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The first pic: yellow wire connects to the thermo switch down lower, also with a yellow wire by the looks of things. The battery pics seem to be a dangerous non-fused bypass of the fusible links for the main power. Those two wires (both grey from battery with blue and yellow connectors to the factory wiring) should go to a brown box with two or three fusible links (two for the EA81 DL wagon and brumby/brat from memory). These are designed to burn out before something causes an electrical fire in the wiring loom. Worth replacing back to factory or adapting newer style fuses of the correct rating instead. Those issues seem quite minor once you have your head around them and how you’ll go about fixing them. The thermo fan trigger switch should kick in once the engine temp shows a little over half on the gauge. The toggle switch will just go to earth. You could keep both systems in place so you have an override if you feel the need when sitting in traffic Cheers Bennie

I like to say Jesus come quickly! I know that he’s going to return in his time. Yeah the world is coming to a VERY sad state of affairs. It has been 6 years now since I was seeing DEAD PEOPLE literally every day. Then I had a stroke. That got me out of the morgue, almost put me on a table there in the process. God wasn’t done with me yet here on this plain. I know that through this process I have been an inspiration to many other people. I say well this is just another bump in the road and I carry on with what needs to be done. I’m able to do quite a bit with only one good hand. I’m not driving YET, I think that has been the biggest thing I miss between that going basically NO where by myself. Any who I’m glad to still be here for this and that. I’m looking forward to being able to walk again with little to no assistance. I’ve come a long way from where I was after I got out of rehab (couldn’t wipe my own rump roast) to now where I don’t need hardly any help at all.

The blue/grey plug, are you talking about the circular plug for the engine wiring loom? That looks intact and fine to me. That black relay taped to the circular plug is not factory. You’ll have to trace those wires to find out where they go. It could be a relay for the fan(s) or it could be for some driving lights. As for the fusible link box, I can’t find an image with it in there and definitely can’t find one of the wiring setup in it either. This is the best I can come up with to show the brown box for the fusible links: You can see it tucked in behind the battery and hemmed in from the side with the coil. There will be quite a lot of wire tracing (label everything if it helps you) in your future at this point in time. Cheers Bennie

That is very generous of you. Anybody in Montana would probably love to take you up on your offer. In for photos

Well-said Bennie

I bought my 97 impreza outback sport to beat around in ,haul my yacks, and drive back and fourth to work. With in a couple weeks i was very impressed with the old ride. 29 mpg, and it had very well kept Currently I've replaced the factory horn with a set of hella horns, and putt a set of J racks atop of it to haul my kayaks. Thinking of a suspension lift ,and some supplemental lighting as well, we'll see, but as of right now i love my subaru.

^ that’s probably the difference between some planning for the work to be done compared to replacing blown parts ASAP. It’s probably also the difference between a specialty workshop that keeps a small amount of stock on commonly used items and someone working in their driveway with no stock to work from. Cheers Bennie

Yes easily repaired with engine in car. Removing rad fans and putting some cardboard (or some sort of board that’s hard) across the radiator will give you ample room for this job and the radiator will be protected. On the later models you might not even need to remove the rad fans if there’s enough room in there. Cheers Bennie

“Needs engine” was that a legit mechanic or the neighbors uncle who claims to be a mechanic? “I don’t know” would have been acceptable and honest, an apocalyptic wrong guess is sad New balancer, done. don’t fail often enough to require new so used is a reasonable option. A good mechanic could - in 20 minutes - remove the pulley, press, tack weld it so it doesn’t get worse and you drive off safely until you get a new pulley to fix it. 20 minutes and you’re safe with no stranding potential. But instead he lets you drive away with potential more damage and stranding potential, while encumbering you with a new engine…move on from that.

^ yep. It’s pretty sad state now many seem to believe it’s their right to have licence or drive like they’re the only ones in a race on the frog and toad. Driving is a privilege not a right, many forget this these days along with the actual skill of driving... I still love my old vehicles and will drive them for as long as possible. Cheers Bennie

I have an appreciation for most all vintage vehicles. Some people are strictly Chevy or only Ford, I see the beauty in them both. Old Volkswagens are nice too. I was almost hit just yesterday in my mother's Volkswagen. My mother was in the car with me too. I was simply driving out of my parent's driveway (which is on a side street, 25mph limit) and turned onto the road, started to build up speed. Suddenly I see a modern Toyota Booger SUV flying up in my Rear View mirror. Coming down the road, opposite direction from me, was a Mail-Truck, doing their job. The SUV puts their left indicator on... they want to pass me, I'm almost doing the limit at this point. They are doing at least double. I decided to be a road hog and blocked the Middle of the road. They had to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting the back of our car. In the rearview I see them throwing their hands up and complaining... its a little old lady driving the Booger car for crying out loud! I motion out the window, "slow down". They imitate my motion, not sure why... and continued to Ride my bumper the whole way down the street. Where the heck did they even plan on going? If they had tried to cut me off they probably would have either clipped me or the mail truck in the process... I emphasize again... people drive like f#@k-tards... Today: I'm in the Volkswagen again, with my mom again. We are traveling down a two-lane highway (one lane each direction) 35mph limit. We are stopped at a traffic light with one van behind us. The light turns green and we go, building up speed. In the left mirror I see two cars flying up at freeway speed. They pass us like we are standing still, in the oncoming lane. After they pass, I recognize the two cars as riced-out 8th gen Accords. Lowered and rattle-canned. My mom says, "Jesus..." I go, "Yeah, they are probably going to crash..." We see a cloud of smoke, a quarter mile up the road from us, only a few seconds later... "Did they have to hit the skidders?" There was some construction going on up the road, new blacktop meeting old, and it was unfinished, leaving a nice speed bump... one of the lowered ricecars hit the bump at speed and they lost their oil pan. They left an oil slick for several hundred feet, and then turned around back the way they had come. They had no oil left at that point, which was why their car was smoking so bad as it went past us. They got what they deserved... and their dumb rump roasts were trying to drive back... they weren't going to make it even close... You can do everything right, and some pleb (simpleton) can still mess it up for you. Luckily I dodged two bullets two days in a row.

Welcome. Clean Fozzie

Among many questions I have , are you sure you’d rather have the older carb years instead of getting the same body with SPFI ? I’ve bought back cars from these situations for like $150. Maybe let them total it but retain it , don’t let them take it. There’s a bottom line value they have to give you , I’m sure you’re aware. Back in the day it really worked out well for me. I wish you the best. From what I see you’d do yourself better to just upgrade and still enjoy that body style with a bit more reliability from the fuel injection. A dual range five speed 1988 or 89 would be my preference. Best of luck !

Also finally posted a video from our trip out west last year: https://youtu.be/Ngav72n_WQA