Chip

I've been reading about,(but never tried), the clay bar method. Several wax companies sell Clay Bars which you use to rub down the paint. They're completely non-abrasive when used properly,(with lubricant), and according to most of the reviews I've read, do an amazing job. You follow the clay bar rub-down with a regular wax job.

Being another Canadian Subie owner, the best advice I can give is "Don't buy parts from the dealer" !!!!!..unless you can't find it elsewhere. Struts at dealer..~$200 Cdn..(each). Struts at 1stsubaruparts.com...$87 U.S...(each). Front rotors @ dealer..$98 each. Front rotors @ Napa..$36 each,(cdn). I've had mine on for ~20,000kms. I'm sure other owners can tell you their own horror stories about Subaru prices...(just pray you never have to change a tranny).

The treadwear number is a ballpark figure,(a very big ballpark). It's interesting to note that some companies,(Pirelli as one example), doesn't even put a treadwear number on a lot of their tires.

Drain all the oil out of the engine and drive the car around as fast as you can. The ticking will stop.

I was thinking of doing a compression test on my 98 O/B until I got a good look at how much,(how little), space there is around the plugs. I wanted to do one test cold and another one hot to see how much piston expansion there is. I've probably got the worst case of piston slap you've ever heard ,(when cold). I've got 200,000kms on it but oil consumption is very low and there still seems to be a fair amount of power,(at least for a Subaru). Has anyone done a compression test ?? How hard, or easy, is it to do with the limited space ?

I like the 82 Hatch...top row center....looks nasty ! It's amazing ...... modify 'em enough and they'll look and run as good as a Jeep.

When I go offroadin' I leave my 98 O/B at home and take my '00 TJ. With a set of Good-Year MT/Rs it'll climb like a goat...190HP..super low gearing, shortest turning circle anywhere...etc. If I do happen to hit a rock I know it won't kill it or cost me big $$$ to fix. One look at the bumper heights and lack of overhang makes it obvious who the offroad champ is. When you get your Subie jacked-up on a rock just pray that there's a Jeep around to get you out.

"With the addition of a simple cold air intake, my 97L 5sp sedan is no dog. It will give a stock WRX a real run for it's money. " Wow !! Tell me what kind of intake gave you an extra 50-60HP ?

I know what you mean....my 98 O/B Automatic is a real dog. Once it gets moving it's not bad but from a dead stop it's slow,(and I've got the 2.5L). The slush box tranny makes it worse. When you mash the gas pedal it has to think a good second before it downshifts. I believe you're Impreza weighs in around 3100 lbs ?? That makes a LBS/HP Ratio of around 22/1. A typical 4 cyl Japanese car,(Honda civic EX), has a ratio of only 20 lbs/HP. I guess that's the price you pay for "The beauty of AWD".

That's probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on this board. I'm sure your extreme paranoia could be treated with medication...please seek help.

Maybe I'm a week late and you've already seen this but Saab is selling a new model which is a "re-grilled" WRX...check it out !! http://www.pbs.org/mpt/motorweek/search.shtml

I assume you're talking about a Legacy GT ? If so, the Legacy GT is mechanically the same as the Outback except without the lift and body trim. They usually came all dressed...leather, heated seats etc....the biggest option were the dual sunroofs. The engine in the same underpowered 2.5L as the Outback. Wheel and tires are different....lower profile rubber as opposed to the 70 series on the O/B. I could be wrong but I believe the top speed was electronically limited to a higher setting than the O/B,(primarily because of the speed rating of the tires). The STI is something you or I will never be able to afford.

I had kind of the same problem and it turned out be the u-joint on the steering shaft. A couple shots of WD-40 and things were fine.The joint is about 1 ft in front of the firewall...in the engine compartement.

Has anyone ever stopped to think of how useful these forums are ? How in the world did we manage to get along before we had these things !!??!! What makes it even better is when someone like rjp98outlook takes the time to respond in such detail. My 2¢. Hats off !!

Rich....Tell me more..,please. How hard is it ?? Are the shims easily identified ? Did the dealer have 'em all in stock ?..etc.....

98O/B..195,000kms. Been slappin' as long as I can remember. I'm looking to remove all the Subaru badges and replace 'em with Kenworth badges.

I'm in Quebec and I just bought 2 rear shocks from 1stSubaruparts.com..$87 U.S. a piece...NAPA wanted around $240Cdn each and the theivin' dealer wanted around $300 cdn,(a piece). The cost me ~ $175U.S.,(229cdn), and when the UPS guy came to the door I gave him another $50 for shipping and customs. They've got KYB stamped on them but they seem to be only as stiff the the originals. I noticed that they're even cheaper at tirerack.com but I'm not sure if they're the aftermarket KYB's or the OEM KYB's. Either way....your gonna save enough $$ for about 5 cases of beer !!!!!!!!!

My 98 O/B (Automatic), shudders whenever I'm stopped in drive with my foot on the brake. It's so bad that when I stop at a light I put it in neutral...which stops the shuddering. It almost feels like the Idle speed is too high but when I put it in neutral it's fine. Is there some kind of tranny adjustment which can be done ??

I had the same problem in my 98 O/B...I expected the worst and finally realized it was corrosion in the steering column u-joint. A couple shots of WD-40 and things were fine. The U-joint is about a foot down from the firewall.

In the 4x4 world,(as opposed to the AWD world), torque bind is a problem. In the case of my Jeep TJ, the 4x4 system is only a "part time" system. It shouldn't be used on high traction surfaces such as dry asphalt because the front and rear wheels are mechanically connected together....they MUST turn the same speed or else something will bind...or break. If all 4 tires are properly inflated and are of the same diameter there's no problem when going in a straight line but when turning sharply, the effective diameter of the front and back wheels change slightly,(because of the angle of the front wheels), so the front tires usually end up squeeling,(and you get weird feedback thru the steering wheel). This shouldn't happen in an AWD system such as the Subaru's because of the center differential which permits the front and back wheels to rotate at different speeds.

LPG was offered here in Canada as an option on some big Chevy Caprices about 15-to 20yrs ago. There were a few problems. 1). LPG filling stations were few and far between. 2). LPG doesn't atomize below a certain temperature..(-20°C I believe). 3). LPG doesn't have the sam BTU's as Gasoline..less power. Today, the filling stations are probably more numerous and I don't think it goes below -20°C in Scotland very often...(more like never). Your Subie will definitely be less powerful,(slower), and on an already underpowered car you might be getting out to push once in a while. But of course if your going to save some cash then a wee power loss might not bother you.

My 98 O/B has 190,000+kms on it and it's a big-time slapper. It's been between -20 to -35°C here for about a week and you wouldn't believe the noise the thing makes when it first fires up....Neighbors lock their doors and pull the shades...children scatter !!,(Ok..maybe not). It quiets down after about 15 seconds then remains at it's normal clapping level,(which is still quite noisy), until normal operating temperature....then it just makes a loud TAPPING sound only when I accelerate. When it gets below -30°c I use the block heater and it makes a BIG difference. I've tried every possible viscosity of oil and none of them make much difference.

It turns out it was the U-Joint on the steering column. A bit of WD-40 and everything's cool.

I've checked a couple of times Montreal to Ottawa @ 125 kph.. filling up before I leave and filling up again when I get there...26.5mpg one way and 28 mpg the other....Cdn gallons,(I believe they're 15% bigger than u.s. gallons ?). I've got 190,000kms on my 98O/B wagon...(Automatic)

Frag, How did it work out ordering them from the U.S. ? Did they deliver to your door or did you have to go to the Post Office to pay the duties and taxes ? Also ...how long did it take to get 'em.