bendecker

I'm looking forward to answers on this one. We have two subarus that are getting on in years -- a '96 and a '93 -- and I also want a newer one that, hopefully, will avoid the dreaded head gasket issues. (I know.... it's not that big of a deal to get them fixed and it's a small price to pay for a great car, and... and...and... but just the idea of it really irks me. I want bomb-proof engines like my subies from the 80's and 90's.) You also bring up some other great points that I can completely relate to. So.... thanks for starting the thread. Following.

Dang! That made my WEEK! Awesome find !!!

My understanding is that, if you do, riding back there on the street is no longer legal most places. The original seats are DOT approved and, therefore, grandfathered in as still legal. Might not matter in your case, but in CA, they're quite picky about that sort of thing.

Also, the trigger in the fluid level can become problematic. We get a lot of false positives these days on our '96. I usually pull off the fluid cap. Compress the rubber cone piece that is stuck on the top a few times, then I put the cap back on and the problem goes away for a while.

The ones from TireRack are for trailer use only. I spoke at great length about this with the guy who is in charge of rim purchases at the corporate level for a major tire company (who shall remain nameless on Internet posts, as per his request). According to him, you can use trailer rims on a car (they are just heavy), but should never use trailer tires on a car because they are not designed to corner under load. They are designed to just, well, trail along. I'd go with pugs, adapters, the 6-lug conversion, or have someone like Stockton Wheel make some custom rims for you (I've never used them, but they say they can do it). Even if you do finally find this size tire, what happens when you have a blow-out or they all need to be replaced? It's a long-term headache.

Are these the vertical ones on the sides of the windshield? I might I have a couple that I would grade a B- in that they are not crispy, nor do they fail the "fingernail scratch" test, but they have some sizable scratches in them. These days, with the good plastic paints available, I have had good luck painting them to match.

I just used some thin polypropylene plastic, cut them into small squares, pre-drilled them, didn't even tap them, just screwed right into them with a power screw driver. They work great.

At least in CA, yes. Smog laws do not allow us to use Webers.

After having kids, and also having to compete with a gazillion SUVs on the CA highways in my little Brat, I went the route of just letting her be a garage-filler for the most part. I only drive her occasionally around town, or to camping adventures on a road that's 55mph, or up into the hills on fire roads behind our house. For the most part, she's just a pretty garage ornament. Yep. Kids change priorities.... but they love riding in the back!

I'd love some details on all the work that went into your Brat. For starters, where in the world did that perfect dash come from?!?!? Nice!

Really nice score on the Brat. Please keep us posted on progress with pictures, pictures, pictures!

I'm sure that many would say you are just buying the wrong axles and I would tend to agree. However, I did put in a remanufactured one from Autozone 10 years ago and it worked up until a couple of months ago. So, there are examples of longevity with the brand. One of the common complaints on aftermarket axles is that they don't have enough grease in them, which helps lead to premature failure. A "quick fix" that some will likely call blasphemous, but might get some more time out of your already clicking axles is to pump more grease into them using a grease needle through the boot. Years ago, I did this (the hole left was, obviously, really small). I then cleaned the needle hole really well and dabbed on some flexible permatex to seal it up. Not only did it stop clicking, but lasted many years after this "fix". If you have the time, it's obviously far better to pull the axle, open up the boot properly and grease the heck out of it, but I figured the axle was on it's way out, so why not? In my case, it paid off.

I put in a small amount of fluid a couple of times over a matter of several months. I also took it to a pro mechanic that I've had very good luck with to have the system checked when it felt spongy. They put in new brake fluid (it was due and I didn't have time to deal with it) and fully bled the system, but they missed the issue with the caliper too. In your case it may not be 100% of the problem, but it should be ruled out as a contributing factor. Check all the metal lines too. A very small leak in a caliper (or anywhere else) can just look like slightly oily road grime.

I just went through this with our '96 legacy. It felt pretty mushy for a very long time. The root of the problem finally presented itself in the form of a leaking seal in the front left caliper (I made the mistake of buying a "rebuild" a couple of years ago instead of simply rebuilding it myself with good parts -- look for "Eric The Car Guy's" video on YouTube if you need info) . After I resealed it with an OEM set of seals from the dealer, the brakes are feeling amazingly rock solid again. Can't say if that is your issue, but be sure to check very, very carefully for leaks throughout the whole system.

I'd prefer it if they would just sell the diesel that is available pretty much everywhere but North America. I want 45mpg, an engine that lasts forever and all that torque in an AWD package. VW sells a ton of diesels. Are you listening, Subaru...? (rhetorical question... they aren't...)

Too funny!

Yep. Looks pretty easy.

I'll definitely give it the once-over (driveshaft, fluids, u-joints, etc.) as best I can. I drove it home and there were no signs of any problem at all. It drove like it always has. Weird...

I decided to take it to a mechanic. They just called to say they removed the FWD fuse and could not recreate the symptoms. Hmmmm..... I'm going to head down there in a couple of hours to take a test drive with them. The saga continues...

All tires are in good shape, all the same, and fully inflated. The odd thing is it came on so suddenly and so severely. Time to check the fluids for glitter...

Having sudden problems with my 1996 legacy -- 240k miles and an auto transmission. I've searched all over the place and see a lot of issues with torque binding while turning (I did have that some many thousands of miles ago and it was the duty c solenoid), but this is different. It "binds" just driving straight. It started with backing out of parking space while turning, an odd clunk that sounded like it was coming from the rear, then the car was very hard to turn but -- and this is the part that has me puzzled -- very hard to simply drive straight. It's like the parking brake is on. Also, when in gear and decelerating, it would make this hard-pumping, rhythmic "braking" pulse. It wasn't the brakes (hence the quotes), it was something in the drivetrain. But it felt like someone was pumping the brakes or popping it very quickly in and out of a lower gear. I put a fuse into the FWD fuse holder and the problems went away. Any ideas? My first guess is clutch plates. But, I've not seen anyone with trouble simply driving straight in all the posts I've found. Thanks for any help! -Ben

SWEET!!!

While it's out... what condition is your dash in? Mine has one of the old coverlay caps on it, so it looks pretty good, but there is one crack right at the windshield that has developed. I've always been intrigued by the idea of pulling the dash and fiberglassing over it. There's a pretty cool thread on a BMW board about dash repair. Unfortunately, the great pics that used to be on it have been pulled. The guy used a two part kit of SEM flexible plastic repair (part no. 39927) and the results were really good (again, they pulled the stinking pictures -- sigh...) http://www.bmw2002faq.com/articles.html/_/technical-articles/body-and-interior/dash-repair-r21 Here's another one where the guy used upholstery vinyl, contact cement, and heated it up to get around all the corners:

I know you know this, but that SUCKS!!! I feel your pain : (

Great ad! I bought my Brat in 1982, only one year old for $3,200. My, how prices have changed!