BUYING A GT WHAT TO LOOK FOR

[zarnah]

Gday guys, always been a gen1 single turbo kinda guy however my young brother in law is looking at buying a 1995 gt manual wagon. Im going for a look at it this afternoon so hopefully I can get some tips what to look for before then. Just want to know what things to look for when buying one, all I know is its manual, done 130k, and the cambelt was done at 100k. Any problems these things get at around that amount of ks? cheers

[Guest]

Ask the owner if hes gets the car service every 50.000kms or less.. if the tyres are good?

[ReubenH]

Watch out for blown turbo's too, you MUST take the car for a test drive.

Unlike the manual GTB's, these cars don't suffer from big end problems, but they do blow the primary turbo's every now and then. Otherwise it's the same-old same-old when buying a subaru, check for any engine knocks etc. The old GT's are generally reliable, if looked after of course. Also ask about the service history, you want to hear that it get's the oil changed at least every 10,000k's and cambelt + water pump + tensioners at 100,000k's and stuff like that.

[Guest]

Lift the back hatch and make sure there is no rust @ the hinges

Otherthings i would suggest, make sure cambelt WAS done @ 100 000km, i was told the same when i bought mine but im doubting it now.

[wildturkey]

look for rust in structural areas...door cavities, around windscreens etc....check the area where spare wheel is kept for rust. put it in full lock both ways and do sum circles..........listen for the tell tale signs of cv's on their way out. Ask the current owner about the history of the car and find out what work its had done on it.............receipts for previous work etc. How does it handle and feel? look at the general wear and tear on the car both inside and out and ask urself if the K's on the clock reflect the wear and tear u can see. get underneath it. look for oil leaks fluid leaks etc. check that all the electrics work. hope that helps

[Firenza]

Im looking for a guide too, but I need a more general one for someones whos never had a subaru before;

So what should i look for when I go view mark 1 Legacy GT in addition to what was said above?

[ReubenH]

Pretty much what's been said already. The big one for the Gen 1's is rust i think.

[Munkvy]

One thing I would add for Gen 1s in particular is Power steering. Make sure theres no leaks in the reservoir and also in the lines, as this is quite a common problem.

For all Legacys - make sure the suspensions not fooked. Check for leaking shocks and take it over a bit of bumpy road and see how it handles, any crashing about is not a good sign. In particular I have noticed GT/GTBs in the rear have a tendancy to kill the shocks - so make sure they are ok. A good way to check is to simply ride in the back of it and pay attention to how it feels.

Furthermore, how does it feel on gear shift? (This applies to all Subarus) - is there any shock or shudder on gear change? Particularly a fast one. As this is a good sign that some of the drivetrain bushes/mounts maybe getting tired.

[Firenza]

Okay, the one im looking at has just had all the power steering selas done, so that should be fine ;D

Only thing is that the cars been used to shift the guys work stuff around (its a wagon), so the rear suspesion might be a bit suspect

How much would a set of stock springs and struts set me back?

[Guest]

gen 1s collect dirt, behind the bottom front panel, behind the front wheel flap, (mine did), which is a hidden rust trap, clear it out if there's any crap there, yay a hopefully helpful 1st post

[Guest]

Best way to check if the cambelt/waterpump is done is to check and see if the water pumps done. The water pump is on the front of the engine on the passengers side, if you see shiny metal there, the water pumps been done!!!

[hhhh1]

about $100 for rear struts should cover it. id pay a mechanic to have a look at it and drive it too as they might pick up stuff you wont especially as they can put it up on a hoist and have a look at the underside