Possible buying '97 LSi

BadDog · 07-11-2001, 08:36 PM

Well it looks like I may be getting a decent deal on a '97 SVX LSi with 45,000 miles on it... the brakes and tires have been replaced, and the car's been aligned, I'm going to go check it out Saturday.
I've looked at a few SVX sites, and it looks like the major problem areas are transmission cooling, brake rotors, and wheel bearings.
I don't have much time to do my research, and I have an Impreza RS 2.5 (my wife drives it now, she couldn't stand her new Accord anymore, so I'm trading it in for something for me), so I figured I'd post here.
Are there any other things I should look for? I plan to take an extended test-drive, and ask them to put it up on a lift so I can check it out. Are the '97s less prone to the above known major problems? Or were there just too few '97s sold (640) to know for sure?

Thanks All

nuburu2 · 07-12-2001, 12:34 AM

BadDog, Take a look here and try some of the links. I recall reading an extensive year to year upgrade and review but can't locate it right now. As I recall most of the SVX's foibles were pretty well addressed by MY97, but I would still look over the tranny operation real close and consider a trans cooler asap.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru_svx_for_sale.html
As the last year of production the car may prove valuable in future years, but my guess is they'll have to pry your dead fingers from the wheel!

Glenn O SVX Lover!

BadDog · 07-12-2001, 09:25 AM

Thanks Glenn, I think I've already read what you're referring to, and that was my conclusion as well that by '97 most of the major problems were worked out...
Yes, I plan to feel the tranny out thoroughly.... watch for clunking when going into reverse, delayed shifts, etc...
Hopefully the previous owner drove it in a "mature" manner, and didn't get rid of it because of a major (i.e. expen$ive) problem developing somewhere beneath the surface... unfortunately, I'll probably never know for sure, because the dealer bought it at auction... hopefully that just means that the dealer who took it as a trade didn't know what a rare car they had... CarFax only showed that the car was titled in Cleveland in '97, and renewed in '99...

BadDog · 07-12-2001, 09:28 AM

Vern: LOL, that's why my wife is driving my Impreza RS 2.5 now and I'm stuck with her accord that I'm trading in on the SVX... I'd let her borrow it once in a while, only to have her complain "It's not fair that you get to drive that Subaru and I'm stuck with the Honda"... I got tired of hearing it, so I let her take my car, and decided to find something nice/used for myself, with a little more luxury than we could otherwise afford. I was searching for used bimmers and Audis, when I tripped over the SVX for sale... I'm not saying where it is, though LOL!

BadDog · 07-12-2001, 12:16 PM

I might be able to sidestep that issue... you see the Impreza is a stick shift, and that's what she likes to drive... luckily the SVX is an auto!

BadDog · 07-13-2001, 10:51 AM

I've got an uneasy feeling now... when I mentioned to the salesman this morning that the make-or-break point of this sale (assuming it's in as good condition as he's saying) would be the tranny, he said he talked to the tech prepping it and the tech said to keep in mind that the tranny is computer controlled and that I might mistake the computer's actions in trying to smooth out shifting as "slip" in the tranny....

BadDog · 07-13-2001, 03:19 PM

"Resistor mod" ? I don't remember seeing that one anywhere... what do you do and what effect does it have?

*edit* OK, I should've done a quick search before opening my mouth, but I haven't had much luck with the new forum software's search function.

So it appears that this is a mod to make the tranny shift faster/harder?

glenstiles · 07-14-2001, 02:26 AM

This brings back memories... I did a bunch of tests on different resisistance values, etc. Its in the SVX forum archives, I believe. The resistor mod gives full line pressure for the tranny shifts. Its like a shift kit. Yes, it works quite well, been running it for months now and I'm not going back to the soft shifts. No way. Shifts faster, no hesitation. And as noted, its reversible.

Glen

BadDog · 07-14-2001, 01:30 PM

Hmmm sounds interesting

Well I woke up this morning at 5 am and drove out to check out the car. I was NOT disspaointed at all. Except for the inevitable paint chips in the hood, the car was immaculate. No curb rash, no dings, the leather seats looked great... and I didn't know the doors and dashboard had suede?!?! It was very clean, the only clue to it's use was a little fuzziness in the suede where the driver's elbow rests. The tranny felt great, the fluid was clean and didn't smell at all. It drove like it was brand new.
But I think some lurkers here Looking To Buy an SVX may have tracked it down from my posts

. Seems that the dealer received at least 2 e-mails from potential buyers. It's not there policy to "hold" cars, but I already had my financing and insurance lined up, and was the first person to contact it about it, so they gave me until 11am to show up/sign before the entertained other offers. They opened at 9, I was there at 7:22am

Needless to say its mine all mine, and I'm picking it up Monday

glenstiles · 07-14-2001, 07:00 PM

BadDog, congrats on your SVX. You are gonna love it.

Glen

BadDog · 07-16-2001, 08:43 AM

Thanks!

07-11-2001, 08:36 PM	#1
BadDog Scooby Newbie Member#: 3725 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oswego, NY Vehicle: 2015 WRX / 1973 240Z Triple Black	Possible buying '97 LSi Well it looks like I may be getting a decent deal on a '97 SVX LSi with 45,000 miles on it... the brakes and tires have been replaced, and the car's been aligned, I'm going to go check it out Saturday. I've looked at a few SVX sites, and it looks like the major problem areas are transmission cooling, brake rotors, and wheel bearings. I don't have much time to do my research, and I have an Impreza RS 2.5 (my wife drives it now, she couldn't stand her new Accord anymore, so I'm trading it in for something for me), so I figured I'd post here. Are there any other things I should look for? I plan to take an extended test-drive, and ask them to put it up on a lift so I can check it out. Are the '97s less prone to the above known major problems? Or were there just too few '97s sold (640) to know for sure? Thanks All

07-13-2001, 03:19 PM	#7
BadDog Scooby Newbie Member#: 3725 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oswego, NY Vehicle: 2015 WRX / 1973 240Z Triple Black	"Resistor mod" ? I don't remember seeing that one anywhere... what do you do and what effect does it have? edit OK, I should've done a quick search before opening my mouth, but I haven't had much luck with the new forum software's search function. So it appears that this is a mod to make the tranny shift faster/harder? Last edited by BadDog; 07-13-2001 at 03:25 PM.

