Subarian

I probably wouldn't give over 1200, especially since it's automatic.

I would check for combustion gases.

You are too kind! I hope it helps you. (It's actually experience as much as genius)

Mine has even survived two teenaged drivers learning what a clutch is for.

The gurgling is air passing through the heater core. You'll notice it increases as you rev up the engine.

Could be air in the system. See my reply to LuckyPistol's heater core question.

You've got air in your cooling system, sounds like. You can get it out by "burping" the system. If you can, park your car with the nose uphill. Take off the radiator cap (when it's cool, of course) and then gently squeeze the upper hose to force out the air (engine running at idle and heater on works best). Refill and repeat until you're not getting any more air out. Make sure your cap is good and the tube to your overflow bottle is good, and you shouldn't have any more problem.

You don't mention whether your temp guage is indicating it's overheating. I would check the thermostat and make sure you're running at a safe operating temp. You might also have a blocked radiator, which isn't uncommon for a car this old. As far as the head gasket goes, oil and water mixing often isn't present with a headgasket leak. What leaks is combustion gases, and they leak into the cooling jacket, which is why you get bubbles. To be sure, you can have your local shop check for combustion gases in the coolant, or you can buy a tester to do it yourself - they cost between $20 and $30 in the US. It consists of a clear tube with a neoprene cone at the bottom. You partially fill the tube with a test liquid and then place the cone on the radiator fill tube with the engine running. If combustion gases are present, the fluid will change colors.

I'm bumping your post up just in case there's someone who can help you. Good luck (and Merry Christmas).

Haven't seen it, but if you've got the drive, go for it. Make sure you post pictures of your progress.

Not sure about your surging issue, but it's not the starter solenoid that's causing it. As far as that goes, you have a couple of options. One is to replace the solenoid. I've never tried that one on a Soob, so I don't even know if it's available. The other is to open it up. You'll find there is a contact that looks like a thick copper washer in the housing and a plunger that makes contact with it. You'll probably also find a buildup of carbon where it's arced over the years. Take a file or some emery cloth and clean it up, and it will be as good as new. Make sure you leave the contact surfaces relatively flat, so they'll make good contact. You might put a thin layer of dielectric grease there, too, as it cuts down on oxidation and carbon buildup.

Your self-respect and others' respect for you should be based on a lot more than what car you drive. One of the things my wife loves about me is how attached I get to the cars I put together with my own hands. But besides that, it's still just your car. It's not YOU. That's what you and the people around you need to learn to respect.

Sell your soob to buy self-respect? Sounds like a poor trade to me.

Pics?

Check the Subaru Retrofitting board. I know there's a lot of info there.

nice find!

That would be one to have a picture of.

Hey, 555Ron, I like the joke in your signature!

Nice. You got a good score.

The only reason I went into it was because duranian mentioned using it to defrost windows. If you don't want it at all, it's an easy delete.

The reason it froze is moisture in the lock. You can buy lock lube in your auto parts store. There's also a de-icer designed to free frozen locks, but if you lube them you won't need it.

You don't say what trans you have, but if it's the auto, you can't expect too much. Also, if you're stepping out of a Camaro into a Loyale, it's going to be a little disappointing in the power department. One thing you can do is take it out and let it run. These engines like to get close to the redline, and they don't like to run below about 2500 rpm.

(evil snicker) now we just need to get you over to the dual range side of the force:D

Sounds decent. The swap to a 5spd d/r isn't too hard....

The old mechanic's way of testing it was to let an engine idle until it starts to die. When it stumbles, you hit the carb with a screwdriver handle to knock the needle valve loose. Where your problem occurs off idle, I don't know for sure this is your problem. If you have the stock Hitachi carb, you've got some solenoids that adjust fuel mixture. In any case, I'd say your carb is due for a rebuild. Running any kind of cleaner through the fuel system isn't the same as taking apart a carb and cleaning it. If you've got 36k on your car, the carb probably hasn't ever been rebuilt. Gasoline separates into varnish-like residues with time, and it's actually more harmful to a carb to sit for a long time than to run. I can't say this is definitely the problem your car is having, but if I were working on it, the carb rebuild is where I would look first.