almstsobur

Thank you both for the elaborate replies, I appreciate it. I'm not in a time crunch, so I'm going to keep my eyes open for the right one and grab it now, but If it needs serious motor work, it will likely become a fall/winter project. It's just too hot around here this time of year for a serious garage project.

Hey all, I was hoping I could get some suggestions about getting an older Subaru. I currently drive a full size SUV for all of my outdoor activities and it’s just killing me on fuel. I’ve always liked and heard nothing but good about Subaru’s, so now I’m looking to rebuild one. I don’t have the budget to buy anything new, but I have the mechanical ability to bring an older one back to life. I’m going to need a Wagon type; I would prefer all-wheel drive, so I think maybe that limits me to the Outback or Forester?? Excuse my ignorance if I’m wrong. My priorities are first and foremost fuel economy and reliability. Are there any particular years or models I should avoid? Any serious known issues, particularly with the Driveline, tranny, differentials, gearbox etc? I can rebuild a motor, but I don’t dabble much in transmissions. Should I avoid a high mileage automatic then, how long are the automatics good for? I’ve pretty much decided I’m going to look for a clean body that needs a new engine and rebuild it. I’m not particularly interested in power mods, turbo’s or the sort, just a fairly economic daily dog and camping gear hauler. My budget will be about $2000-$3000 for a rolling chassis with good drive-train and another $2000-3000 in overhaul budget. Thank You for any input, -Robert