JT95

OK--has anyone else seen the trailer for the new movie Vantage Point and caught glimpses of the little blue car Dennis Quaid races through the streets of Spain? All I caught were choppy glimpses of the car though with all the action/camera movement, but my first thought was that they cast the new Impreza in the movie, which, you have to admit, would be a cool little car for a European car chase scene. So, I saw the movie tonight and I was waiting for Dennis to hop in the little blue WRX. Oops--one of the first glimpses of the car flashed a Chevy Bowtie. India had the Chevy Forester...maybe Spain has a Chevy Impreza. No, wait, Chevrolet sold their share in Subaru though... Anyone else see the trailer for this movie and think you saw the new Impreza? (Granted, I'm not really used to seeing these yet.) Here is a clip of the car scene, which has some shots where you can clearly see it isn't a Sube, but in the other clips it's hard to tell it ain't one either. http://movies.clevver.com/video/149245/vantage-point-video-clip-andquotcar-chase-montageandquot.php Kinda sad when a Sube gets confused for a Chevy. Well, come to find out the car is actually a Saturn Astra here in the states. In Mexico, it's a Chevy.

I went to an auto show last Sunday and had fun looking at all the new cars. I think new cars are, on average, more exciting today than they were 10 years ago, but there are still very few cars that make me drool and wish, but that's probably because I hate FWD vehicles and they still dominate the car market. Anyway, I was really surprised at the number of "transportation" cars that hover at that $20,000-22,000 range. Cars that are decent enough, but IMHO not worth $22,000. Some of the interior materials and the FWD drivetrain--I kept thinking "Geez--I could buy a Subaru for about the same price as these." Anyway, I was disappointed because the Sube display was lacking an STI. I asked the guy why one wasn't there, and he cringed and informed me that the dude driving it to the show crashed it. But, I did get to sit in a new '09 Forester. I hadn't seen any pics of this thing and I really liked it. It looks petty sweet in person and sits nice. I have never really considered a Forester, but if I were actually able to purchase a brand new vehicle, I'd seriously consider this new design. Just curious if anyone else has seen one in person and what you all think of the new styling?

I'm looking at buying two '99 Imprezas. One is a parts car only--no title--that will be used to pull the doghouse, airbags, and windshield from for the other one that I'd be fixing. The parts-only car has the engine and transmission. 112k I think. After pulling off the parts I need, I was just going to sell what I can off the doner car. I have a '95 LSi wagon w/ 225k on the odometer that I'd love to have a drivetrain swap waiting for, but I don't think the engine and transmission as a unit from the Impreza will work in my '95 because of wiring issues. A) Has anyone ever swapped a newer engine/trans unit from newer into older? Is it a huge headache? (I know some have put older 2.2 in newer 2.5 cars.) To sell outright, what do you think would be a fair asking price for the Impreza engine/trans? Thanks. Thanks.

I've got a '95 LSi wagon. My rear is starting to sag a little--rides fine, but sits a tad lower than the front. I'd like to add a little lift to the whole car, and I figure replacing all my regular Legacy struts with Outback struts is the easiest way to lift it a little. Will the Outback struts fit my non-Outback Sube with no issues? Has anyone else done this? Thanks.

It wouldn't hurt to try and burp out any potential air. My experience with my Sube is that they are kinda picky when it comes to filling them with coolant compared to non-Sube cars.

I hadn't thought of that, but that's a good assumption. If so, that's a really lame thing to pull. Super funny, but...

$11,000 for this Sube??? Something doesn't make sense. Nice car, but...nah--don't see it... (click me)

225,000 on my 95 LSi wagon. I'm the second owner. Bought it with 156,000. I've replaced spark plugs, regular oil changes, and CV shafts. Auto trans. The car still runs smoothand strong...we'll see how much more she goes. I've seen Volvo cars w/ one or two metal 100,000 mile badges on them. I think it would be cool if Subaru made a little badge you could stick on your car every 100,000 miles.

AFTER transfering a used ubaru into your name, aren't you able to register the VIN at Subaru and access all maintenance/repairs ever done to the car at a Subaru garage? Just a side thought when people get a used Sube and are curious about actual maintenance/work done previously.

