Buying a SVX what should I look for?

[pittkid333]

I just found a SVX for the price that I wanted to spend...What are some of the things that I should check out on it mechanically?
Thanks

edit: its a 92 w/ 99500

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[lo-buck]

make sure the wheelberrings are in good shape. there prown to go on that car. also, make sure the trans is in good shape. there ok, but if they ever overheat there toast. im sure some svx owners can give you more info. paisan, chime in any time.

-tbg

[jetfan8178]

"Buying a SVX what should I look for? "

A different car.

SVX prone too...

Bad outer CV's, Bad drivesghaft bearing, Bad wheel bearings, Bad trannies, Leaky rear main seals, Power window motors, Bower motors, Rear struts, Window seals can be leaky as well as rusty sunroofs and seals for the roof.

These cars are the most prone to problems of any subaru.Buyer beware.The wholesale value of a car tells a story.

I guess thats why they slapped a bigger less efficient engine in them and only sent them to the US.

Stupid Americans.

[Paisan]

Ok a few items of interest...

They were sold worldwide.

The major problems:

ATs if not taken care of can be prone to problems, check the fluid make sure it's not burnt. Worst case since you are getting a '92 you can get a FACTORY replacement for $2300 from SOA for it if need be.

Wheel bearings are an issue, but that is the same as the problems they had with the 90s subies, the factory manuals overstate the torque on them so when people had them replaced the replacement ones were over torqued and therefore failed.

Other than that they are AWSOME. I have a '92 that I picked up at 70K little old lady miles (literally it was my aunt who turned 70 a month after I bought it from her) The '92s top speed is 155mph, 230hp/230lbs torque. They are one of the best grand touring cars out there and until the STi gets here they had the most torque and hp of any USDM Subaru.

PM or IM or E-mail me and we can chat about SVXs etc. I have the '92 factory manuals (all 8 of em) Also if you want me to take a look at the one you are buying I can probably arrange that.

-mike

[Cosworth]

Originally posted by Paisan
The '92s top speed is 155mph, 230hp/230lbs torque. They are one of the best grand touring cars out there and until the STi gets here they had the most torque and hp of any USDM Subaru.

Sounds like a rap video--a laundry list of some sketchy info contrived only to promote, ensnare and manipulate...

Even if the early ones had no specific speed governer, its questionable whether it had the power to overcome the parasidic drag of the wind resistance and that auto tranny with its mediocre power and *heavy* curb weight. You conveniently left out that it weighs nearly 3600 lbs. The CD does look fairly low, but .29 (which you probable revel in that it bests the impreza's since you despise them so) was not enough to save it from "lethargic" performance numbers. With an average of high 7 second 0-60's and high 15 second 1/4 mile times means it gets lost in the sea of performance sub-mediocrity. Add to that that the only tranny is an auto and its sportyness factory drops down from being any interactivity to merely an eye-catcher.

To say that it can be lumped in with serious grand tourer's like BMW, JAG, Aston and so forth is a joke. The only person you are fooling is yourself with that one...

Since we are on the topic of cursory data (and thats always important when you want to put a spin on things) so while it may have had exactly 3 more HP than subaru's next finest US offering, it just couldn't seem to post the performance numbers...

I wonder why this supposed porsche-killer never climbed to the top of the STi rung?? being that it had just massive amounts of hp and torque? the deal is that it was all show and no go. Some folks like them just because they are different. nothing more, nothing less. Thats all they really offered. Not really a hardcore performance machine for those looking for such. Those examples were to be had elsewhere, even in Subaru's own lines (ie. legacy b4 and impreza sti).

[Paisan]

See you at the road course Cosworth.... At LRP there were a few Supercharged Integras that were miffed by the fact that the SVX kept bearing down on them @ every turn.

The car is not a sports car, never claimed to be. But it is however a Grand Touring Car, obviously it's not a BMW, Jag or other >$50K car.

-mike

[RidinLow]

In an old C&D comparo test, the SVX came in behind the BMW 325is and Lexus SC300, mostly for its heaviness, lack of performance, and lack of prestige.

