mtsmiths

Well, I'm gonna go against the grain here. We are driving Subarus number four and five, currently. One through three were all manual 4WDs ('78, two '87s), granted these were 4WD so the comparison is not straight across, however. Our '95 Leg AWD AT, and our '00 Leg AWD AT perform MUCH better in snow and ice than any of the manuals. This winter we drove almost thirty miles in 18" of UNPLOWED snow. The only result is we loosened the heat sheilds even more than they already were. The guy at the Polebridge Mercantile looked out the window and asked if the road had been plowed already. I told him NOPE. He just looked at the Leg and said "and you made from Columbia Falls it in THAT?" The autos are smoother, less prone to slippage, easier to restart on hills and have been trouble-free.

Check the SOA site for the TSB re: faulty 02 sensor throwing CEL codes. It's just amazing the number of dealers that know about this TSB and are willling to NOT tell the customer, and instead sell them a $900.00 catalytic converter job they don't need. Our stealership tried this too. Next time you throw a code go to an AutoZone, or a Checkers, or whatever national auto parts chain is in your neighborhood, borrow their OBDII scanner and have them read the code for you. It's usually free.

Frag, is it flat and smooth enough to get a small plunger on it? Don't forget to wet it first.

There's a '97 or '98 Outback in our office parking lot right now with one-piece wind deflectors on it. They are 'glued' to the roof line just above the door opening. They look good and the owner says they really cut down on wind noise and ' window cracked open' drafts. They came on her car, and she doesn't know where they came from.

SOLD! at $2550.00 If you aren't buying the '98 post it, or let me know anyhow.

As posted on the listing Easy to install with strong 3M brand OEM approved tape Tell us how the fit, etc. I'll order some after you do the beta test.

Try a dealer. Sometimes they will rent you a demo, if they (somehow) get the idea you want what amounts to a longer-term test drive that you are willing to pay for.

'00 Leg AT, 165,000 miles ... zero tranny (or any other) issues. '95 Leg AT, 135,000 miles ... ditto. Not a Subaru employee, just an owner on my fourth and fifth (respectively) Subarus. Sorry you had problems, but it's true, sometimes things just break. I'd try the fix suggested by WJM. In fact, I've printed it and putting it in my car file, just in case the issue comes up at higher mileage on either of ours. BTW, better response in the 'New Generation" forum (where I'm sure this will be moved to).

Tell ya what. If you're NOT buying this car, how about posting it on the board? Someone with a little more faith in the logevity of Subarus may want it (por moi?). A price like this I will have it looked at by a Boston friend, buy it and drive it back to Montana.

This would last about three minutes around here, running or not. How about his? If you're afraid of it, buy it anyhow and I'll send you a deposit sight unseen. I'll have a friend who's heading back to Boston that I'll have look at it. If it's as described I'll buy it and drive it back to Montana myself when I can schedule a flight out and a couple days road trip (three should just about do it Boston>western Montana). That's how much *I* trust Subarus, and I would LOVE a '98 Forester.

If I weren't clear across the ounntry I'd pay her price toot sweet. Then drive it til' it needed fixing. Ya wanna buy it for me and drive it to Montana?

Well, THAT can be done. We bought our '00 Legacy with 99,850 on it in November of 2001. By the VIN the car was 13 mos old.

"Rear Wheel Drive"? And he's been driving it for 20 years? Hmmmmm, it is a nice clean little car for $800.00 tho.

Do-able, heck it's been do-able since the '50s. Lots of farm trucks were running around on field propane. Usta have little oil injectors to help old-style valves out, prolly don't need those anymore.

Run your tires at 38 psi, better mileage, and they'll wear better too. My 2.2 Leg AT cruises at 2850 at 70.

There is continuing Technical Service Bulletin out on this. The dealer should have told you. They have to fix it ... FREE! We did it twice, the second time the dealer Idefferent dealer, we were on a trip) wanted us to pay $140.00 I told 'em, it was fixed under warranty, wasn't fixed the first time, get the money from SOA. I don't know if they did, but they didn't get it from me.

'95 Wagon here, LOL. Give up and install a map light, it's easier.

