Red92

Looks great! Perhaps it is the color, but it looks like it hardly has any rust at all! What's the next task now that the dash lights are sorted out? By the way, I just got a thread started for my own '94 Legacy GT... I have a moderate list of issues to work through to fix it up to my liking, should be interesting: 1994 Legacy GT - Repairs & Upgrades, A Build Thread http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=126886

Broken Strut Spring Here is the broken spring. I'm holding up that last coil that is broken off. It seems to wrap just far enough around that it can't slip out... I'm a bit undecided on how I want to fix this... as I have the whole range of "cheap" to "best" to chose from. As I see it, here are my options: 1) Get a replacement used spring, and reassemble the existing strut (assuming I don't find any other damage when I have it apart). 2) Get a replacement used strut, and swap the whole thing out. This would be easier and would take less time (no spring compressor needed, etc), but I couldn't guarantee that the shocks would be the same type. ** The disadvantage to #1 and #2 is that I would have mixed parts side-to-side, with the potential for different suspension heights or ride characteristics. ** 3) Get *two* replacement used struts from the same donor car, and swap 'em both 4) Get two NEW struts with NEW springs and replace them both. (Something I'm considering, since the labor is the same either way... Anyone have any advice or suggestions? Other questions: * Are the GT strut spring and shocks the same as those on the regular Legacies? * Does anyone sell fully assembled replacement struts with all new parts (including the springs and top bushings?)

Ok, we'll start with the initial condition. The primary concern is that the car has a broken spring on the right front strut, with the last coil loose and just hanging up in the strut. This was the problem that made the previous owners let it go (they have upgraded to a newer Outback and Forrester). I'm not too worried about fixing this, but it does mean that the car isn't immediately drivable. :-\ The front tires are shot, with uneven wear, likely due to the broken suspension. Body wise, the car is in overall good shape. The drivers side door has a generous dent in it, but still opens/closes fine and the window works, so I'm considering it cosmetic. The rear bumper has some scuffs, and there is rust in front of both rear wheels, coming through to the backside (visible when you open the rear doors). Minor rust behind the rear wheels, around the front fenders, and a small bit at the lower edge of the rear hatch. The underside is very clean, including the suspension - just very very light surface rust there. The engine runs strong, and is definitely peppy coming from the Loyale. No ticks, and no leaks. A new battery was put in just a month ago by the previous owner. The only potential issue is that I don't have any record of the timing belt being done... and the previous owners didn't do it. The transmission seems good too, the clutch is fine, and all the gears work. The car is AWD with a 5-speed manual, and there is no torque bind that I can detect in slow tight turns. The shifter however is *very* loose... all gears feel like neutral! But it engages positively with no driveability issues. The interior is in good shape, just missing the rear cargo cover and some screws holding the trim to the rear seats. A bit of dog hair and some stickers, but those shouldn't be a problem. Other noted issues: * The fuel gauge shows signs of life when the tank is full, but reads empty anytime it is below ~3/4 tank. * The airbag light is on * The check engine light is on * The plastic headlights are hazy * It has three separate keys - one for the ignition, one for the drivers door, and one for the hatch! (They are all different too!) * The rear hatch is a bit loose when latched * The wire for the rear window defroster has pulled off of the window * The CD player doesn't play CDs. All in all, not a bad list. Should be manageable to get this one fixed back up.

I should also add that I'm starting this journey literally within days of bheinen74 starting with his own '94 Legacy GT... and our cars seem to have many of the same issues. So keep an eye on his thread as well, as I imagine we will have a lot of back-and-forth buildup as we go. project 94 LEgacy GT wagon with 46k begins. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=126863

So just last weekend, I picked up my next project - a 1994 Legacy GT. It's in pretty decent shape for its age and location (Wisconsin, and apparently Pennsylvania and Connecticut before based on the paperwork), and considering it has been driven in the winters and not garaged for at least the last four years. My Loyale (parked behind it) needs more work than I can do on it now, so it was time to pick up a more manageable project. The car is clean, but like any old Subaru, has a moderate list of issues to address. I'll try to keep things updated, and post my progress here in this thread as I go.

I've done this on VW carbs and manifolds, using a level instead of the glass plate. It worked great, and was definitely worth the time! It's easy to just keep tightening the bolts and blaming the gaskets when things don't seal well... but once you start taking the material off, you can see just how "un-flat" the surfaces really are!

