Back and Ready to buy could use some help

[Dionysus]

Hello all!

After being completely naive thinking I could afford a brand new STi AND paying for the insurance on that beast I decided to aim my sights on much more realistic and practical ambitions thanks to being shown the light by some of you .

I'm looking into purchasing an 03-04 rex. After months of subie fever only being edged out by checking craigslist and lurking the forums i've finally found one within my price range and seemingly perfect car.

Anyways I was just wondering if you veteren scooby enthusiasts can help me. It is listed for 7900 via dealership. That seems a little too good to be true to me. It has pretty high mileage but other than that it seems fine. Of course that is because it is an Ad and won't show any of the shortcomings of the car

The reason I have doubts about something being wrong with the car is because I let it settle for over a month (to see if i could find an 04 or a different color) and no one has bought it yet. They lower the price a little every so often which makes me wonder why it isn't selling. Here is the link:

http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/2089000229.html

EDIT:Also it was said to be stock as well which made me REALLY happy that no haphazardly installed mods were put in, but i'm also slightly paranoid that mods may have just been hastily removed as well.

I was thinking of going in and inspecting it, but like I said in my first post I'm still a pretty big n00b. So if you guys could please arm me with knowledge and questions I should ask to make sure I don't regret anything I would greatly appreciate it .

Thanks a bunch!

[Mikie13]

Your hesitations are the same ones I have. Exhaust looks stock...but you never know what is or isn't replaced. Look at the heatshield over the turbo...see if its been cut or removed...if so, it was more than likely at Stage 2 or more. Never know if it had engine management. There are no pictures at all of the engine so we can't deduce anything from that.

Have a reputable mechanic check it out and even have compression and leakdowns tests done...this will show you how good the cylinders and block look. If the dealer is a good no-bull**** dealer, they will have no problem letting you do this.

But there's no harm in checking it out. What's the worst thing that happens? You walk away without a car that could give you a ton of problems.

Be patient and wait for EXACTLY what you are looking for. Don't settle just because you let the excitement get to you. Goodluck

[STANDO]

Take a friend who knows cars with you if you are unsure of your abilities to judge the condition. Something I always look for is smoke on engine start up. A little puff is no big deal, but any thing more than a puff or two after it is running might be an indicator of bad valves or piston rings. And I second the decision to take it to a mechanic.

[mexicanzero]

i highly doubt someone would put an sti spoiler on a wrx without doing anything else to it...

my guess is its been modded and brought back to stock minus the trunk but that doesnt necessarily mean its isnt a good buy

-Alex

[Mikie13]

i highly doubt someone would put an sti spoiler on a wrx without doing anything else to it...

my guess is its been modded and brought back to stock minus the trunk but that doesnt necessarily mean its isnt a good buy

-Alex

+1; first thing I thought as well.

[Dionysus]

Ok wow lots of good advice thanks everyone.

I just have one more question, mileage wise, how much more can this car take based on your experience with your subie?

I have a 92 Toyota Corolla with only 94,000 miles and it still runs like a dream but thats because toyotas have a track record for being durable.

I guess I'm wondering how reliable will a subie with 154,000 miles on it last?

Thanks again!

[SD_GR]

In my experience Toyotas age better than Subarus, but I'd put Subaru at a solid third place, with Toyota and Honda tied in first.

I would have no worries with my car at 150K from what I've seen so far (I'm at 110K or so) but I maintain my car as best as I can, and I have no idea what the service history of that car is. Neither will anyone else unless there are receipts available.

Buy a car with a full service history. Even that does not guarantee it won't blow up on the way home; it does make it less likely though.