WagonsOnly

You have a PM.=)

EA81s are simpler to work on, have "real" 4WD (four speeds driving 4 wheels, with the option of a low range), are all carbureted, don't have timing belts, and generally speaking have less to go wrong with than EA82s. But EA82s are more comfortable, faster, larger on the inside, more stable in corners, and have more options available. The choice is yours.

With the same car as yours, only with a 4EAT (cuts the revs down) we averaged 36mpg between Paul's place in Milford and the CT/MA line. It's almost 70 miles, just for the heck of it we filled up at the Mobilgas station on I-95 and again at the Citgo about a mile from home...took something like 1.8 gallons. (The Forester took 3.1. Yuck!) And that was with a rotted muffler and a driver w/ a lead foot (NOT me, I was driving my Forester).

I have a feeling this is going to go to someone on the board...so...would whoever gets it be willing to make reprints at a T-shirt shop and offer them at cost + enough to defray the initial purchase?

If I can add just one thing--check to make sure your electrical system in the rear is intact and still functioning, and repair any pinched wires or report them to the body shop before they start repairs. You should also change the bulbs ,since they're 3 years old and they just took quite a beating--and if you change the bulbs, your mechanic won't be able to blame any electrical anomalies on the bulbs themselves. Glad you and your daughter are all right. Good luck with the insurance co.!

Skip--I noticed you have a '97. The timing belt change interval is 60K miles for all Phase I (DOHC) 2.5L engines and 105K miles for all Phase II (SOHC) engines. These were in the '99 and later Impreza and Forester; the '00 and later Legacy and Outback; and all Bajas. You might want to have your T-belts changed if you've been going by the 105K mark--also, the DOHC engine is interference so if the belt snaps on you, your car is toast.

The brand doesn't really matter as much as the color code. As long as the color code is matched exactly, the paint should too--or if you want to be really particular, ask if they have a BARCO color calibrator that they can match the paint off of. As for what kind: The cheap stuff. (See the thread on the newer Legacy models for info on orange-peel paint on US-made Soobs.)

It really is too bad. I wish they'd kept the current OB/Baja platform and just redesigned the Legacy--why not differentiate the two models? They could still share drivetrain parts, but different sheetmetal/suspensions would have (a) given purpose to having 2 different midsized cars and ( maybe kept the Baja alive longer. I bet, though, that a Forester-based Baja with an extended cab as an option and a dual-range tranny available would've done ten times better. Even Consumer Reports gave the Baja a thumbs-up--but only if you could figure out what to do with such a vehicle.

All the pics are good--but why no XT pics? And what about the pictures Todd (Subaru3) offered? Otherwise I like Battle_Wagon_Medic's ideas with the exception of putting Austin's in for April (April showers and all that). Here's my idea: January - Kings of The Hill February - Battle Wagon's pic of his 3 March - Clantieri April - Austin in River May - Weeble 2 June - Rally Justy July - 8 in Reiter August - Eyesore September - Subafly #2 October - BattleWagonMedic's 3 November - Roxanne December - Soobme's

Alias, the fit and finish on a pre-production model should be top-notch, isn't that the point of prototypes? The car has already been in production everywhere else in the world, so hopefully with a couple more months of intensive prep work and worker retraining they'll get it right this time. I blame the quality issues on GM and the plant workers, most of whom used to assemble Isuzus. The fit and finish work they did was fine--for an Isuzu. Let's hope with the Legacy/OB we're not all sitting here talking about the quality that used to be, and never will again. If they don't get it right this time--after more than 10 years of making Soobs Stateside--I'm sticking with Foresters.

The FM/CD interface in my dad's Hyundai was great, I never noticed any interference at all. I don't remember who made it, I think Panasonic? but the car and changer are long gone now. I do agree that the cassette-to-CD stinks. I'm using a cass-to-minplug adapter on my iPod and more static comes through than music. Just make sure you aren't near any radio stations broadcasting on the same frequencies when you use the FM/CD adapter. That causes significant problems, for obvious reasons.

I seriously doubt that the B11S is the new Impreza. With those prices, the B11S is two grand MORE than a new STi. I think it's more likely that the Baja will be scrapped, the Impreza will be updated by 2007-8 and take up the small-car niche from $18K-$35K and the B11S will slot in above the Impreza STi. Very little about the Baja is being said at the two dealers I go to here other than "Yes, we have them on the lot"; "No, they aren't selling well": and "I have no idea what they're going to do about the Baja." And bear in mind, the Impreza wasn't updated for '04, they just shuffled models around, added the STi and axed the round headlights.

As a 17-year-old with a Subaru, I can attest that most of these cars are exceptionally reliable. I think the advice here is solid, however you may want to consider a 1990-94 Loyale hatchback, sedan or wagon with a 5-speed and 4WD. Since these are based on the older Subaru designs, most were sold with "real" 4WD as opposed to AWD, and while it requires driver input, they get better gas mileage and parts are easier (and sometimes cheaper) to find and replace. See the "Older Subarus" forum for details, (as this design had been marketed since 1985) but Loyales are solid cars as long as they have the regular coil suspension, no smoking/oil leaking, and maintenance records for the timing belts and water pump. Also check for overheating, clicking in turns, and signs of abuse. Rust anywhere on these cars will prove fatal, as well--and RUN, don't walk, away from automatic transmission models. Good luck on your search, Andrew

And in the background, airbrush in all the Subes you've had that died because of body cancer...how about a Brat on the tailgate, with the same bubble and rust spots everywhere?

I've had 2 Subarus out of about 20 that don't tick ('75 wagon and '62 360) so when the alternative is sounding like a lawnmower....I'd be grateful. Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it until it gets LOUD and stays that way (then just add oil).

I might be able to make it on the 6th, not sure about the 13th. On the 6th my dad and I are planning on going down to VA to: -Pick up my wheels from PhatBrat -Pick up my GL-10 seats and hubcaps from TROGDOR! -Pick up his sandblasting cabinet -Pick up a D/R wagon? for Moosens? Paul and Trogdor, you both have PMs.

I second....er, fourth...the drooling. That's something to park in your living room, if not hermetically seal =)

Great, thanks! Please PM me with the details when you get it working. This post definitely deserves another banana!

I think it's worth that. Mine was 300, plus a delivery charge of $175 from New York to CT. As far as I know all the RHD Soobs Stateside are postal wagons.

XT seats do have quite a bit of lateral support, the lumbar support is also positioned better and the seat fabrics are higher-quality.

It's legal as long as it isn't a restricted area and the vehicle is registered with the proper branch of the DMV. And remember to use your signals Thanks for the pic. I set my Mac's desktop to it for the backgroud picture, hope you don't mind. I would definitely spring for a calendar if you put that picture (and the one of GD's wagon) in it.

And that's with the clutch fully depressed?? You'd think that would've cut the revs (and the wheel speed) down by the time you'd gotten to dry pavement.

Do you mean double rounds on each side or 2 round lights total, like the DL 4X wagons? I didn't know the Gen IIs came with double round lights on both sides--I thought that went out with the '79 GLs. Or maybe I read that wrong.

I believe the hatch came in a standard model in Canada for those years--but that leads back to the whole Chaser debate. And I thought the hatches only had 1600cc engines in them, thanks for the info and sorry for my misinforming you. (I've never owned a hatch.)

I'm not having any problems with Safari at all, what version of Safari and Mac OS X are you running? In fact, about the only problem I'm having is figuring out what this car is. (!!!)