05 GT sedan, 90k miles. Any advice is appreciated!

I'm currently shopping around for my first Subaru, and came across this 05 GT with very low mileage. I was pretty skeptical at first, as I've owned some 10 year old cars, and was not looking to get a clunky beater. Also concerning was that there were some performance modifications, but nothing that was visually off-putting at least.

I took the car for a test drive, and it was in great shape! Paint looked good, not great, but I couldn't see a spot of rust on it (checked under the wheel-wells). Steering felt great, brakes were decent (new rotors and pads), suspension was stock and felt nice, no clunks or anything (well the doors felt 10 years old). The clutch is stock, but held firm, smooth on engagement, and didn't slip. Engine was powerful and smooth, but loud (Cobb AP v2 @ stage 2* + intake, Invidia up-pipe/down-pipe/exhaust).

I had done my research and was glad to know that the banjo bolt screens had been cleaned in the past 30,000 miles, and that they were not clogged up when removed. Pretty much all the exhaust has been replaced with Invidia components, so there's no cat in the up-pipe.

Downsides, he's done the regular maintenance with a mechanic friend of his, so there's not really a paper trail. Seems to care about his car though, so I do believe that regular 4,000 mile quality synthetic oil changes were done. The current exhaust setup doesn't have any catalytic converters, so I'd have to work with his current mechanic to get the inspection cleared, and then I'd have to get a cat on the car. It's currently quite loud, but the exhaust does look nice (no coffee cans sticking out the back).

I'm going to have a mechanic take a look at the car, but am not sure if they'll be able to tell how healthy the turbo is. Any pointers to send they're way? Should I get a compression test done as well?

As far as value and price is concerned, how much would you be willing to spend on it? Between the Cobb AP and the exhaust, there's probably $600 worth (used value) of stuff installed. I feel like he's asking a bit too much for it, but I also understand that if the body and drivetrain are in great shape, there's a point where people are willing to pay for it...

Let me know if you have any questions, tips, thoughts, or advice! Been scoping out this forum for a bit and you all seem like a good group of enthusiasts.

I'm currently shopping around for my first Subaru, and came across this 05 GT with very low mileage. I was pretty skeptical at first, as I've owned some 10 year old cars, and was not looking to get a clunky beater. Also concerning was that there were some performance modifications, but nothing that was visually off-putting at least.

 

I took the car for a test drive, and it was in great shape! Paint looked good, not great, but I couldn't see a spot of rust on it (checked under the wheel-wells). Steering felt great, brakes were decent (new rotors and pads), suspension was stock and felt nice, no clunks or anything (well the doors felt 10 years old). The clutch is stock, but held firm, smooth on engagement, and didn't slip. Engine was powerful and smooth, but loud (Cobb AP v2 @ stage 1 + intake, Invidia up-pipe/down-pipe/exhaust).

 

I had done my research and was glad to know that the banjo bolt screens had been cleaned in the past 30,000 miles, and that they were not clogged up when removed. Pretty much all the exhaust has been replaced with Invidia components, so there's no cat in the up-pipe.

 

Downsides, he's done the regular maintenance with a mechanic friend of his, so there's not really a paper trail. Seems to care about his car though, so I do believe that regular 4,000 mile quality synthetic oil changes were done. The current exhaust setup doesn't have any catalytic converters, so I'd have to work with his current mechanic to get the inspection cleared, and then I'd have to get a cat on the car. It's currently quite loud, but the exhaust does look nice (no coffee cans sticking out the back).

 

I'm going to have a mechanic take a look at the car, but am not sure if they'll be able to tell how healthy the turbo is. Any pointers to send they're way? Should I get a compression test done as well?

 

As far as value and price is concerned, how much would you be willing to spend on it? Between the Cobb AP and the exhaust, there's probably $600 worth (used value) of stuff installed. I feel like he's asking a bit too much for it, but I also understand that if the body and drivetrain are in great shape, there's a point where people are willing to pay for it...

 

Let me know if you have any questions, tips, thoughts, or advice! Been scoping out this forum for a bit and you all seem like a good group of enthusiasts.

Welcome . It'll need timing belt soon, as they are due to be replaced @ 100,000 mi. If you buy the car and get this done, make sure to replace the tensioners as well. You can definitely get the price lowered for that. Also, if he has a dp, why is the car on a stage 1+ tune? . It should be on a stage 2+ tune, since that tune is for a car with an upgraded dp w/ a coob intake. I find that really strange, unless it is a stage 2+ and it was a mistype . Also, make sure the car isn't over boosting on the tune. This can cause major issues. It is especially known for cars w/ a catless dp. Is it the original turbo or has it been replaced? If you purchase the car, I recommend an OCI @ 3,000. The filters are quite tiny on these cars, but 4,000 isn't too bad (Subaru recommends an oil change @ 3,750). And with everything I have learned on this site, get the compression test done. It will definitely tell you if it's worth buying or not, since these cars are known for going through motors. Also, look into the 4th gen forums. Lots of valuable info there.

