Grounded To The Ground: 2005 Subaru Legacy GT
This next car comes as tip from Jeff who writes: Nice long roof for the money! It does need a bit of work, but doesn’t seem huge for the right person. I like it because I like Subie wagons, but I think this one is too grounded to the ground for me…and the color is odd..but it is a wrap that could probably be removed exposing the original blue paint..which probably has flaking clearcoat and lots of scratches. Maybe leave the wrap. Find this 2005 Subaru Legacy GT offered for $5400 in Ft Collins, CO via craigslist.
From the seller:
2005 subaru legacy gt wagon
condition: good
cylinders: 4 cylinders
drive: 4wd
fuel: gas
paint color: grey
title status: clean
transmission: manual
type: wagon
Time has come where I now need and want a truck. Looking to move this as soon as possible few loose ends but still a great Car.
Motor apparently had been rebuild by previous owner only proof I saw was the the motor out of the car. Sadly no real proof but it does drive great.
185xxx on the clock
Oil changed every 3000 miles
Features-
5SPEED MANUAL
Raail AirWrap nardo grey with 2k clear
Cobb AP V3
Coilovers
AVO tmic
Invidia catless downpipe
Custom 3 inch 304-stainless catback straight pipe
15% Window tint all around
New lower bushings in the rear
Newer tires maybe 1000 miles
Banjo filters removed
New turbo at 147k
Newer windshield
New o2 sensors
500 miles on rear wheel hubs
Cons-
Oil cooler gasket leaks a little.
Light hail on the doors and roof like all Colorado cars
Few dents and dings
Needs rotors warped like all legacy’s
Need to rewrap the headliner in suede
Check engine on for the exhaust and abs light on(scanner says rear wheel speed sensor) doesn’t effect the car at all
Comes with stock downpipe for emissions
Needs alignment
Recently took the car to nice car in Fort Collins to have them go thru the car tell me what is good and bad.
Feel free to contact me via text or email.
5400 obo no low ballers and no trades
See a better way to drive a Legacy? tips@dailyturismo.com
I spent a ton of time with these about 10-ish years ago. Some unfiltered consciousness:
The APv3 will mask the CEL for the exhaust (prob. downstream O2). Not sure why they didn't just do that to begin with w/access tuner race or whatever comes w/Cobb AP's these days.
Wheel speed sensors are a 15 minute/$30 job. Kind of makes you wonder why they didn't do it while they were in there for rear wheel hubs… makes me question the quality of the work. Like, maybe when they redid the wheel hubs they didn't align the pulse wheel correctly….
Yes, rotors warp on these no matter how precisely you do the lug torque. I upgraded mine to STI front and rears (w/e-brake). Still happened every 30-40k miles. Upgraded to Stoptech bbk w/2 piece rotor & it finally stopped.
Get used to replacing wheel bearings. They're about a 50k mile wear item in these.
LCA bushings are also a roughly 80k wear item.
Get up underneath this and checkout the tailshaft extension housing on the trans. These always leak, and people usually just chuck a ton of black RTV at it. But the stuff that squishes out into the gearbox doesn't have anywhere to go & will end up in the needle bearings and cause all kinds of wear that manifests itself as a groan or growl that increases w/speed.
Ditch the dual mass flywheel.
2nd gear is weak on these if you're running stage II or III. So is reverse. I've taken teeth off of both. 2nd was an aggressive downshift on an autocross. And reverse was abusive stupidity.
As the fuel lines under the intake manifold get older, they like to "shrink" in cold weather and piss raw fuel everywhere until they're replaced.
Get rid of the Tumble Generator Valves asap.
Check the underside of the AVO TMIC, the banjo fitting for the clutch slave cyl is a few mm below it and sometimes careless installers will ding up the intercooler.
Check the turbo-to-intercooler mating surface. A Mr Gasket smallblock GM thermostat gasket (part no 738g) will work here but wears pretty quickly. I'd get 20-30k out of mine. I used to keep a stash in the glovebox.
The seats might look gross but a rented carpet shampooer and an afternoon of your time will square that away.
Anyway, I'd bring this back up to stock ride height, get rid of the Spec B wheels and try to find factory 5 spoke wheels. Throw on good sway bars with good bushings. Some aggressive summer tires.
Price is kind-of right, I'd try to knock it down to $5k.
I now know more about these than I ever imagined I would, thanks to RyanM. Consider me edified. Thanks, brother.
A turbo manual Legacy GT is kind of a unicorn. But one of the biggest appeals to them is that they are more likely to have been owned by a responsible adult, compared to a WRX. Doesn't look like that is exactly what happened here.