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The thing that bugs me is the dash lights aren't working either. Use your multimeter check the voltage across the battery terminals at idle and at around 3000 rpm. Voltage should be around 13.5VDC at idle and no more than 14.5VDC at the higher rpm. If your voltage reads more than 16 or 17 volts you have a bad alternator (internal voltage regulator is shot) and you've burned out all the bulbs in the dash and the headlamps. If the voltage reads normal, I'd start looking for a bad ground connection under the dash. One last thing, are the fusible links all okay? Look in the engine compartment along the side (driver's I think) and you should see a red, green, and black wire. Make sure none of them is open (use you multimeter again) and the links are tight on the connectors.

I got a late start and rolled the Brat in around 1PM; we were the 3rd Subaru in the parking area. It really looked like a BMW convention...lots of them and early Datsuns. Bright spot was 98ImprezWA caught us as we were leaving (they were just arriving).

Definitely not related; check out the dates, one is in July and the other in August.

Generally speaking, if you shop around you can get a single use autocheck for $10. Most of the records are title changes and such and mileages are almost always missing because no one seems to record/report them anymore. If you search around you might be able to get your autocheck for free. Best of luck with your new car from a current Subaru nut and former BMW nut (helped start the NJ chapter of the BMWCCA group in 1970 or so).

For some reason, on my Brats (and three older GL wagons with the same carb setup), the throttle cable would tighten up and raise the idle since the butterfly was partially open. Check to make sure that there's some slack in the cable and the butterfly is closed completely when it should be idling. A simple fix if that's the problem.

Cool, Enkie wheels too.

I buy my alternators at the local pull a part yard. Install it on my Impreza ('97) and put the one I replaced on my shelf of working alternators. If the PnP alternator works for more than two weeks I call it good and leave it in; if not, I return to PnP to get a replacement or credit for another if I don't like what they have in stock. I've acquired a number of "good" alternators sitting on my shelf. I used to have a quality "old school" repair guy, but he retired and went to southern California to play in the sun. I'm still looking for another quality rebuild guy here in the Seattle area.

Only thing wrong with that is I don't do FB. Too much stuff there I don't want to be involved with. I spend too much time on the computer as it is.

Latest information from Rebecca Ruston, ORG rallycross director: Hey guys, Here is a bit of event info for the June 16-17 ORG RallyCross at PIR, during Rose Cups. Our basic schedule will be registration 7:30-8:30am Saturday and Sunday, AWD classes (and Time Only) running Saturday, 2WD classes (and Time Only) running Sunday, with sessions approximately 9-noon and 1-4pm. I'll be out at PIR setting up banner tape Wednesday or Thursday before the event, and setting up the course that Friday afternoon/evening. More info at oregonrally.com. Let me know if you can help with anything for the event or you have any questions. Thanks, Rebecca

Looking at all the pics Pooperu posted, and didn't see a Subaru. It would be nice if we could get enough of a response together for the event to have a Subaru section. I'll be marking this weekend on my calender. By the way, where are you planning to go for the cruise?

Not quite behind my house, but certainly nearby. I could walk there. I'll certainly try to make this with the Brat. For those who need caffine to perk up the day, this shop just opened and I can recommend it highly. Just up the road from the Reunion Show: http://527coffee.com/

Nice to see you posting again Emily. Let me add my two cents to your re-intro. My son bought a '82 Brat from his younger brother after he lost an argument with a tree and didn't want to invest in the repair. The Brat was repaired with fenders from the local pull a part yard and my son invested in a rebuilt engine from ccrinc which we installed with minor technical assistance from ccrinc staff. That was over 10 years ago and we've lost track of the miles on the car since the engine was installed. But the car is still running just fine with that engine. My son offered it to me last year and I decided to keep it in the family as our go get parts and stuff truck.

