JT95

Thanks a lot guys. Yeah, my donor car was hit in the side, so the air bags are all good. I went ahead a took off the sensors when I removed the passenger side airbag. I haven't read up on the proper method of removing the steering wheel, so haven't attempted that one yet. I'm gonna have to buy a special bit to get the module unattached. Is that special torx bit something I'll have to get from someplace specific, or will they have it at an AutoZone etc.? Trivial Info: I learned today that all the airbag wiring will be all that yellow casing running through your car. I've also learned that it is incredibly fun to take apart a car when you know you don't have to put anything back together...

Along with the installation of new airbags after a front end accident, is it standard procedure to replace the air bag sensors as well? There's an airbag control module on the front hump under the dash/console--does it need reset by the Subaru dealership?

I'm a dork. Yep--all bolts were out but those two. Dash is now out and little '00 is almost completely stripped. Thanks.

I need to remove the dash from a 2000 Impreza. All the lower plastic cladding is already off. The in-dash airbag unit is out. Radio console is out. Center vents/storage compartment out. All the bolts/screws from the front of the dash are out. I can push up on the dash, and it seems free up front (front being driver's face) , but is still attached somehow in the back. I can't see any bolts. Is there a trick to getting the dash out? Anybody w/ knowledge, input appreciated. None of the parts stores sell Impreza service manuals. I've ordered a CD rom set of manuals for computer that should have the diagram for dash removal, but I'll have to wait til after the weekend for that to come in the mail.

Welcome to the board. This place has an amazing community of subie-smart people. Sharp Subaru, btw. I enjoyed the pics, only somebody's little black car kept getting in the way...

I had a new windshield installed in my 95 Legacy a couple months ago by Safelite. It was an insurance claim, so I don't recall what the actual ticket was. But, they did a super clean job with the install and the quality of the new windshield is great.

Well, today my two Imprezas arrived and were unloaded. I spent the afternoon getting started on my OBS '99 project. Depending on how quickly the frame shop can get to that front end and if I have any trouble with the roof/windshield, things could progress in a very timely fashion. The sad thing is, I think it would have been easier to have the donor car pulled and hang two doors on the passenger side and be good to go. However, the donor car has about 60,000 more miles and no title, so it'll all be good after the time is invested. The engine on my project car is CLEAN, and of course I didn't take a photo of it. Anyway, I'm gonna blog the project, if anyone is interested in more photos and info. Here's the link: Not much there now, but it's only been one day...

Oops. Hehee. Yeah--I fixed the typo. Hey--maybe there will be some revisions in 09. I think the 5 doors would really look more streamlined if the roof rack were more a part of the car, like they were on previous years. Well, in 10 years I'll get to do one of these 08s my way. I usually buy a car after it's 8 or 10 yrs old, so I figure I'll be getting one of these Impreza 5 doors by then. As I said before, I like them as raw material, I'd just do some of the cosmetic things differently. (The first thing I'd do is cut a hole in the hood and install a scoop off a late 90s Impreza RS or OBS.) :cool: Bucky--your 5 door would look b1tchin w/ a hood scoop added, and with the rocker panels and mud flaps painted semi-gloss black...and a customed front bumper cover w/ a couple fat fog lights.

That's true. However, some of us don't live in areas where you see these in person very much. I run across Legacy wagons and Foresters all the time, but I honestly have yet to meet a single 08 Impreza on the road yet. Some of us are just slow at getting into the debate I guess. :-\

Nope--I've got a big dent in the roof, so I gotta remove the headliner so I can do a little gentle pounding. I ended up loosening one side of the interior trim and that gave enough room to slide it out from the other side. I hate taking interiors apart because I can never do so without crapping out half the plastic clips that hold everything in. Thanks for the input.

I need to remove the headliner on my '99 Impreza wagon. Is there a way to drop this without having to remove all of the interior's plastic side trim? Sure would save a lot of time if I didn't have to remove all of the extra interior trim. Anybody got experience removing Subaru headliners? Thanks for any help!

Dude, that comment had me rolling... (I think every neighborhood has one of those guys.)

Ask and ye shall receive.... http://www.rivergate5speed.com/scca/rallycross/index.html

I think the reason for that is because so many of us have had no exposure to off-road rallying. (Plus it's March and college b-ball is on many people's minds.) I've never seen rally racing on TV and don't know when or where a person could do so. As far as I know, rally racing comes nowhere near me. So, I think what appears as a lack of interest is really a lack of exposure/knowledge from many.

Sounds fun. I'm a couple hours away, so I might head down if gas is under $4. Thanks for the notice. Now, if I could only find some TN or KY off-road races that are suitable for amateurs to race in their street cars...

Well said--I've never heard that before. All I want to know is: how much do these designers get paid to come up with these looks...and where can I apply? Subaru isn't the only company that drops the ball on things like this new Outback Sport. I think one problem with a lot of car companies is that they have people who aren't really "car people" or "geareads" to do these art school graduate sketches/designs. I want an Outback Sport that looks outdoorsy and sporty...not like I'm hopping over to the city park to play disc golf. And that roof rack? It looks like an aftermarket afterthought. Sad to say, but the Pontaic Vibe looks more outdoorsy-sporty than this thing. That being said--I'd like to buy one that's suffered some damage and paint it up my own way. Put some gnarly fog lamps in the bumper. Hood louvers. As raw material, I think the 5 door Imprezas are really something...

