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Thread: (Potential Purchase) What to look for during inspection ?

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    "Proby"
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    (Potential Purchase) What to look for during inspection ?



    I've ironed out a price and now its conditional on a Subaru dealership inspection not finding anythign majorly needing of repairs. Most dealers around here will do a 100 point inspection for about 1-1.5 hrs labour to go over the car. Now I know the typical things to ask them to check for like compression etc.... but what specific to this car, a 97 GT Wagon should I be asking them to have a close look at ?

    I want to know mechanical, electrical, body, suspension..... The works ;-)

    He's recently done the headgasket & the timing belt at the same time so that's one (two) biggies out of the way. If it all works out this will be my next ride.

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    Tell us more about the car - the mileage, the type of transmission etc.

    If the mileage is 100kmiles +, plan on replacing the cat.
    (go aftermarket if you can, only about $200 vs. $700 dealer)
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    ITS MY CAR!

    not really, but just like it
    rally racing... because football, baseball, and basketball only require one ball.

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    "Proby"
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    Quote Originally Posted by Huffer
    Tell us more about the car - the mileage, the type of transmission etc.

    If the mileage is 100kmiles +, plan on replacing the cat.
    (go aftermarket if you can, only about $200 vs. $700 dealer)
    1997 GT Wagon
    5 speed
    Sunroof, cloth seats
    188km's - 115K Miles

    He has full service records (original owner) and has recently replaced the headgasket, timing belt, starter ? , clutch @ 60k (dealer did it under warranty for clutch shudder from what he described), new front brakes <3 weeks ago, rears about 1 - 1.5 years ago.

    Who makes that aftermarket cat you suggest ? Do they tend to get plugged up ?

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    Administrator Huffer's Avatar
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    They don't get "plugged up" - but cats have a specific lifetime. When they go bad, they collapse and cause rough running. They can even have small particles sucked back and ruin the engine.

    I had to replace my cat with one from www.ecatalyticconvertors.com
    It was an good fit, removed the front cat (CEL came on, but went off again as the ECU adjusted).

    If you are planning to go a performance route, then a hi-flow cat welded into a slightly bigger diameter pipe would be better. Stock pipes are 1.75" dia. I believe.

    I would check the transmission play - making sure you can slot in and out of gears with positive feel...check for any CV joint leakage, check for corrosion around the suspension points.

    A compression test on each cylinder is an excellent idea.
    Also, go over the car when it's been washed and see if there was any paint/body repairs. Check to make sure the rear tailgate lines up with the bumper and the rear quarter panels (if it doesn't, it can indicate a repair job from a rearend impact).

    Do the usual figure 8's in a carpark...etc.

    Edit. website i listed is non-existant, but www.autopartswarehouse.com works.
    http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/cats/ ... &year=1998
    $260 w/ free shipping (US only)
    - Roger - Site Admin
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    SLi Resident ooberdoob's Avatar
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    wisconmark got a stromung from boxer4racing for the same price as an OE equiv would cost.

    ask him about it.
    rally racing... because football, baseball, and basketball only require one ball.

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    t3h ch33se Wiscon_Mark's Avatar
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    Stromung Hi-Flow Cat- 350 bucks from boxer4racing

    OEM cat assembly- 1000 dollars from Subaru

    Definitely not the same as OE, much cheaper

    It has 1 (instead of the factory 2) cats and 2.25" piping.

    What I noticed:

    Deeper, throatier exhaust note
    Better low end torque ~1500-2500 rpms
    Better mileage

    Thumbs up
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    t3h ch33se Wiscon_Mark's Avatar
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    oh, and I didn't mention, it is entirely bolt-on, you could install it yourself, assuming you had the right parts and the ability to lift your car up a significant amount (at least 2-3 feet).
    ~Mark [SLi Admin]
    2015 Dodge Charger AWD
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    You only need ramps and a raised height of 1.5ft. 3 feet is huge man!
    - Roger - Site Admin
    My signature is now a shout-out to the SLi veterans who keep this site flowing with good knowledge and informative opinion. You KNOW who you are, so keep it up!
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    t3h ch33se Wiscon_Mark's Avatar
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