sandspider Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 I picked up a one owner 05 auto Outback 2.5 with full dealer history and 80k miles for £3k. Its virtually immaculate and only the alloys let it down as they are all damaged from snow chains. It has full leather and all the extras. Went for the Outback as already mentioned they are a lot of car for not much money and the extra ground clearance is useful. Forester would not fit in my garage as it has a low ceiling. It drives and handles very well and is super comfy on long trips. Large boot also fits all our crap so no need to sit with stuff on your lap for family holidays. Also has oodles of space when the rear seats are folded its almost like a small van. Sounds like a good price! Where did you find that? I test drove a spec B legacy yesterday. Good fun! A sweet spot at about 3000 rpm where it just takes off. And about 25mpg. Also felt really well put together, didn't feel like a 150k car. Trouble is, I'm not sure its different enough to the Porsche to be a legitimate second car choice. Some thinking to do... Still no insurance payout either, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Sounds like a good price! Where did you find that? I test drove a spec B legacy yesterday. Good fun! A sweet spot at about 3000 rpm where it just takes off. And about 25mpg. Also felt really well put together, didn't feel like a 150k car. Trouble is, I'm not sure its different enough to the Porsche to be a legitimate second car choice. Some thinking to do... Still no insurance payout either, of course. Found it on fleabay classifieds. Had a 500 mile round trip to view it but got the seller to send plenty of pics beforehand. He wanted £4200 but I knocked him down as it needed an exhaust and all the wheels have snow chain damage which he forgot to mention. Cost me £700 for a custom stainless exhaust from longlife.co.uk (subaru wanted nearly £1800 for a stock exhaust) and the wheels are going in for a professional refurb costing £400 for all five when I can get to the shop. Also spent half an hour per side polishing the headlamp lenses as they had started to go cloudy. £12 for the polish kit and they came up like new. Much cheaper than new lamps. I've done about 5k miles with no issues and it drives lovely. One last job is to change the front control arm bushes as they have a slight knock on bumpy roads but they are only £40 a pair and an hours work when I can be bothered. Happy days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Found it on fleabay classifieds. Had a 500 mile round trip to view it but got the seller to send plenty of pics beforehand. He wanted £4200 but I knocked him down as it needed an exhaust and all the wheels have snow chain damage which he forgot to mention. Cost me £700 for a custom stainless exhaust from longlife.co.uk (subaru wanted nearly £1800 for a stock exhaust) and the wheels are going in for a professional refurb costing £400 for all five when I can get to the shop. Also spent half an hour per side polishing the headlamp lenses as they had started to go cloudy. £12 for the polish kit and they came up like new. Much cheaper than new lamps. I've done about 5k miles with no issues and it drives lovely. One last job is to change the front control arm bushes as they have a slight knock on bumpy roads but they are only £40 a pair and an hours work when I can be bothered. Happy days. Looks lovely.Got all mine from eBay and never had a wrong`un! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Found it on fleabay classifieds. Had a 500 mile round trip to view it but got the seller to send plenty of pics beforehand. He wanted £4200 but I knocked him down as it needed an exhaust and all the wheels have snow chain damage which he forgot to mention. Cost me £700 for a custom stainless exhaust from longlife.co.uk (subaru wanted nearly £1800 for a stock exhaust) and the wheels are going in for a professional refurb costing £400 for all five when I can get to the shop. Also spent half an hour per side polishing the headlamp lenses as they had started to go cloudy. £12 for the polish kit and they came up like new. Much cheaper than new lamps. I've done about 5k miles with no issues and it drives lovely. One last job is to change the front control arm bushes as they have a slight knock on bumpy roads but they are only £40 a pair and an hours work when I can be bothered. Happy days. What's the exhaust like? I'm planning on a Longlife system when the time comes [emoji106] Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Found it on fleabay classifieds. Had a 500 mile round trip to view it but got the seller to send plenty of pics beforehand. He wanted £4200 but I knocked him down as it needed an exhaust and all the wheels have snow chain damage which he forgot to mention. Cost me £700 for a custom stainless exhaust from longlife.co.uk (subaru wanted nearly £1800 for a stock exhaust) and the wheels are going in for a professional refurb costing £400 for all five when I can get to the shop. Also spent half an hour per side polishing the headlamp lenses as they had started to go cloudy. £12 for the polish kit and they came up like new. Much cheaper than new lamps. I've done about 5k miles with no issues and it drives lovely. One last job is to change the front control arm bushes as they have a slight knock on bumpy roads but they are only £40 a pair and an hours work when I can be bothered. Happy days. Tends to be long trips for the ones that sound good, things are easier these days with internet & ease of sending decent quality pics to get good feel of things prior to