Hi all. New here.

A bit of background: I've been turning wrenches (as a hobby/necessity, not a career) for over 15 years now. I apprenticed at an automotive machine shop in high school as well. i'm familiar with fixing greasy things. not so much small boxer motors though. most of my experience is with large diesel engines and classic american iron. i'm learning though. and i'm impressed with subaru in particular.

I never really understood people's obsessions with these cars until I owned one. I came across my first subaru by chance. i had cash and needed a car. a buddy had a '93 legacy in decent shape and needed cash. a deal was made.

the car had a bit of character and grew on me quickly, but i still didn't understand the die hards fanatics. not until the first time i had the legacy out in inclement weather... it clicked! AMAZING! sadly, though, keeping the legacy forever wasn't in the cards. 

i knew i wanted another subaru, but didn't know which model. a buddy of mine had a forester and invited me to take a close look at it. it didn't take long to figure out i wanted one of those. shortly thereafter, i picked up a 1999 Forester. i love it! but, alas, the previous owner was a numbskull and didn't do much in the way of preventative maintenance. which is what led me here to this forum.

i'll post the questions i've got in the appropriate areas but I will say this: after having the engine out and apart a few times, i am VERY impressed with the way the engineers designed these cars. it's as though they had the mechanic in mind. i've never seen a car where i could have the motor sitting on the ground in 2 hours, by myself, without removing the hood. i'm sold. all subaru needs to do now is come out with a full size pickup and vehicle akin to my suburban (can tow well, has seating for 8 plus cargo room, etc) and i won't bother owning any other brand.

anywho, i'm chris. if you want to know anything else, please ask.

Welcome to the USMB Chris!

 

I think the first gen Legacies were some of the best designed & built subarus. I've heard similar stories from folks that pick up a first gen Legacy for a reasonable price and then they end up sticking with Subarus. The first gen Legacy, a gateway Subaru