Not Subaru specific, but Click & Clack deal with this on a regular basis. There's a pawl that constitutes the 'park' locking function. Linkage adjustment always seems to resolve the issue. Most of the complaints are "It won't come OUT of park", but either way the answer is almost always the same.

I would have concerns about the tire sizes. Be SURE they are within tolerance (+/- 1/4", I believe). Price seems a bit high, given the known past HG, and possible future AWD issues. I think I'd tell the dealer OK in the high sevens, but work with me on a full set of new matching tires. Also, while not normally a proponent of warranty policies, I might want one on this car. But NOT from the dealer, find an aftermarket source. And yes, make sure it covers gaskets/ seals and FULL drivetrain. Read the warranty offering c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y.

Yeah, well my next door neighbor had her arm broken by a later generation airbag in a brand new '00 Outback sedan. She drifted across the yellow and hit some poor young girl head-on. Why did the airbag break her arm? Because she was holding a cell phone to her ear ... twit.

Yes, several times ... once in a four-banger Jeep, three times in the same POS MG Midget! Sorry couldn't hep' mysef'.

Amen BT, real men don't get 'lost', just misplaced. Heck I only use a chart (map) and compass in my airplanes ... as my wife/navigator put it "GPS, we doan need no steenkeen GPS!" I've flown in every state west of the Mississippi (except Alaska), quite a few east, and Canada. Never had a GPS yet.

And, while we're at it here. I still want a Subaru pickup. My '95 legacy won't work, the greenhouse changes width overall as you move aft (gets narrower). I've really gotten spoiled by the more sophisticated AWD system, and creature comforts however. What years were the 'crossover' models produced ... EA82 body, but AWD, ABS, all that stuff? Also are the EA82 sunroofs sliders, pop-ups, both? I still want my 'Rancheru', but I want A/T, air, power everything, airbags, ABS, AWD, sunroof (won't have track space anymore, would have to do with pop-up). Can I have my cake and cut off the rear greenhouse too?

Like this? http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5356&sort=1&size=medium&cat=585&page=1 Or, if your taste leans more toward the Baja, like this. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5357&sort=1&size=medium&cat=585&page=1 Sorry about the links kludge, I just don't get the photo insert process. I don't have PhotoShop, so I had to use CorelDraw ... FauxtoShop? My thoughts: Gut the interior and side glass (save the headliner and window trim). Cut off rear greenhouse just behind the 'B' pillar. Saw the tailgate in half just below the window. Move the whole schlemiel forward and tack it back together (after welding the rear doors shut - leave the window regulators in place). Cut the back door windows to fit the new tringular openings and reinstall in the regulators. Cut another tailgate in half and hinge it at the bottom. Fab up a latching mechanism. Cut the headliner and window trims to fit and trim in. Use 'Marinetex' to fair the cut plastic pieces together. Fab up new bedliner U-Channel frames and 3/16" Lexan, or plywood), including a drop-down wall underneath the relocated back window, with appropriate latches/locks. Include bed buckets, so you can make up a ladder or canoe rack for those needful times. Drill drain holes in the rear storage well, then spray the whole thing with bedliner. Fab up a trim to cover the edge of the bed. Finish the welds, prime and paint to suit. Now you have a cab+, with opening rear and 'B' glass, and a bed with drop-down front and rear for long loads. Optional: Leave the rear seat in place, replace the carpet and interior walls with waterproof materials and fab up strut locks for the back glass. Now, you have a 'Brat Nuveau', with forward facing rear seat and (locking the rear glass in a horizontal position) rain cover. Mudrat, are you watching? Find me the rust-free donor wagon (specs in post below). I can sell my '95 to my next-door neighbor anytime ... in fact, he wants it right now.

The Junkyard Wars episode I saw where them build a floatable car produced a failure. The nose plowed under and swamped it as soon as they got it underway. When you see an Amphibicar you'll notice it has a very defined bow so that it will plane up out of the water. I really can't see making a Justy float. Too short, too square. too tall. I think the CG would be way too high and it would capsize if you sneezed. At the least I would weld the doors closed and cut the top off, and form a true prow that could be filled with foam and provide some bouyance for the (heavy) front end. Also, I'm not so sure that your dog paddle plan will provide enough propulsion, inless maybe you got sand paddle tires.