daehttub2000

I was in a reverse situation a while back. My daily driver was my 1995 Legacy L Wagon AWD 5 spd. Completely paid for. During a routine maintenance stop, the Subaru salesman I forever harassed about the absence of the WRX stateside gave me a heads up on a killer deal. Some poor bloke had purchased a WRX Wagon 5 spd and loaded it with everything under the sun plus literally every mod that was available and then got reassigned overseas a couple months after he purchased it. I was able to buy it at list price. In 2002. It was my hanger queen for about 6 years. I only drove it on dry sunny days once in a blue moon. When my 1995 Legaly L Wagon finally got too rusty for my little patch & bondo jobs, I had to sell it to a pizza delivery guy. Today I still drive my little jewel of a 2002 WRX. It's in mint condition and really is kind of a 2008 mechanically and mileage wise. Was it financially unwise? Yeah. But I now have a perfect 5 Speed Subaru WRX Bugeye wagon that they don't make anymore. Before you sell your WRX, consider the loss you will take and balance that against your insurance payments for a hanger queen. If, in 5 years, you would not mind driving an older but perfect condition WRX, just hang on to it. For now, you can just drive it on those special days with that maniacal WRX grin pasted on your face. Good luck.

I had that problem on my 2002 WRX a few years back. I was always getting lost (this was before I had GPS for my car) until I realized that the compass was no longer working properly. The dealership replaced it free of charge and informed me that Subaru had a whole batch of bad compass mirrors in 2002. I hope you can find an honest dealer and hopefully they'll fix it even out of warranty. Now I get lost with my GPS because the GPS is sometimes buggy:dead:

I'm a bit late to comment but I just got back from the Subaru dealer looking for a replacement for my 95 Legacy Wagon and need to vent/rant. Apologies in advance... My findings (albeit a bit late): 1. No Legacy Wagons - 2. No Hand Brake - Who made that @#*% decision??? What's next? 2WD Subaru's??? 3. No Turbo 4 - :-\ 4. Now there's a 6 speed manual but its a bit notchy :-\ and has no hill holder:( 5. No prospect of a diesel anytime soon:-\ 6. The Outback looks like a land barge now. I know Subaru is breaking its sales records but I think they lost a little something going mainstream. I think I'll be hitting the used market for the last manual Legacy Wagon model that was made. I think it's best that I don't comment on the current Impreza Hatchtoad, er, Hatchback at this time...

Congrats on your WRX. Prepare to fund your traffic violations fund. You've got two factors working against you with your WRX in the snow. IMHO, you need to go the Tire Rack route with skinnier winter tires on another set of rims unless you drive primarily on well cleared city roads. 1) Big footprint - low ground pressure/traction. My WRX has the all season high performance Dunlops but the WRX "floats" on the snow and ice and directional control is fun but challenging... 2) Yes, if you're in snow country, snow tires really make a difference over all seasons if you drive on bad roads (back country access roads for Nordic/Alpine/Telemark skiing, etc.). I drive my Legacy during the winter and the skinny 14 inch wheels really grip the snow (Blizzaks). My WRX is garaged in the winter. It's a lot of fun going sideways in the winter but it can be scary too...

Are there any Subaru Diesel drivers from across the pond on this board? I'm wondering if any one has seen or heard anything about reliability. I know it's a bit soon for headgasket or other issues but I was just wondering. My 95 Wagon is finally starting to dissolve from 14 years of Chicago road salt and she might have to be taken out to the Subaru pasture. I love the new Legacy, er, Outback wagons but the gas mileage leaves something to be desired. Hopefully we'll see the diesel over here soon...

The Chicago salt finally ate through the bottoms of my 95's door panels. The little spot bondo/paint thing isn't going do the trick anymore. Is it time to throw in the towel and join the legion of rusty old Subaru's in road salt country? What tricks do you folks have for hiding/slowing this disaster until the weather warms up? While my Subie is still caked in road salt, I can see the rust coming completely through on the bottoms of all my doors and the wheel wells. It's been a brutal winter here in Chicago snow/salt wise. Aside from cosmetics, what suspension parts should I be keeping an eye on after 14 salty Chicago winters? I'm off to the car wash. Hope the sprayer doesn't blast holes through the rusted panels... Doh!

That's a surprise. I had a great experience with Jason at 1st Subaru (toll free number). He sent me a Subaru alternator right away after my POS Autozone rebuild died after about a month or two. The Subaru rebuilt alternator is working out great. Saved a ton $$$.