committing to a long trip. Generally you get rewarded when prepared to venture quite long distances with either a bargain or almost perfect example or both. Faults like on yours are perfect as enables haggling plus they easily resolved . I think the outback is probably one of the best bargain buy Subarus, Foresters can be good but you generally need view a lot more before find really tidy ones. In my favourite colour for Outback too that, good looking super practical vehicle that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 What's the exhaust like? I'm planning on a Longlife system when the time comes [emoji106] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I'm really pleased with it. Took 5 hours from start to finish and fits like a glove. Had an issue with lambda sensor throwing P0420 codes after it was fitted but they sprung for a new sensor (£148) and the problem is solved. I'd say go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Tends to be long trips for the ones that sound good, things are easier these days with internet & ease of sending decent quality pics to get good feel of things prior to committing to a long trip. Generally you get rewarded when prepared to venture quite long distances with either a bargain or almost perfect example or both. Faults like on yours are perfect as enables haggling plus they easily resolved . I think the outback is probably one of the best bargain buy Subarus, Foresters can be good but you generally need view a lot more before find really tidy ones. In my favourite colour for Outback too that, good looking super practical vehicle that. Thanks. I had looked at a few local ones but they were either super high milers or overpriced because its Surrey. Travelled up to Matlock with the Doris and had a day out. Took cash and knew how much I wanted to pay. Seller had been trying to shift it for six months so everything was in my favour. The secret is to offer fair money without taking the p!ss but stick to your guns and be prepared to walk away. Always helps to flash the cash with your first bid. Its just a game and I do enjoy a bit of bartering. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Did you get it up on a ramp to look at the exhaust, or just peer underneath it? Or could you hear it blowing when driven? (I'm wondering if it's worth getting a specialist to inspect a potential buy or if a bit of common sense and the willingness to get dirty peering underneath is enough...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Did you get it up on a ramp to look at the exhaust, or just peer underneath it? Or could you hear it blowing when driven? (I'm wondering if it's worth getting a specialist to inspect a potential buy or if a bit of common sense and the willingness to get dirty peering underneath is enough...) I had a good roll around underneath then spotted some ramps at the back of his garage so rolled the motor up onto them. The exhaust from the mid box back had more holes than a swiss cheese and with less than a month to run on the MOT gave me a huge bargaining point as it would never pass as it was and both he and I knew how expensive a Subaru exhaust would be. I could hear it blowing slightly but when I covered the tailpipes it was obvious. In fairness he had mentioned the exhaust was rusty and "may" be blowing. The cats looked OK but I got longlife to fit two new high flow sports cats when they made the exhaust. If you get the AA to inspect the vehicle they would include the exhaust but its not hard to see if it looks tatty. Bung the tailpipes up and any leaks will be obvious. Just take or borrow a bin liner to lay on. If no ramps then use a high curb to give more clearance under the vehicle. Also take a cheapo generic OBD2 code reader with you and plug it in before and after a test drive just in case the seller has cleared any codes before you arrived. It will show any problems witht the cats etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I'm really pleased with it. Took 5 hours from start to finish and fits like a glove. Had an issue with lambda sensor throwing P0420 codes after it was fitted but they sprung for a new sensor (£148) and the problem is solved. I'd say go for it. The exhaust fitter paid for the sensor? A worry that the new exhaust caused it, and a pain no doubt, but at least they coughed for it. I'll be asking about that scenario when I go for mine, as don't want it f*****g my car up Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 I had a good roll around underneath then spotted some ramps at the back of his garage so rolled the motor up onto them. The exhaust from the mid box back had more holes than a swiss cheese and with less than a month to run on the MOT gave me a huge bargaining point as it would never pass as it was and both he and I knew how expensive a Subaru exhaust would be. I could hear it blowing slightly but when I covered the tailpipes it was obvious. In fairness he had mentioned the exhaust was rusty and "may" be blowing. The cats looked OK but I got longlife to fit two new high flow sports cats when they made the exhaust. If you get the AA to inspect the vehicle they would include the exhaust but its not hard to see if it looks tatty. Bung the tailpipes up and any leaks will be obvious. Just take or borrow a bin liner to lay on. If no ramps then use a high curb to give more clearance under the vehicle. Also take a cheapo generic OBD2 code reader with you and plug it in before and after a test drive just in case the seller has cleared any codes before you arrived. It will show any problems witht the cats etc. Cheers, good thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 The exhaust fitter paid for the sensor? A worry that the new exhaust caused it, and a pain no doubt, but at least they coughed for it. I'll be asking about that scenario when I go for mine, as don't want it f*****g my car up Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Sometimes the stress of removal can cause failure or initial running if fabbed exhausts have any contaminants being burnt off when first run, personally I would bung sensor hole for first run, Also poor handling of removed sensor can cause issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 The exhaust fitter paid for the sensor? A worry that the new exhaust caused it, and a pain no doubt, but at least they coughed for it. I'll be asking about that scenario when I go for mine, as don't want it f*****g my car up Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Apparently the high flow sports cats they fitted sometimes play up with older lambda sensors that may be on their way out. They also said that moving the outlet sensor away from the cat by 50mm or so can also solve the problem but the wiring loom on my Outback did not allow for this and I did not want another hole drilled in the new pipes. They agreed and longlife paid for the new sensor as I never had any issues with the stock cats. Prior to all this I got my mate to run the cat emissions on his MOT testing machine to confirm the new cats were actually working properly as the "P0420 - Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold" was worrying. It sailed through and it turns out it was just the sensor so all sorted now. I can't fault their aftersales service. Btw it is not something that could bugger your engine as the ECU reverts to stock values if the lambdas go out. The only bollock ache was that on the Outback any exhaust faults throw a CEL light and disable the cruise control. Not sure if it does that on other Scoobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Hi again all. Another question, please - I can't find a single Outback 3.0 in manual flavour for sale or test drive. Only autos. I'm pretty sure that a manual version does exist - is it just that people hang on to them? Or have I got confused with the various models and options, and there isn't a manual 3.0l outback? Am I right in thinking that the Outback 3.0RN is the Outback equivalent of the Legacy 3.0 Spec B? Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 3.0 manuals can only be had as Legacy's......all Outback's are auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Ah hah. That might explain why I can't now find one! Could've sworn I saw a manual outback advertised a week or two ago. Mistake maybe. Shame, I usually prefer.manuals... Cheers David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Hi again all. Another question, please - I can't find a single Outback 3.0 in manual flavour for sale or test drive. Only autos. I'm pretty sure that a manual version does exist - is it just that people hang on to them? Or have I got confused with the various models and options, and there isn't a manual 3.0l outback? Am I right in thinking that the Outback 3.0RN is the Outback equivalent of the Legacy 3.0 Spec B? Cheers. Sorry to disagree with our Dave but Outbacks do come in manual......not easy to find as most are auto but if you keep looking you`ll find one. Edit: Sorry to disagree with myself but I think Dave could be right about the 3.0, I just saw the "All Outbacks are auto" bit. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 That's even better - suggests I'm not going mad! Ideally I'd like to test drive a manual and an auto, but am having trouble finding (affordable and decent condition examples of) either anywhere near me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 That's even better - suggests I'm not going mad! Ideally I'd like to test drive a manual and an auto, but am having trouble finding (affordable and decent condition examples of) either anywhere near me. Where are you located Sand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 30 second search on eBay this arrives. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-55-Subaru-2-5-Legacy-Outback-Estate-SE-5dr-Manual-4X4-4WD-AWD-/171515619595?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item27ef20a90b Just an example really. No mention of FSH which is an absolute must, it`s in Stoke which is about an hour 20 from me but if it were the right specs and checked all the boxes would be well worth the drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Bristol mate. But I'm looking for the 3.0l version, and I'm lazy so don't want to drive too far until I'm pretty sure it's one I'll buy. (The Legacy I tested was 2 miles from my house!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Keep looking, one will turn up eventually but I think you`ll have to widen your search area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Cheers majik. I'm in no hurry though - looks like I'll get a little runabout to use over winter (to use up.the remains of.my.insurance) and try and find a good outback in the meantime. Any one here want to sell theirs?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Good luck with that -_- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandspider Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Ha, thanks. Seems like people hang on to their Subarus once they have them. But that's a good thing, as long as you can find one in the first place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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