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Location:
Balranald
Registered:
May 2002
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Subaru Legacy Wagons...any good?
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Thu, 11 September 2003 11:58
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I am in the market for a new car and have come across a Subaru Legacy for sale at what I think is an ok price...$21,000 on the Car Point website. I love my Toyotas and love the Soarer but really need a 4 door car and the boot in a station wagon wouldn't go a miss either. I can't think of a good Toyota wagon...sure a Camry but....no thanks, not that there is anything wrong with them.
Are the twin turbo Legacy station wagons any good? Are the parts the same as a B4? Will it be a pain to get serviced or repaired? I have seen frount cuts for them for about $2500 so thats a good thing.
I don't want a super speed machine and don't really want to modify it any more than it is (18" wheels and a 3" exhaust) and would be planning on keeping it for quite a while. Is a 1994 model car with 80,000k's too old? Subarus are generally reliable aren't they?
Thanks in advance peoples...Steve
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Location:
sydney
Registered:
March 2003
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Re: Subaru Legacy Wagons...any good?
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Thu, 11 September 2003 12:42
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i have recently wired up a twin turbo legacy engine into a newish liberty
not many people know much bout these engines
so they r hard to fix or find someone who knows them
NRG know them
for a wiring job like that again i would not charge less than 1200 bucks
its a very big job and i learnt how long it takes from doin the first one
but it did go pretty good
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Location:
Central Coast
Registered:
March 2003
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Location:
Colac, Victoria
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Subaru Legacy Wagons...any good?
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Fri, 12 September 2003 10:13
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your thinking legacy GT ..
they are everywhere in NZ - every second person owns them - they are Ok cars - and good for what they are BUT parts over here are hard to get - especiually for the GT's ..
I talked thid over in detail with the local subaru dealer and he said getting parts direct thru them would be very hard and expensive ..
you COULD on the other hand - look at the legacy Brigton wagon - they have all the goodies of the GT ( suspension brakes etc etc )- all the luxury gear - but it doesnt have the turbo motor ..
In NA form - the 2.0 is wheezy - and dont get an auto - SLOW as shit .. the 2.2 or 2.4 motors are much better mills ..
handling wise the NA's are very good - quite stable on the road and seeing as they are AWD - can handle quite briskly ..
My good mate in NZ has one of these " brightons " and i was very impressed - bar the fact it had the 2.0 ..
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Location:
Sunshine Coast
Registered:
July 2003
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Re: Subaru Legacy Wagons...any good?
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Wed, 17 September 2003 09:50
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I'm a Subaru mechanic and own an RS turbo(wife's) and my next family car will be a TT Legacy or front cut conversion equivalent. There is nothing mysterious or voodoo about them, they are simply a WRX engine with two small turbos on it. The only problems with them is with the solenoids that control the turbo staging and there are plenty of people that know how these work. Remember that this is Subarus biggest selling performance model in Japan so they are well engineered and built. Most problems with the TT's are with front cut converted cars that have sat for long periods and the solenoids play up due to corrosion or hornets nests in the lines.
I remember when 1 and 2JZ's were unreliable and complex twin turbos also. 
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Location:
sydney
Registered:
March 2003
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Re: Subaru Legacy Wagons...any good?
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Wed, 17 September 2003 11:08
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hi jzk25
i recently wired one of these twin turbos into a 98 liberty
very big job but i got it working
it had a prob with 2nd turbo not cutting in all the time
like u said i think it was the valves/solenoids
they have a heap of vac lines in the small box unit
do u know of anywhere i could be wiring diagrams or pinouts for the twin turbo ecu
thanks
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Toymods Club Treasurer
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Subaru Legacy Wagons...any good?
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Thu, 18 September 2003 02:50
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My last car was a 93 Legacy GT wagon (auto). This was the same model as the Aussie Liberty RS Turbo.
You will find that body parts are the same as Aussie version except for the bonnet with its scoop.
The jap versions are generally more loaded with goodies than Aussie ones.
Mine had electric seat, retracable mirrors, digital climate A/C, plus other things.
Bought mine in 00 for $17 000. Met a guy later in the year with who had bought a 94 for $20 000 then (auto though).
The cost difference is in the gearbox. The 5spd manuals are extremely rare (probably only 10% of Japanese production), so about $20k for a 94 manual sounds about right depending on mileage.
As stated by others, the only problems are with the solenoids controlling the sequential turbos if the cars been sitting for a while, if previous owners have been hamfisted with the manual gearbox.
The problem I had with the auto was that the stall converter wouldn't allow takeoffs at revs sufficient to have some boost (<3000rpm) which meant you're trying to drag a 1600kg car with a low compression 2.0L motor, but on the move the auto allows the car to stay on boost constantly & not having to build up boost again between gears.
If you get an auto, the very FIRST thing you MUST DO, is change the transmission cooler systems from out of the factory radiator to AN EXTERNAL COOLER.
This is a simple job by undoing the hose clamps & extending them to the new front mount cooler.
FAILURE TO DO THIS WILL RESULT IN THE GEARBOX PACKING IT IN after time & costly rebuild.
Problem is that the cooling system for the turbo auto can't handle our climate.
Mine gave up at 120 000km with pretty much all the bands being burnt out.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Subaru Legacy Wagons...any good?
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Tue, 23 September 2003 03:05
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Wouldn't consider a WRX wagon? I reckon they look trick. the MY99 ones that is, just b4 the 'bugeye' I think you could pick one up off an older chap for a fair price.
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Location:
Balranald
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Subaru Legacy Wagons...any good?
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Tue, 23 September 2003 04:34
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I saw a 2001 (I think...it was a bug eye) WRX Wagon for sale and oh I really liked it. It was for sale in the Trading Post I think... or maybe Carpoint. Anyway it is really embarrasing that I liked it because it was bright pink and had 19" gold AME wheels. ha ha. Nothing like standing out!
I'm not the biggest fan of pink things but this really didn't look too bad.
Maybe not a good car for a school teacher though...i need to stay conservative to some degree.
But i got all my Soarer issues sorted out just the other day (yes I was still wearing out a set of tyres every 4500-5000kms ) and the car is driving like a dream. I think I might keep loyal with Toyota and keep the Soarer.
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