A great board for surrogate parenting… Your son’s fortunate to have a father who would indulge him with an SVX. That’s still a lot of car for a 16 year old IMHO. The tongue in cheek WRX recommendations are funny. If I had a WRX when I was 16, I would never have made it to 17. My recommendation would be a 95ish Impreza Front-Wheel Drive Sedan with the 1.8 liter 5 speed manual. Here are my thoughts: 1. He shouldn’t be able to get into too much trouble with that 1.8L manual. It’s tougher to hold a beer bottle and shift/drive at the same time. 2. It’s small enough that he won’t be the “party wagon” driver loaded with kids, booze, and who knows what in the back of an AWD Legacy headed out into the boonies for a kegger. O.K. so I’m a killjoy parent. I drove the family wagon in high school when my father let me have it. It was difficult explaining the cornstalks stuck to the bottom of the car once… 3. He’ll save on insurance and gas (you’ll save that is…) 4. You should be able to get one for cheap if you can find one… 5. If he really needs the “cool” factor, maybe an older 2.5RS Impreza with the spoiler and hood scoops but without the turbo of the WRX’s. I think some of the older non-RS Impreza’s might have come with a small rear spoiler as well. Good Luck

ROTFLMAO:lol: Nice post... Some of the Aussie/UK speak might be lost on us Yanks but I can extrapolate from "Shopping Trolley International"

I just responded to your post on the Car Talk Board. Most of this list applies to my camping/kayaking/Xcskiing runs into the boonies in my old 95 Legacy. Looks like you're in the city so you won't need most of this with a newer Legacy. ------------------------------------------------------------ Great question. It’s good to see what other people carry in their cars and to compare notes. Where do you live? If you’re in the city or the boonies, you’re car “survival” kit will be a little different. This list is geared to those driving in the boonies. First of all, I always carry some basic car stuff that I won’t count such as a cell phone & car charger, baby wipes, bottled water, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, tire pressure gauge, extra quarters, and paper towels. Secondly, I check the tire pressure of my spare tire at least once a year. Guess what happened to me once… Omitting some of the unique regional requirements, here’s what I always keep in the trunk/hatch: 1. A 2-pack of Road Flares. A bit archaic but saved my butt and others on occasion. IMHO no battery light or triangle reflector will make semi’s and cars slow down and change lanes to avoid you like a road flare. 2. Jumper cables 3. Fix-a-flat can 4. Flashlight & extra batteries 5. Extra fuses and fuse puller (if not already included in the car fuse box.). Here’s what I sometimes carry depending on my travel plans or condition of my car(s): 6. Basic First Aid Kit or bigger first aid kit with latex gloves, scissors, etc. 7. Basic tools (pliers, screwdriver, Swiss army knife, 10mm & 12mm wrenches). 8. Electrical tape and sometimes duct tape 9. air compressor that runs off the cigarette lighter 10. car fire extinguisher (if you have an older car or a Pontiac Fiero) 11. safe emergency gas substitute to help you make it to a gas station if you run out of gas. I don’t know if they still sell those. 12. work gloves 13. Orange Triangle road reflector 14. Extra Quart of Engine Oil 15. Extra washer fluid If you drive in the boonies and someplace cold and snowy: 16. emergency candles or sterno like equivalent AND matches/lighter 17. high calorie/fat shelf stable munchies 18. blanket or compact foil survival blanket 19. folding shovel 20. signal mirror (there are places a cell phone doesn’t work…) 21. extra water 22. A Full Gas Tank at the start of Can you tell that I was a Boy Scout once and have experienced car trouble on the road?

I feel your pain. While I think the WRX wagon is the most practical of pocket rockets, I can see where the 4-door sedan can be a bit cramped. Premium fuel certainly doesn't help matters. You probably know this but I think it's worth repeating given the pristine condition of your Rex: - Don't tell the dealer you have a trade-in until you fight it out and get a final price on your new Outback. - If you don't mind the hassle, you should try to sell the Rex directly by yourself. You should be able to list your Rex above the NADA/Bluebook retail given it's mint condition. Of course, you'll have an army of speed freaks beating a trail to your house... You'll get a lot more $$$ for it as your dealer will screw you on the price of the Outback without your knowing it while seeming to give you a decent trade-in price. - You can always start with Craigslist for free and post a ridiculously high price for your Rex and see what happens. Cheers,

I'd put a vote of approval in for Mike Scarfff Subaru of Auburn. 1-866-456-3025 Ask for Jason. I got a great price on an OEM Subaru Alternator and it was shipped right away. The Chicago Subaru Dealer Parts Pirates probably have a contract out on him...

