I'm a noob, be gentle, about to buy an SVX HELP!!!

I'm about to purchase an SVX. I'd like to know from you all what to look for. what problems did they have with certain model years? what should I absolutely STAY AWAY FROM?

also, what's the deal with performance? what can I do to this car to give it some pep? I know they have awesome light to light torque but auto sucks. or does it? any turbo kits? any superchargers? anything to boost this thing reliably?

thanks in advance!

[thundering02]

Welcome to the site and the search button :P (3rd from the left on the grey bar) will become your friend otherwisen check here... http://store.yahoo.com/svx-motorsport-accessories/ they too will become your friend. one last thing transmisions and wheel bearings are our only real concerns

[Dza]

Welcome! You've basically asked everything that is ever discussed on these forums . Be sure to use the Search function, youy'll find tons of info on here.

The 3 major SVX problems are tranny, rotors, and wheel bearings. The 4EAT transmission's life can be extended be adding an aftermarket tranny cooler. Brake rotors and steel-braided lines with pads can be bought from race concepts, see the Vendors, service, & parts forum at the top of the list. Wheel bearings can be replaced, but make sure they remove the packing grease and use different stuff when installing.

As for turbos, there have been a few people setup with them. There is one kit available, but is not a preferred option around here. There's an ECUTune Stage III option that is in progress. It's the supercharger option.

For performance gains and reliability, check out toys from Dayle's shop MotorSport Warehouse (also in Vendors, service, & parts). You can check out the ECUTune Stage I chip for OBDI SVXs (92-95) www.stebro.net makes an exhaust package for us, but lots of people go for a flowmaster or magnaflow setup instead. Um, basically you'll just have to do a lot of reading here using the search function to learn more about these cars.

Hope you get one!

[ensteele]

Welcome to the site and what they said is a good start. Good luck on your quest.

[Earthworm]

As an added resource check out the SVXipedia on http://svx-iw.com/

(specifically the General Information section)

[seasvx]

i've always liked the summary for the about-to-be-buyer on John's page:

http://www.subarusvx.com/

[NikFu S.]

Originally Posted by Dza

rotors

What's wrong with stock rotors?

move_right: these common problems only arise under two condition - 1)treating the vehicle harshly 2) long term wear and tear which is present on any vehicle. Quite a few members admit to having mostly original equipment. My transmission lasted over 90k miles before I destroyed it. I'm sure it would have made it to 120k on it's own.

The only difference between the SVX and a Ford Focus is parts will be more expensive but they are also actually worth it. ;D

[ensteele]

Originally Posted by NikFu S.

The only difference between the SVX and a Ford Focus is parts will be more expensive but they are also actually worth it. ;D

[NikFu S.]

Originally Posted by ensteele

That and the fact Focus is just ugly.

And stupid.

And ugly.

And I hate them.

well, that was helpful. I have actually been a tech for many years, so I can make my repairs inexpensively when needed... hmm, the wheel bearings? that's not too bad.

my main concern is the underlying frown on the 4eat transmissions. what's the major problem? the fluid heats too much? I mean, if I get an SVX with 125k on it, am I walking right into a problem? I can install a cooler as I would anyhow if that would make it last considerably longer. I've also heard alot of talk about swapping to a manual.. I swapped my auto probe to a manual. it wasn't that bad except I had no neutral switch and also no backup lights. what trans are the guys swapping in? what would a cost in parts be? I saw a manual swap kit on the motorsports site. I have to admit, I wasn't too impressed with the site however they do seem to have a wealth of parts.

what's the OFFICIAL experienced recommendation on a manual swap?

I would search but the manual thread I've found have like 800 posts in them and I am on dialup...(I know, time to upgrade to the millenium 5 years late)


I've found several nice 92 models for 5k or less with a little over 100k on them. I think I want a red one.

the LSI is the fully loaded awd model right? guess there's no way to convert to RWD... what's the actual power transfer ratio on these cars? 50/50?

you guys are great. very helpful. nice group of people here unlike alot of forums(nasioc...)

acutally, this will be my new daily driven car. actually I am selling my 600hp 10sec integra. I don't want to get rid of it but it breaks so often I need to borrow my wife's outback all the time and she's about to have my thingy's in a ringer over it.. that and the fact I just don't have the money to maintain such a modified car.

I am interested in a supercharger for the SVX however if it's reliable.

[odepaj]

The main problem with the 4eat is the heat and that '92 - early '94 models had a filter in the radiator that gets clogged up easily creating even more heat and stress on the tranny. Getting an aftermarket cooler and an aftermarket filter would greatly improve the life of the tranny. I've also heard the wheelbearings can be a b****, but dont know this first hand (thank god ). I dont know to much about the manual swap as i've been looking more at keeping the auto but swapping to a 4.11 final gear.

Im on dial-up still also, so I know how you feel.

A nice '92 can be found for less than $5K, it just takes alittle time. I bought my '95 with 91k miles on it for $4k out the door.

LS-L is a fully loaded '92 model (its the same as an LSI) it was changed in '94. An L model SVX can be found with AWD (with the Active Safety Group option). I've heard talk of RWD SVX's but again I dont know much info on that as I havent really researched it. The transfer ratio is a variable 90/10, it changes under driver input and road conditions(it can go up to a 50/50 split under certain conditions).

The ECUtune Stage III supercharger was just released not more than a month ago I think. I have an ECUtune Stage I chip and judging from its quality, Stage III should be very reliable IMHO. It does have a $5k-$6k price tag though. Theres some threads on here about it with more detailed info on it.

This forum is full of great people, any information you would want to know about these amazing cars is here, the people here are geniuses(Sp?) when it comes to SVX's (and sometimes even other stuff). I wish you luck on finding a nice SVX (they all are nice, some just need alittle more TLC).



dustin

[NikFu S.]

Last I heard wheel bearings cannot be replaced without a machine that exerts some ten tons of force. I don't know the details but apparently it's not for the do-it-yourselfer.
Mine are original so I don't know.

There's a lot of reasons why the tranny overheats (clogged filter, shift flare, poorly designed coolant lines, etc...) but the important thing is it can be externally cooled, and should be 100% of the time. Any new SVX owner should have this done before anything else provided the car is roadworthy.

General consensus on manny swaps is they are all-around better than the auto (for those that prefer 5/6mts), minus the strength issue, and some people suffer from idling problems.
But there are solutions to those issues.
But to be fair, there's no reason to swap unless you just really like shifting.

The 'bang for your buck' swap would have to be the Legacy 5MT, and those looking to race spend quite a bit more for the STi 6MT, primarily for it's strength.

I forget who but someone here has a functioning RWD SVX.

The Stage 3 SC should be reliable as stock, provided the boost is kept at something manageable, say 6-8 psi.
And for the price, for everything you get to me seems like a great deal.

[Earthworm]

^---^---^

Good post!

[SVXer95]

Wheel bearings can be a DIY job if you have a Hub Tamer or access to a press. The Hub-Tamer is still the preferred method as it does not put as much stress on the bearing races during installation.

An SVX with 125k is not necessarily a tranny waiting to die. There are many people around here with more miles than that on the original tranny. It is a matter of preventative maintenance. If you are truly worried about it, look for a newer model as the tranny kinks were worked out as time went on. An external cooler can help. I have no cooler on mine, but I do change the fluid and filter every 25k miles. No problems with mine, knock wood.

sweet. sounds easy enough. the legacy 5mt? what about the rear diff? does that stay intact as well as the prop shaft? what gearing is in the 5mt? I guess you'd have to recalibrate the speedo..

nice. sounds like a plan.