I've got a 95 LSi with 225,000 miles on it. It runs extremely smooth. I'm hoping to put another 50,000 miles on it. Still, the thing could blow up tomorow because w/ super high miles you never can tell. As mentioned, maintenance would determne the life of it more than anything. I was lucky in that my 2.2 had been a one-owner before me and the guy was religious about maintenance until he got rid of the car. The 2.2 is a good engine, but in many ways I'm just reaping the benefits of years of this guy's solid maintenance and care. I think $2200 is too high for a 13 yr old car w/ that many miles. The only way I might even consider it is if the car has an immaculate interior with leather ad sunroof and heated seats and all the goodies. Say what you will about engine/trans woes, the real pain of fixing up a car is redoing the interior. If you like the 95's body style better, here's what I'd do: search ebay or classifieds and find a 2.5 Legacy wagon witha crapped out head gasket engine, buy that thing for less than a grand if the interior is sweet, and then put a low mileage 2.2 in it. I'm sure there's plenty of resources here to help w/ that. Then you have a nie ride for $2500 that will last you MUCH longer than that 95 for $2200.

When I first saw the new Imprezas, my initial reaction was "yawn--what a bland little car." In person, the hatchbacks aren't that bad, but the styling is still uninspiring IMHO--no offense to those who have already bought one. Then Subaru releases the STi, and, I'll have to admit, the thing looks cool. The flared fenders styling is just what the little cars were missing. So, I'm wondering if Subaru might start using this body line for the whole Impreza line for '09 or '10. Since the overall public reaction to the non-STi Impreza styling has been a sentiment of overall disappointment, I would assume Subaru is planning something of a mild restyle/update very soon... I like that the STi has a little bit of a look all its own, but after seeing it, I have to wonder why Subaru didn't give all the Imprezas the same flared fenders because it make the car look SO much better. They could have still given the STi some uniqueness, but I think the difference in performance is what buyers are most after.

If that's the case, look for a low mileage Sube with the 2.2. I'm surprised at some of the super clean 95-97 Subes still out there with 80 to 100k on them. Find one w/ a good history w/ its owner and it'll be like old times for you...

Thanks for the great feedback. Yeah, I want the spoiler and not the dust deflector. I appreciate having the name looked up and verified. I'll see if I can call some out-of-state salvage yards that have lots of foreign cars and see if I have any luck. I can't pay the OEM part price--wow! I assume they are fiberglass or plastic? I think they add a nice look to the wagons.

I've seen a few 95-99 generation Legacy wagons with a rear spoiler. I would have called it a visor, but I guess it is a spoiler. Anyway, I've never seen one listed on eBay and have not been able to find one in a local salvage yard. I think I'd like one on my 95 wagon. Were they only on LTD Outback wagons? Anybody know if it is indeed called a rear spoiler or a hatch spoiler or what???

Has nothing to do w/ the 98 for sale that was diagnosed HG problems, but, in case anyone encounters a similar situation on an different engine, I had this same thing happen in my '95 2.2 three years ago. I noticed my heat was gone in the parking lot one cold day, but it only took a wee bit of fluid to top off the radiator. So, I guessed thermostat and bought one. My first Subaru, btw. I quickly learned a thermostat swap in a Sube is a more committed job than a nice on-top detroit steel thermostat swap. Anyway, I make the swap, fill the fluids, and soon the engine is doing the same thing. I'd be driving and the temp would suddenly soar. Long story short, I finally figure out the system had air trapped in it that was keeping the fluid level high even though there wasn't the nedded fluid amount in there. So, I burped out the air, topped the level off, and it resumed to normal driving. That was 70,000 miles ago.

This should fit the bill... http://www.worscca.org/rallycross/rules.php

Well--would the auto transmission from a '90 2.2 Legacy work with a 95 Legacy? It is an AWD car, but were the trans pretty different between those generations? I thought if anything it could provide a spare trans to have on hand. The car has less than 150k on it. Regardless, I've kinda been wanting to pick up a cheap 2.2 to eventually tear apart and try to do a rebuild of for fun, so if I can't get this thing to run for a reasonable time and cash investment, I'll get the cherry picker rolled out...

Yeah--my common sense tells me not to buy anything unseen. (I have seen pics) But, it's two franklins, body looks decent, and I figure it might be worth the gamble. I'm still thinking... My love for junk gets me in trouble at times.

I'm considering buying an older Soob sight unseen, which is a bad idea, but it's for pennies, so all I have to lose is a headache and a car that doesn't run. The guy says the wagon--a 90 Legacy--has been sitting parked for four or five years. He says it ran fine when it was parked, but now doesn't run because of a fuel pump problem. What's the odds of there being any merit to that? I've never heard of a fuel pump going bad from sitting, but then again there's a lot I never heard of... Thoghts?

