1995 Legacy Wagon - won't last forever, ... Where do I go f

[Dave_Mountain_Man]

Alright boys (and girls…), I’m looking for everybody to weigh in here…

This is my dilemma… I have a fantastic 1995 Legacy L Wagon (2.2. liter engine) with 205K miles on it. I bought the car in January 2002 with 85K miles (averaging 17K miles per year - too much driving…). I’m not sure how much longer it’s going to live so I’m looking at the replacement. If I had my way, I would drive this car for another 300,000 miles but I am afraid that will not be cost effective (although your feedback on that idea would also be appreciated)…

I love this wagon for a variety of reasons:
1 safe,
2 practical,
3 looks great (with WRX wheels),
4 love the manual transmission,
5 reliable,
6 economical on maintenance,
7 can do lots of work on it myself without too much difficulty,
8 roomy,
9 not too bad on gas,
10 phenomenal performance in the snow,
11 … and the list goes on…

… get the point? To repeat, if I could, I would drive this car for another 300,000 miles…

I want another Legacy wagon.

I like the idea that the 2.2 engine is a non-interference engine and will not explode as easily as the 2.5 (I tested this out a few months ago with a cam bearing - total repair cost $800) and I would also guess the 2.2 gets better mileage. My wife’s 1999 Legacy 2.2 seems to have more power and get better mileage than my 1995 2.2. In fact, this summer driving from Colorado to California we saw 33 mpg at 80 miles per hour (in the 1999 2.2 Legacy).

I like the 1995 to 1999 Legacys but would also consider some of the newer ones including the Outbacks. I get the impression that the 2.2 Legacys are the longest lived, most reliable and cheapest to maintain of the bunch.

My requirements (aside from stuff listed above):
1. Wagon
2. 5-speed
3. ABS
4. Cruise / AC / door locks, frills
5. Get 250K or more miles out of the car, i.e. many years.

What would you do?

Thanks! Dave.

[Okin DaVanh]

I get the impression that the 2.2 Legacys are the longest lived, most reliable and cheapest to maintain of the bunch.



:smt023


... last time I went through the numbers, this is my 43rd car. 1 of the most reliable I've ever owned.

[ScaryFatKidGT]

first...you drive alot holy cow

but i have the same problem i have a 1998 gt limited and its getting a little rusty and its an auto and i wana get a 98 or 99 GT limited in a manual but there hard to find cuz i want a limited and a manual

but if I were you I would just get another one maybe a 96-99 but yea just get another one you could even swap and keep your wheels then :)

[Dave_Mountain_Man]

Yeah, I drive way the hell too much. Welcome to California, it's the car culture. That is for sure.

Remember the Missing Persons song, "Walking in L.A?" ...only a nobody walks in L.A.

Ok, I'm old...

The WRX wheels are awesome. Probably I should get wheel locks before someone steals them. The maniacs at Sears ruined my old steel wheels that the car came with so when those tires wore out, I found some nice WRX ones on Craigslist.

I get the impression that the 2.2 liter is more reliable than the 2.5? Something about the seals for the antifreeze?

Any comments on the 2.5 vs the 2.2?

BTW - I'm new to this forum and you guys are great.

[ScaryFatKidGT]

the only constant problem with the 2.5 is the headgaskets blowing other than that there the same as the 2.2 just a little less gas milage and a little more power. Past 1999 they fixed the Head gasket problem

my HG blew in my 98 GT but only because my auto tranny was going out and droped into 2nd gear at random (going down the high way)

if your not modding it they should hold up but you never know if u replace the HG it would be just as reliable as the 2.2 in theory

i have also heard the 2.5 is a little smother running than the 2.2 but i dont think its that big of deal

[Bhatman]

Once the HG is fixed, usually the 2.5 is just as reliable as the 2.2, unless theres something else wrong with it.

[T_F_E]

and the new head gaskets have fixed the problem correct?

[1996Battlewagon]

If I had my way, I would drive this car for another 300,000 miles

Then do it yo! If you take good care of the thing, it will last. And when I say good care, I don't mean totaling the car just in repairs. Simple, routine maintenance will do the trick. These cars have a weird aura about them that is really hard to explain, so I understand why you want to hold on to it. Just keep the thing and drive it until the frame splits in have, weld it back together, and then keep driving it.

http://home.comcast.net/~nv1z/subaruhighmileage.html

Here's some inspiration for you; your BK can make it. Heck, it's only lived half it's life expectancy anyways.

[ScaryFatKidGT]

the head gasket issues only go to the 1999 moddle year every thing past is fine

[Dave_Mountain_Man]

There are some thoughts. I have wondered about instead of spending $4-6K on a nice under 100,000 mile Legacy and instead just keeping this car running.

Does anyone have experience with those Japanese motor houses that supposedly sell motors with 40,000 miles on them? We ended up doing that for my wife's 92 Mitsubishit Eclipse when the motor finally sucessfully committed suicide. It was god-awful expensive - try $3200. We kept the car for a year and sold it for... wait for it... $3200. Should have just junked it when the motor self-destructed. Owning that thing was probably more expensive than owning a Ferrari. We probably spent $7000 on it in the last two years on maintenance and it only had 136K on it when we sold it. Total nightmare. That motor seemed ok but who the hell knows if it really had "approximately 40,000 miles" on it.

The whole idea just seems like some sort of a scam to me. I guess the alternative is to have someone rebuild your motor and transmission. The shop here (LIC Auto in Novato, CA) is really good but they are expensive, try $110 an hour so we get back to the, "perhaps I should just get a Ferrari?" question...

Can you buy a new 2.2 engine from Subaru? There's a thought.

What else is there that will eventually need rebuilding?

Wheel bearings
CV boots
rear differential
brakes - I can do those if my wife leaves me alone long enough,
does the brake system (master cylinder, etc...) need to ever be done?
clutch won't last forever - I have the original one on it still.
What am I missing here?

[Huffer]

Buy another Legacy for $5000. Drive this one into the ground. It'll go to 300k without a sweat, especially in CA.

[jey]

I wouldn't worry about the WRX wheels, they aren't that desirable (bought mine for $125 and that was all 4 including new tires.) But yes they look good and work very well.

I'd say keep driving the Legacy. You know the car and the history, whereas when you buy another used car you always take some risk. The 2.2 is reliable so unless you are experiencing some weird symptom there is no reason to believe it will be ureliable in the future - just keep up on the maintenance schedule (timing belt, etc.)

Same goes with engine swaps - you always take a risk with just a swap. The proper way to do it if you spend all that money is to have a knowlegable Subaru engine builder do an overhaul before putting the motor in. So my feeling is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

A new crate motor from Subaru is incredibly expensive and is usually not worth even considering given the other options. I was told $6000+ Just unassembled new heads from Subaru are over $2000 if that also gives you an idea.

[ScaryFatKidGT]

go with the Ferrari :wink:

[Dave_Mountain_Man]

Thanks, guys! That gives me some food for thought. I guess I should just keep up on the car.

Hey, on that high mileage subaru site, there is a guy from Colorado who I used to work with. He was an odd fellow (we engineers are that way). Then one day, filling up with gas in the mountains, there he was with his new Outback with Fire Department Stickers for a tiny Colorado Mountain town all over it. Holy Crap! The last guy I would expect to be on a Fire & Rescue Squad barreling down the snowy mountain roads in his Outback. Apparently he is some sort of bad ass. Worth a good laugh!

Cheers.

I'll try to get some pics up...

Dave