Subie Guru - new to SVX, saying hi, need advice

[ninefourteener]

Greetings!!!

I thought I'd take this opportunity to post up and say hi. I created this account much earlier today, and have been eagerly anticipating "approval" to post.

Huge Subie-Guru... 2007 Tribeca 7-pass ltd...... 1978 Brat project car..... 2006 Cobb stg 3 wrx. Highly active on ClubWRX.net, NASIOC, Cobbforums, SBT9.com, STLSubaru, USMB, and numerous other "small" subie enthusiast sites (all under the same handle).... I'm also the Co-Founder and Site Admin for SLCSUBARU.com. If you happen to be in the SLC area, the site is growing like wildfire, and we've already received support from local dealerships, Cobb, Rallysportdirect, etc. We've got a HUUUUUGE meet coming up on June 20th, I'd like to invite everyone... last year was 93 cars... this year will be even bigger.

Nevertheless... my wife and I are in the market for a 4th Subie. She's a high school teacher and commutes everyday, and has managed to rack up 30K miles on the Tribeca in 1.5 years. We have toyed with the idea of getting her a commuter for quite some time..... but as of June 2nd, I hit my 15-year mark in the Air Force... I'm taking the $30K cash redux payout.... paying off all the bills.... and saving a few thousand dollars for a car for her.

Today... she drove her first SVX:
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=&ni...iew&ad=1209776

Not because we were really interested in that particular car.... but because it is the only one for sale in our area.... and she wanted to see/drive it. Feel free to PM me if you'd like a report on it...... but trust me, you don't.

Regardless, the deal was sealed, if you will, and she has decided that she definitely wants one, and we are definitely going to buy her one. In fact, she's been saving craigslist ads for the past 5 hours, with the hopes that "some" of them might still be there in the 1st week of June.

In addition to help finding a car..... I've also joined up to hopefully learn a bit about them before I purchase one. Transmissions, wheelbearings, head gaskets seem to be the #1 complaints... but every car has its "quirks", so hopefully I will figure out what questions to ask future sellers. (any help is greatly appreciated).

Something reliable..... headgasket/timing belt/transmission receipts are worth their weight in gold as far as I'm concerned. 90K to 120K miles would be nice, but everything is flexible depending on the circumstances. We'd like to stay "around" $4k.... but that is always flexible as well. The distance of the car will greatly contribute to the "total investment". I've owned over 30 cars in the past 18 years, and I've traveled cross-country for 6 of them, so I certainly don't mind, it just has to be the right car. We've already found three of them that EXCEED our expectations..... too bad the $$ won't be in for a month

With that, I'm looking forward to learning... meeting a few people, and possibly even having a business transaction here in the near future.

Regards,

Matt (ninefourteener)

[Black88GTA]

Welcome to the board! I'm sort of new myself - unfortunately, the car I got is a beater by every definition of the word. Needs a lot more work than I originally thought, despite only having 102k miles on it. But, it is a good learning experience at least and I know that the things I'm fixing won't give me trouble for a while.

If you're looking for a car in the $4k range - save a bit more and get this one. Trust me on this.

[ninefourteener]

Thanks!!!

I see some STI BBS' on that thing in the first pic....

By the way, does the SVX use the 5x100 pattern, or the 5x114?? Just thinking, I might be able to take the stock 17s from my WRX... not sure.

Beautiful car.... the mileage is a bit higher than I'd like, but i can't argue with the care put into it.

Being in NJ is another story though.... quite a bit to get it home, in addition to being above my price range.

We'll see though, the $4k is just an estimate.... we may be able to spend a bit more... gotta get all the bills paid first.

[Wikedjuggalo]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

I don't know if you have checked the for sale section of the forums but that might give you an idea of what price range and condition you are looking at.
The 94 that is for sale from All We'll Drive is a great car, I saw it at our annual meet called "Reading". Their company specializes in repair our SVX and is one of the respected shops on this forum. If you want to know more about it PM TomsSVX or Mike621

Most SVX you find for sale have some quirks with them but if you don't mind getting a little dirty then often they are great cars. If you take care of it they usually take care of you.

[ninefourteener]

No, I definitely don't mind..... my biggest concern is that this platform is pretty unfamiliar to me.

The 94 is beautiful, absolutely.... and assuming it is still for sale in early June, it very well may be in my driveway

Need to do a bit of research on shipping costs.... or I may just decide to fly out and drive it home

[SilverSpear]

It is a pleasure having you on board nineforteener. subaru-svx.net is not just another forum with gazillion members more than a "family" forum where everyone almost personally knows everyone else.

Even though I live far away, I have been around for almost 5 years. I like this board and love its members.

Do not worry about SVX engines and their mileage as long as they do not surpass 300K. They are known to live up to 350K, so I advise you to buy a car in the 150K range max.

I agree with the previous replies, you can always trust the guys at All-Wheel-Drive (TomsSVX and Mike621), I think the car Mike is advertising is a catch. It is up to you to decide.

Just in case Mike's car doesn't interest you, just make sure the SVX you are gonna buy has a recently rebuilt tranny. Or else a manual converted one.

Again welcome to our family, hope you enjoy it.

[subbieatnz]

Welcomes along

[svxistentialist]

Matt

Good to have you on board, you are very welcome.

Black is right, the car from AWD Inc is very worthy of consideration. Primarily those boys know their SVXes, and you will be buying peace of mind, with all known problems attended.

