J A Blazer

Actually, I think 'MilesFox' should get the credit.

Thanks!

You're right! So how do I figure it out? My principal problem is low speed curb cuts, pavement irregularities, etc. makes the front end shudder.

Statistically speaking, which tend to fail sooner - ball joints, or tie rod ends?

When the dealer mechanic did a head gasket job on my SOHC 2000 OBW, he didn't remove the engine from the car, but he did remove the engine from the mounts and lifted it up somewhat to gain additional necessary clearance.

Would that still be necessary if both front wheels were off the ground, and removed?

No groove.

I need to have the front rotors on my 2000 OBW turned. Stamped on the rotor is 'minimum thickness 22 mm.' Presently they are 24 mm. Does that give enough thickness to survive lathe turning and still be thick enough? TIA.

The first model year of the Gen III was 2005. They would have become available probably during the summer of 2004.

I've owned three turbo cars and replaced the turbos on two of them, and sent them to a place in Texas for rebuilding. Not that big of a deal. On the Subaru I've read that the oil supply line banjo bolt tends to get clogged, restricting oil flow to the turbo bearings.

I started this thread. I gave up on my 6-disc changer years ago. Replaced it with an OE single-disc cd player I got off ebay. Has worked perfectly.l

The facelift in 2008 favors that year, in my opinion.

Of all the cars I have owned none has had more front end shudder upon braking than my 2000 OBW. Turn or replace the front rotors and all is well but only for a few months before the problem returns. Thoughts?

I replaced rear pads and rotors on my 2000 OBW with Beck/Arnley parts from RockAuto. Now its as if the inner diameter of the parking brake drum 'hat' is greater than before, since I have to pull the parking brake lever several move clicks than before, and even at the limit the brake is pretty ineffective. What to do? Adjustable?

I've let the pads go too far, and scored the rotor. Don't think I've ever replaced before. Is the rotor and the drum (for the emergency/parking brake) a single piece, or are they separate? And, in the past I've been happy with getting parts from 1stSubaruParts.com in Renton, WA, but their online catalog is suddenly quite limited. What gives?

You need to understand that the 2010 is a completely new car. CVT with the 4-cyl, 3.6 litre with the 6-cyl. Framed door windows. I prefer the 2008, which was a face-lifted 3rd gen OBW.

I'm looking for a 2008 6-cyl OBW. Is the OE nav of that year worth looking for? A minority of the cars available come equipped with it, so if I were to require it my selections would be limited. I sense that a current edition Garmin, Magellan, or TomTom is probably considerably more sophisticated.

I have a 2000 OBW. Stock head unit (P120, with cassette and weather band, that interfaces with OE cd changers or players.) Also have OE tweeters and subwoofer installed. I would like to replace this head unit with something 'new' like an Alpine, Pioneer, etc. that accepts front auxilliary input but still permits me to use the existing OE cd player and speakers. Suggestions?

I'm curious - how bad is your insurance premium?

Much the same happened to my 2000 OBW. For me, it was the OE security system that created many of the problems you describe when the battery has failed. I replaced the battery and all was well for several months, then return of many of the symptoms, followed soon thereafter by complete failure of the alternator. Replaced it and all is well now.

Personally, I would limit your search to 2008-2009 due to the facelift in 2008, which in my opinion greatly improved the appearance of the front end.

Details and pix, please. Miles, equipment, location, price, etc.

Similar problems happened to my 2000 4-cyl OBW in the weeks before my alternator finally died.

If I were in your situation I would get a 2005 or later with 6 cylinder. That way you get both a somewhat more powerful motor plus a 5-speed automatic transmission. My personal favorite, due to a modest facelift, is the 2008-2009. But you're going to have to pay high teens at a minimum.

On the fronts, be alert for a tapered washer that fits right below the bearing in the strut mount, that allows the strut to freely rotate.