Hello everyone,

 

I'm in the process of getting my 1st Subaru. I saw it listed on eBay twice, and contacted the seller, negotiated a price, and it's now sitting in his barn!

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4612435172&category=6467

 

He owns a collision shop, and got this from the original owner. It has boxes of documentation, and every old part that was ever replaced. It is all stock/original, and has the optional Roof Rack with Bike & Ski accessories. He fixed the Tyipcal Michigan Rust from the Inside, with high density foam, and then coated it with an undercoating material, and painted it black from the waist down. I pick it up April 1st.

 

So, once I pick it up, I'd like to give it the Once Over. This will be my Winter car, and also my Bass Rig Hauler. I play in a Punk Rock band in Detroit, so I won't want to be broken down! Anyone have a Checklist of what to look at first?

 

After I get it Tip Top, I'd like to do some minor performance enhancements. Maybe fabricate an Intake & exhast. Has anyone tried one of those Performance Chip Modules I've seen on eBay?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Subaru-Loyale-90-91-92-93-94-Performance-Chip-Module_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33553QQitemZ8046695272QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

Any other performance ideas? I'd like to go to 5 lug's eventually, and an EJ transplant is a possibility down the road. But for the first year, I'd like to just get her running good, and have something to tinker with, and maybe do some Light Off Roading.

 

Fat Tony - http://www.smashbandits.com

Those performance chips are useless. They trick the ECU into thinking the air is colder than it really is... yeah, you might gain some power, but the ill-effects can be pretty bad.

Those performance chips are useless. They trick the ECU into thinking the air is colder than it really is... yeah, you might gain some power, but the ill-effects can be pretty bad.

 

If it's power your after then maybe this isn't the sooby for you. Not that soobies are terribly slow, but they are not a performnce vehicle. If you get a good one try to keep it that way (except put a lift kit in it!)

Welcome to the insanity!

 

if you want performance, you are getting the wrong car.

If you want reliability, you have the right car...

 

these are not, nor will they ever be, a "performance car" - there is pretty much nothing, aside from doing an engine swap, that will give you big performance gains.

 

Reliability however, is one of the strong points of these cars. keep up with recommended maintenance items (such as timing belts and oil changes) and it will outlive pretty much anything else out there. The body will give out before the drivetrain will.

 

Dont really recommend doing a lot of towing with it either...they dont like to get hot (which towing can cause) aluminum blocks dont take extreme heat very well. small boat or canoe on the roof is one thing, towing a bass boat is something else

 

Go thru all the documentation to verify when timing belts were done last - it is recommended they be done every 60,000 miles - if they are close to being due, do them. better to do them early than have one break and leave you stranded. oil leaks are also an "issue" on these cars...most leaks can be fixed easily - the hardest one is the oil pan gasket. highly recommend changing the crank & cam seals when doing timing belts to avoid future belt problems (speaking from experience here)

 

other than that just the basic tuneup stuff - plugs, cap, rotor, and wires, fuel and air filters, oil change & filter...

 

Good luck with the new toy!

Somewhere, a long time ago, I found there was an update to the timing belt interval. To change them at 40,000 miles. I had had them fail before 60,000 twice, before I found that info.

 

Dave

Power can be added, modifications can be made, but what freaks me out is "fixing" the rust with foam. Rockers are something of a structural part on these cars, since they make up one side of the pinch weld. Same story with the wheel wells front and rear, that's all that's holding the struts in place. If that's where the rot is, the car needs extensive repairs to be roadworthy. You might be better off getting a car here or in the south and driving/ shipping it back.

Thanks for all the posts. It is pretty much as I had thought, this is a car to keep stock, and running good. I couldn't find any aftermarket goodies, so I may fabricate an intake and an exhaust, which would probably let it breath better, and if nothing else, improve milage. I'll keep an eye out for some Enkei Alloy's to dress it up in the wheel department. Stereo will need to be upgraded!

 

I saw pictures of the rust before it was fixed. It was pretty minor, and the seller, who owns a body shop asures me that it is quite sound, and the structural integrety is entact. (He is within Driving distance, should a Retaliatory Strike be neccesarry!) He is a Soobie Lover, although I told hom about this site, so I don't think he's a member here yet.

 

More to follow once I get the BanditWagon!

 

Thanks again,

Fat Tony - http://www.smashbandits.com:headbang: