if it comes with a towball, also check for signs of rust around the towball mechanism (underbody).

did the gen3 come in a 2.5L? I thought it only came in the gen4 & only in the post-facelift models.

Have you considered the Gen 3 H6 outback?, obviously same size as the Lib but has the extra torque for towing/lifted a bit so can take it off road a bit

yes it would be better for towing but they chew the fuel and repairs are alot more expensive because the engines are a little harder to work on, no to mention servicing costs(motre oil, 2 more spark plugs).

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Marti


Car: C Red S13 Silvia 2.3l 400+rwhp-SOLD
Daily ae82 4age corolla (light mods)-Sold
Daily:SWB GQ Patrol
Will be a 03-04 STI next

If I wanted to go offroad, I'd buy a hilux... oh wait... been there done that

Liberty will cop rims, tint and thats about it, will not be used for major towing nor will it hit the dunes.

Only in Gen4 onwards. Gen3 LCA bushes are the same setup as GC/GD imprezas. And dont wear out unless mis-treated.

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Wand basics:
One must brake with the left hand and steer with the right foot.
Having Defi's does not make Racecar..

Andy, as a Subaru mechanic, anything else I should consider?

I'm with this guy. Even despite it's off road capabilities, I think it's a good option. The H6 is tough as nails. I sold mine (to my brother) at 260k ish, he flogged it for another 20k or so before selling it on, and as far as I know, it's still going strong today.
Seriously consider one bro, it was by far the most convenient and comfortable car I've ever owned.

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Signarape!

Radiator top tanks crack around the neck and cause other issues if ignored. Headgaskets leak coolant and/or oil in a lot of cases. It can be minor and not get any worse for thousands of kays, but if it's pissing out and making all the rubber stuff around it go soft you better do them.
Generally rust is non existent unless they have been accident repaired. Look for heater core leaks or by-pass as it's expensive to repair (although not any more common than others)
If it's metallic paint look for blisters in the clear coat or evidence of cheapo re-coating as that's also common.

yeah back bumper clear coat is blistering... that's ok

Oil leaking into the spark plug tubs from the rocker covers is a common reason for them to idle rough. Can be fixed very easily, but its often over looked. Just dont let the oil swell the Ignition leads so much that they wont physically hold themselves on the plug anymore.

Apart from really being one of the most undesirable subaru's, They are non bad

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Wand basics:
One must brake with the left hand and steer with the right foot.
Having Defi's does not make Racecar..