I spent the weekend co-driving a checkout crew for the No Alibi Rally. Absolutely great roads this year. If you like brisk gravel TSD rallies, this is the event for you. http://www.rainierautosports.com/events/2012/noalibi/ PS: I found the Red Lion Motel in Kennewick (official start) a bit pricey. The Red Lion in Pasco (about 10 minutes away) offered a greatly discounted rate for AAA or senior members.

Just a comment on Harbor Freight tools: HF has the same lifetime replacement guarantee on all their handtools as Craftsman (Sears). I'm not sure it extends to their torque wrench, but I've gone in to have cracked sockets, ratchet wrenches and such replaced with no questions asked.

One of the best adhesive removers is WD-40! As long as it hasn't dried out, WD-40 will do the job. After that, just wash off the oily residue with a standard cleaner.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1483/trackdayflyeredit.png

I agree with Shawn; it doesn't sound right. But perhaps, it's just mis-reading the temp. On cars as old as ours, ground connections tend to go bad and that might be the issue here. Firstly, try to borrow one of those infra-red optical thermometers and measure the actual temp of the radiator when the fan turns on and off. If the temps are in a normal range, around 180 to 200, then you know the temp gauge is lying to you and you have to correct that. If it is truly overheating, then you need to address that problem.

Here's the important parts: http://www.scca.com/rallycross/content.cfm?cid=44507 Check out the national challenge schedule and subaru contingency program.

Oregon Rally Group will hold it's first rallycross at PIR. Check out http://www.oregonrally.com for details.

Another fine event by RASC. Two days, about 500 miles, lots of gravel roads and a great time. Check out the information for No Alibi at http://www.rainierautosports.com/. Start/Finish in Kennewick, WA. More information and registration at http://www.rainierautosports.com/events/2012/noalibi/. Great event; I'm sorry to be missing it this year.

Check out the No Alibi Rally put on by the same club in early June. Great event over a two day weekend. Not the same conditions (i.e. no snow) but lots of fine gravel roads and scenery. Starting pretty close to your location in the Tri-cities area. More information at http://www.rainierautosports.com/

As to the axle nut comment: Older EA cars had 36mm axle nuts. EJ cars like your Impreza have 32mm nuts. I'm not sure of the thread size but I don't think it makes much difference since you have the correct nuts for each. Thanks for posting your experience here. I have an '82 Brat with the rear 5 lug conversion done and I'm putting off the fronts until I have more information. Brat looks a bit odd with 15" rims on the rear and 13" rims on the front.

Your '97 Impreza is as "cherry" as it gets. Just change engine oil/filter every 3000 miles and pay attention to the little stuff before it gets out of hand. I bought our '97 Impreza wagon with 134K on the clock. We now have 230K on it. It's gone through a motor rebuild (previous owner wasn't very conscientious about changing the oil); nothing major but we had a reseal done as well as rings and all the timing belt needs at the same time. I've replaced the radiator twice (once just after we bought it and last month). I do go through transmissions (manual) since I rallycross the car on a regular basis and because all but the last one were junkyard pulls with 120K or more on them. I'm on our 2nd battery and 2nd alternator. That's about it except for brake pads and upgrading the rear drums to disk. I use the Subaru extra S gearoil for the transmission and diff every 60K miles and make sure to change the engine oil every 3K or less. I guess I will replace the car when it gets over 250K but maybe I won't. We'll see. You should get lots of good years out of your Impreza. Best of luck with it.

I'm not so sure that a newer Impreza will have a beefier swaybar. The skinny one that was stock on my '97 was intended to minimize oversteer; not at all useful for rallycross IMHO. Unless you go for an Outback Impreza it's not likely that you'll see a larger rear swaybar. Your other comment is right on the money...there aren't a lot of later model Imprezas in the yards as yet. I've been looking since I bought my first one 8 years ago and haven't ever found anything newer than '98 (and the one '98 I found was just this year); mostly '93 to '96 and they all have the skinny swaybar. I haven't ever seen a WRX in the yards yet either. Watch craigslist and nasioc for people selling their WRX stock bars for cheap or free. Usually they come with a cheap set of c type endlinks.