Subaru WRX Forum banner

Need car buying help, has this car been roughed on?

2K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  DB_VW 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys, I'm looking at a 2007 WRX with 115k miles and somethings have me curious so I though I would run it by you guys. Need to make a decision soon, all help is appreciated!
Heres the ad:
http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/4353277033.html

Looked at car, handled great, no noises or abnormalities detected, and exterior in good shape. Engine and clutch felt great. The transmission has had a brand new pressure plate and clutch put in at 115k miles. Back left door has some small waves in it. New front bumper, old bumper just had a tear in it, no frame or radiator mount damage, but it does have aftermarket radiator.

Mechanic inspection reported the following:
Small Valve cover leak
Left Axle boot is torn
Turbo looked fine (I asked him to check shaft for play, but not sure if he actually did it)
Everything else looks fine, clean plugs, but he wouldn't do a compression test even tho I asked. He said car automatically checks pressure and other bs

Our current settling price is 12.5K because these cars are difficult to find but my concerns are:
Brand new clutch parts done at 110k miles (is this young in cars life to have this work done? Was it ragged on?)
Valve cover leak. Is this another sign of normal wear and tear or heavy driving habits?
Front Bumper and radiator have been replace at different times, which could indicate an accident not listed on CarFax. Mounts and frame look good though.
Engine has been detailed, so it looks immaculate. Sometimes this can be a sign of covering something up.
Is this a fair price for this car?

Please advise as soon as possible, all feedback welcome!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Front axles are cheap. New clutch at 100k ain't bad. Clutch is the weak point, I wouldn't worry about that. Valve cover leak at that mileage is a bit worrisome depending on severity. The stock turbos hold up pretty well as long as you don't push the crap out of em, so I hear. I've seen a rex with 400k on a stock turbo. Any mods done to the car? Typically in my experience, if there's a bunch of mods, that car has been ridden like a raped ape.

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the feedback. The thing is completely stock aside from the radiator. My understanding from the mechanic is that the valve cover leak isn't bad. Its hard to tell tho since the engine was detailed recently.

My main worries are the front end damage (which appears fully repaired), the valve cover gasket, and the price we ended up settling on after realizing the minor flaws (hopefully minor).
 
#5 ·
I would be careful of the valve cover leak, i would have preffered(Personally) if the engine bay was not cleaned so you could verify how much is leaking. if it is soaked your in a bad way, if its just a spot or two you might want to offer 10,500 and tell him it is to have the Gasket repalced, See if he goes for it. ;)
 
#6 ·
He was with me when we got the car inspected. We already slightly dropped the price for the gasket replacement and he knows how much it will cost so he won't drop $2k off the price for a less than $200 fix. But I've heard mixed stories as to whether the gasket is a bad omen, I guess its hard to tell with the limited info available.
 
#8 ·
He said it was an OEM clutch and pressure plate. I found out that he had switched out the entire tranny. The newer tranny had 45k miles on it but with the new clutch and pressure plates. He said this was done due to some sort of coupler fracturing. I still saw it as a bad sign that the entire tranny was swapped on a 115k mile car.
 
#9 ·
I had almost the exact same things wrong with my 02 when I bought it. 109,000 miles with a busted axle boot, leaking valve gasket cover, and a new radiator/ front bumper. I bought mine for $6,000 from a dealer ship if that helps at all for pricing purposes. I replaced the axle boot and it's now at 135,000 miles and I've had no issues with it so far.
 
#10 ·
I'd ask a competent mechanic to estimate the cost to repair the deficiencies and set off the purchase by the cost to have these issues corrected.

Better yet, bring a mechanic to see the car which would be best.

When I bought my WRX on Autotrader, I sent the link to my mechanic and asked for their comments, which is another approach.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top