View Full Version : Newbie...Tips on buying a 98 Legacy 2.5 GT
gabsub018
03-12-2008, 11:33 PM
Hey guys...im new to subaru's and I'm planning on buying a 98 Legacy 2.5 GT. I was wondering if you guys have any tips on what to watch out for, what to look for, what questions to ask. I found a standard thats for sale and i'm going to go see it in 2 days.
(PS....my buddy with a 98civic si said he'd beat me in a race if i got the 2.5 GT sedan (standard). He's so sure he'll beat me that we put $Money$ on it. He thinks the Legacy sedan weigh's too much and won't perform as well as his civic. His civic is stock, (only cold air intake). What do u guys think? :roll:
Hotshot
03-12-2008, 11:42 PM
How many miles?
The biggest thing to watch out for, particularly on that year, is that there was somewhat of a design flaw in the headgaskets, which caused them to let go anywhere from 40k-120k miles. If it has already had the headgaskets replaced, you should be fine, but otherwise you should be wary of them.
Also be sure to check for torque bind. Make sure all the tires are matching, look under the hood to see if the FWD fuse is in, and finally, drive it in very tight circles in both directions, to see if it binds any.
Hate to tell it to you, but I'm pretty sure you will be losing against your buddy's civic. While the legacy was designed to do a lot of things very well, street racing is generally not considered one of them.
gabsub018
03-13-2008, 12:25 AM
It has 165,000 kms. He said the motor was re-built because the head-gasket blew and it was still under warranty. How strong is the engine? Does the car pull hard from a stop?
grayguy
03-13-2008, 12:34 AM
The car's pull pretty well if they have the 5spd. I just drove my roommates mom's automatic 2.5gt today, and it's a complete dog, no balls at all.
Here's my only tip...once you have it, don't accidentally mis-shift and mechanically over-rev it to 8500rpms, blow the head gaskets, and spend like $5-7k on a custom turbo build...(speaking from personal experience...)
Navig8r
03-13-2008, 08:01 AM
Not the quickest in a straight line run... but have him follow you during some twisty driving in the rain.... he WILL be following you :wink:
I love my GT... got it with 135,000 miles, has 150,000 now.
It's not the prettiest (some dents/scratches), and as I said, not the fastest thing off the line (not a dog, however), but it IS a blast to drive, in ANY weather!!!
Currently have the motor out of mine, heads at the machine shop... new HGs needed, hopefully back to running soon.
Maybe even some WRX seats in my future.
deadlydave
03-13-2008, 09:06 AM
They're not the quickest car, but the combination of AWD, decent suspension, and fairly light wieght all adds up to a fun driving experience. With only a few easy modifications handling, fuel economy, and fun can all be increased.
About the Head Gaskets--if the car was driven and repeatedly overheated, the heads themselves might be warped.
Huffer
03-13-2008, 10:13 AM
I just hope whatever track you are on has plenty of turns and you know how to shift.
The Civic's can hand a Subaru it's ass in even wet conditions, if the driver is good enough.
gabsub018
03-15-2008, 02:36 PM
How many miles?
The biggest thing to watch out for, particularly on that year, is that there was somewhat of a design flaw in the headgaskets, which caused them to let go anywhere from 40k-120k miles. If it has already had the headgaskets replaced, you should be fine, but otherwise you should be wary of them.
Also be sure to check for torque bind. Make sure all the tires are matching, look under the hood to see if the FWD fuse is in, and finally, drive it in very tight circles in both directions, to see if it binds any.
Hate to tell it to you, but I'm pretty sure you will be losing against your buddy's civic. While the legacy was designed to do a lot of things very well, street racing is generally not considered one of them.
Hey, Sry i actually meant a civic EX. Cuz in canada The american EX is an Si. Do u think ill beat a 98Honda Civic Ex Coupe????
decke48
03-15-2008, 05:17 PM
ahh civic 90mm stroke with these little 60mm pistons added to bad gearing. i a 223whp civic can run a 15.5 1/4mile at its best thats horibble a forester xt 230bhp can run a 14.4 1/4mile on average. plus the foresters 700 pounds heavier.
Reason
03-15-2008, 06:08 PM
My 89 CRX (1.5L) was quicker than my GT, lets put it like that.
decke48
03-15-2008, 06:17 PM
yes crx are like 1.5 faster than civic
My 89 CRX (1.5L) was quicker than my GT, lets put it like that.
You had a 4EAT though. one of the worst trannys i've ever driven for performance. Not only that, but a crx is different animal than an ex altogether.
I can pull on my friends 97 ex all day long and he has a CAI, headers, and a high flow cat. Start getting in the turns and I don't even see him. Of course, I have mor emods, and a 5 speed. The 5 speed makes a world of difference.
