Regarding cars, it’s generally a good idea to avoid other people’s projects, but the mods on today’s Nice Price or No Dice Subaru might make it an exception to that rule. That is, of course, only if the price is right.
At the outset of yesterday’s discussion of the 1994 Ford Bronco XLT, we noted that Hagerty had identified the model as being in the midst of a downward trend in value. Most of you agreed with that assertion, finding our truck’s $17,000 asking price high for the market and too much for the truck as it was presented in the ad. The inevitable outcome was a 77 percent No Dice loss.
I’m unsure what the fine folks at Hagerty would make of today’s 2007 Subaru Forester XT Limited, as the company’s valuation tool seems unaware of this model and its attractions.
We, on the other hand, are fully on top of the old-school Forester for its combination of an available turbocharged motor, secure AWD handling, and, in this particular car’s case, the additional fun factor a five-speed manual gearbox brings to the table. All that is wrapped in a tidy mama bear-esque parkable wagon package. What’s not to like?
Well, one thing most of us don’t like is clowns. Wait. I meant to say that we don’t like personally modified cars. For better or worse, the seller of this Forester claims its modifications are so numerous that some have even required additional mods to achieve their full effectiveness.
That’s a remarkable claim, considering the car has only a mere 84,000 miles under its tires. This is a two-owner car, with the seller claiming to have been its steward for the past 16 years. Perhaps the low miles result from the car being off the road for a good bit of time getting modded?
To be fair, some of the most obvious modifications appear to be things like protective seat covers for the leather-clad front buckets and custom Subaru star badges that are color-coordinated to match the car’s white paint scheme. The addition of white wiper arms are a bit much, if I’m being honest.
Other obvious mods include rally-style alloys (also white) and a larger scoop on the hood feeding the 2.5-liter boxer engine’s intercooler. The mill also has an aftermarket cold air intake with an induction tube and a few other blue hoses. There are probably more mods here, but the ad doesn’t divulge what those might be.
The seller does claim the car “runs flawlessly and everything works as it should.” From the factory, this engine produced 224 horsepower. With the mods, it likely has had a few more ponies added to the corral.
It also presents very well. The aforementioned seat covers wrap pristine front seat upholstery, which is matched by the back bench. The cabin is clean and shows no sign of wear on any of the tactile surfaces. An aftermarket shift knob and another red-over-white Subaru badge on the steering wheel are the only notable changes from the factory.
According to the ad, the car has an accident-free history, fully up-to-date maintenance, and a clean title. The asking price is $13,500.
OK, that’s quite the Yin and Yang of a car, and we now need to parse its pros and cons to determine if we think the $13,500 price tag makes for a fair deal. What do you say? Does this modded Subaru stack up at that asking? Or is that too much to run, Forester, run?
You decide!
Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Phillip T. for the hookup!
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