Because of that, it's a good buy today and a neat car.

[pittkid333]

What the car was going to be used for was a commuter that I could auto-x...But I drove it last night and I think it would just be a commuter so my wrx wont have as many door dings ...The car is cheap but my old man is going to talk to the guy (it was traded in at his lot) and see what problems, if any, he had. Because all the extra money I have would be used to buy the car...So if the tranny goes I'm s.o.l. ... Is there any sites out there just for SVX's?
Thanks

[Paisan]

Definitely not an auto-x car, although in the event I ran last year it kept up with stock WRXs (stock v. stock) The tranny would probably not last long that way though.

Here is a link to the SVX board: http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/

-mike

[N'CTRL]

Originally posted by Paisan
Definitely not an auto-x car, although in the event I ran last year it kept up with stock WRXs (stock v. stock) The tranny would probably not last long that way though.

Here is a link to the SVX board: http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/

-mike

SP5000's aren't stock. Also, as for auto-x, I disagree that these car shouldn't be auto-xed. If the car does one thing good, it does it awesome. The SVX pulled .92g's on the skid pad in a Motor Trend test, that's a very high number for a car that weighs as much as an SVX.

For reference, the WRX pulles .84g's.

Mike~~

[Paisan]

Originally posted by N'CTRL


SP5000's aren't stock.

FYI: When I auto-xed it had Yokohama Summer tires in stock size on it.

-mike

[RidinLow]

Which is even less stock.

Put me in a WRX & you in a SVX & we'll see who wins.

[Paisan]

Bring it on Ridin-low, stock to stock on a nice tight Auto-x

-mike

[RidinLow]

Mad tight, yo!

Anybody got a stock SVX & WRX we can borrow?

[Paisan]

Mine is stock. So we just need a stock WRX.

-mike

[Cosworth]

Originally posted by Paisan
See you at the road course Cosworth.... At LRP there were a few Supercharged Integras that were miffed by the fact that the SVX kept bearing down on them @ every turn.

The car is not a sports car, never claimed to be. But it is however a Grand Touring Car, obviously it's not a BMW, Jag or other >$50K car.

-mike

I just don't believe anything you say anymore. Everything seems to have some sort of misleading slant to it. You never give a straight answer... everything is rooted is some sort of personal gain issue. you conveniently omitted the stock tire issue discussed below. you talk about some honda you raced down but neglect the obvious issues of thier state of vehicle preparation and driver skill. then you lump it in a category of GT cars? Please, for our clarity and ignorance, define and cite examples of the Grand Touring category of vehicles so we may better understand where the dominant SVX lies.

[Dealer Xing]

No one said this car is intended to be a hardcore race car.

you should compare it against cars like SC400, 3000GT, Jaguar Coupe, etc........ or cars with AWD, 230+HP, costs only a few thousand dollars in the used car market.(if you can name one)

Originally posted by Cosworth


Sounds like a rap video--a laundry list of some sketchy info contrived only to promote, ensnare and manipulate...

Even if the early ones had no specific speed governer, its questionable whether it had the power to overcome the parasidic drag of the wind resistance and that auto tranny with its mediocre power and *heavy* curb weight. You conveniently left out that it weighs nearly 3600 lbs. The CD does look fairly low, but .29 (which you probable revel in that it bests the impreza's since you despise them so) was not enough to save it from "lethargic" performance numbers. With an average of high 7 second 0-60's and high 15 second 1/4 mile times means it gets lost in the sea of performance sub-mediocrity. Add to that that the only tranny is an auto and its sportyness factory drops down from being any interactivity to merely an eye-catcher.

To say that it can be lumped in with serious grand tourer's like BMW, JAG, Aston and so forth is a joke. The only person you are fooling is yourself with that one...

Since we are on the topic of cursory data (and thats always important when you want to put a spin on things) so while it may have had exactly 3 more HP than subaru's next finest US offering, it just couldn't seem to post the performance numbers...

