The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

G'day!

I'm new to Australia and just started working in Oz.
I've been a member on other vBulletin sites for other topics
and I love how nearly everyone on them is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.
I now sorta need my own vehicle to get around.
I would like a wagon for carrying surfboards
and this 4x4 Subaru at a used car dealer seemed like a lot of fun.

My screenname?
It's a funny name someone came up for me;
I sound like an American... but I'm not a Yank.


Here is what I observed about this Subie:

- Nearly-new BFGoodrich Sport tires, 185/70R-13 tires (= 23.2” tall?)
-Motor is louder on the passenger side of engine bay, towards rearish side
- feels gutless; it would be hard to chirp tires even in 1st gear popping the clutch?
-middle pulley (one down and one left of the alternator) is a bit chirpy
- coulant reservoir empty?!?
- no cabin heating
- no air-con; never came with it
- back defogger doesn’t appear to work, but has working rear wiper with spray nozzle
- driver seat’s bracket is loose, one screw I could tighten with my finger. (missing nuts? Can this be fixed?)
- just a few drops of oil on the ground, under where it was parked.
-clutch pedal feels very heavy
-no power steering

What works...

- Transmission shifts beautifully, including 4x4 transfer case
- 4 Lo works flawlessly; I tried it in 6” deep loose sand
- Windows and doors all open and close properly
- Interior is reasonably clean and not too worn
- Tires are nearly new
- Nice aftermarket wheels
- Body looks virtually rust free
- Front wipers work, as does the sprayer
- Radio and 12V charger works
- Electronic side mirror adjustment works
- Battery seems clean
- All the fluids (but I didn’t see the coulant) seem the right colour and at the appropriate level
- Solid, rust free Roo Bar
- Trailer ball in the rear
- All the lights work as they should
- - brakes feel reasonable; I can exert fair G-force stopping from 40-50 km/h
- -Rego lasts until November 21/2011


It has < 365,000 km's on the odometer

A 1991 Subaru L series LGM wagon, 4x4

The dealer is asking for $2500...


So whatdya reckon?

2nd Hand Yank wrote: - BFGoodrich Sport tires, 185/70R-13 tires = 23.2” tall (nearly new
-Motor is louder on the passenger side of engine bay, towards rearish side
- feels gutless; it would be hard to chirp tires even in 1st gear popping the clutch?
-middle pulley (one down and one left of the alternator) is a bit chirpy
- coulant reservoir empty?!?
- no cabin heating
- no air-con; never came with it
- back defogger doesn’t appear to work, but has working rear wiper with spray nozzle
- driver seat’s bracket is loose, one screw I could tighten with my finger. (missing nuts? Can this be fixed?)
- just a few drops of oil on the ground, under where it was parked.
-clutch pedal feels very heavy
-no power steering

What works...

- Transmission shifts beautifully, including 4x4 transfer case
- 4 Lo works flawlessly; I tried it in 6” deep loose sand
- Windows and doors all open and close properly
- Interior is reasonably clean and not too worn
- Tires are nearly new
- Nice aftermarket wheels
- Body looks virtually rust free
- Front wipers work, as does the sprayer
- Radio and 12V charger works
- Electronic side mirror adjustment works
- Battery seems clean
- All the fluids (but I didn’t see the coulant) seem the right colour and at the appropriate level
- Solid, rust free Roo Bar
- Trailer ball in the rear
- All the lights work as they should
- - brakes feel reasonable; I can exert fair G-force stopping from 40-50 km/h
- -Rego lasts until November 21/2011

Engine: check the coolant level. Also check the moisture under the passenger's side floor matting if possible - at least stick your head up under this area and have a look on the firewall in the centre of the dash for coolant - a weeping heater core could be the reason why there's no coolant in the overflow bottle and no heater.
The louder noise on one side of the engine - it could be a dud exhaust gasket on the passenger's bank of the engine, does it sound chirpy?

EA82's (the L series engine) are usually gutless! But if its feeling rather gutless it could be due to the number of km's or a blown head gasket - I got mine with a dud headgasket, drove ok but wasn't really perky - then we found out about the blown head gaskets, pulled it down, found out it had been seriously overheated at one point to the extent that a cylinder bore had a crack running down the side of it! Replacement engine was found - this could be an option for you too.

If you want AC - easiest is to find an L series that already has AC installed from the factory.

Driver's seat should be an easy fix.

Oil leaks come standard on the L series no matter what you try to do to combat them.

Clutch pedal will be heavy because of a worn clutch cable - mine was the same, a replacement is about $70 and easy enough to install, its nice and light now!

No PS isn't really an issue with these little subi's - and if you're really after it you can find all the bits and install it. Or buy an L series that already has PS and AC. If you're after central locking and electric windows look into a touring wagon - they'll cost more though.

If you're still keen on this subi - and I'm not trying to tell you either way to purchase or not - I'd be trying to get him down as low as possible, point out all the little faults about it and make sure it comes out with a RWC as those oil leaks can be hard to get rid of for a short period of time... $2500 seems a little steep to me, but I don't know what they go for in that part of the world in general.

Is it blue by chance? Sounds a lot like my little subi when I got it.

Cheers

Bennie

You could get something similar for cheaper:) Keep shopping around, there's plenty of them. And pretty sure the dealer got the car for way less than that.

there was a mint 2inch lifted L series with 14inch rims and all good stuff that when for $1900.

Below are some for less than $2000:)

http://wa.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehicle ... 289874760#

touring wagon are great as they have power steering, air con and electric windows
http://wa.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehicle ... Z293891162

http://wa.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehicle ... Z284934478

The motor also sounds like a cross between a WRX rallycar and a riding lawnmower;
it's moderately loud and most of the noise is from under the hood, not at the tailpipe.
But there's no knocking, pinging, rattling, unusual smells or smoke.
It's not even burning oil (noticeably to my nose)

A mate who rode with me while I test drove it has a bad feeling about the motor, being loud and slow.
I'm thinking it might be "tired" and in need of a tune (loss of compression?), new rings? new valves?...
but I wouldn't be surprised to see it last another 40,000km's.

If your mate's worried about the engine being worn etc then either walk away and look for something like what Guyph's mentioned (a great setup too) or price a good second hand engine to get you going again.

Or look into an EJ conversion, unless you just need a runner and money is tight at the moment. Guyph and I have worked hard for our conversions by shopping around for parts, doing research and either doing the work ourselves or asking mates in the know to help us out.

Cheers

Bennie

El_Freddo wrote:Engine: check the coolant level. Also check the moisture under the passenger's side floor matting if possible - at least stick your head up under this area and have a look on the firewall in the centre of the dash for coolant - a weeping heater core could be the reason why there's no coolant in the overflow bottle and no heater.
The louder noise on one side of the engine - it could be a dud exhaust gasket on the passenger's bank of the engine, does it sound chirpy?

EA82's (the L series engine) are usually gutless! But if its feeling rather gutless it could be due to the number of km's or a blown head gasket - I got mine with a dud headgasket, drove ok but wasn't really perky - then we found out about the blown head gaskets, pulled it down, found out it had been seriously overheated at one point to the extent that a cylinder bore had a crack running down the side of it! Replacement engine was found - this could be an option for you too.

If you want AC - easiest is to find an L series that already has AC installed from the factory.

Driver's seat should be an easy fix.

Oil leaks come standard on the L series no matter what you try to do to combat them.

Clutch pedal will be heavy because of a worn clutch cable - mine was the same, a replacement is about $70 and easy enough to install, its nice and light now!

No PS isn't really an issue with these little subi's - and if you're really after it you can find all the bits and install it. Or buy an L series that already has PS and AC. If you're after central locking and electric windows look into a touring wagon - they'll cost more though.

