Should I just junk it? I invested a lot of money to save my 2002 Forester...It has new brakes, new exhaust...then I found out the frame was rusted.  The engine isn't original, but has better mileage than my original engine (which still has the oil leak prone to this model...and I've been faithful on oil changes). At the time I replaced the engine, I gained the air conditioner which wasn't working in my car...it needs some part to make it work again, but I don't know what it is.  The rear door doesn't lock, and the rear wiper doesn't...(but everything else works)...and I love this car WAY MORE than my new 2019 Crosstrek. Is less than $300 the best I can get for a car that had a $1300 brake job before finding out the frame was rusted out?

Edited May 30, 20196 yr by Legacy Ree

try parting it out? craigslist I guess is how folks do that nowadays

 

or pull the better/smaller parts yourself and offer them in the classifieds on the forums?

Edited May 30, 20196 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

OOOooo - I would like the exhaust if it is still in good shape!

I have a 2002 also

 

a user in Wyoming would love to have the engine I bet

paging @BlueSoob

The forester doesn't have a frame. Shock towers rust, but those are the only places on the unibody that should affect body integrity.

They cannot be repaired AFAIK, and likely all others in your area have similar issues. However, there a MANY Foresters and Imprezas with bad engines to be had for cheap.

 

9 hours ago, uniberp1 said:

The forester doesn't have a frame. Shock towers rust, but those are the only places on the unibody that should affect body integrity.

They cannot be repaired AFAIK, and likely all others in your area have similar issues. However, there a MANY Foresters and Imprezas with bad engines to be had for cheap.

technically, no, a Subaru does not have a "frame" per se, but they do have "sub-frames" which do rust/rot out. and for the record, there are other places besides the shock towers that can render a car unsafe.

My old GL wagon had a front sub-frame problem, and that was why it was taken off the road - motor still ran great, tranny still shifted fine, but it was structurally unsafe.

On 5/30/2019 at 9:44 AM, Legacy Ree said:

Should I just junk it? I invested a lot of money to save my 2002 Forester...It has new brakes, new exhaust...then I found out the frame was rusted.  The engine isn't original, but has better mileage than my original engine (which still has the oil leak prone to this model...and I've been faithful on oil changes). At the time I replaced the engine, I gained the air conditioner which wasn't working in my car...it needs some part to make it work again, but I don't know what it is.  The rear door doesn't lock, and the rear wiper doesn't...(but everything else works)...and I love this car WAY MORE than my new 2019 Crosstrek. Is less than $300 the best I can get for a car that had a $1300 brake job before finding out the frame was rusted out?

Post a picture of it or a link to a picture somewhere else if you can’t post it here.  

In rust prone areas it's common to see cars with rusty frame rails which are not a problem.  

And then sometimes I can be. 

But yes if it’s just getting trashed or junked, it’s basically worthless. A rusty scrap heap isn’t worth more because it’s got a few new parts in it. 

So sorry for the delay to all replies, life got in the way.  I'd still be loving this brute if the back frame didn't rust out!  And yes, it's dirty, we live on a dirt road.  LOL

Edited June 15, 20196 yr by Legacy Ree