I’m looking for a Subaru enthusiast who loves Bajas and who wants to give this awesome car some love, fix it up and use it for many more miles and many more years.  It’s got a number of things that are wearing out after 166K, so it’s looking for someone with the interest and ability make those repairs – mainly the rack and pinion system has a minor leak, the rear shocks have been leaking for years, and it needs new tires.

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I'm not necessarily looking for the best price or to sell it to the first person interested.  I am looking for a fit that feels right both ways; I'm looking for someone who love Bajas just like I did when I decided I wanted one; I'm looking for someone who cares and wants to fix up, take care of, and enjoy this car.

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Price: It's somewhere between a bit of a project and a solid driver: Somewhere around $4500-$5500.  (Looking for a win/win that feels about right to both parties - see details and pics below.  KBB says $2600-$4100, but I did some research and local resale value for this car in this condition is more in the $5000 range; they are having a cult resurgence in popularity and are hard to come by.)

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Miles: 165,996

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VIN: 4S4BT61C037100862

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I'm the 2nd owner. I purchased it with 27,000 miles on it from DHC Acura in the Tustin Auto Center in Jan 2006.

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What’s awesome about it:

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• Runs good
   

• Interior is in awesome shape except for driver’s seat
   

• Was a commuter car for its entire life (12 years in LA, 8 years in Redlands).  Was not taken offroading except once in Joshua Tree, only run in the snow maybe 10 times between here and Reno, almost never used the bed, and when it was used, it was only for light items when moving apartments. Very little if any rusting – see pics.
   

• I love the stock stereo with the custom installed Alpine CDE-172BT deck (Mike at TuneTime rocks!) which connects to my iPhone via Bluetooth so I can make and receive calls, use Google Maps, and listen to the stereo through the car audio system (just like modern cars).  And it play CDs!  Remember those?
   

  • NOTE: The stock stereo system is surprisingly clean with really tight bass: 6 speakers plus a small but effective subwoofer under the passenger seat, attached to an amp + crossover.
     

• I’ve kept all 20 years of records listing everything that’s been done to it – I’ve done basic maintenance and had the major services and the timing belt replaced at 117K in 2011 – see photo of receipt.
   

• Sunroof works great! Baja lights work great! Let’s freaking go!!!
   

• I’ve got 3 keys and 2 key fobs
   

• The “check engine” light has almost never been on the entire time; the one time it was on was when I didn’t close the gas cap tight enough.
   

• Comes with original manual and leather manual case
   

• It’s got a new battery as of 5 months ago (1-year-warranty type)
   

• It got a brand-new radiator Oct 2025 (see why I am selling it below)
   

• UNDERCARRIAGE CONDITION: Southern California vehicle — no structural rust.

  • Photos included:

    • Rear suspension mounts

    • Rear differential housing

    • Rocker pinch weld seams

    • Tailgate hinges

    • And almost everything else I could photograph from every angle (200+ pics - see below)

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What needs love and repair:​

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• The rack and pinion steering system is getting sluggish and there’s an oil leak.It needs to be repaired or replaced. It’s been that way for a few years. I have to top off the power steering fluid every once in a while, (maybe 6 months or so... I’m not sure exactly; I haven’t kept a log). That’s why in some of the pics you’ll see a drip tray on the ground under the engine. It drips just a few droplets when I park it, and then it stops, so the leak is really slow.
   

• The rear shocks are leaking and have been for a few years, so they need to be repaired or replaced. (I replaced the front ones a few years ago.)
   

• The driver's side seat is severely torn, but mechanically works great.
   

• The tires are about 8 years old, have less than 1/16” tread, and are starting to crack, so they need to be replaced.
   

• The last time it was at the mechanic (October 28th), they said the water pump was leaking and to keep an eye on the coolant level, but in 5 months it’s stayed topped off, so it appears that it fixed itself (see photo).
   

• About 2 years ago, Inland Import Automotive Specialists said there was some leak in the AC suction hose and that the system needs to be recharged, but it’s been 2 years and the AC is still working pretty well.
   

• There may be a tear in one of the axle boots – I have it in my notes from 1.5 years ago but don’t remember anything about it. I’ve also got a note about the valve cover gaskets, but don’t remember what that’s about. (See photos.)
   

• The paint has oxidized and faded on the hood and near the sunroof (see pics). There’s also small dings all over the car, the plastic bumpers have peeling paint or clearcoat, the drivers side rear view mirror paint is also really worn.
   

• Somehow the fog light on the passenger side got smashed, and there are scratches on the bottom of the cowling under that fog light and under the driver’s side fog light. I don’t remember when this happened and it’s been like that for a long time.
   

• I took pictures of everything, so you can take a look at the state of the entire car farther below.
   

• There’s a rock ding in the windshield – that happened about 15 years ago. I had it fixed with compressed epoxy and it hasn’t grown or been an issue since.
   

• It’s been sitting for 1 month since I bought my new car – I run it weekly to keep the battery charged.
   

• As you can see, the black trim around the windows became brittle and peeled away.

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Why I am selling it:​

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I’ve had it for 20 years and the radiator cracked on me a few months ago, which cost $1000 to fix.  I decided it’s starting to nickel and dime me, and it needs several thousand in other repairs (rear shocks and rack-and-pinion steering are both leaking, needs new tires, etc.), and it just doesn’t make sense for me to put that kind of money into an aging car.  I decided instead to buy an almost new Toyota Camry SE Hybrid, which gets far better gas mileage, so I no longer need my Baja and am excited to pass it along to someone who wants to fix it up, take care of it, love it, and live it! 🤘

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My concern about the engine: 

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This car has been through a lot over the years, and while the engine seems to be running great, I am concerned about how well it is going to hold up over the long-haul.  For this reason, I’m thinking that the person that buys this car is either a mechanic who likes to fix up cars or who knows someone who is or is willing and able to pay for potential engineer repairs down the road.

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• A few days after I bought it (Jan 2006), a hose blew out because a mouse had chewed on it while it was on the lot and we didn’t catch it. I don’t know if this caused the engine to overheat or not, but the car had to be towed to the shop to get the hose replaced.
   

• The reason I think it might have stressed the engine is because the head gasket started leaking at 90,000 miles, which seemed out of character for a reliable Subaru. Finally, around 125,000 miles in April 2018, my mechanic friend Dave replaced the leaky head gasket and also pulled the engine to replace a leaking main gasket.  He did a solid job because I haven't had a single issue with his work since.
   

• The car basically sat from Summer 2013 until March 2018. I drove it around the block periodically to keep the battery charged, but we mostly used our other car, so I was concerned about how the “old gas” might have affected everything. I started driving the car again in March 2018 (at 125,000 when I had the head and main gasket replaced, everything flushed, etc.), and it’s been doing great the last 40,000 miles, so perhaps it didn’t hurt things too bad.
   

• 5 months ago, the radiator cracked on me in the middle of the freeway (smoke everywhere as the coolant poured onto the hot engine) and it was really hard to keep the car’s engine from stalling as I kept it running for about 5 more minutes as I made my way off the freeway and to a safe place on the street to park it. I was afraid that I might have overheated the engine during those 5 minutes, but I never saw the engine light go on nor did the engine temperature gauge spike. When Mark’s University Service put in a new radiator, I asked them to compression test the engine to make sure nothing bad happened, and the compression turned out fine. They said they didn’t see any signs of damage other than the cracked radiator.

 

This is as much of the important information that I can recall, but of course I might be missing something, so this car is sold as is, with no warranty of any kind.  You are welcome to review my thick binder of maintenance and repair records as well as come and check out the car in as much detail as you'd like.

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