If you're still keen on this subi - and I'm not trying to tell you either way to purchase or not - I'd be trying to get him down as low as possible, point out all the little faults about it and make sure it comes out with a RWC as those oil leaks can be hard to get rid of for a short period of time... $2500 seems a little steep to me, but I don't know what they go for in that part of the world in general.

Is it blue by chance? Sounds a lot like my little subi when I got it.

Cheers

Bennie

The coulant reservoir was completely empty, actually.
I might go back and have a look at the passenger side firewall.

Interesting, dud exhaust gasket passenger side?

It's so gutless,
it would be very hard to spin the front tires on dry bitumen in 1st gear, popping the clutch.
I'm not used to an automobile being that poor in torque.
I would not be interested in bigger tires if it already struggles on 23 inch dia tires.
4 Lo fixes the gutless problem at slow speeds though; enough to propel through deep sand from a stop up to 20km/h.

A/C is not important to me, but it would be nice to have.
Bunbury is fortunate that days close to 40 C are quite rare.
If I bought something like this, I'd tint it to take the sun's edge off.

Glad to hear about the clutch cable.

This model doesn't have a central locking differential?
I tried it in FWD mode in soft sand and it was pretty much useless.
A quick pop into 4Lo and "...your laughing..."

yeah $2500 does seem a little bizarre,
given the 365,000km + no heat + no air-con

This subi is white, but I like white. (easy to see parked at night camping)

Thanks

guyph_01 wrote:You could get something similar for cheaper:) Keep shopping around, there's plenty of them. And pretty sure the dealer got the car for way less than that.

there was a mint 2inch lifted L series with 14inch rims and all good stuff that when for $1900.

Below are some for less than $2000:)

http://wa.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehicle ... 289874760#

touring wagon are great as they have power steering, air con and electric windows
http://wa.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehicle ... Z293891162

http://wa.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehicle ... Z284934478

Thanks

2nd Hand Yank wrote:This model doesn't have a central locking differential?

No centre diff as it is only part time 4wd. As I'm sure you know its front wheel drive all the time with the option of using 4wd which goes really well.

I'd probably check out some other units that are out the for sale, I doubt that this L we're talking about will move quickly out of the yard...

Cheers

Bennie

What kind of fuel economy should I expect with this year and model?
I figured it'd be closer to a small car's (7-8L/100kms) than a big 4x4's (14+L/100km)
Does 10-11L/100 km's sound about right? That's just my estimate.

How big is the fuel tank?
How far can members go on a full tank?

To be honest,
I never really thought that I might prefer a Subaru,
I guess they seemed expensive compared to other used cars

but a big 4x4 ute seems too expensive for what I would use it for;
initial price, insurance, fuel, parts...

while a small car would probably become a real pain if I wanted to travel with friends surfing.
I car fit my board into a medium-sized car (Magna or bigger) with ease though.

A used Subaru "soft-roader" (lol) might be the right fit for me.
I'll probably become a regular poster if I pick one up.
Thanks again.

El_Freddo wrote:No centre diff as it is only part time 4wd. As I'm sure you know its front wheel drive all the time with the option of using 4wd which goes really well.

I'd probably check out some other units that are out the for sale, I doubt that this L we're talking about will move quickly out of the yard...

Cheers

Bennie

Ah, I forgot.

With a part-time 4wd t-case,
it doesn't have any differentiation,
therefore doesn't need a locker,
which makes it go like clappers through deep soft sand?

Fuel capacity with the factory tank is 60L. When on the top of the "E" mark I can usually get another ~130km and have about 5L still in the tank when I fill up (as full as I can get it! - I've once put 65L into it!!)

The estimate of 10 or 11L/100km is about right for an L series with a well maintained engine etc and good driving habits - not holding revs too long, driving with a light foot etc.