Principal and first advice we give here to new or prospective owners is two-fold:

• Be wary of buying the first car you look at; you could fall in love with a well presented car that has hidden expensive faults.
• Buy the best car you can afford.

In this regard don't be too scared of mileage. If you buy a 150K-170K car that has been really well cared for, loved, in fact, had all servicing and pending problems done on time by a watchful owner, you could end up with a really good car that will serve you well.

Perversely to that you could purchase a car that has 75K-100K and find it has been owned by tight-wads that do not react to pending problems, maybe even laid up for years, this car could cost you a bomb to get sorted on top of the purchase price.

If you can manage it, see if you can get an SVX owner to look at a car you intend to purchase. They will be aware of things you might not see or hear that could cost money to rectify.

Don't get the idea I'm suggesting buying an SVX is a minefield with a high risk of buying a bad car; that's not the case. The general advice of buying the best you can afford is the proper advice here. Time spent looking for a cared-for SVX will pay you back in the long term.

Joe

[SVXyGirl]

Originally Posted by SilverSpear

Just in case Mike's car doesn't interest you, just make sure the SVX you are gonna buy has a recently rebuilt tranny. Or else a manual converted one.

Again welcome to our family, hope you enjoy it.

Or a 4.44.

I've had SVXs for 4 years now. The major issue I've encountered is the transmission. If you search around on the forums, you will see the alternatives to a stock trans if you cannot find one cheap or rebuilt. These are great cars, but remember that they are 12+ years old and some have been abused. We have a document that will give you tips on what to look for when buying a SVX. If you find a SVX that has been taken care of or fixed by someone who knows these cars *cough* the one posted below ...you will end up with a car that will last for many miles to come.

Here"s the link I mentioned above:
http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/files/How-To/19523.doc

Welcome and good luck!

[ninefourteener]

Thanks everyone for the great advice!!

Both my wife and I have read quite a bit over the past 2 days, and learned quite a bit as well. I think what surprises me more than anything..... is the windshield. That absolutely blows me away. I'm actually going to call my insurance company and see what kind of alternatives are out there.

We found three so far, after an EXTENSIVE search through autotrader, ebay, and craigslist.

The first is a female owned, 90K mile beauty with lots of service records... although it isn't specific what was done..... worth a call I'd say.

Another is a 110 mile car, with the 4.44 swap done (can someone provide a link on exactly what that consists of?), and all new gaskets, timing belt, etc... very nicely taken care of..... but, it needs paint, and a minor surface rust issue..... but the price is VERY good.

The last didn't have a whole lot of info, but the car was exceptionally well taken care of visibly (which generally means a caring owner), supposedly has had all areas addressed, and needs nothing.. again.... worth a call.

....... and then there is the 94 in Jersey at All We'll Drive.... which sounds more and more tempting as we read more. You guys are definitely correct.... Piece-of-mind is just about the most important aspect of buying one of these little beauties.

I'm not scared of mechanical work at all.... I've got nearly $12,000 aftermarket in my WRX, all of which was done with hand tools in my garage. No one has ever touched the car but me. I guess what concerns me, is that with the exception of a fuel pump, nothing has ever "broken" on the WRX, they were all voluntary, timed, and well thought-out upgrades..... not "repairs".

Trust me when I say we are seriously and actively researching this car.... with great enthusiasm. Of course.... if there is anyone out there that is toying with the idea of selling theirs, but has yet to officially list it..... shoot me a PM I'm not a "lurker"..... nor an I "wishy-washy" about a purchase.... the cash will be in the bank during the first week of June. Truthfully, the wife REALLY wants to bring one to the meet on June 20th

Thanks again everyone.

[SVXRide]

5x114.3

Welcome to the Network family!

-Bill

[Sean486]

SVXBart is selling a 92 with 2004 wrx 5 speed swap, in mechanically excellent condition. Believe me a SVX's with manual transmissions not come up for sale every day, might be worth while to check it out.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=49979

[ninefourteener]

Thats why I joined up.... figured there were more than a few folks out there that take care of their cars like I do

Unfortunately..... the wife isn't great with a stick, and even if she were... no one want to commute daily in grid-lock with a stick shift, you know?

[taylorbr]

The transmissions in the later model year cars aren't nearly as prone to self destructing as the earlier ones...so keep that in mind. With the later model years you also get manual belts and the passenger airbag (starts in 1994). Whether or not you plan on modifying the car will also help you decide if you want an OBDI model year or OBDII (1996 and 1997).

I would also recommend the LSi since you get the leather seats and AWD, but everyone has their own preferences that way.

I've been seeing quite a few SVXs for sale on Craigslist or ebay that are in the 60k to 70k mile range for around $6,000 to $7,000 dollars. I would hold out for one of those - even better if it hasn't had the timing belt changed (scheduled for 60k mile), then you can knock down the price and make sure it is done right.

[Johnybeas]

Hey welcome to the board! I'm originally from utah, currently living in florida going to school and stationed here for the navy reserves but will be coming back in a few weeks to spend time at home with my family and friends for the summer.

I hadn't heard of that site but will deff check it out now! I've had my SVX since 2005 and have done a lot of work on it, 5spd conversion included. It's still in Utah right now and would love to bring it to the meet. My newest addition of a hydra EMS should be in by then as well as possibly some smaller additional mods.

I know of at least one other guy who is in utah in sandy near me who has an SVX as well. I have yet to meet him. I've seen a few driving around but there are not too many around utah.

Good luck in your search to find one and I'd love to meet you and look forward to this subie meet!