Depends on the civic. I've beaten the new base civic with my familys lumina before. (auto to auto of course)
Bottom line, there are too many factors. Driver skill, mods, etc. Tell your friend he is a dick head anyway for sugesting you do illiegal racing. :razz:
decke48
03-15-2008, 06:29 PM
a stock legacy with a full tank and two 12" subs weight is about 2550lbs
Reason
03-15-2008, 06:32 PM
My CRX clutch was bad, would slip if you really got on it at the time.
Hotshot
03-16-2008, 12:32 AM
a stock legacy with a full tank and two 12" subs weight is about 2550lbs
:smt103
I'm not sure about that. I was just in the service manual for my 96 postal legacy today, and the curb weight on it was 3050 lbs.
L's weigh right around 2800 ,gt's weigh about 3 grand. Sedan that is.
gabsub018
03-16-2008, 01:20 AM
Hmmm......well i guess ill just have to see. I know its illegal and Winnipeg, Manitoba just created a stricter law on street racing. Apparently anyone caught racing, will get their car towed and impounded, and a suspended licence. Before it was just a speeding ticket. Ill do it on the highway when theres no cars around. Ill tell you guys who wins.
Hmmm......well i guess ill just have to see. I know its illegal and Winnipeg, Manitoba just created a stricter law on street racing. Apparently anyone caught racing, will get their car towed and impounded, and a suspended licence. Before it was just a speeding ticket. Ill do it on the highway when theres no cars around. Ill tell you guys who wins.
get a lightweight crank pulley before you do it. :wink:
Reason
03-16-2008, 01:59 AM
Hmmm......well i guess ill just have to see. I know its illegal and Winnipeg, Manitoba just created a stricter law on street racing. Apparently anyone caught racing, will get their car towed and impounded, and a suspended licence. Before it was just a speeding ticket. Ill do it on the highway when theres no cars around. Ill tell you guys who wins.
That would be the least of my worries, killing yourself or someone else is more of a concern. If your buddy wants to race you with his fast n furious civic go to a drag strip.
Hmmm......well i guess ill just have to see. I know its illegal and Winnipeg, Manitoba just created a stricter law on street racing. Apparently anyone caught racing, will get their car towed and impounded, and a suspended licence. Before it was just a speeding ticket. Ill do it on the highway when theres no cars around. Ill tell you guys who wins.
That would be the least of my worries, killing yourself or someone else is more of a concern. If your buddy wants to race you with his fast n furious civic go to a drag strip.
Yeah, really the best advice.
gabsub018
03-17-2008, 01:34 AM
I wish we had a drag-strip in Manitoba :( Or atleast i've never heard of any around here. Thats why many younger guys just race on the streets. A guy one of my buddies knew died a few years ago from street racing. OH!! How do you reset the ECU on a 2.5 GT???
Huffer
03-17-2008, 07:25 AM
So a guy you know died because of street racing, and you still do it? :roll:
deadlydave
03-17-2008, 08:07 AM
Neither car that you mentioned can out-run a White ford crown vic with flashing lights on the top.
How about you and your friend have a virtual street-race, where you both look up the stats for your car on paper, and the best one wins? Those stats are done with professional drivers, which is better than most people anyways. Headgaskets don't usually blow in this kind of competition anyway.
Resetting the ECU on almost any car is easy, just unplug the battery and step on the brakes for a few minutes to drain the car of power.
gabsub018
03-17-2008, 01:46 PM
lol, no i didn't know the guy....my friend did. And now he drives like a granny. Yeah, i really shouldn't should I? I dunno about you guys, but its soooo tempting to race anything with a fart cannon. Even in my dads van. I think im too throttle happy. Thats how I wrapped my MR2 around a pole. LOL, maybe i can find a video game with both cars in them and settle it on the tv :eek: ! But if you guys don't hear from me again, then i probably did it and died or something. :neutral: Thanks for the ECU help deadlydave.
Huffer
03-17-2008, 03:15 PM
lol, no i didn't know the guy....my friend did. And now he drives like a granny. Yeah, i really shouldn't should I? I dunno about you guys, but its soooo tempting to race anything with a fart cannon. Even in my dads van. I think im too throttle happy. Thats how I wrapped my MR2 around a pole. LOL, maybe i can find a video game with both cars in them and settle it on the tv :eek: ! But if you guys don't hear from me again, then i probably did it and died or something. :neutral: Thanks for the ECU help deadlydave.
^^ Darwin failed...