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07-12-2001, 12:34 AM	#2
nuburu2 Scooby Specialist Member#: 2609 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Roseville, Ca, USA Vehicle: 98 BK-GT White '97 SVX Ebony Pearl	BadDog, Take a look here and try some of the links. I recall reading an extensive year to year upgrade and review but can't locate it right now. As I recall most of the SVX's foibles were pretty well addressed by MY97, but I would still look over the tranny operation real close and consider a trans cooler asap. http://www.cars101.com/subaru_svx_for_sale.html As the last year of production the car may prove valuable in future years, but my guess is they'll have to pry your dead fingers from the wheel! Glenn O SVX Lover!

07-12-2001, 09:25 AM	#3
BadDog Scooby Newbie Member#: 3725 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oswego, NY Vehicle: 2015 WRX / 1973 240Z Triple Black	Thanks Glenn, I think I've already read what you're referring to, and that was my conclusion as well that by '97 most of the major problems were worked out... Yes, I plan to feel the tranny out thoroughly.... watch for clunking when going into reverse, delayed shifts, etc... Hopefully the previous owner drove it in a "mature" manner, and didn't get rid of it because of a major (i.e. expen$ive) problem developing somewhere beneath the surface... unfortunately, I'll probably never know for sure, because the dealer bought it at auction... hopefully that just means that the dealer who took it as a trade didn't know what a rare car they had... CarFax only showed that the car was titled in Cleveland in '97, and renewed in '99...

07-12-2001, 09:28 AM	#4
BadDog Scooby Newbie Member#: 3725 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oswego, NY Vehicle: 2015 WRX / 1973 240Z Triple Black	Vern: LOL, that's why my wife is driving my Impreza RS 2.5 now and I'm stuck with her accord that I'm trading in on the SVX... I'd let her borrow it once in a while, only to have her complain "It's not fair that you get to drive that Subaru and I'm stuck with the Honda"... I got tired of hearing it, so I let her take my car, and decided to find something nice/used for myself, with a little more luxury than we could otherwise afford. I was searching for used bimmers and Audis, when I tripped over the SVX for sale... I'm not saying where it is, though LOL!

07-12-2001, 12:16 PM	#5
BadDog Scooby Newbie Member#: 3725 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oswego, NY Vehicle: 2015 WRX / 1973 240Z Triple Black	I might be able to sidestep that issue... you see the Impreza is a stick shift, and that's what she likes to drive... luckily the SVX is an auto!

07-13-2001, 10:51 AM	#6
BadDog Scooby Newbie Member#: 3725 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oswego, NY Vehicle: 2015 WRX / 1973 240Z Triple Black	I've got an uneasy feeling now... when I mentioned to the salesman this morning that the make-or-break point of this sale (assuming it's in as good condition as he's saying) would be the tranny, he said he talked to the tech prepping it and the tech said to keep in mind that the tranny is computer controlled and that I might mistake the computer's actions in trying to smooth out shifting as "slip" in the tranny....

07-14-2001, 02:26 AM	#8
glenstiles Scooby Newbie Member#: 2827 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Woodland, CA Vehicle: 2002 WRX wagon Silver, baby, silver	This brings back memories... I did a bunch of tests on different resisistance values, etc. Its in the SVX forum archives, I believe. The resistor mod gives full line pressure for the tranny shifts. Its like a shift kit. Yes, it works quite well, been running it for months now and I'm not going back to the soft shifts. No way. Shifts faster, no hesitation. And as noted, its reversible. Glen

07-14-2001, 01:30 PM	#9
BadDog Scooby Newbie Member#: 3725 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oswego, NY Vehicle: 2015 WRX / 1973 240Z Triple Black	Hmmm sounds interesting Well I woke up this morning at 5 am and drove out to check out the car. I was NOT disspaointed at all. Except for the inevitable paint chips in the hood, the car was immaculate. No curb rash, no dings, the leather seats looked great... and I didn't know the doors and dashboard had suede?!?! It was very clean, the only clue to it's use was a little fuzziness in the suede where the driver's elbow rests. The tranny felt great, the fluid was clean and didn't smell at all. It drove like it was brand new. But I think some lurkers here Looking To Buy an SVX may have tracked it down from my posts . Seems that the dealer received at least 2 e-mails from potential buyers. It's not there policy to "hold" cars, but I already had my financing and insurance lined up, and was the first person to contact it about it, so they gave me until 11am to show up/sign before the entertained other offers. They opened at 9, I was there at 7:22am Needless to say its mine all mine, and I'm picking it up Monday

07-14-2001, 07:00 PM	#10
glenstiles Scooby Newbie Member#: 2827 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Woodland, CA Vehicle: 2002 WRX wagon Silver, baby, silver	BadDog, congrats on your SVX. You are gonna love it. Glen

07-16-2001, 08:43 AM	#11
BadDog Scooby Newbie Member#: 3725 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oswego, NY Vehicle: 2015 WRX / 1973 240Z Triple Black	Thanks!