered. Do you know the condition of the seats under the covers? Are the covers of good quality and are they comfortable (those that fit too tightly give a harsh feel, bad for long trips). I'd ask why the price was raised. Did the owner/dealer do anything that would justify a hike in price. Unless there is a good reason, I'd consider the original asking price as my place to begin negotiations. Overall, the car looks pretty good in the pictures, however you are the one who can see it up close and personal. Go to the FAQ on this site that tells you what to look for when buying a SVX. It has some good information. Best wishes.
Preston

JaySVX · #3 03-23-2007, 09:15 AM

Car looks ok, 4500 seems a bit steap for an L, i paid less than that for my 94 LSi. He lists 4x4 drivetrain, when in reality it's only 2x4, the L was not AWD, nor was the LS, only the LSi after 93 i believe, so don't let him fool you on that. It is front wheel drive only. As stated above, check what's under those seat covers. Typically on hte leather i could see recover, as it's more likely to crack and such, but rips in cloth aren't as common. Check for squeels in the wheel bearings, they have a habit of going. Make sure all shifts are smooth both up and down through the gears, the trans are known to overheat and have issues. Good luck with the purchase, but i wouldn't give him his raised price for it. Also check window switches, they can get funny.

If he can't give you a good reason for the price hike, i would start at 500$ below origional price for negotiation, then you should hit somewhere around origional price.

Manarius · #4 03-23-2007, 09:21 AM

I do believe that car is AWD. It has the optional safety package available in 1994 (see the passenger side SRS airbag?).

JaySVX · #5 03-23-2007, 09:41 AM

Aside from optional equiptment, i was pretty sure that AWD was not one of the options on the L, though i cannot check right now, as cars101.com won't talk to me

however i did find this in one of the reviews:

Quote:

The only models to stay away from are the 1994 L and LS models, and the 1995 L, as these were front-wheel drive only.

I'm not 100%, but perhaps the OP can help us out.

lhopp77 · #6 03-23-2007, 10:32 AM

The "H" in the 11th position of the VIN indicates that it is an AWD vehicle. A "K" would indicate FWD. So, I would assume that it left the factory as an AWD and remains so unless someone converted it which is highly doubtful.

There was no such thing as an "optional safety group". In midyear 94 the passenger airbag was added along with other minor changes.

Lee