Possibly buying a '95 L Wagon--Tips / Advice?

I'm thinking about going to take a look at a '95 wagon with 140k miles. The car appears to have head gasket issues--not really a big deal since I won't be in a rush and could just pull the motor and get things sorted.

I'm sure info is here and I'll start reading up, but I don't think I'll have the time to really learn everything about 2nd gens--anyone wanna give me a quick run down of other things that I should look for on the car?

Asking price is $995, but I'm hoping to get it for closer to $500. Honestly I don't really think I can lose either way, but I'd prefer to wrap my head around all the major issues up front if I can so I can know if I'm getting into a fixer-upper or a part out.

Thanks!

HG issues with the EJ22E seems unlikely

look for the notorious rust spot behind the rear tire well

if you ever do anything electrical, 95 is the unicorn year as far as wiring goes, it's different than both the first gen and the rest of the 96-99 second gens

Thanks Zeus. I thought HG issues were fairly common with most of the phase 1 engines...?

I'll check for the rust spot, thanks. Electrical unicorn...ummm, yuck. lol.

the issue with HGs started with the EJ25 motors that came in the outbacks and GTs in gen 2,

good news is, the 95's 22e is essentially 'bulletproof', non-interference and such (i still managed to crack a piston somehow!) also with 140k, its just a baby! ha

and the 22e heads are also dual-port

Cool. What's not cool though is that the car is apparently overheating. The owner is assuming head gaskets and maybe that's the case, maybe not.

fingers crossed for air in the coolant

the car is now 18 years old.
it would not be surprising for it to have a partially clogged radiator.
nor would it be impossiblr for it to have a bad head gasket.
but as mentioned it is not common .
so do your investigation before you assume anything.

regarding what else to look for.....

torque bind, drive it in slow tight circles with little gas pedal. it should drive smooth. if it binds, shutters, jumps, it could be an expensive $1000 repair on the rear of the trans or it could be mismatched tires.

make sure the rear section of the drive shaft is in place.

torn CV boots.

wheel bearing, listen for a wah,wah,wah, noise when driving at speed and worse when turning / swerving one way more than the other.

tires should all be the same brand, size, tread pattern, and tread wear. if not you will have to buy a complete set. tires need to be within 1/4 inch in circumference of each other to keep the AWD system happy.

loi leaks, these engines leak oil as they get old. but all the leaks (valve covers, cam seals, crank seal, oil pump) are repairable with the engine in the car except the one on the rear of the block. (NOT the rear main seal. those rarely fail.) there is a plastic cover on the rear of the block that leaks. the fix is a new cover and screws that cost about $35 at the dealer, and a tube of RTV Ultra Gray sealant.

the front seals are usually done with the timing belt.

the 95 ej22 engine is a non-interference engine.


good luck.

Originally Posted by BarManBean

Cool. What's not cool though is that the car is apparently overheating. The owner is assuming head gaskets and maybe that's the case, maybe not.

i have a 95 L wagon as well. it was overheating bad when i first got it, but it turned out to be air pockets. i think id check and bleed the cooling system one last time before i thought HG. i love the wagon, its a very fun car to drive. totally different experience than my 96 GT. as for other things to look out for, i cant really think of any majors, since mine is an AZ car, no rust. the suspension is probably the second thing id look at tho, i got mine at 140k and it is pretty bad.

Thanks guys. I'm gonna let it sit for a couple of days and if they still have it towards the end of this week (before the weekend), I might try to swoop in a pick it up.

I'll definitely hope for the best in terms or air pockets or something similar!

I see Torque Bind was already mentioned. I am experiencing that issue myself. The fuel filler neck has a bad tendency to corrode. Just remove the plastic guard and clean all the dirt out and see how bad it is rusted up.

I sure do love my 95 L.

I as well.. I've had 3 95s

I love my 95 L too the water pump seized and it kept on going till it broke the pulleys. The funny thing about it was the gauge didn't move past the middle till I saw a little smoke from the front of my hood.

Haven't been able to make it over to look at it, gonna try this weekend me thinks--will just head over there with cash in my pocket. If it's meant to be it's meant to be, lol

I would sell you mine if you were closer, shipping it would be expensive..I love mine too but I want to put my wife in this 2000 l that I'm repairing and build my first gen up for abuse.