automatic legacy B4 blitzen- how hard to shift on?

cantdecide

I have a provisional deal done for my mate's '00 B4 blitzen auto. It's in superb condition overall. It needs to have the gearbox reconditioned at a cost of about €1,600. He's giving it to me right enough that even still, if I parted with it, I should be up.

The question is, how much would be a respectable price for this car next year? I'm not 100% sure it's the car for me so I wouldn't wish to spend 6 months trying to get it's full market value. I know the gearbox is against it so what I mean to ask is, what is a good price for it to move it along especially considering that it's a timewaster magnet.

Viejo Zorro

Here's a crazy thought, (now I'm not a mechanic so can't offer any advice as to the practicalities) why not, instead of spending 1600 on an auto box, get a manual box and fit it?

Muckie

Maybe try the lads on this site www.isdc.ie,
if its about Subaru's they can help you.

JimmyCrackCorn!

Hard with a gearbox in bits

Good excuse to upgrade to a PPG gear set

da7a

Its not a simple as changing the gear box over to a manual as I have looked into it for my own B4. You have to get the manual box, manual pedal assembly, the front and rear diffs, a manual inginition, a new ecu and I think the drive shafts need to be changed as well. Far cheaper to just by a manual in the first place as it would likely cost more than the car is worth.

The tiptronic box is a good one anyway, being able to change the gears on the steering wheel is good fun and you can always throw it into auto when you are sitting in traffic or feeling lazy.

cantdecide

JimmyCrackCorn! wrote: »

Hard with a gearbox in bits

Sorry. What I mean to say is that I'll fix the box straight away and get it tip top. I should still be quids in even after the lay out.

In other words, what's a tip-top B4 blitzen auto going to be worth next year??

@da7a - I agree. I've been promising myself an auto/ tip box for years. The problem is that most Subaru owners are phobic about auto boxes and if I decide to go back to more mature cars, will I be lumbered with it??

da7a

If its in good condition and at the right price any car will sell. Auto B4s generally go for a bit less than the manuals. I dont know what they are worth at the moment but I wont be selling mine anytime soon. Have a look over on isdc.ie in the for sale section, it might give you an idea. I think people have a negative view of the autos but when you actually drive them most of the misgivings evaporate. The auto box is supposedly good for as much power as you can throw at it if you go down the route of engine upgrades.

unkel

cantdecide wrote: »

I'm not 100% sure it's the car for me so I wouldn't wish to spend 6 months trying to get it's full market value.

Atm, you need to spend 6 months getting the full market value of a Yaris or a Fiesta

I reckon a B4 (particularly an auto) is practically sale proof - unless it is a bargain. If I'd buy it, it would be for the long run. How much is he looking for with the broken box? About 3k or so?

cantdecide

I don't want to say too much because this is a very distinctive car and I haven't bought it yet. It's also a price that won't be for everyone else. Suffice to say it's less than 3 with the duff box.

I've also gotten wind of a used box from a private seller. The seller assures me the box is 100% and seems on the level. €550. Is this advisable considering their poor reliability record??

da7a

Not sure if you are talking about the reliability of the car or the auto box but I havent heard too many stories of people with damaged auto boxes before.

In relation to the cars reliability, you will get a a few comments saying they are "soft engines". More often than not, people that blow the engines have not remapped them for irish fuel and go driving the arse off them in the first week they get it off the boat. Surprise, surprise they blow the engine.

Its a twin turbo car that needs to be looked after, you need to service it minimum every 10,000 k and it needs a major service at 100,000. You need to let it warm up before ragging it and cool down switching off to protect the turbos from cracking. All this involves is driving it off boost, eg below 2500 rpm for the start and end of your journey. Hardly rocket science, though it seems many fail to heed it and go on to damage the engine.

I have never had a single problem with mine after almost 3 years of ownership.

unkel

cantdecide wrote: »

I don't want to say too much because this is a very distinctive car and I haven't bought it yet. It's also a price that won't be for everyone else. Suffice to say it's less than 3 with the duff box.

I've also gotten wind of a used box from a private seller. The seller assures me the box is 100% and seems on the level. €550. Is this advisable considering their poor reliability record??

Well, I wouldn't take the car and the repair on with the aim of making a profit. That's risky as the chance of selling the car (any car) is slim atm. That said, if you really like the car for yourself, it seems you're getting quite some poke for the money

What happened to your other cars over the last year or so? You seem to have gone through a good few of them, but I can't remember the details. Did you get your A6 back on the road or is it now an abandoned project / sold / dare I say it - scrapped? :eek:

cantdecide

I had a brutalizing year with cars. This year in particular, I could least afford it. I was agonizing and agonizing anout the A6 but in reality, I knew I wouldn't be back on my feet until around Autumn/ Winter.

I wanted to run the beetle as a daily for the Summer but it cleaned me out to get roadworthy :rolleyes: I decided I needed and easy life more than a beetle so it went up for sale and finally sold a couple of weeks ago.

I fired the A6 as she stood up on done deal and adverts for a grand, warts 'n' all. The guy who came for it was delighted to have it and he was able to carry out most or all of the work himself. It was the best car I've owned and I still get misty eyed. I'd love to have it back, truth be told.

The Passat I borrowed for as a stop-gap cost me over a grand in the first month :rolleyes: I had it NCT'd last weekend and I'm just working a bug or 2 out ready for sale. The Passat is a good car but it's just too much like a watered down, noisier, less powerful version of the A6 so there's no love for it there. If I'd never owned the A6, I'd probably regard it more highly.

I'd admired my mate's Legacy since he's had it. The auto box is a big selling point to me. My brother had an older one too and I think they're fantastic cars. It's been so long since I've had anything but German cars I thought I wanted something different.

So here I am.

As for the bike- that's going nowhere:cool: