northguy

I'll retract my message.

Good luck with the wrenching. I hope you get more hands than you can use, and all of the hands are useful.

no message.

Holding your work party on the day before Easter may just be the excuse some people need to avoid going to the in-laws the next day. "Sorry dear, I've got to go help this guy out and it could just extend into Sunday if we experience problems. You'd better call your mom and Dad and explain why we can't come over for Easter."

Fix means fix, not put a band aid on. I'd be taking it back every stinking day until it ran exactly like it did brand new. Be a pain in the butt; that's why you bought a new car - so you wouldn't have problems.

Why go through all the trouble when you can get portable ones for a fraction of the cost, and they are more portable and won't snap off in the woods when you hit it with tree limbs like a permanantly mounted one would.

Yah, it almost seemed too good to be true - the El Dorado of Pug wheels. Oh well, thanks for the effort, Brian.

Champions work great in lawnmowers and,... um, ... I guess that's about it. When I foul one out on my 4 wheeler, I'll use a champion to get out of the woods, but then an NGK goes right back in at home. NGK's in my subie, snowmobiles, motorcycle, 4 wheeler, chainsaws,.... I swear by them.

You may have a seal leak in the tranny itself. The first few seconds after starting the tranny is building up pressure to engage. Try putting the car in neutral after starting and see if that sppeds up the process. I have a 93 with similar problems and have just lived with it so far. When it gets worse, I'll have the seal repaired. There was a notice in one of the fsm's circa mid 90's about this problem. The part to fix it is relatively inexpensive - the labor, not so.

no message.

Can't afford a big cabinet, buy a big blue tarp and make your own. Be careful when blasting flat (sheet) metal as you can really distort the surface with a sandblaster. You can easily create an ugly surface that will require a lot of bondo to patch up. Sandblasting also creates pits in sheetmetal. You can do it, but sanding by hand or machine may be more controlled and effective.

Try autobytel.com to get the price you want. But before you buy, check the board here (do a search) for data on the 2.5 engines. You may want to double check this first. Good luck.

Matt thanks for the data. It's a little more peace of mind.

Welcome Jay. I'm sure you'll catch up quickly here. Good luck with a superior line of vehicles.

Thanks, Bozz.

Keep looking man. I just bought a 97 Legacy 2.2 Liter engine with 81k on the clock for $5350. Good deals are out there. Be patient.

Subeman, you've got mail. Thanks much.

Does anyone have access to a carfax so I can check on a new purchase?

Tailgate trim for Gen 2 Brats - the Holy Grail of all parts. (Undented trim)

I don't know how long your warranty is, but if it's still in effect, by all means, have them do it. If no longer in effect, you can put the oatmeal-based fluid in, but it seems to be a bandaid on the artery approach to solving the problem. If the vehicle was overheated, there may be an extensive bill waiting to repair the problem.

I got an e-mail from him the other day. He's still around, but tends to keep very busy. He's a family man - be patient. He'll get in touch with you.

I'm surprised that Subarubrat didn't think of that first.

Just get in writing that they will REPAIR any problem with head gasket failure, not just put some sealant in if there is a problem.

Smoking can be a manifestation of several things: peer pressure, poor parenting, low self-esteem, addictive personality... or any combination of things. But seriously, knowing the color of the smoke will help diagnose the problem. Gray, white, black... different problems produce different colors of smoke.

And remember: It's better to have a cracked head than to be a crackhead."