[Stevo F]

I saw a nice looking 1998 forester near where I work for a good price. I'm currently a Legacy owner, but I'm curious what should I look for in a 1st generation forester.

I'm already considering checking the coolant overflow tank for oily residue/ odor as a symptom of head gasket failure (it has 150K miles so it seems to be in that range and I'm guessing why somebody got rid of it).

If the head gaskets don't appear to be bad- anything else specific to Fozzies I should look out for?

Also, what MPG's might I expect from this vehicle. My '98 Legacy with an EJ22 ranges between 24- 27 MPG in mixed driver but I'm guessing the EJ25D won't be quite as good.

 

[fireindc]

Hey Steve, i'd check out the headgaskets and do a compression/leakdown test on the engine at the very least. Otherwise get us some pictures and we can look at the car for you.

MPG wise, i'd expect a tiny bit less than your legacy. Similar weight between the two cars, but the 22 should nail it on efficiency.

 

[Stevo F]

Thank you- Here's a link to the ad:

1998 Subaru Forester 4dr S Auto AWD 150 K MILES all power - Inventory | Manassas Auto Wholesale L.L.C. | Auto dealership in manassas, Virginia

 

[fireindc]

Looks like a pretty decent car for 3k!, and it being a forester S is very nice. I'd go check it out in person, at the very least check for the obvious HG issues and make sure to let it run for a while to see if it overheats or bubbles coolant through the overflow, etc.

 

[Stevo F]

When I run a VIN # check it indicates this is a 2.5 SOHC engine. I know that the leaking headgasket issues of the EJ25D DOHC engine are commonly to check the overflow tank for bubbles or oily film or smell. I've heard the SOHC engine had different headgasket leakage- should I focus on looking at the overflow tank or is there anything else (short of having a mechanic go over it) that I can check to see it may have headgasket issues?