The official LOOT topic

[Nitewatchman]

Fozzy?

I'm assuming that that is a Subaru Forester.

He probably was being cool and abbreviating Forester.

[Keldoclock]

Interesting choice of car, dude. How much'd ya get it for?

[Pwnerade]

$4,775, plus dealer fees. I got it so I can bounce around on dirt roads without denting the transmission pan like I did with my parents' Volkswagen last summer, but also not burn a ton of gas. It probably needs some work done. Its got 173,000 miles on it and I have no idea when the timing belt was last replaced.

[Zupponn]

Its got 173,000 miles on it

o.O That's a lot of miles dude.

[Apollyon]

Both are going to get disassembled for parts.

[Keldoclock]

And by parts you mean the tracks, because thats all you really care about there

[Apollyon]

And by parts you mean the tracks, because thats all you really care about there

Excactly.

[subyrally]

Fozzy?

the slang for forester on a bunch of the subaru forums. its not as common as it used to be a few years ago, but i still hear it from time to time.

[Falk]

Both are going to get disassembled for parts.

OOOH. Me want shiny treadz.

[Pwnerade]

I'll trade you my car for those tracks!

[heavyfishcannon]

Why is it I saw the two tractors together, and All I could think of was those giant Wall.e's from the climax of the film?

[Nitewatchman]

$4,775, plus dealer fees. I got it so I can bounce around on dirt roads without denting the transmission pan like I did with my parents' Volkswagen last summer, but also not burn a ton of gas. It probably needs some work done. Its got 173,000 miles on it and I have no idea when the timing belt was last replaced.

Pretty nice.

Seeing as it's a Subaru, you'd be able to get another...I dunno, potentially hundred thousand or so out of before you ran into any major mechanical problems. Probably more.

[morganm]

I'm a huge Subaru fan. Had many of them over the years. I've pretty much given up on them now.

The whole "they go 300,00 miles without serious repairs!" thing is bull. Sorry; but it is. They aren't any more reliable or well built than other cars in their class. Notice I said I've owned several? Rebuilt motors... replaced transmissions... timing belts... water pumps... axles... wheel bearings... you name the part and I've replaced at least one if not several. Learned a lot about cars fixing all my Subarus. Been left stranded on the side of the road many times by them. The parts are damn expensive. I've spent a lot of time talking with other Subaru owners, reading about their cars, problems with their Subarus, etc. The ones that have gone over 200,000 miles are very rare. Then you talk to them about it and ask what they've had to fix over the years? Most of them have swapped the motor and tranny for lower mile replacements or had them rebuilt. They've practically replaced every other part on the car. If you live in the rust belt it will be consumed by rust long before you ever hit those kind of miles. You can make a lot of cars go over 200,000 miles if you just keep fixing it or it doesn't rust into oblivion.

I'm sure they are great cars the first 100,000 to 150,000 but after that it's down hill from there. Stuff just starts wearing out and needing to be replaced. Sure you don't have a monthly payment and that's admirable on it's own but you'll be spending money keeping this thing running... a lot of money if you buy parts from the stealership and have someone else do the work. You'll go a month or two with no problems then BAM it's time to spend a couple hundred on parts... hopefully you do the labor yourself and save a few hundred there.

It's not that they are bad cars or poorly designed; quite the opposite. However they aren't that much better than other manufacturers.
Loved my Subarus... not because they were super reliable... they truly are the Lego of cars. Need an upgrade for a Subaru? Get the part from a different Subaru and it most likely bolts right on. Subaru also had some really awesome designs and they were ahead of their time in many respects from the 80's to 90's. Things like the BRAT or the XTs. If you ever sat in an XT4 or XT6.... the interior design and power features made it like sitting in a space ship and it was from the late '80s.

That generation of Foresters was right in the middle of a bad run of head gaskets Subaru was plagued with for years. I'd go figure that out right away. I forgot exactly which EJ5 series engine had the bad head gaskets but I now it was about that time frame for that model Forester. You'll find all the help you need on the Ultimate Subaru Message Board if you want to research and figure this all out. I truly hope you dodged the bullet and it's not one with bad head gaskets because it's either a big DIY project or a very expensive bill at the shop.

Sorry... I prolly sound like a Debby Downer... I love Subaru and all but it's not because of the myth that they go a bazillon miles with out any problems. There's just something incredibly awesome about them. After you drive one for a while ... I don't know... it just really grows on you. By the time you have your first significant repair you love the damn thing so much you'll pay anything for the parts and spend any amount of time fixing it yourself. Ultimately I had to get something more reliable. I couldn't be stranded on the side of the road... again... now with kids. I don't have the time to spend all weekend fixing the things so I can get to work on Monday. And I certainly can't afford one with less than 80,000 miles on it because they are freak'n expensive.

Good luck

[Robot Monkey]

It seems everyone in my area that drives a Subaru is either a democrap or a lesbian, and they're all bad drivers regardless.

[Pwnerade]

Speaking of stealerships, I had a mechanic look the car over, and there a number of problems. Most importantly the brake pads are shot, and it's illegal to sell a car with the breaks that worn. I'm going to call them tomorrow. Luckily, my grandfather owns a car parts store, and he gives me a discount.