Buying Subaru Forester with bad engine - question

[pacem]

Looked at this 2000 Forester, 97000 miles, has a burnt valve in the motor, the heads are off. It needs an engine. The asking price is $1400, is that reasonable? The owner seemed on the up and up and fully disclosed that it needs rack and pinion in addition to the engine. AC works, so does heat. The interior is plain of course but looks ok, especially in the back. The outside is dirty but seems in good shape also. I have a good 2.5L with about the same mileage on it, 90K. Second question, how much should I expect to pay to have the engine installed into it? Let's assume $1000 to install the engine and timing belt and water pump and stuff so I will have $2400 into the car at that point, a good deal for a 2000 Forester with 97000 miles? I looked on Ebay and as one data point they had a 2000 Forester go for $6000 with about 50K miles on it. Seems like with a good engine, it's worth $3500 maybe. Thoughts? The car has been sitting for a month, he said. The stuff from the top of the engine is here:

 

[Rand]

its basically scrap at this point and nothing is cheap on subarus

 

[AntsinmyEyes]

If it needs an engine then 1400 dollars is too much for an 17 year old 100k mile car . I'd offer $500 at the most

 

[JamesBond]

No one will buy it at $1400 in that condition, and neither would I. You can't verify the condition of the transmission, suspension, a/c on a non running car. Not many people in the market for 17 year old cars will take the chance on a project like this unless they're a mechanic and a Subaru fan. Sell this guy your engine, let him fix it.

 

[dishdude]

I wouldn't take it if it were free. It's 17 years old and has zero value, labor to install your engine and the new rack exceed the value...then there is the unknown.

 

[pacem]

The owner said he will sell it to me and if I don't buy it, will keep it and deleted the posting as a matter of fact. So I think I have a shot at it, I told him I would get back to him by noon. He seemed OK. I have a parts car. I think when all said and done, it will run at least $2500-3000 and you can buy a functional car in that condition without downtime.

 

[Kool1]

I bought a basket case car many years ago. It was a hotrod Nova that I put in a small block V8 and a 4 speed transmission. I remember running to the auto parts store many times to get parts, going to the wrecking yards to get parts I needed and spending countless hours in the garage. I finished the car and drove it for a few months before I sold it. Never again would I do it again and I never again did it.

 

[OneEyeJack]

You have to consider it scrap. If you buy it and fix it you can then think about what you might have saved. Until then it's scrap. As stated before, offer $500 cash right now and then if not accepted, walk. Remember, a valve does not usually burn all by itself without other valves getting ready to follow and other as yet undiagnosed problems. And remember, if you rebuild the engine, take care of everything else while investing a lot of cash, it will still be no more valuable than any other similar vehicle of the same name and similar mileage.

 

[pacem]

I have a low mileage 2.5L engine from a wrecked car I have, and many other parts. I don't know what it's value is, $500? Install is $1000 plus/minus. Look at the heads, timing belt, water pump, other stuff. 1400 for the car and my total cost looks around $3000. I can probably buy an identical one for the same and don't have to worry about misc things not working. The pic of it seems to be from a few months ago, in actuality, it looks more sad sitting there for a while.

 

[FirstNissan]

I just looked into a project car like this one in December. Engine install was estimated at 1500, rack and pinion 1000, timing belt/water pump 800. You can't verify the transmission either. I personally would offer 500 and part it out for a profit, it isn't worth piecing together. Resale once fixed maybe around 3500 max.

 

[3800Series]

I would avoid it, personally I would never go after any vehicle that has had a major failure. Best case you get a new engine and it works out flawlessly it can be a lot worse tho. Just not worth the time or effort to fix that vehicle. Nothing against it but I have yet to know one person who has went into a job like this and saved money. Odd's are there is more damage then what appears to be that always seems the case.

 

[pacem]

all good points. it's not a desirable car, it's 17 years old. Maybe something newer, more desirable, but this is plain "L" variant. I doubt it will sell for $3500 even fixed. The market is flooded with those Subarus.

 

[BrocLuno]

17 years old does not bother me. I have running 47 year old vehicles that work for a living. But the question that comes to my mind is why? What do you want this thing to do? Do you have a job for it and need to get into an AWD car cheap? What if you sold your engine for $500 and just went looking for a car?

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: pacem

all good points. it's not a desirable car, it's 17 years old. Maybe something newer, more desirable, but this is plain "L" variant. I doubt it will sell for $3500 even fixed. The market is flooded with those Subarus.

Exactly. If this were a classic or collectible car, it would be worth the risk and fun as a hobby. It's a 17 year old stripped down grocery getter that someone put aftermarket wheels on. Even if it ran correctly no one would want it.

 

[RooflessVW]

If you're not doing the work yourself it doesn't make any fiscal sense. The rest of the car is probably ragged out as well. I wonder why a car with Neon SRT wheels needs all that work done...

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW

If you're not doing the work yourself it doesn't make any fiscal sense. The rest of the car is probably ragged out as well. I wonder why a car with Neon SRT wheels needs all that work done...

Thank you! I knew I recognized those wheels.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW

If you're not doing the work yourself it doesn't make any fiscal sense. The rest of the car is probably ragged out as well. I wonder why a car with Neon SRT wheels needs all that work done...

+1. Save yourself the headache.

 

[rshaw125]

Any decent machine shop can repair the head for a few hundred dollars. I had a Taurus that the engine had a bad valve. $200, Running like a top when I sold it.

 

[skyactiv]

The right fender is dented as is the right rear passenger door. Even if the body was perfect, that car is only worth what a salvage yard would pay for it. How would you like to do all the work getting it running to find out that the car drives, but the AWD is worthless because a previous owner ruined the center diff mixing tires on it who knows how long ago?

 

[pacem]

It wasn't a head, it was a burnt valve, something more serious. The owner told me he was quoted 2500 for the job or such. You know, Wash DC auto repair rates.