[CoasterMB]

New here, longtime Miata and Toyota person. Found a 98 Forester "with early signs of rod knock", otherwise a very nice car w/ 170k on 2nd engine. All this as per owner as I won't see it till next week. A bit of research tells me these engines are prone to rod knocks and head gasket issues. And from what I gather not the easiest engine to work on or pull. I am well equipped and very mechanical, yet I wonder if this is worth bothering with. I know some cars aren't worth it for free. Opinions? Sorry no photos but car is Red, not leather seats, auto trans, AWD. My previous experience was decades ago with an indestructible 1982 AWD Subaru manual wagon which ran forever and put up with terrible roads with no problems.

 

[cdherman]

If you can get it for free, +/- a couple $, then its worth the trouble. How much do you value your time? Do you enjoy learning new stuff? Do you enjoy overcoming challenges?

The basic vehicle on Subarus is often pretty solid. They don't usually rust out before other stuff fails. The problem is "other stuff"...

Perhaps most importantly, can you pull an engine? Have an engine hoist or equivalent? Because if they are admitting to an "early rod knock" that probably means you need a new engine or rebuilt or used replacement in about 7 days..........

All depends. But, remember this, you can put hours, days, weeks into a 98 Foz and it will never be worth over a couple grand, even if you basically restore it. You will put work in this vehicle for YOUR enjoyment. Don't expect to make a buck.