shin Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 well after sunday i now need a new car it was a 98 gt wagon 5 spd with the ej25 and it was my first subaru and i loved it... but i would like something a little more basic.. like not obd2 and i want manual windows and what not and the reason i am posting this in the older car section is because i found this http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/2156908550.html wondering if you guys would be able to give me a heads up and things to look for since i know nothing about this gen... does it sound like a good deal.. i like the fact that it had a 2.2 swapped into it.. i am looking for something reliable.. would this be it.. i dont know if its a auto or a manual... and just for the the curious here is my old car btw subarus dont have features like an old vw bug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 okay we definitely need a story with that photo, is that a car sunken through ice? that's awesome. old gen stuff is reliable....you just have age against you, so brakes, alternators, axle boots, etc are going to need help here and again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 nothing is reliable when it takes a bath. doh that really looks bad. is it still in there? those snow flakes are worth going back to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subaruguru Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 sorry aobut your ride i had a close call last night had some bad flooding going on got cocky and started to head trough the water by the time the water hit the hood it was to late hydro locked the engine then started to float . luckaly a suburban was coming the other way he flipped around and pushed me out of the water after pulling the plugs and turning the engine over a few times i put the plugs in and drove home i now need to remove my seats and dry my carpet out but all is well. this car will be getting a snorkle eventualy.... sorry about the jack the lifted rig sounds like it would be a deal but like previously posted alts and axles. Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Why are they selling it? You don't do that much work to then lose your rump roast on it by selling it for $1500..... I am always VERY wary of people selling swapped cars - IMO you should never buy such a thing from "man off the street" - the level of competance of those who swapped it is as important as what they swapped and what conditions it's in. That ad has precious little info on what was done. Sounds like billy joe bob threw in a used 2.2. Probably butt-spliced rats nest of wireing.... there's no shot of the engine bay so it doesn't look like they are too proud of the work..... I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you should probably avoid that mess. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbeerd Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 (edited) Hey Shin, i've emailed with the owner of the car a little bit, PM me and i can tell you a little about it. its a d/r manual, comes with an extra trans, i'll have to bring up the email but i think he said it pops outta 3rd gear now and then. Edited January 18, 2011 by xbeerd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 ad mentions "damage" - have to wonder what kind, where & how bad... would definitely want to see it in person, hear it run, drive it if possible before i would even begin to consider a fair price... Granted the 2.2 is a good motor and 93 would still be OBD-I - still kind of gunshy on this one - something about it just says, "stay away"....there are much nicer examples out there & probably for a better price, without a possible hacked up motor swap - just need to do a little hunting and very curious about the story behind the picture, too..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbeerd Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 here's some info: As for that '86 GL wagon. he sent me a message back as well and stated that it likes to pop out of 3rd gear, but it is a 5 speed DR. It also has 4" SJR lift, SJR EJ adapter, and Numchux wiring conversion. i dont know that i would worry bout the wiring to much if he spent the money to have numbchux do the harness. but the body is beat up.. afterall it was a off road rig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Sorry Scott, but I beat you to it. I PM'ed him with all the info lol. But its good to post it in the thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbeerd Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 OH well i'll get over it... someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHATBRAT Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Aww man, It may hurt now but you will always look back and laugh your rump roast off for sinking it.. It is a Subaru, not a SUBaroo.. Just cuz it says SUB in the name doesn't mean you can DIVE DIVE DIVE...lmao Bet that was one hell of an experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shin Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 thanks everyone for all the info... a little work doesnt bother me as long as it is worth it... but as many requested here is the story of my first ru... i bought it off craigslist in november... it is a 98 gt wagon with a spd 2.5..129k miles.. looked nice... only problem was it had a salvaged title... so the guy figured it was worth 1200 thats what he had it on c list for... i gave him a grand and drove it home... later discoverd reciepts that the hg's, t belt and front brakes only had 30k on them and that was a 1800 dollar bill.. so i figured i scored good on the car... worked fine ran good... did tune up one cv fluids speed sensor... and what not... fast forward to sunday... went out to shawano lake here in wi to watch the ice races.. everybody is parked around the track... so after about an hour me and another buddy who has a lifted cherokee decide to go cruising and this is the first time i have ever been on this lake.. well we are cruising not far from shore he is behind me about 100 feet or so and we are just messing around and the shore line kept coming in and out... well right as i came by the shore line as it comes out and then quickly goes in, i see the hole but it looks like a entry point onto the lake and looked like glare ice... and basically i didnt figure it wasnt tell it was to late since i was cruising at about 50 mph... but the reason it was water was because it was an entry point... a entry point to a river that connects this lake to another one apparently... so it was flowing water... let me tell ya it is a scary fellin when your sinkin even if it only ends up being about 3 1/2 feet deep... so anyway just to give you a heads up... anytime you go through the ice you should always call 911 no matter what... i didnt know that and a passer by did that for me.. and then the dnr came out and said i had 30 days to remove it... yes thirty... i couldnt believe that.. but