1 Lucky Texan

Yeah, I'm having some doubts about windsurf gear fitting. If the passenger seat folded differently, it would be easier. If the OP has some rental companies around, he could actually use a Subie over a weekend and see what's good/bad about it. Carl

I may be biased a little since one of our soobs is an '03 OBW - but you'd likely be happy with either one. The Forester gets its additional cargo cap. by being tall - not much help for long skinny stuff. And the seating is a little tighter. But the F'ter is on the Impreza chassis and will have a lot of 'go fast' options from the WRX STI tuner market. There are some parts for the Legacy chassis (like the Outback) and you could certainly get a rear diff' shield and MAYBE some stiffer spings or something to increase offroad reliability - it likely would never make a good 'rock crawler' but soobs are kinda light and swim through the sand fairly well from what I've read. And probably an automatic is gonna be a little better in sand too. You can search for a mod for the AT that makes the AWD 'switchable' so you can 'force' 4WD when off road too. I was given an '06 OBW for a loaner when my wife's '03 was being serviced - I prefer the interior layout of the '03 - dunno about any previuos gens. my .02 Carl

If it is minor, the resurfacing MAY take care of it. Though it is often better to get new rotors. Also, it is possible to improperly torque wheels back on a car and 'warp' rotors.(I suspect this is rare) Do any of the drivers of this vehicle brake agressively as a regular habit? good info here; http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml

Yep, had the dent removed at the dealership for $60 but the paint is 'smudged' off. Oh well, one or two more dents I'll probably give up completely and start rallyX!!! lol! Carl

good point Carl

It might be worth reminding, please make certain the gas cap is refitted very securely. Make it 'click' a dozen times. If it is spun on in a cavalier manner it may not seal and that will trigger an evap system code and CEL. Carl

Might be 'open deck' vs 'semi-closed deck' designation or something? not sure Carl

dang! looks brand new! I doubt my car will look that clean in even 5 years. I already got a door ding from a friggin 'vette while I was at the track (parked) Carl

^^^^^ding ding ding ding! BEST place to start is nipper's post. The evap system is the ONLY system that is likely to 'care' about a full tank vs an 'almost' full tank. what code was set in the ECU? Carl

Get bigger tires

yep - white is alright!

OBTW - we want pics of your new ride! Carl

Mine ('06 WRX wagon) is as setright described. I've never noticed any 3-5 second or other cyclic period to it. Acceleration seems 'smooth' though that is kinda relative since the torque comes on so friggin strong starting about 3k then tapers off dramatically after about 4k - weird kinda peak, but still 'smooth' I guess. The wife's H6 OBW is glass smooth at idle - I just assumed the H4 (these are my first soobs) was a little 'lumpy' at idle. I dunno Carl

I dunno if this works for '06 ; http://www.lightsout.org/disable.html#Subaru

1. unlikely to ADD power but might restore some if grounds are corroded or missing. 2. quite likely to have some effect but sometimes the torque curve is 'shifted' and if the air/fuel is altered to more 'lean', lifespan of valves could be affected I guess. 3. I think mufflers COULD be good for a coupla HP, but 'tips'? no way. 4. Intakes may be good for a coupla HP, but some folks have over-oiled the elements and destroyed MAF sensors. Engine oil analysis also shows increased silicon which is usually a sigen of 'dust' getting past the filter. Though I haven't read anything that indicates the particle size is actually large enough to damage anything. check www.bobistheoilguy.com The best safest ways to increase aceleration is to reduce mass. Start with rotatating, unsprung mass - ie. lighter wheels. Then lighter flywheel if MT and maybe lighter crank/access. pulleys. Also, remove any excess/unneeded weight in the car. rules of thumb indicate 8-11 pounds removed adds (frees up) 1hp. Subarus are not the best platforms to start with for 1/8-1/4 mile dragsters. You'll have more fun rigging it for the twisties - on or off pavement. check some of the performance stuff at www.subarureview.com just my 2 cents Carl

wow, didn't this JUST happen a few months ago to someone here? They were traveling in the NE maybe and had to improvise a fix along the way IIRC. weird Carl edit; yeah, check; http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=56082&highlight=broken+alternator+bolt

Scorch, also check out the suspension section at www.subarureview.com Carl

Maybe a good throttle body cleaning? I wouldn't ignore nipper's suggestions. (some wild guesses for problem areas; it can be easy to leave off/mis-route a vacuum line or 'mis-install' the air filter box at the bottom clip. IACV or TPS might cause problems you mention - but likely would throw a CEL.) Carl

just to help keep the thread going. Carl

I think one very interesting, overlooked 'service' is at www.boxer4racing.com - Mr. teague will take your struts as a core and send you struts with adjustable Koni yellow inserts! Then, choose your spring s and reinstall. You may have to email him - the website is a little hard to navigate. there are online instructions for the process somewhere(subydude?) if you want to DIY. just a thought Carl edit; OK, I see no reason why they wouldn't do the same service for an OBS, but it's listed on the WRX page here; http://64.71.53.59/suspensi.htm about 3/4 down. No connection other than buying my exhaust from them. Carl

superb post. Carl

Well, does it still work well enough to get you to work? maybe unplugging the MAF or something would at least force it into 'limp' mode such that you might be able to drive it until you can afford to take it to a mechanic/dealership. Do you still have the old Temp Sensor? Can you measure its resistance and compare it to the new one?(unplugged of course). Also confirm that the leads are not shorted to its body or, the same lead is, on each one,etc. Buying another used car does guarantee you won't have similar or worse problems - they just may be different problems. Plus, your present car would not be very attractive to someone as is.

web? Carl

this thread (for a '97 I think) has some ohmmeter tests. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40929&highlight=temp+sensor+voltage there are quite few threads on temp sensor , engine temp sensor and coolant temp sensor. You may need to read a lot to find more troubleshooting approaches. Carl

Didn't Subaru move the thrust bearing at some point in the design to stop crank walk? seems like I remember reading that somewhere - but it may have been way back in the 80s or something. Carl