Looks like it is in great shape!

For all 4? Wow, that's a great deal!

If you decide not to go with the Forrester struts, you could always go with spacers for your existing struts: http://www.subtle-solutions.com/product_info.php?products_id=137

So I just brought home a '94 Legacy, and one of it's quirks is that it came with THREE keys! One works the door locks, one for the rear hatch, and the third for the ignition. All three are different. I don't even know where to start on this one. For now, I will just deal with it (almost doubled the size of my keychain!)... but what is the best solution? Is it cheaper to leave one of the locks in place and have the rest reworked to match? Or should I try to find a car in the junkyard with keys and swap all of the locks at once? Thanks.

What brand/model of tires are they? I might be needing some snow tires this winter as well, and the local shops only seem to have 175/70/13s in stock...

Radar detector? Garage door remote? iPod dock?

Yep, and it isn't just Subaru. Many other manufacturers have the same "not recommended" clause, or drastically lower tow ratings for USA models as compared to the (identical) models for European or other markets.

bigjimd has a unique "grass green" interior in his Loyale: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showpost.php?p=1045585&postcount=7 I'm really tempted to do this to mine.

They look great!! Where did you get them from?

The whole way through I was thinking "Wow, these are *really* good pictures... did he do this all on a shop lift? Then I saw the gravel. LOL x2! Have you thought about it? Now that you've made one, would it be easy to crank out more?

2.4 gallons!! So what, 60 miles or so of driving left? Mine for sure comes on when the needle dips below "E", it looks just like the photo 92_rugby_subie posted but the light will come on. Does your yellow light come on when the needle is still above E then?

On my Loyale, right underneath the analog fuel gauge, there is a little symbol of a gas pump. The light that comes on is a yellow square just to the left of that. So it's not on the dash (like the check engine light), it's actually in the gauge cluster right underneath the fuel gauge. That's just for my Loyale... no idea if the GL has the same setup...

No problem. If you do this, let us know how it goes. I'm curious to know just how much gas the "reserve" actually is. Just be ready for this: ... have your AAA card handy or a friend on call in case you get stuck.

Because I wanted to know?

Hello all. Can anyone summarize for me what factory options were available on the Loyales? I've read in many places about optional items from the GL becoming standard for the Loyale (example: power windows), and about options being dropped (example: digital dash)... But I haven't really found a good reference for what was included in a "base model" Loyale and what options were available on top of that. I can tell that the roof rack and rear spoiler were options, as my Loyale has them, and I have seen Loyales without them or any evidence of their mounting points. But beyond that? Thanks.

Wow, you guys are fast! They list the VIN as JF2AN52B9NF406284. I found a reference for "decoding" the VIN here: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Vehicle_Identification_Numbers_%28VIN_codes%29/Subaru/VIN_Codes ...which says that the model year is the tenth digit. The tenth digit in this one is 'N', which according to this site: http://www.cars101.com/subaru/vin.html means that it is a 1992 model year. So either someone made a mistake listing it on Copart, or this one has been VIN swapped? I can't imagine that someone would go through all the work to back-date so much of the car if it really was a '92 shell...

x2! Do you have a bigger picture that shows them?

My '92 Loyale has it. The fuel gauge needle will actually hit the E mark and then dip slightly below it when the yellow square lights up, so you might not have run it down far enough yet. For what it is worth, on mine, the car has at least 3/4 gallon left in it when the yellow light comes on. That's as close as I've been willing to risk it!

What do you guys make of this one? http://www.copart.com/c2/homeSearch.html?_eventId=getLot&execution=e1s1&lotId=23117651 (Copart lot #23117651 if the link doesn't work) It says it is a '92 Loyale, and the VIN would seem to indicate that, but some of the details don't look right to me. I'm far from an expert, but these are the things which this car has, which are different from my '92 Loyale: * Carb'd engine * Interior is more "plush" * Wheels * Black paint on rear hatch between windows * No rear roof spoiler * Larger reflectors on front corners * Smaller bumpers * No automatic seatbelts I at first thought that the engine might have been replaced as part of repairing a "larger-than-it-appears" front-end collision... however, now I'm starting to wonder if this is even a '92 at all??