Sorry to hear you’re getting bad gas mileage on your Legacy Turbo. There are a few things at work here IMHO: 1) The TANSTAAFL principle. “There [aint] no such thing as a free lunch.” You have a terrific car but fun does come at a price. Sport Sharp isn’t cheap. As a WRX driver, I was getting horrendous fuel economy until I’ve learned how to stop being turbo/boost happy. I’ve found that when I don’t give my passenger’s whiplash, I get better fuel economy:rolleyes: . It’s not as much fun for me though. 2) If you do a lot of short hop driving in a small town, your engine doesn’t reach optimal operating temperature and you’ll get terrible gas mileage: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/planning.shtml Combining errands into one trip saves you time and money. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. Trip planning ensures that traveling is done when the engine is warmed-up and efficient. 3) “You’re actual mileage may vary.” I don’t recall if they still put that caveat on the EPA stickers. I’ve long since stopped trusting the silly EPA figures on the car stickers. I think of them as more of an “ideal driving mpg” and use them to compare and contrast the expected fuel economy of difference car models. Don’t feel too bad. Premium gas in Chicago is over $4.60 a gallon now. I haven’t checked it in the last 5 minutes so it’s probably gone up already…

Great sidetracking of a mileage thread. One last(?) comment. In response to a Fox-News type dismissal of those who favor a regulated free market. Bulwnkl: “… I have no problem with folks who want to have a command economy with a little freedom rather than a free country with a few rules…” Bulwnkl: “…I agree that many times people are afraid of free markets…” Please don’t use nonsensical “straw man” arguments. We’ve had enough of them from the current administration. No one is contesting the fact that free market capitalism is the best economic system in the world. However, we do have to leave the classroom and live in the real world. I see USMB board members advocating an enlightened application of public policy to carefully and lightly regulate the imperfect markets of the world economy. Policy mistakes are made and corrected. That’s part of the process. I would argue that the ebb and flow of regulatory fervor is part of the market mechanism itself with all its inherent pitfalls and imperfections. The American People have spoken and have chosen a regulated free market system. Many years of trials and tribulations have created the economic model for the world to follow. That said, I’m looking forward to January 29, 2009 as every now and then we get an administration that mucks things up a bit.

Nice post. Sweet wagon. Another brilliant piece of automotive engineering us Yanks can't have... This is a familiar feeling: WRX - Japan (until 2002 ) Ford Escort Cosworth - UK (we got the POS version of the Escort ) Nissan Skyline GT-R - Japan (at least it's here now:burnout: ) Etc. Feel free to add anything I've missed... My old 95 Legacy is starting to look a bit pokey… Doh!

It's a good thing Subaru's new "Parent" company is Toyota. I think Subaru is on top of this with their gutsy investment in an all new diesel. I would hope/expect to see the following from Subaru sometime soon: 1) Turbo Diesels across the product line. Someone posted some news/rumors about a higher output diesel for the WRX. On the opposite end of the performance spectrum, I fear an anemic non-turbo diesel model for a smaller car (see 3) to bring up the corporate fuel economy average. 2) A Subayota hybrid of some sort. 3) The return of a "Justy" type small Subaru. If the Smart cars become popular, maybe even the Subaru "micro" cars might cross the pond. Strange things will happen when gas hits $5 a gallon... I have faith that the automotive wizards from the land of the rising sun will continue to wow us and force our SUV happy domestics to get their act in gear. Super unleaded in Chicago has already passed the $4 per gallon mark:dead: and my WRX is becoming a hanger queen :-\

Nice. I wonder if the patent lawyer from Yakima has paid a visit to that bike rack company Your bike and wagon are way too clean. Let's see a post-ride picture. I see you live in "no rust" California where you can see the sun. A white, spotless 94ish turbo wagon. Sweet. Stay away from the mountain lions...

With Gas headed for +$4 a gallon, there's a huge opportunity for scam artists to take undue advantage of desperate people. As a fan of technology and science, I woudl like to think that there are some things that can extend fuel mileage that will become more feasible as the cost of gasoline increases but I don't think water/methanol injection is one of them. During World War II, the Vought F-4U Corsair carrier-based fighter had emergency water/methanol injection that provided a one shot emergency boost of power if an American pilot got in a jam against a Japanese Zero. However, it was understood that the engine was toast afterwards. There was a discussion on the car talk board about water/methonal injection recently and I think the general conclusion was that it was a bunch of hooey. If there was an economical way to get more mileage of out a car, it would have been implemented by now or would be patented and in development by a major company. Oh well. Gotta fill up my Subies this weekend in Chicago. Doh!!!

Any updates to these rattling heat shield fixes? The heat shield rattle on my 95 Legacy has reached embarrassing levels now The local Subaru dealer offered a $65 riveting fix a few years ago which I wisely(?) declined. I do not like the nail solutions as I have had countless flats over the years due to an assortment of nails (three last year alone!). I had thought they were from my numerous HomeDepot/Lowes/Menards trips:mad: … Anybody use the FTV high temp adhesive suggested by the ex F-4 Phantom mechanic (Kstretch55)? How long does the “wedging” technique (steel wool, aluminum foil) work?

Nipper's correct as usual. It's the alternator. If the battery's 4 to 5 years old, you'd might as well replace that as well. It might have given your old alternator the coup de grace. I killed my 95's original alternator with a tapped out old battery:dead: .

