Hi everyone, this is a cool forum and such an old one at that. Bought a 2000 Legacy GT wagon with 170k miles last year before learning about the head gasket issue :/. The bright side is I love this car even with its engine troubles. I just started rebuilding the engine after my sister overheated it badly a few times and then a front axle fell apart. Now I've been oohing and aahing over the smart design of the engine.

I've been a B23/B230 volvo nut for years, and I still would rather work on a B230 than any other engine for its simplicity. Even though I wouldn't call EJ engines necessarily simple, I think they're great to work on (apart from having to be v. careful with the aluminum and dissimilar metals).

I'm definitely going to try to find one of those sexy 305hp engines and tranny from a wreck (I already think that will be impossible to come by) and swap it into my wagon. I've fixed the couple dime sized rust spots so hopefully I will have this body for a longgg time.

What first Subarus have some of you purchased? And are there any other volvo guys out there?

I am a die hard subaru owner, and i have had some volvo experience.

 

My first subaru was an 84 gl wagon 4x4 mt lighting silver. My current subaru is an 86 3door runabout, root beer brown, FWD 5spd(getting a 5 lug/fulltime/ej22 swap)

 

I had a 92 960 wagon. great car for towing, good as a work van, not the best for fuel economy, but no worse than an ej22 with a bad o2. I did the brakes on this one, and i have done brakes on a 740, and the guy i work for just picked up 240.

 

If not subarus, toyotas and volvos would be my pick for ease of design and service, as i tend to stay away from anything with a transverse engine.

 

I was impressed the first time i drove a saab 900 turbo, fwd, in the snow, handled as good if not better than a fwd subaru-equal length axles!(non-transverse)