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Message started by DaveC on 01/24/6 at 22:42:08

Title: Looking at an Outback
Post by DaveC on 01/24/6 at 22:42:08

Hey all you Subie guys!

Well the Golf is gone. Sold it to a local commuter.

I am looking at a 2001 Outback (5 spd.) in Toronto and I am looking for some feedback on things to check. Areas known to rust, noises to listen for, areas to check for leaks, etc.

Let me know!

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by Phil Jeffries on 01/24/6 at 23:16:40

My Mom bought a 2000 Outback Limited back in July. Other than the auto transmission being a complete piece of garbage the car has been fine. I will be swapping a 2.5RS 5-speed into it in the next little while. It's actually cheaper to do the swap than install a new automatic. Should be a ripping good time.

It has almost 190,000 km on it and there aren't any strange or annoying squeeks or rattles. The engine is a little noisey at idle. Almost sounds like a little diesel. There's a bit of a problem with paint peeling off the front bumper, but it's not bad yet.

One thing that really surprised me when I drove it for a week was that it gets worse gas mileage than my 91 Legacy turbo. My legacy gets about 10L/100km, the Outback is more like 12L/100km. That's brutal for a 4 cylinder. Maybe a bad O2 sensor....

Anyway, good luck. Just stay away from the automatics ... and Hamilton Subaru.

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by DaveC on 01/24/6 at 23:24:10

Thanks Phil.

No slushboxes for this guy! I can't stand driving them.

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by Phil Jeffries on 01/24/6 at 23:29:09

Anything for you Dave. At least now I won't need to worry about getting stuck behind your Golf on work days. Those diesel fumes make me loopy... ;)

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by dtompsett on 01/25/6 at 02:10:16

That knock or "diesel" sound you hear.... is cylinder #4... have it on good knowledge from a friend who used to work at a subaru dealership that the EGR valve dumps right into cyl#4, and ends up burning out the cylinder over time.

That being said... my father has a 97 Outback... 200k+ km on it, with the automatic tranny, and it hasn't let him down. On the advice of the dealership (More of a warning.... they didn't want to have to replace the diffs in the car for him), we've stopped towing vehicles around with the car.

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by mart242 on 01/25/6 at 13:08:32

Go do some reading and ask questions on www.ottawasubaru.com/forum, lots uf useful info.

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by DaveC on 01/25/6 at 20:24:04

Phil Jeffries wrote on 01/24/6 at 23:29:09:

Anything for you Dave. At least now I won't need to worry about getting stuck behind your Golf on work days. Those diesel fumes make me loopy... ;)

Yea, I know. I just never figured out how to put a 8 ft tall stack on the back of the Golf ;D

Its like getting stuck behind a diesel bus in traffic. Not very pleasant.

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by Glenn_Hamilton on 01/25/6 at 22:22:43

I have rallied a 1998 Outback (legacy) since 2000. I have 349,000 km on it now and it has had rather a fun life. It was used to course open (Car 0) the Rally of the Tall Pines in 2004 and actually set times that would have beat 2 competitors! We used it to win an ORRC championship one year, dozens of road rallies and course development for the 2005 MLRC mini series. Came 7th in last year's OWR despite an odo issue.

Additions? - Skid plate, Hella 4K's converted to HID, synthetic oil, K&N filter, Timewise, steel brake lines, interior light AND a stock automatic tranny. Still on the original struts but the rears have been replaced twice.

There are several and good and bad things about Outbacks when used for rallying. Let's look at the good first:

- AWD is great
- Comfortable
- 165Hp can get the job done and of course you can always look at other ways to pick up some go.
- I think that the wagon design improves traction
- great daily driver with an later ego at night!
- automatic has been good and has been shifted on events like a 4 speed
- can hold 5 dogs and 3 people!

Downsides:
- heavy - at 3400# it outweighs an Impreza by several hundred pounds
- very few performance parts. Impossible to get 3rd party struts
- on my 98, the headlights suck ==> Hellas!
- got 305K out of the first engine and the went to 4* and had a new RS engine installed. Easily a better engine than the original and I can beat 10L/100 easily.

BOLO for:
- head gasket issues
- brighter head lights
- weather stripping around doors will need to be glued

Would I do it again? Maybe not because next time around I would want more versatility in performance parts. But if I only had 1 car and wanted to be able to rally, it's a great choice!

Cheers!

Glenn

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by RyanHuber on 01/26/6 at 00:37:45

Actually, if you're willing to give up the increased ground clearance the Outback has vs other Subarus, anything Subaru/STi/aftermarket will bolt right on for suspension. Well, maybe not as easy for the 2000+ as they changed the rear end design, but anything that works on the 2000+ Legacies should bolt right on the Outback.

Title: Re: Looking at an Outback
Post by Glenn_Hamilton on 01/26/6 at 00:49:57

Ryan,

That didn't seem to be the case with the '98. Rear end suspension links on the Outback are apparently different from the normal stuff out there, even Legacies. I could never get a cross reference in any parts books for performance stuff that would fit... and I looked.

At one point, we were going to use Alan's WRX suspension but were warned that the fronts would work but the backs would not. That would have lowered the front end but not the back. Hmmm ... racy!

Admittedly, I didn't get my hands dirty trying to find out :-[

Glenn