WagonsOnly

Just out of curiosity--3AT or stick shift? My (carbed) Justy sometimes hesitates, but all our other Soobs are fine on hills, with the exception of my mom's EA81-powered 3AT GLF.

Search the Marketplace, there were a couple RXes that went out here (Northeast) for less than that--and it's a much rarer car here. I'd just wait until the owner came down on the price, then lowball him. 6-900 sounds reasonable. If you were willing to spend 1300, though...stay in the market and you'll find something much nicer.

Without any rust, that's worth its weight in gold up here (New England/NY). I would say around 1500-2000 in your area though. If you look at dealer stock and private-party ads in your local paper you might find something a little bit better priced though.

Have hope in that Subaru refused to rebadge the Saturn Relay/Buick Whatever minivan for US sales because the AWD and boxer engine setup wouldn't fit. =)

The Forester is a car. The Outback is a car. They're being classified as trucks to get around Federal guidelines for window tinting, blah blah blah---not fuel economy. Sure, turbos are thirstier. But did GM ever have an answer to the Justy? Ford? Chrysler? No. They either outsourced (the Metro, Sprint, Aspire, Festiva, Colt) or cheated on the mileage ratings (Horizon, Escort, Reliant) or used even dirtier power plants instead of getting better gas mileage (anyone remember the Lynx/Escort diesels?) I wish people would stop picking on a company that at this point is trying to cater to the mainstream AND be environmentally friendly. I don't see the Sierra Club going after people with Avalanches or Escalade pickup trucks---but doesn't Subaru donate, rather heavily, to Leave No Trace, among others?

Well...with 160+horsepower, there's really no reason to downshift to first unless you're at a dead stop. But if you wanted to, double-clutching will work. It just kills your gas mileage.

Side window tinting doesn't meet Federal safety standards for passenger cars. So now OB wagons and sedans can have tinted windows, Legacies cannot. The deal is that the Legacy fleet will be averaged in with the more-fuel-efficient Impreza line to determine the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) for passenger cars, and the equally-htirsty OB line will be averaged in with the less-thirsty Forester on the light-truck side.

First gear is normal; this prevents you from over-revving the engine going into first. If you need the extra power (going around corners, etc) double-clutch to get into first. As for the reverse gear problem, if you have trouble, try rolling (clutch in and no brake) before you shift, or hold the shifter against the Reverse position until you feel resistance, let the clutch up a little bit at a time; and slide into reverse.

LegacyT, you're going to have to ask someone at the Canadian Department (Ministry?) of Transportation for a list of "registered gray market importers" that will be able to modify your RX to meet Canadian specs for instrumentation and markings (the door jamb labels will have to be changed, as will the instrument cluster). In the States (Canada to USA) only importers are authorized to legally convert cars. If I were you, I'd keep looking...

The Outback was a little too big, and more than a little too sluggish. The Impreza was way too small (the rear hatch design really cuts into cargo room). I wanted something that handled/looked/felt like a GL-10, since all the GL-10s here are pretty well rusted out. The '03 Foresters seemed a little high off the ground (the XT fixed that though), and '01-'02 models had that hideous(IMHO) bloated rear end. I looked for a '99-'00 Forester with low miles, and got one just off lease. I love it--but if I had to do it all over again I'd take a trip out West and find a maroon GL-10 Turbo wagon with a 5-speed. My car feels like a tank, though. Zippy, roomy, a little unstable in turns (immeasurably better than a Blazer but nowhere near as sharp as an XT or GL). I highly recommend the Forester over the Legacy/Outback unless you have 2 or 3 children.

It's a turbo 4. Forester X = 2.5 nonturbo, 165HP Forester XS = Forester X with heated seats, mirrors, LSD, alloys, etc. Forester XS Premium = Forester XS with sunroof Forester XS Premium Leather Package is the Forester XS Premium with leather and an automatic (no 5-speeds are available with factory leather) Forester XT = Forester XS with 210HP turbo 2.5L 4-cyl Forester XT Premium = Forester XS Premium with Leather Package with a turbo 4. Check out cars101.com for a more detailed look at the standard features and options, and color choices, available for every trim line.

If he lives in TX, it shouldn't be a problem for another 50+ years as long as he keeps it garaged. Other than that, exactly what you said.

I LOVE my MY99 Forester. 25K trouble-free miles (oil changes, one major tuneup and 2 flat tires) in the past 9 months.

HOW much? Try some other dealers/specialists first, especially salvage operations that specialize in foreign/Japanese cars, if there are any in your area. And if you haven't been to another mechanic, make sure it isn't anything else first. (CV axle, etc.) I have never had a problem with the rear end, result in a "clunking" from the front. Something isn't quite right here.

You got 1.8L carbed Liberty wagons over there? I thought the only 1.8s were in the Leones... The clutch is a pain to replace. But the older ones last 150K+ miles (around 200,000kms?) so replacing a clutch once, maybe, in the lifetime of the car is well worth it. If there's power to the light relay, then the switch should be fine. Are you sure the earth connexion is crud-free?

Any time, that's what the board is here for

Fiat 500s, and the backsides of Isettas, look pretty much the same to the untrained eye and/or 50+ feet away. There are some other more obscure models too. Visit http://www.microcar.org for specifics. It looks like mine, minus the rust. And with 9 more horsepower, too!

'89 GL-10 Turbo 4WD models had standard LSDs, plus all the GL-10 goodies and the hotwire MAF. That would be my first pick.

Try Tech screws on sheet metal. They just have standard hex heads.

5-speed swap candidate, maybe? Really, the 3AT trannies do not like higher RPMs for sustained driving...nor are they terribly thrilled when shifting from R to D or D to R without coming to a COMPLETE stop. It depends on how much time/effort/energy you want to put into the car. I don't think Subaru started putting speed limiters in US cars until the WRX and the Forester Turbo hit our shores. Even the SVX didn't need one.

JCWhitney sells exact replacements for the interior BRAT carpeting. As for the bed, most people just spray Duraliner on it--it holds up much better and doesn't cause, or show, rust.

Answers, in order: (assuming it's the same as the wagon, it should be, because the switches look identical) 1. Radio Shack. 2. Not hard at all, just pop it out with a screwdriver (flathead) (wrap a paper towel around the head so you don't mar the plastic). Here's the link to the detailed archive, and the part #: http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2566&highlight=rear+wiper+bulb

If you don't get any replies I'll measure mine tomorrow. do you have an EA81 or EA82 wagon?

Every Soob from 1982 (or maybe earlier) to my 1999 Forester (maybe later) has had the dinger mounted somewhere behind the dash, covered by a little plastic cutout/vent/speaker grille. The only model I'm not sure about is the Justy, since I haven't found the dinger in mine yet. I would install a toggle switch on the speaker wire, that way the dinger is there when you need it, gone when you don't. (Not that one ever really needs it, but I also wouldn't cannibalize a mid-90s Legacy.)

No, no part numbers/lists =( sorry about that.