Olnick

This may be your most practical approach, unless you're wildly in love with the Forester. And yes, the '95 is a very nice car! If you do decide to go for the swap, the '95 2.2L is the best candidate from everything I've read here. Good luck.

And thank you, Juan. It made for an intersting discussion. Aloha.

I must admit I've had similar thoughts, Juan. But the way you stated your position really rattled my cage, so here's my $.02. And I feel that anything post-1996 is . . . well, you get the idea!

Hey, it's still yesterday out here. And it will remain so until . . . tomorrow!

And this is for what year/model?

Originally he made a flat statement, "Gets 35-40 miles per gallon." Now he added "actual numbers with more aggressive driving would be closer to 26 city & 32 highway." Guess I did my good deed for the day!

Interesting, the dude rewrote his mileage claim in the ebay ad to make it a little more realistic. What you're reading now is not the original wording. Guess it bothered me so much because someone who doesn't know Subarus, or cars in general, could fall for such a wildly inflated claim. Oh well, caveat emptor.

Saw this '95 Legacy wagon on ebay this morning. Appears to be in very nice condition and gets absolutely fantastic miles-per-gallon! (see the second sentence in Vehicle Description.) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1995-Subaru-Legacy-L-All-Wheel-Drive-Wagon-50000-Miles_W0QQitemZ4652843094QQihZ002QQcategoryZ31869QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I sent the dealer an email chiding him for his "honesty." Got the following reply: Sorry my friend, my father drives 50-55 MPH on the highway and has many documented receipts of that mileage. Maybe I should buy that car . . . then get his father to teach me how to drive!

You can do all 3 of those sensors in an afternoon, Zomicon. I'm no great shakes as a mechanic, so if I can do it I'll bet you can! Get yourself a Haynes manual and ask questions here. All you need is a basic metric socket wrench set, some screwdrivers and maybe needlenose and channellock pliers. For the best prices on parts contact Jamie (search here on the board) or call Jason at Auburn Subaru (866-528-5282) and identify yourself as a USMB member. Can't guarantee it'll solve all the problems but it's all stuff that should be done anyway--and it'll save you a few hundred dollars by tackling it yourself. Good luck.

Not really--when my temp sensor went bad the car ran, just very poorly. A bad temp sensor could be telling the engine to stay in open loop, which might explain the smoke and gasoline smell--too much fuel when you step on the accelerator. However, IIRC I got a code for the temp sensor. So I could be dead wrong but suggest you look into it, along with the O2 sensor and the knock sensor.

You might try a new engine coolant temperature sensor--they really mess with the computer's mind! Not too expensive to replace, $20 or so. Good luck.

Never can tell, but it's worth a try. It's been discussed quite a bit. Try a search, here are a couple of links: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40494&highlight=iacv http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=33198&highlight=idle+air+control+valve Good luck.

Yikes! If you are at all handy you can probably fix it for a couple of bucks. The socket and wiring often get fried but it's usually hidden inside the rubber boot at the back of the headlight housing. You can buy a generic replacement socket and splice the pigtail wires into your existing headlight wiring. Try a search here on the board--we talked about it quite a bit when I did mine a while back.

That was a fascinating and educational discussion. I looked back over it thanks to your reference, Carl And I was impressed all over again with frag's straightforward logic and OB99W's patient and thorough explanations. This is one great board!

Yeah. Best vehicle Subaru ever built. (Okay, I'm prejudiced!) Seriously, about the only "bad" I can think of is the few spots of rust that have bubbled up. Give a '95 a bit of TLC and some regular maintenance and it'll serve you well. The 2.2L is smooth and virtually bulletproof (it's a non-interference design). Mine's a 5MT so I can't speak for the auto trannies. The wagon you're looking at should be barely broken in at 85k. If the price is right--and you trust the seller--I'd say it's a wise purchase. Now for the disclaimer! Any piece of machinery can have hidden problems so check out the mechanicals carefully. Or it may be wise to have an independent mechanic inspect it for a fee. Good luck.

Don't panic--Armorall isn't going to eat your plastic! Just wash it off with warm water and a gentle detergent (like Dawn), rinse and dry. Then apply your dressing of choice. This Aerospace 3000 sounds interesting--I'm gonna' look into it. I've been using an aerosol can of silicone lubricant for years with good, long-lasting results. Just spray it on a clean cloth to apply (don't spray it directly on the plastic or you'll get an uneven "wet look").

Yeah, they cracked me up too! Steve--thanks to you and Meika for sharing. Fantastic pics, fantastic country.

That certainly makes sense to me, Carl. Seems to be confirmed by what powderhound read. Think I'll move to Scotland and live next door to Allanmcc in that thrifty scots climate! But I sure wouldn't live next door to Strakes!

That raises an interesting question, Carl. Do alternators weaken over time or are they go/no-go? Should I be saving my pennies for a new alternator? As luck would have it, my cheapo Radio Shack multimeter quit working when I grabbed it to check voltages. Guess that's life!

Strakes, you're a mean little kid with a pin in your hand at my birthday party. Guess that's entirely possible. Previous owner had taken excellent care of the car for sure. A good--and unexpected--side benefit of the new battery: The car runs better! At first I thought it was just my butt dyno giving me happy readings but driving today it is definitely smoother and more responsive. What causes that, the "capacitance factor" of a stronger power source? Whatever--I like it!

Put a new battery in the '95 Legacy wagon today. The old one let me down a few times in the past month. But the car cranks over and fires off so easily that even that weak old battery did the job . . . usually. Then as I was lifting it out I began to realize that I'm pretty sure it was the original battery--Johnson Controls "J5"--possible? Something makes me think that was the original equipment. Car was built in March '95 and I bought it when it was 5 years old with 60k on the odometer. If true, I'm blown away. Eleven years and 2 months!

Right on, Gnuman. Where did you find your swaybar? What kind/size is it? And just what are you going to do when Emily is brand new again?!!

Way to go, medic! What a feeling of accomplishment. Air still working okay?

Not to rain on your parade, but is the Baja box big enough to be practical (Uh-oh, here come the flames!)? In 20 years of driving Subie wagons, DL, GL and Legacy, I've been able to carry some pretty bulky things in or on them. 'Course the Baja do look a lot sportier than my wagons!!!