firstwagon

So I guess you won't want to hear about my neighbour who had both the engine and the transmission replaced on his 2000 Acura TL then. Sorry to hear about your bad luck, hope all goes well.

Even if your engine in non-interference, it's still a good idea to change it. They tend to go at the worst possible time. My 88 Buick Skyhawk snapped it's belt halfway between Kamloops and Williams Lake. It cost me $250 for the tow to the nearest shop and because it was late on a Saturday, I had to wait until Monday to get it fixed. The whole deal cost me $500 for something I could have done on a Saturday morning in my driveway for $50. By the way, it broke at 101,000 km (change intervals are 100,000). At 202,000 it snapped again. I still think GM puts little time delay charges woven into their belts so you can't get away with stretching the intervals.

I tried to convince my wife that her Grand cherokee is just a wagon on a truck chassis. She got mad and said, "no it's not and I'll never drive a wagon." The Forester is a wagon on a car chassis which makes it ... well... a wagon. I'll have to see if I can find a good picture of my Legacy wagon to post

I wonder how much time it spent in London. If it was only a couple years then it should be no problem. Even the 1st gen Legacys don't rust here in Vancouver. My 91 is original paint and completely rust free.

If you drive mostly hwy, then go for the std. Clutch wear is almost zero when driving on the hwy. There is only wear when you change gears and that's only a problem is stop and go driving. I've been driving for over 26 years and know countless people who have had to replace auto trannys. Cost can range from $1000 for a used one you change yourself to over $5000 at the dealer (my in-laws Volvo S60). I don't know what it would cost to replace a std because I have never known one to go. I remember hearing about synchro wear on cars in the 1950's and 60's but not since. You would have to seriously abuse one to wear it out before the rest of the car. Clutches for me last about 100,000 miles. Cost to change ranges from $100 to $500 depending on the brand of parts you choose and if you pay someone to do it.

They came out with a updated body style for the Mitsu ram in 87 and continued it through the early 90's. They got real hard to find though. Even in the late 90's it got to be difficult to find parts and Dodge really reamed us on price. I needed a rad once and was told it would $600. The idiot behind the counter then took great delight in telling me I should have bought a Dakota because the rad would only be $150. Aside from the one time with the head gasket and a cracked head late in the life of the truck, I really liked that little truck. It was a black Extra-Cab and I drove the crap out of it for over a decade. Back on topic, the 2.5 must be a lot tighter then the 2.2. I was looking at mine last night and see nothing partically difficult about removeing a head. There are 2 to do but they look so small and light.

Actually the Dodge Ram 50 is not a Dodge, it's a Mitsubishi. I found the parts for it were more expensive then Subaru because at that time Mitsu was not sold in Canada and I had to buy everything through dodge. The Ram 50 does have more space to work on but is still an OHC engine so the difficultly is simular. As for the cost, it's almost all labour. What parts do you need aside from the head gasket itself? (and oil) Oh yeah... one intake manifold gasket, exhaust manifold gasket and valve cover gasket. Still I don't remember it costing more then $50.00 and that was OEM gaskets.

I'd put it down as true but exaggerated by an angry owner. I don't agree with the statement that a leaky head gasket will destroy an engine though. It will only damage the engine if left uncorrected. If you repair it right away, there will be no signifcant damage. I had a head gasket go on my 88 Ram 50 turning the oil to milk. It took my about 3 hours to change it and flush out all the old oil. Cost about $50.00 in parts and oil. I then drove that truck for another 200,000 km.

I agree about the price adjustment. Subaru seems to have forgot to check the currency exchange rates in the past 5 years. Back then the CDN buck was 63 cents US which works out precisely if you multiply it out. Now it's 87 cents US which should make the Forester roughly $36,000. I noticed the same thing when I discovered the base price of a WRX was $36,000. As for importing, I haven't done it but I would be willing to bet the duties and charges would eat up most of the savings.

I agree. Subaru had one of the better automatics in the 90's. They don't normally fail prematurely. That said abuse and lack of care can wreck anything. According to the original owner, the auto in my 91 Legacy is original and it works fine. Part throttle shifts can be a little rough at times but I've been told that is normal in these boxes. Full throttle is a perfect shift right at 6500 rpm.

Everyone has to remember that the Cdn $ is only worth 86 cents US. Also things always seem to cost way more here. Would this be the car you're looking at? http://www.buysell.com/root/detail/BC/1995_Import_Cars/2124/-1/48769676/1995_SUBARU_LEGACY_Wgn_4DR_LSI_AWD.aspx I just checked the local BC Buy&Sell and it's by far the cheapest 1995 there. http://www.buysell.com/search/resultsvr2.aspx?pshcat=keyword&id=2124&qu=legacy I think that's a great price for a 95 if it really is in good shape. I paid $3900 (asking $4600) for my 91 Legacy LS wgn last year.