I wonder why this supposed porsche-killer never climbed to the top of the STi rung?? being that it had just massive amounts of hp and torque? the deal is that it was all show and no go. Some folks like them just because they are different. nothing more, nothing less. Thats all they really offered. Not really a hardcore performance machine for those looking for such. Those examples were to be had elsewhere, even in Subaru's own lines (ie. legacy b4 and impreza sti).

[drifterx]

brakes!!!

ignition coils!!

my girlfriend used to have 94 and just before she sold it she had to replace the coils and they were pretty expensive to replace well labor at least. i guess the tend to go out around the same time so the last 3 months she had it every month she had half of them.

[Paisan]

Originally posted by Cosworth



I just don't believe anything you say anymore. Everything seems to have some sort of misleading slant to it. You never give a straight answer... everything is rooted is some sort of personal gain issue. you conveniently omitted the stock tire issue discussed below. you talk about some honda you raced down but neglect the obvious issues of thier state of vehicle preparation and driver skill. then you lump it in a category of GT cars? Please, for our clarity and ignorance, define and cite examples of the Grand Touring category of vehicles so we may better understand where the dominant SVX lies.

What are you talking about????

My car is 100% stock, except for 245-45-16 Dunlop SP5000 tires v. 225-50-16 tires that are the std. size.

When I was at LRP the car even had the stock sized tires. Here is the quote from honda-tech from the guy in the Integra
"That Suburu SVX shocked the hell out of me. I always thought those cars were pigs, but that one was bone stock and taking the corners about as fast as I was.
In my heart, I'm going to have to believe that that driver was doing a better job than I was. I mean damn! I had an 800 pound advantage AND some extra HP."

Link is here http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=330932

-mike

[jetfan8178]

Its the same as always on this forum.

People boast what they own as the best.

I have a RS. It sucks and is slower than a overweight snail in a pit of quicksand, But with the right driver in it, it will keep up with many different cars on a road coarse.

Everyone buys a certain car for certaqin reasons.

Some people choose based on quality, performance and potential.

Others choose based on the need and craving to be different.

I saw many SVX's come thru Planet Honda when I worked there over a 5 year span.They were never reliable and we wholesaled wevery single one. The dealer wanted nothing to do with them.

[RidinLow]

Where are the moderators??? Let's get this thread back on track!

[jetfan8178]

Originally posted by Paisan


What are you talking about????

My car is 100% stock, except for 245-45-16 Dunlop SP5000 tires v. 225-50-16 tires that are the std. size. The car I ran down @ LRP was a car that was also at the track for racing purposes, his car was supercharged with =HP to the SVX but lighter.

-mike

I thought you had brake rotors and pads as well?

And tints

[Paisan]

Rotors are stock size (slotted).
Pads are Axxis Metalmaster Pads (semi-metalic streed pads) (Not Hawk Blues or even EBC Greenstuffs).
oh and I have Stainless Steel Brake lines instead of rubber.
and an ATF Cooler.
And I put in 94 Octane Sunoco Fuel (which isn't stock, it only requires 91 Octane)
And the radio was switched to a single din model rather than the stock double DIN.
And I put in Mobile 1 Synthetic Oil, which isn't stock.
Oh and I have a K40 CB Antenna which wasn't stock.

-mike

[jetfan8178]

Originally posted by Paisan
Rotors are stock size (slotted).
Pads are Axxis Metalmaster Pads (semi-metalic streed pads) (Not Hawk Blues or even EBC Greenstuffs).
oh and I have Stainless Steel Brake lines instead of rubber.
and an ATF Cooler.
And I put in 94 Octane Sunoco Fuel (which isn't stock, it only requires 91 Octane)
And the radio was switched to a single din model rather than the stock double DIN.
And I put in Mobile 1 Synthetic Oil, which isn't stock.
Oh and I have a K40 CB Antenna which wasn't stock.

-mike

What about the tints.

Dont deny it, Theye are there. I saw them.

[Paisan]

Originally posted by jetfan8178


What about the tints.

Dont deny it, Theye are there. I saw them.

Damn caught me! Yes it has the ultimate weapon! Leeberbs Tint, with this your car just Zooooms!

-mike