As an alternative to the camper-type top, they also have the fiberglass bed cover that still retains the Baja look but allows you to keep stored stuff dry. I love the Baja. I plan to buy one in a year.

I was tossing around the idea of buying an older AWD Soob and entering a rally race or two for fun. I know absolutely NOTHING about it. I grew up around drag racing, but have never actually seen a rally race in person. I have a few questions: 1) Is there like a citizens class where I can run a pretty much stock car w/o installing a fancy roll cage 2) I live in Kentucky. Are there any events anywhere near me, or is all this in the west coast? 3) What kind of entry fees am I looking at? Any requirements to belong to any sanctioned organizations in order to compete?

Well, the good news is that you are working on a low area of the car that doesn't get much attention. If money is a factor, this sounds like a job for Bondo. If all your damage stays below the body line of the rocker panel, you're in luch because it will easy to just paint the whole rocker panel after you do the repair and can easily get away with using a spray can. If the damage creeps further up the body, then you'll probably want to mask off and paint from the side moulding down. If you've worked in bondo before, then forgive me for blabbing on and on and just ignore the rest of this post. :-\ If you haven't done much with bondo, a hole in the rocker panel should be fairly easy to remedy at a cheap cost. I've never done bondo on my 95's rocker panel, but I have on other cars. First thing you gotta do is grind off the rust and the paint from the area surrounding the rust. I've used an actual grinder before, but for a small job like yours, I'd go with the wire brush on an electric drill. (Just make sure you don't mess with the finish above the body line from the rocker panel.) Anyway, grind off as much rust as you can around the hole. Then, wipe the area clean with mineral spirits. You can probably get by with the small can of body filler for this job--depending on how much damage you have. Now, you don't want to fill the hollow of the rocker panel with bondo, so you will also want to get a piece of mesh (screen) while you are at the parts store buying bondo. (The counter guy will show you what to get if you're not sure what the mesh is.) Also, if the bondo can doesn't include a plastic applicator, grab a couple of those. Now, cut out a piece of the mesh a little bigger than your hole. Tie a piece of thread in the middle of the mesh with 10 or so inches of length. Push the mesh inside the hole and practice holding it in place by pulling the string to press the mesh against the rocker panel. You want your mesh to cover the hole from the inside of the rocker panel. (You want the mesh to remain within the hole and to not bulge out from the hole--it should NOT be flush with the metal of the rocker panel, as the bono you spread over it will need to be flush with that.) Lots of fix-em-and-sell-em guys simply stuff the hole with newspaper and cover that with bondo instead of using the mesh, which is easier and works, but then you have newspaper attracting moisture and resulting in more rust later... OK-follow the instructions on the bondo can and mix a batch up. Take your plastic applicator and slowly spread the bondo over the screen as you hold the string with your other hand. Be sure to get the bondo overlapping onto the good, bare metal as well. Ugly is okay at this point, so don't worry if it isn't clean looking. As the bondo begins to harden, you can let go of the thread. When it is completely dry, snip the thread and smooth out the bondo with your cheese-grater file. Now you have a solid surface on which to apply layer two without having a thick load of bondo laying in your body. Sand the hardened bondo with 100 grit to get a basic form, then 400 to do the smooth shaping. Shoot with primer and sand with 800--the whole rocker panel. Then mask off the rocker panel and paint from a spray can. A couple years ago, I painted my rocker panels matte black and was pleased with the look. That's also a good way for you to not worry about matching whatever color your car is. Sorry if that was way too much info that you already knew. Heck, if you lived in KY, I'd fix it for you in a morning for a pizza...

I saw this and thought it was an interesting one owner car from the 80s. If I had some cash to waste, I'd consider getting it for no real reason... car

If your glass is good, call a place that does windshield installs and ask them what they'd charge to re-install your side glass. I wouldn't think it would be too expensive. As far as a hose--take it to a manual car wash. The high pressure would probably work better for detecting a leak anyway.

Keep us updated. I want to see how much laughing gas you're able to squeeze in there w/o issues and to see how your engine is doing 6 months from now. I'd love to play with a bottle in my 95, but I know that would be what finally pushed it over the edge...with 225,000 miles, I figure you don't mess with much...