Bratman: Wow. I don’t really know where to start. However, this is more fun than cleaning the house and doing my taxes so here goes… I disgree with most of your points and would like to foster the open and good-natured tongue-in-cheek discussion that makes the USMB so fun: “So you think the justy is a unique car. The only think that sets them apart from a Geo Metro is the option for 4wd. They are still sardine cans made for no purpose other than fuel mileage.” The CVT transmission was a radical concept at that time, and I think, a first in the U.S. That, with the 4WD was a gutsy move by such a small automaker. The 4WD CVT Justy was a one of a kind machine that added to the “out there” image of Subaru. Unfortunately, it was an underfunded effort and it came with a few “bugs.” “And the XT, hell thats just a copy of a Pontiac Fiero. I mean look at then, they are both wedges. And both slow and quirky.” I don’t remember any XT4’s going up in flames so they didn’t “copy” the Fiero. I also don’t remember any 4WD Fieros. I do remember POS Fieros. The only non POS Fiero was the final year V6 they made. The XT6 was pretty peppy for the time. It was also just plain weird (L-steering wheel). Again, Subaru cementing that “left field” image. “The Brat, rip off of an El Camino.” I think the BRAT was a wee bit smaller than the El Camino. And again, I don’t think there was a stock 4WD El Camino? I don’t think too many people confused the brat with an El Camino/Mailibu/Chevelle. ”SVX, hell its got deLorean windows for goodness sake.” It was a unique and cool design that helped it stand out among the hordes of boxer Flat 6 sport couples out there at the time:lol: . Unfortunately, it didn’t have manual transmission. Doh! ”My point is, if you really want to nit pick, subaru has never made a car that couldn't be compared to another car being made in the same or similar era. If you don't like the car, don't buy one. Some people love them (me included now that they've grown on me) some people don't. ??? See above ??? Forgive me if I disagree with you on Subaru being a mainstream auto company. Besides the obvious (Folks, feel free to pile on), the affordable AWD/4WD options were seriously limited back in the 80’s and Early 90’s when the Justy, XT4/6, and SVX’s were around. American Motors (ugh) and Audi ($$$). Mazda’s 323GTX and Mitsubishi’s little AWD turbo beasties (Galant VR-4, Eclipse GSX), and Toyota’s All-trac Celica were rare affordable(?) exceptions. ”Wouldn't you get annoyed just a little bit if somebody popped up every day or so with a thread talking about how much they love a car for such and such reasons. The same goes with the threads of how some people hate a car. All the reviews were posted almost a year ago when these cars came out. If you had negative stuff to say about the body design it should have been addressed then” Ach du liber, here on the USMB board, we like to talk about Subies and their quirks. You’d lose a lot of threads... ”Now stuff like paint schemes and that stuff, yeah, we can fuss about that all day long. But, in the end, its a quirky scheme. And its what makes Subaru, a Subaru.” It’s the ENGINEERING and DESIGN that makes a Subaru a Subaru. Not the freakin paint job!!!

JT95: I think the Subaru design office is in Southern California. I just don't think Subaru drug tests their employees down there. I'm afraid they may have hired the clowns that were fired from the Pontiac Aztek team:rolleyes: Bucky: Nice bumblebee XT:lol: Steeler fan? Since you're in Connecticut, when are you going to do the blue & white UConn thing on your Impreza? All joking aside, I thought the XT was a really cool car. Subaru had a talent of making really unique cars back then (Justy, XT, SVX). As for the add-ons, I think all Subaru's should come standard with a Yakima/Thule/etc. rack setup. It just isn't a Subaru without gear in the back, stuff on the roof, and mud/sand/snow all over the car.

Bucky: Don't feel bad. Subaru owners for ages tolerated the quirky exteriors of their cars for the terrific engineering inside (Subaru's have a great personality...). My homely 02WRX has been called a Dodge Neon clone, and worse, but I love it nonetheless. All this name calling just builds character. We Subie aficionados are a tough bunch. JT95: I think I see an Aztek resemblance in that "Outback Sport" thing. You can put lipstick on a pig but clown paint?

A 2.2L running an AWD drivetrain in a Legacy Wagon needs all the help it can get so I’d recommend a manual. You’ll pick up at least 1 second in a 0-60 dash and you’ll have a lot more control (IMHO) in mud/sand/snow. I have a 5-speed 2.2L 95 Legacy Manual and I’ve driven both 2.2 and 2.5 automatic Legacy wagons. The Subaru 4-spd auto’s really slow them down. The downside is that you might find some very tired clutches on wagons driven by people who try to drive them like WRX’s:rolleyes: . I’m less familiar with the reliability of the automatic Subies but I’m sure the folks on the board here can tell you what to look out for (torque bind?). Of course, if you need to text message while you have your breakfast on the drive to the office in the morning, by all means get an automatic:lol: .