Welcome . It'll need timing belt soon, as they are due to be replaced @ 100,000 mi. If you buy the car and get this done, make sure to replace the tensioners as well. You can definitely get the price lowered for that. Also, if he has a dp, why is the car on a stage 1+ tune? . It should be on a stage 2+ tune, since that tune is for a car with an upgraded dp w/ a coob intake. I find that really strange, unless it is a stage 2+ and it was a mistype . Also, make sure the car isn't over boosting on the tune. This can cause major issues. It is especially known for cars w/ a catless dp. Is it the original turbo or has it been replaced? If you purchase the car, I recommend an OCI @ 3,000. The filters are quite tiny on these cars, but 4,000 isn't too bad (Subaru recommends an oil change @ 3,750). And with everything I have learned on this site, get the compression test done. It will definitely tell you if it's worth buying or not, since these cars are known for going through motors. Also, look into the 4th gen forums. Lots of valuable info there.

I think it's a stage 2 tune then, I was just mistaken.

How would I go abut checking the boost level for the tune? How do I find out what the boost should be, and what the boost is maxing out at?

It's the original turbo, any way to check the health of it?

He said the oil was changed every 3,500-4,000 miles, so that seems OK to me.

I will have the compression tested.

Get the timing belt job done, and honestly, a Stage 2 2005 LGT doesn't keep the clutch for too many years. Budget for a replacement soon.

Already planning on the timing belt job, and will budget for the clutch for when it goes. I'm pretty good at preserving a clutch, only time I've ever replaced one was because a throw-out bearing went. Do the throw-out bearings tend to give up easily on these cars?

Thanks again for all the help so far, much appreciated.

I think it's a stage 2 tune then, I was just mistaken.

 

How would I go abut checking the boost level for the tune? How do I find out what the boost should be, and what the boost is maxing out at?

 

It's the original turbo, any way to check the health of it?

 

He said the oil was changed every 3,500-4,000 miles, so that seems OK to me.

 

I will have the compression tested.

 

 

 

Already planning on the timing belt job, and will budget for the clutch for when it goes. I'm pretty good at preserving a clutch, only time I've ever replaced one was because a throw-out bearing went. Do the throw-out bearings tend to give up easily on these cars?

 

Thanks again for all the help so far, much appreciated.

No problem. Glad to help. It's hit or miss. For the most part, it is a common thing with these cars for the throw out bearing to go bad. The oil change intervals, I don't see a problem with that, just as long as they used good oil and kept an eye on it. For the boost, you can measure it two ways: an actual boost gauge, or get the level of boost from the AP itself. I believe it should be 16 psi (+/- .8 - 1 psi i believe). If it's a pro tune, get the dyno sheet to see what kind of boost the turbo is pushing.

Normal things to check for with Subarus

#1 DO A COMPRESSION CHECK

#2 PHYSICALLY PULL OUT THE TURBO AND INSPECT FOR SHAFT PLAY

Those two will give you a real good idea on how the car has been runing/treated. Since its an 05, i'd also replace the uppipe STAT as they come catted and have been well know to blow through right into the turbo.

GL man!

EDIT: I just saw its a aftermarket uppipe, looks like the owner did the common problems of bango bolt and up pipe. He knew what he was dealing with

A good shop should be able to jack up the car and separate the down pipe from the turbo and have a good look at what's going on inside the turbo from that vantage point.

Compression test done at the shop will tell you a lot about the health of the engine.

I don't think it's the throw out bearings that fail as much as the clutch itself in the 05. Seems the 05 clutch could handle stock power levels for many years before it gave out, but anything like a 'stage 2' power and torque output would kill the clutch prematurely.

That's why you see so many clutch threads on this forum, and so many of us have upgraded to ACT clutches and done away with the dual mass flywheel that is an OEM choice and gone Single Mass flywheel OEM part that is a stock part in a WRX. The ACT clutch and WRX flywheel upgrade combo is not as buttery smooth as an OEM clutch with a dual mass but it's way more robust in my opinion, it grabs better and holds power much better.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Couldn't get a shop to do a compression test without using AllData's 3 hr. estimate for spark plugs (which is BS).

Ended up having Innovative Tuning inspect the car. They found oil near the turbo, and oil on the way to the intercooler, so we stopped the buying process. Seller's going to look into replacing the turbo ASAP, and wasn't interested in my offer of knocking $2,000 off the price if the compression/leakdown came back OK.

Might take another look in the future, but not going to happen for now.