It was Herbert Spencer who coined the term survival of the fitest...
warrior
03-18-2008, 08:36 AM
Great.. this is exactly what we need! I bought this car to get away from all this street racing non-sense :roll:
My friend has an Accord Wagon and always wins in a race, whether it be off the line, filtering through traffic, around the twisties.. these cars are just not designed for racing so really, don't even bother.
Legacy's are so slow that even those old school K-Cars can hand us a can of whoop ass. :lol:
gabsub018
03-19-2008, 07:29 AM
Wow :shock: ....that really sucks. I'll have to look into a swap then...I need POWER! :grin:
gabsub018
03-19-2008, 07:55 AM
Well, does anyone here have experience with modifiying the stock engine to get more power....other than those DIY things?.....I wanna be able to run boost. And Yes, i know it will be expensive...but i live for this stuff. If not, ill just have a swap done. OR like grayguy did, i'll get a custom turbo. I didn't mean to Offend anyone about the whole street racing thing. :lol:
Huffer
03-19-2008, 09:56 AM
Read the tech forums...
gabsub018
03-19-2008, 06:08 PM
Read the tech forums...
Ahhh! Found somethin interesting...thanks Huffer
Great.. this is exactly what we need! I bought this car to get away from all this street racing non-sense :roll:
My friend has an Accord Wagon and always wins in a race, whether it be off the line, filtering through traffic, around the twisties.. these cars are just not designed for racing so really, don't even bother.
Legacy's are so slow that even those old school K-Cars can hand us a can of whoop ass. :lol:
WTF? Idk what you are driving but my Subaru will kick the pants off of almost any honda in the corners.
warrior
03-20-2008, 07:53 AM
Great.. this is exactly what we need! I bought this car to get away from all this street racing non-sense :roll:
My friend has an Accord Wagon and always wins in a race, whether it be off the line, filtering through traffic, around the twisties.. these cars are just not designed for racing so really, don't even bother.
Legacy's are so slow that even those old school K-Cars can hand us a can of whoop ass. :lol:
WTF? Idk what you are driving but my Subaru will kick the pants off of almost any honda in the corners.
Sarcasm sir.. :-(
Reason
03-20-2008, 03:26 PM
You loose
gabsub018
03-20-2008, 03:41 PM
LOL! back to the Topic....I'm gonna baby it when i get it, untill i know everything's okay. What standard things should i get for it when i have it?...(oil change, sparkplugs, etc.) Ps. I test drove it and everything was fine other than a "Check Engine Light" which he's getting checked right now, a little rust above the rear driver's side tire, and some tint peeling off. Will I be better off taking it to a Subaru dealership for a tune-up instead?
Huffer
03-20-2008, 03:51 PM
The car should have the full service done to it - everything in the owners scheduled maintenance should be checked off - unless you have prior service records.
CEL's can be expensive...don't buy it unless the CEL is diagnosed and is properly fixed.
Rust is bad - it's a sign that the car (depending on age) wasn't properly cared for). It could also mean that it came from a rust-belt area.
gabsub018
03-20-2008, 03:56 PM
Oh...ill ask him if thats what he's gonna do. I know he changed the brakepads and various other things for the safety. Rust isin't too much of a problem for me. I have a friend who will fix it and re-paint it for free :grin: He said something about an oil change, but i wasn't quite listening :lol:
Anyways...I didn't know that. Im gonna call him right now...Thanks again Huffer.
Great.. this is exactly what we need! I bought this car to get away from all this street racing non-sense :roll:
My friend has an Accord Wagon and always wins in a race, whether it be off the line, filtering through traffic, around the twisties.. these cars are just not designed for racing so really, don't even bother.
Legacy's are so slow that even those old school K-Cars can hand us a can of whoop ass. :lol:
WTF? Idk what you are driving but my Subaru will kick the pants off of almost any honda in the corners.
Sarcasm sir.. :-(
Ok, I see it now.
I was running on one hour of sleep for a 48 hour period. I think I deserve a break. :lol:
gabsub018
04-06-2008, 08:24 PM
Yeah i raced the civic ex.....and i beat it. I'll stay about 1/2 a car length ahead of him untill i hit 4th gear. Then ill start pulling on him untill he's outta site. Some of you guys made me think the car was gonna be slow, but its pretty strong.
JBearSVT
04-22-2008, 07:21 AM
So a guy you know died because of street racing, and you still do it? :roll:To me, this sounds disturbingly like
"a guy you know died mountain biking, but you still do it?" Or,
"a guy you know died skydiving, but you still do it?" Or better yet:
"a guy you know died of alcohol poisoning, but you still drink?"
Not trying to be a wise ass, just saying... how many of you don't drink alcohol, ever? Granted, none of these things I've brought up are illegal, but the Darwinian logic that has been applied to the argument here suggests that it's the danger being addressed, not the moral issue.
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