Good Donor ?

[Stickshift84]

Hi everyone. I have remained mostly silent on this board but have been following the 818 since the begininning. I have sat back and enjoyed everything I have seen so far and am extremely excited to see what the final design will look like. I like many on here plan to order a kit as soon as it becomes available. I have recently been looking for a good donor and found something that seems ideal to me but I would like to discuss it as I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to Subarus.

Donor found:
2006 WRX wagon w/ 18k miles
Salvage title, never been certified but mostly repaired (new panels and painted).
Left front corner impact, hood, bumper, fender, doors damaged. No damage to motor

I looked at this car yesterday and found a few things that I was not sure of. The TOB is squeeking and the clutch does not seem to be engaging properly (car bucks at low rpm/shutters). The engine sounds fine but the owner is reporting that it is not achieving full boost. Not sure of modifications to the engine at this point. The owner also replaced the computer (done at dealership) due to issues after he first bought it. Does any of this sound like a deal breaker?

Another question; Does anyone know if there are issues when trying to register a kit car if a salvage car was used for the build? Are sales taxes or aything similar required when purchasing a salvage car? I am in RI.

Last question; What would something like this be worth. The owner is asking $7500.

[Etos]

Offer 4k and meet somewhere in the middle.

He's never going to get 7.5k for a car that still has a salvage title. The car bucking could be a damaged trans? Look under the car for any leaks coming from the trans where the CVs are. If you can get the wheels off the ground check the ball joints/bearings by trying to shimmy the wheels. If he's not getting full boost it could be an intake line is loose and running lean. How does he confirm it's not running full boost? Boost gauge?

[Stickshift84]

A damaged trans was definitely a concern of mine. It was hard to see well enough under the car and the owner did not have a jack available. Everything in the left front suspension was replaced with new parts. A quick drive around his neigborhood was where I noticed the other issues. The owner was talking boost with a boost gage that was installed. The gage appeared to be hooked up poorly so i am not sure if it was reading accurately or not. Also the factory blow off valve appeared modified (never seen anything like it). I did figure the 5-6k range would be a decent figure for this car. I just don't want to buy something that will end up a headache.

[skullandbones]

I offer this just because I have done it several times, esp. when I was not familiar with the particular technology. I took a mechanic who was very familiar with the type of car I wanted. I got one of my best deals when the guy gave thumbs up on the BMW 325i. I was really not sure about several itmes but after taking his advise, I was not disappointed in what I got. But the one you are looking at now seems a little too ify for me. It would have to be a really good price. He's asking way too much. IMO. WEK.

[Stickshift84]

Link to get a better idea.

http://providence.craigslist.org/cto/2936597576.html

[papajon1000]

The throw out bearings in certain year 5 speeds have been known to eat up the snout on the input shaft. There is a kit available to correct this ( http://www.fredbeansparts.com/index.php/subaru-legacy-gt-tranquil-tsk3-sleve-kit.html ). I have done it and it turned out well. I will be definitely be installing it prior to putting the engine and tranny in the car as a preventative measure.

As for the clutch issue it sounds like the clutch is potentially chattering. Chattering can be a results of hot spots on the flywheel which could be indicative of hard launches/slipping clutch. But since I have not driven it I can't be sure.

If you can pick it up for a good deal, I would say go for it. Use the fact that you will need to replace the throw out bearing and clutch to negotiate a lower price.

Registration of a salvaged car (at least in MN) was pretty straightforward. MAKE sure you get and keep every receipt he has of things he bought. That is what I needed to make sure I didn't use any stolen car parts on my car.

GL

Jon