I've found the L series to be great when travelling, can comfortably (enough) fit 4 in the car + gear in the rear cargo and when that runs out I start strapping stuff to the roof racks

I'm not sure what you mean by doesn't need a locker - do you mean if it was a full time 4wd? In which case no it doesn't need a centre locker as the mechanism in the gearbox only engages the rear end, pretty much the same as a centre diff lock, just without the centre diff. Also - don't go doing 180 U turns in low range, always do a 3 point turn unless the surface is really forgiving.

And the subaru gear box layout is nothing like a "traditional" 4wd's gearbox. The transfer gears are on the input shaft as per the pic below:



Also another thought on the heater - check under the bonnet up the back of the engine bay on the passenger's side near the starter motor to make sure the heater is still connected. If it is there will be two coolant hoses that attach to the firewall. If not you'll see the two pipes for the heater sticking out of the firewall and most likely a kinked coolant hose that is trying to do a U bend so that the two coolant pipes from the engine are re-routed without the heater... Hope that makes sense!

Cheers

Bennie

El_Freddo wrote:Fuel capacity with the factory tank is 60L. When on the top of the "E" mark I can usually get another ~130km and have about 5L still in the tank when I fill up (as full as I can get it! - I've once put 65L into it!!)

The estimate of 10 or 11L/100km is about right for an L series with a well maintained engine etc and good driving habits - not holding revs too long, driving with a light foot etc.

I've found the L series to be great when travelling, can comfortably (enough) fit 4 in the car + gear in the rear cargo and when that runs out I start strapping stuff to the roof racks

I'm not sure what you mean by doesn't need a locker - do you mean if it was a full time 4wd? In which case no it doesn't need a centre locker as the mechanism in the gearbox only engages the rear end, pretty much the same as a centre diff lock, just without the centre diff. Also - don't go doing 180 U turns in low range, always do a 3 point turn unless the surface is really forgiving.

And the subaru gear box layout is nothing like a "traditional" 4wd's gearbox. The transfer gears are on the input shaft as per the pic below:



Also another thought on the heater - check under the bonnet up the back of the engine bay on the passenger's side near the starter motor to make sure the heater is still connected. If it is there will be two coolant hoses that attach to the firewall. If not you'll see the two pipes for the heater sticking out of the firewall and most likely a kinked coolant hose that is trying to do a U bend so that the two coolant pipes from the engine are re-routed without the heater... Hope that makes sense!

Cheers

Bennie

So that would be 550-650km on a full tank?
(highway cruising and/or mixed city/highway?)

What's the worst highway economy a Subie L Series can get?

Yeah the L Series does look handy for travelling.

Thanks for the tip about avoiding 180 U turns in 4Lo.
That also counts for deep soft sand?

Cool gearbox pic. I may use that later.
That's one thing that impressed me about the Subi; very-precise, no-slack short-throw shifts.

Why would someone want to deliberately bypass the heater core?
Only when the core is stuffed, or could it improve something else?

2nd Hand Yank wrote:So that would be 550-650km on a full tank?
(highway cruising and/or mixed city/highway?)

What's the worst highway economy a Subie L Series can get?

Yeah the L Series does look handy for travelling.

Why would someone want to deliberately bypass the heater core?
Only when the core is stuffed, or could it improve something else?

Max for a carbie EA82 would be 600km - that would be a near fresh engine and light footed driving. Mulit Port/Point Fuel Injection (EFI) EA82 will possibly get you more than 600km with the same scenario but you don't want to run one of these subi's dry as the fuel pump is a high pressure unit that requires the fuel to lubricate/cool the pump and they're expensive to replace ($150<)!

Worst highway economy, well this depends on what you're doing. Loaded up like this:



it can change from 12ishL/100km to 14-15/100km depending on wind conditions. This is travelling at 100km with a mix of mainly freeway/highway and passing through towns. These figures are rough and from memory, plus I'm running the EJ22 which is much better for pulling loads and fuel economy in the long run with this sort of situation - moving house. I would use about 50-55L from lakes entrance to bendigo via melbourne (475km) when towing like this.

Cheers

Bennie