My gf's daughter needs a cheap reliable rig, and since we have snow in southern Oregon, a subaru makes total sense.

With that in mind, have found a local 2.5 impreza wagon for sale. Car was driven daily up until recently as the car makes a very loud rotational noise when running in neutral. I looked at the oil and coolant and they looked reasonable abeit dirty and needing changed. The owner agreed to let me remove the accessory belts so i did both belts and the noise was still there, maybe about 90% still. She is asking $600 for the car (was a company car, all stock, 143k miles, clean title, needs detailed but reasonable shape and seems like a killer deal), but I dont want to get a rig that needs an engine going into winter.....could it be the timing components or water pump or oil pump? I have brief videos I could upload if it might help diagnose......thanks in advance, Jeff in so Oregon....

edit....video of the noise

It's always tough to diagnose noise through the intarwebs, but to me that does sound like it could be a bad bearing in one of the timing belt idlers or the timing belt tensioner.

It wouldn't be a huge amount of work to take off the timing belt covers and see if that helps you hear where the noise is coming from.

On the other hand, it might be easier / better to buy a nice, reliable Civic or Corolla or whatever and throw some good winter tires on it.

I would lean toward belt tensioner, as stated open up the covers and if it jumps ect then you know. I personally would ask if you can do this, sadly you need to remove the harmonic balance and then the covers and then replace the balancer and start the motor. 143k if the belt was done and not any of the idlers it can sound like that quickly. Another way for a bearing depending on you hearing is metal stick to motor block then to your ear trick... just another idea

Could be 60% the belt tensioner bearing