I'm looking at a 97 legacy outback wagon for $600. I haven't had a close look at it but it looks OK. The owner says it has an oil leak but I haven't had a good enough look to see from where. I've looked at some general info on that model. Is the 2.5 l engine a good one? It's the top trim level. I know that's pretty general but, what should I look for? I'm a fairly accomplished mechanic but have mostly worked on older cars ( I have a 81 mercedes diesel and a 69 dodge van). Used to work on old vws. Anyway, thanks for any advise.
Thinking about buying 97 legacy outback
- Thread starter cult colt
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You can visually check all of the fluids and verify levels and cleanliness. It is in the range for potential head gasket issues. Have they been done yet? How many miles on it? Electrical system is easy to check. Will he let you pop it on a lift to have a good look?
Ok...$600 for a running vehicle...albeit pushing 30 yo?? Try to determine if there is any catastrophic impending issues and if none obvious...buy it in a heartbeat and if it craps out in a few months or so...put it at the curb for trash pickup and you still done very well.
If it's the Outback Limited, I have the exact same car (2.5 4 w/5 speed). I love my '97. It's built like a tank and love the heated, leather seats. Super solid. One thing that was really nice to discover was that the Australian market really likes this series for off road and have a very diverse after market for parts to beef the suspension. I added progressive springs, KYB shocks and vented breaks and went up an inch on the rim size. We've used it as a tow vehicle for our 17' Boston Whaler from day one and it does great. 70 to 75 mph down the highway if we want too. With the boat, it gets about 17 mpg. It does have a really small tank though. The only real hesitation in regard to towing was that prior to the 'upgrade', any tongue weight at all bottomed the original springs. These 'King Springs' (I think that's who made them) raised the body about 1 1/2 " and definitely don't compress much at all. With the KYB's, a really nice and secure ride with little to no lean. The added height made it look nice as well. The vented discs are really nice too. Under load on a long downhill, the breaks would heat and chatter some. With the vented disc's, that issue disappeared. Ours only has 130,000 miles, so other than the almost 30 years on the body, it's just broken in. I love it and it's fun to drive. Oh yea, the turning circle is insane. I can make a 'U' turn in the middle of any block, even with the boat attached, without an issue. We've gotten some crazy looks from people watching us do it.
The only thing I would love to find is a center consul that has a hole for a low range shifter. Earlier in the car's life it had trouble with the first gear syncro. I found a Japanese replacement trans that has 4:11 gearing and has a low range box. I have the linkage, but don't have a hole for the stick. Oh well.
Especially if you are mechanical, $600 for that car is a steal. Find and fix the oil leak and drive it forever.
The only thing I would love to find is a center consul that has a hole for a low range shifter. Earlier in the car's life it had trouble with the first gear syncro. I found a Japanese replacement trans that has 4:11 gearing and has a low range box. I have the linkage, but don't have a hole for the stick. Oh well.
Especially if you are mechanical, $600 for that car is a steal. Find and fix the oil leak and drive it forever.