THIS is what he's criticizing...with good reason. No offense to anyone if this is a pic of your car. From an aesthetic standpoint, the paint scheme makes no sense at all. Like I said--I think whoever designed the two-tone thought it looked cool for a foreign market, but it doesn't fly too well here. I bet for 09 you see the same car w/ a totally different pant scheme. I also bet some dealers will have trouble getting some of these 08s off the lot... Also, I understand that the hood scoops should be for turbo cars, but they should have put a couple of the little hood vents/louvers on this. This Outback Sport looks much more urban than outback...

Interesting article--thanks for the link. Yeah--I was looking more for something w/ a different styling-look more than a different lighting effect. eBay has a few different styles and so I was curious. I haven't seen any Subes on the road w/ these aftermarket lights, but saw this car listed on autotrader and thought it looked cool. (I don't like the black hood louvers though.) http://images.autotrader.com/images/2008/1/21/237/726/3938131517.237726525.IM1.02.565x421_A.562x421.jpg

I was curious about aftermarket headlight kits like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/95-01-SUBARU-IMPREZA-LED-HALO-PROJECTOR-HEADLIGHT-96-97_W0QQitemZ160217152961QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item160217152961 Are these types of headlight conversions good? Any problems associated w/ them? Have any of you put them on your cars? I'm curious to hear from anyone who has experience w/ them...

Yeah--both cars are auto trans. The car I'm rebuilding will be on the flatbed. The tow-guy said he didn't mind to try to disconnect the drive shaft to save one trip. Is it pretty obvious, or do I need to give him any tips? Thanks again.

I am having two Subes towed. Rather than paying for two separate haul trips, can I have one car hauled w/ the rear wheels on the ground if the drive shaft is disconnected? How much trouble is it to disconnect the drive shaft? Tips in doing so? Do I just drop it, or should I put the FWD fuse in too? It's a 55 mile trip. It's an auto trans. The car is parts-only, but I hate to fry a transmission that is probably good. I bought the car wrecked and the engine runs, but obviously I can't verify the condition of the trans. I'm looking at an extra $130 if the guy has to do two trips, though, and I guess there's always the chance this thing wasn't flat towed once before. Thanks for input.

Sounds like wheel bearing. You can probably find a non-dealer shop to do it for a reasonable price. If you do it yourself, be careful with the tone ring...

I went to an auto show a few weeks ago. Now, I'd seen the Imprezas long before that, but I had the opportunity to sit down in a lot of Honda and Toyota and Chrysler and Scion and Mazda...you get the point. Anyway, I sat in a lot of "economy" and "economy utility" cars out of curosity. Some cars--like that Scion cracker box on wheels (I forget what it's called...B something..)--I sat in and thought it was actually not a bad little vehicle. Then I'd look at the price tag and think "Geez, what's the deal. For that sticker price I could get a nice-equipped AWD Sube." The Impreza sticker starts at $17g. Even if it isn't the most handsome or sexy of styling, compared to other base cars at that price, it totally kicks rump roast. Anyone who has driven a Subaru before would be crazy to spend $18,000+ on a FWD compact. Well, unless all you were after is better MPG. With all that considered, the Impreza is a pretty cool car. Yes, I think the sedan is pretty bland. I don't understand why, but car companies think economy cars need to "blend" so that's the way they usually pop out. Personally, I like the 5 doors and would buy one if I were wanting to go into debt for a brand new car. As far as the Outback Sport comments regarding paint scheme--I have to agree with that opinion. Pretty cheesy looking, compared to what they could have done. It looks like Bubba's Repair Shop decided to add a two-tone touch to someone's car. Maybe this look is something that is cool in Europe or Japan, but it doesn't work here, and it certainly doesn't add a "rugged" touch for a car that's for that niche. Needs some fat fog lamps up front too. An Outback w/o factory roof rack? I hope they rethink the Outback for 09--could be a cool car if so...

$4,000 is a lot to sink into an 11 yr old car. Especially when you consider that after that investment, you still have an 11 yr old car w/ 150k on it. I bet you could probably keep her going for less than that, but that's nothing more than an assumption. You need to decide how much you love the car and how reliable it will be after your fixer-up investment. If you love the car and want to keep it for several more years, then stick with it. If you see yourself trying to sell it or trade it two years from now, then I wouldn't bother investing that much into it. Realistically, what could you sell the car for right now, as is? Add that to $4,000 and see what that alone would buy you for a newer car. Gives you some perspective on the car's worth to you after that potential invetment. Unless you buy a pretty new car, you typically have to buy things like tires and brakes and often a tune-up soon after purchasing anyway. Plus, you don't know the history of that car's maintenance either. All that's to be considered too. Now, I've got a 95 Legacy wagon that's at 225,000 miles right now and no major repairs whatsoever in the 5 years I've been driving it, so these cars can last.

Thanks, guys. That gives me a little more confidence. I figure the worst I could do is get overly frustrated/confused w/ the swap and then sell the lower mileage engine by itself and be stuck with two parts cars. I'll try a tow strap under the intake runners w/ the 200k engine and see if that works well enough to use for the good engine. (That's assuming I get this deer-hit car from the guy.) I kept putting off replacing my own CV shafts, and that turned out to be much much easier than anticipated, so maybe this will not be as puzzling as I fear either. I figure w/ three Imprezas I can keep one as my own, sell one for a fair price, and maybe stuff that 200k in the no-title car and piece together a beater of an off-road thrasher.