OK, that sounds a little better. :confused: I changed the plugs on 91 Legacy when I got it last year and I remember it being one the easiest plug changes I have done (and I have had a lot of different cars over the years). 30 minutes sounds right including gapping, anti seize and cleaning up. I've have to check my sisters Forester to see how much of a difference it is with the 2.5. 91 Legacy LS wagon (daily driver) 95 Grand Cherokee (my ladies ride) 91 Trooper (needs a motor, anyone got one?) 72 Sprite Musketeer (14.5 feet of home-away-from-home)

That sounds normal judging from my experience when I lived in Ottawa. All cars get bad mileage until they fully warm up. In the summer that might only take 1 km of your 12km drive. In a cold Canadian winter it can easily take 6 km (or more). The good news spring is coming in a couple months. Or you can move to Vancouver like I did. It rarely ever goes below freezing here. White Rock, BC 91 Legacy LS wagon (daily driver) 95 Grand Cherokee (my ladies ride) 91 Trooper (needs a motor, anyone got one?) 72 Sprite Musketeer (14.5 feet of home-away-from-home)

My 91 legacy wagon (auto, non turbo, 4 wd, 189,000 km) get about 24 in my daily commute and about 29 on long highway trips. 20 sounds low but it's hard to compare what is considered city driving. I don't do a lot of stop and go, stuck in gridlock driving.

I don't know if it helps but the 90 Legacy has a 4 speed automatic, not a 3 speed.

Wow, I wish we could get deals like that around here. Even with the difference in the dollar (87 cents to the US buck), we are still looking around twice that. This is what I found for Outbacks in British Columbia...... http://www.buysell.com/search/resultsvr2.aspx?pshcat=keyword&qu=outback&id=2118

I had the same problem on my Trooper when I snapped my speedometer cable. I don't know if the 97 Subaru even still uses a cable (or if it's electronic) but it's a good place to start looking. On the Trooper I unscrewed the cable on the trans end and the end of the cable just slid out of the sleeve.

A lot of people don't trust computers and electronics in cars because they don't understand them. The reality is they are likely the most reliable parts on your car. If they do fail they are also the easiest parts to change. They are light, easy to get at and usually only require a screwdriver and unplugging a connector to change. I'd much rather change an ECU then a lower ball joint anyday. My advice would be find a well cared for car and don't worry. 1st gen Subaru's have a great rep for a reason.

Some people prefer automatics for towing but it's not the better choice. Even with a cooler you can still fry one especially if you live in a hilly area (like I do). Manuals may take more skill but towing won't hurt the gearbox (unless you are really clumsy) and wear and tear on the clutch is only a problem if you tow mostly in city traffic. The ability to always be the correct gear and to be able to pull up long grades without over heating the trans are more the worth the short learning curve. I'd bet the mechanic didn't notice you had a 5 speed.

You get one bad aftermarket part and you're dismissing the entire aftermarket? Interesting attitude. By the way, I'd be more cautious of anyone selling an OEM alternator for $70.

Here's something on the 5 speed swap... http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/swap/swap.html and http://www.legacycentral.org/library/transmission/convert.htm As for the WRX motor, no idea but I would love to see a full story on it if you do it. Nothing like an extra 100 hp to bring an old car back to life.

How many litres do you put in when you fill up? My 91 Legacy wagon (non- turbo, auto 4wd) will also be on empty at around 450 km. However when I fill up it only takes about 40 to 45 litres. The tank is 60 litres in size but the gauges on these cars are known to read low. 10 L/100 km (24 mpg US) is average from what I hear which is what I get in the city. On a long trip last fall I averaged 8.2 L/100 km (29 mpg US) (White Rock, BC to Sunpeaks and back, 2 high mountain passes and cruise set at 120 kph.) I think the mileage is fine for an AWD car but you'll never get close to a TDI.

I agree you'd be best to take it to a shop. I had the same problem with the alloy wheels on my Trooper and I had a independent shop do it for $10.00/ wheel including balancing. The fix lasted about a year before they started leaking again. The guy warned me before he started that once the corrosion starts, no fix will be permenant.

My 91 Legacy does that too in cold weather. It's not ice because I live in Vancouver and it hasn't gone below freezing yet this winter. As soon as the interior of the car warms up it will act normally again. I'm guessing it has some components that sticking in the cold. Has anyone ever lubed their sunroof mechanism and what did you use?

While I would prefer a 5 speed, the auto in my 91 LS works perfectly. The original owner said he never had any problems with it either (or anything else except the air suspension). I love the way it snaps off perfect shifts exactly at the 6500 rpm redline everytime you floor it.