1 Lucky Texan

If you decide to skip, check the bolts. I found some were barely finger tight, but,don't over-torque the VC bolts . The value is quite low and they have been known to snap.

sometimes a thrown rod can act like a ratchet pawl and the engine only turns in one direction.

But, I made the Earth's atmosphere thinner by sequestering some air in my tire so, less aerodynamic drag.

you guys with older cars, check your spare's pressure. In prepping for a trip to CoSpgs, I was giving my WRX a LOOONG overdue bit of basic cleaning, decide to check the air pressure in the spare - yeah, it was under 10psi.!!! I guess I had never checked it in 15 years. lubed the lock cylinders, some hinges and handles, etc. too. Pre-loaded some cargo as it may be raining here in the next day or 2.

see what alternate plugs are recommended by NGK at their website....?

you need to confirm what Ido said about the belt and cogged idler AT MINIMUM, they should be OEM or Mitsuboshi(belt) and Japanese bearings(Koyo or other) in the idler.(if he show it was OEM or an Aisin kit - should be fine) There are aftermarket kits with very poor quality parts - $$$$ if that system fails. It is an interference engine and valve damage will occur. a 'belt slap' only is not appropriate service. If the seller cannot confirm the source of the parts, figure that price into a reduced offer. After a warm-up run on the test drive, make sure the car can do tight turns in a dry, paved parking lot without bucking/jerking.

give your Dad a hug. I'm an orphan now, can't hug my parents anymore. And yeah, wish I felt as good about waking up everyday as my old dog. Everyday is the best day ever for that guy!

exhaust leaks can be a problem too.

if you clean that stuff off the bottom of the sensor, I bet it will stck to a magnet. I have 2 bits that says it is particulates from a failing bearing. Most likely the cogged idler's bearing. you may have dodged a bullet.

I don't know much about adding a hitch other than reading that sometimes there is some trimming of the plastic bumper cover I think? have you tried searching youtube ?

are you topping-off the coolant in the radiator or in the overflow bottle?

average age of cars on the road at present is approaching 13 years I think. Average so, to perhaps keep the parents happy, I'd aim for something no older if possible. Maybe 15 years? many new drivers inherit their first car from a parent, if that seems unlikely, I'd think you could 'guilt' them into helping you get a decent car. Authority comes with Responsibility.

yeah, the minimum thickness is probably stameped on the rotor's edge or near the middle. Rule of thumb, if that 'lip'/'ridge' at the edge is 1 mm (think CD, 18ga wire, .040", or maybe dime thickness), on inside and outside, you are at the minimum.

my 03 had those 'double platinums' from the factory, easy 80K or more unless abused somehow (some say regular fuel is bad in that engine, I always ran premium) iridiums probably fine - w'ever NGK or the manual says should be fine. You might consider new valve cover gaskets. Don't overtorque the bolts.

take a look at Centric brand.

weird, Brat jump seats, - dunno if they could be salvaged off those bases, fyi https://albany.craigslist.org/art/d/albany-funky-seats/7381909946.html

risky.....schedule is 105 Months or 105K miles, w'ever is first. You may be getting close to a disaster.

WagonFest in Washington, wish I could go - FYI https://www.avants.com/events/2021/10-10/wagonfest-2021 WagonFest is back! Do you love longroofs? Join us on Sunday, October 10th at DirtFish Rally School for WagonFest 2021, the largest celebration of station wagons in the US, maybe even the universe! All wagons welcome! New and old...American, European, Japanese, etc. If it has a long roof, bring it! Bonus points for cargo boxes. If you don't have a wagon, you are still welcome to come to the show (there will be separate parking for non-wagons) All participants will receive a commemorative WagonFest 2021 decal. Tickets are $10 per car. Please register/pay online before the event. Only 250 tickets available. All money will be donated to the Seattle Humane Society. Pets are welcome, but please keep them on a leash. See you there!

hmmmm......how old is the timing belt's system's parts? Maybe some metal debris from a failing idler has collected on the crank sensor. Rare, but read of that happening once.

Yeah, I get the HUMVEE reasoning, just prefer my cars have actual visibility, other than 'virtual' visibility (yes, my wife's car has a backup camera that I like,..... BECAUSE there is very poor rear visibility!) I think CA and Norway are Tesla's biggest markets so, that's why I mentioned them. They say 'never say never' but at my age, it is quite likely I will not own a full EV over-the-road vehicle. A little electric golf cart or similar I could maybe see owning, depending on my neighborhood's ordinances, but not a real car. And I really don't care for supporting subsidies.

all the rollers/cogs should ideally be of Japanese make. The toothed idler is often the weakest link. A weak tensioner or, a slipped/badly placed guide (on MT models) could also cause problems. none of the idlers should 'spin like a roller skate wheel' or wobble AT ALL.

if we 'assume' (dangerous I know, but a starting place....) EITHER; 1. the cat is not 'lighting off', or, the sensor is unable to report correctly (bad, cut wiring, etc.); I have never needed to to try it, but if the cat is NOT working, the temp at its output will be the same or lower than the inlet side. If it IS working, the temp at the outlet will be HIGHER (by maybe 100*F) than the inlet. Try some measurements at the pipes with an infrared therm. Or, get live data and look at the sensor's voltage. One sometimes overlooked cause of P0420 is exhaust leaks.

bank 1 ? Not sure ifa 2005 is using post cat data for a:f adjustment or not. If it doesn't, you might be able to use a 'spark plug extender' - to fool the rear sensor.

no guess from me, but, just mentioning, if you own a smartphone, you can get a very reasonably priced ELM327 Bluetooth device, plus an app like Piston or Torque Lite, and read your own codes.

Tell us about your tires. What brand/model and size are they? wheel sensor issue???