its a ticket for every day past that... so it got pulled it out after about 20 hrs of it in there just a warning to everyone out that i got lucky and my full coverage insurance covered it all... that included my $2300 tow bill... and they are giving me blue book for my car which i am sure a lot of you can figure out... so yes that is the story of ru #1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbeerd Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 man thats crazy! you should look us up if you ever get down towards milwaukee or vice versa, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shin Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 the insurance company said i could keep the car for $500... i am still trying to decide if its worth it to part it out... i knwo the motor is good since i know i hit the key before it went under.. i have until tommorow to decide... damage so far front and rear bumpers interior obviously one corner light both tailights have minor cracks towards the front of them... anything electrical.. one brand new firestone winterforce good drivetrain hood headlights rear gate all glass 3 brand new winterforces what you say... is it worth $500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 (edited) Buy it back, quite honestly if you shut it down before it went under, change the fluids and it will probably be fine. Lake water is clean, so it's not like a normal flood car where the water is full of fine silt. I had a friend sink his WRX in a mudhole a month ago, the water was 5" above the floor, so the computer went under and the seats soaked up a lot of water. It stopped running and threw a lot of codes from being submerged, we were trying to get it out and the intake was still above water and it shut down on it's own. After washing the computer off in a brook and drying it out on the dash of my truck, it fired right up. The most important steps after a sinking is to get all the insulation out of the interior. Put the seats and carpet to dry in the house, and tear all of the insulation off the carpet and what's glued to the floors. It will hold moisture and start mold. Then run the car with the heat on high and max a/c. That should suck the moisture out of the interior. Using compressed air to blow out the connectors cant hurt. Edited January 19, 2011 by WoodsWagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Honestly a 5 speed gt wagon is a pretty awsome thing. It can be parted out for more then 500 bones. I would buy it back, you could get it working again. Things need to dry out first. Im sure it would run again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shin Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 im not even going to try to make it driveable again... plus i would believe that within time the harness is going to corrode and give me electrical headaches down the road.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 even if you dont make this one drivable again - the drivetrain itself should be fine with a fluid change and could easily be put into something else - plus there are plenty of other parts that could be salvaged if needed. good drivetrain alone is worth the $500... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I also say buy it back, and if you had 3 new winterforces, go buy another for the 4th, have it installed, and there is always a smuck wanting snowflakes with brand new snows (maybe me) willing to make it worth your time even if a new WF costs 120, you can sell a new set on snowflakes for 400 or so. then sell the drivetrain and what else you can. scooped hood goes for a bills too....etc etc. most electronics including sensors will need to be scrapped. you could always chop the back end off and make it a wheeler. lots of things you could do...just be smart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 (edited) I doubt that clean lake water would corrode anything. You might have to change the gauge cluster just because it will be pretty wet inside... I would put it back in operation. I pressure wash electrical all the time - it's not the water that gets it but rather the salt in those states that salt roads, etc. A compressor and a blow-gun is all you need to make that thing work again. And of course buy some new interior. Buy it back for $500 and sell the car whole for $1000. It's worth it - that's an easy $1500 profit for someone with an afternoon and some used interior bits. When I worked on industrial machinery - it was common practice to STEAM clean elecrical stuff - I would tear down electric induction motors and steam clean the windings with soap, etc. Dry them as best I could with a blow gun then put a fan on them for a couple days. We had a Meg-Ohm meter for checking to see if they were dry. Never once had a problem. This was accepted common practice at our shop and we worked on 480v 3-phase motors in the 5 to 500 HP range. 12v DC is not going to get damaged by some lake water. GD Edited January 19, 2011 by GeneralDisorder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Corrosion is only an issue if the car is kept moist for an extended period, like in a salvage yard in the hot sun of the South after a flood. The water just keeps percolating inside and wreaks havoc. Or if it went under salt water. A dip in a lake is pretty harmless if you get it dried out, and the electronics are unlikely to be harmed, the actual circuit boards are sealed with a thin resin coat after they're done soldering components to them. Most of the interior will be OK too if you dry it out, the door panels are plastic, so they don't warp like the old paperboard ones. The seats are foam, so they dry out and are fine. The only concern is the insulation under the carpets, but it's easy to pull that out. Time is of the essense though, the longer you let it sit before drying the more chance it has to cause damage. My main concern would be getting any water out of the engine before the cylinders begin to rust. Change the rear diff and transmission oils, the breathers will suck in water as the tranny case cools once it's submerged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricearu Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 if you keep it, definately remove the plugs and spin it over to blow the water out. then put them back in. that will save the engine, even if you turned it off, it could have taken in water into the intake tract or if an intake valve was open, only there won't be hydrolock damage like bent rods because it was off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shin Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 decided to let it go...didnt feel like messing with it... but i still have the factory gt wheels... witch i do believe they call the snowflakes with summer tires on... just wondering if i am going to sell or keep em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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