trevize1138

Congrats on the Impreza! Yeah, research the intake thing before doing anything. Sometimes you can end up doing more harm than good and I believe even less power if you've got a turbo. Don't quote me on that last part, though. But, don't neglect the handling capabilities of your Impreza! Any 16-year-old with a learner's permit can jam gears in a straight line. What makes your car special is all the speed it can carry through corners and the awesome drift-control AWD allows for not just dry but sandy, dusty, wet, snowy, what have you conditions. For practice without the expensive repair bills, get yourself a force feedback steering wheel and a copy of Colin McRae Rally 2005 .

So, when the milage requirement comes up for my '97 Impreza I need to replace the belt otherwise "kablooey?"

Do the 2.2L Legacy and Impreza motors from the late '90s have non-interferance valves (I believe they're called)? In other words, if the timing belt goes does it not do any further damage (pistons smacking valves)?

Any info on this one, guys? The newest Subarus I can find manuals for are up to the '98 Legacy but no Impreza info. Or, can I just use the Legacy manual for the majority of Impreza work 'cause everything's so similar except for cargo space? Minneapolis Subarus reprezent! Been checking out the pictures of the one Minnesotan's lifted blue-and-yellow Impreza going through window-deep muddy pools. Gotta love it.

That's what I'm starting to see here. I think you and some others on here are right: in the long term it's probably best to hold onto my '97 Impreza and start learning myself some maintenance on it. Still, my question remains: repair manual for the '97 Impreza? I can't find one!

Cool. Thanks for all the info, folks! It does seem, however, that from what folks have said on here the long-term better solution may be keeping my '97 Impreza. Only hitch is getting a repair manual for it! But, it's running great, no rust ... considering I'll be putting really low miles on it I could have it for another 10-15 years, I think.

Actually, that was one reason I started looking down the path of getting an older Subaru. On my initial searches I could not find a repair manual for sale that covered my '97 Impreza or my wife's '00 Legacy. Am I just not looking hard enough? I forgot about AutoZone reading CELs for free. But, as stated, it'd be nice to have a repair manual at least for my Impreza. If I can start there maybe I would indeed decide just to keep it. *shrug*

Thanks for the welcome! So, what's your opinion on fuel injected vs. carbureted when it comes to "DIY"? Legacies have always had fuel injection, have they not? If so, did they have check engine lights and need the occasional repair shop diagnosis by plugging them into expensive computer diagnostic equipment? Or, were the earlier fuel-injected models simple enough that you could diagnose and work on them 100% by yourself and computer-free? I did this year successfully rebuild the Solex 34-PICT-3 carb on my '72 VW and got the motor tuned up and running great as a result, so that's why I'm biased to carbs. Although, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to learn me on maintaining early FI. Beyond the motors, what other issues should I be looking for in older Subarus? Here in Minnesota I know rust is always an issue with older cars. Anything other than that to check when shopping for an '80s Subaru?

I'll cut to the chase: Married with two big, American bulldogs. Avid skier and MTN biker. Currently own '00 Legacy L Wagon, '97 OBS and '72 VW Karmann Ghia. The Legacy is the wife's car and, of course, the vacation car when we're taking the dogs, bikes and camping equipment with us. The Impreza is my "daily driver" although I work from home now so it's lucky to get 8,000 miles on it a year. The '72 Ghia was a recent purchase and my new toy and may mean my "daily driver" will now be lucky to see 5,000 miles a year. Obviously, I love them flat-4s (first car was a '72 Super Beetle). And, I've been learning a lot about carburetors and older flat-4s (air-cooled, however) thanks to the Ghia Pet. Thing is, because I work from home the '97 Impreza feels like more car than I need sometimes and I could still get a good $6K out of it if I sold it. With that money I could pay off some credit card debt. Then, for my "daily driver" (read: car I don't mind getting salty in winter unlike the Ghia) get something in the $1K-$2K range that's older, carbureted (no complicated FI or check engine light) and therefore easier to do repairs on my own. I know the Impreza's a great car. I love it. It's fast for a non-turbo, handles awesome and has that cool hood scoop/hood vent combo that looks sweet and all but ... yesterday I saw a late '70s/early '80s GL hatchback and thought it looked pretty dang sweet, too. But, an older Loyale wagon or Brat wouldn't be bad, either. Heck, if I'm looking for cheap and easy to own/repair by myself, I suppose a Justy would work, right? What I mean when I say the Impreza's more car than I need is I feel like I really only use it to drive to skiing places when my wife's at work with the Legacy. In summer I can drive the Ghia or ride one of my 8 bicycles. So, for nearly $100/month in insurance costs it doesn't quite seem worth it to hold onto this car. So, I'll open the floor to opinions out there. What would you recommend for a semi-daily driver that's about the most affordable and do-it-yourself Subaru I can get? Thanks! -Chris