AdventureSubaru

A good shop will match it. You can buy the 22G paint and use it for the hood. https://www.automotivetouchup.com/

Most states will allow a salvage title vehicle to be "reconstructed" The title then is branded but the car is road legal again. Usually this entails getting a signature/form filled out by a certified mechanic And/or sheriff's dept. that the car is in road-worthy, safe condition to be registered and the title can be reconstructed. Takes some time, but for an older car like this, worth the effort. I've had a few cars like that pass through my hands over the years.

I love these cars and the mileage isn't a worry. My cars are at 276k and 333k at the moment. If the timing belt hasn't been done in 10 years, it's time to change the belt etc. Clutch, shocks etc. I wouldn't worry about unless you are feeling issues with them. Check Engine Light - Have you had the codes pulled? Autozone and most chain parts stores will pull the codes for free. Those codes should give you an idea of where to be looking. Probably no big deal, but always helps to know more. Been driving with that light on for most of the last 4 years. wiper issues sound like a bad relay if it's anything like the one for the blower fan. Probably can grab one from a junkyard for next to nothing.

Salt will do that to the exhaust. Not sure where to get the replacements, but unless it's leaking, no sense in replacing yet. The salt will eventually kill it, but may as well get as much use out of it as you can.

NICE WAGON! You're in the right place as a noob though. Helpful people on this board, and these cars are super easy to learn on and work on. Welcome!

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/79130-how-to-seat-your-torque-converter-by-mnwolftrack/ There's some pretty good info in that thread to make sure you seat the converter. I replaced the trans in my wife's car a couple years ago at 298k I believe, and added a few pics to the thread myself. Should have all you need. The automatic (4EAT) is a great transmission. I prefer the feel of a 5 speed, but the gearing on the automatics makes them great for snow/trail/off road use since they crawl very nicely. I assume you'll be checking fluid along the way. These Subaru transmissions are unique in that there are two dipsticks - a short one on the passenger side for the front differential (needs gear oil) and a long one on the drivers side (needs ATF) Occasionally people will put ATF in the differential. Otherwise it's pretty standard. If you choose, these trannies have external filters that can be replaced along with the fluid.

Make sure you have the trans torque converter properly seated before you tighten things down. There's a write-up somewhere for it. it easily feels seated but still has another step to it. Sometimes this will come partly out when you pull the motor. If it's tightened without being properly seated, bad things will happen to your trans.

Nice looking brat! And yes, please keep it out of teenage hands. These are rare enough already. You've got a great resource here on this board to help you spruce it up and get it running well.

Not sure if there is a "typical." When the EJ25 motor first came out in the late 90s/early 2000s they were pretty awful when it came to head gasket failure. 2005 I think is where they got much better and by 07 not as much of an issue. I would think an 08 with those miles should be pretty solid and not much of an issue. I've seen these motors last well past 200,000 miles very readily. Sometimes they get a bad reputation, only because they are compared to the earlier EJ22 which was nearly indestructible. Compare the EJ25 to many other motors and it appears fabulous. Making sure that the motor keeps cool will help extend the life. A coolant flush and a new thermostat from Subaru would be good preventative maintenance. An cooling issue can accelerate head gasket failure if the motor is allowed to run hot. As I mentioned before, head gasket failure on a Subaru is not as big of a deal as many other cars. Since the motor is a horizontal one, the heads are more easily accessible compared to many. They can even be replaced without removing the motor if preferred. The big thing to watch for is if and when they do begin to fail, do not let the car overheat. If the head gasket fails, it can be replaced with a stronger gasket. Some of the repeated headgasket failures are a result of that overheating which warps the heads and prevents the ideal seal for the head gaskets afterwards. And yes, same idea as a 4x4 on pavement. Sometimes a little more subtle, but if you've felt that before, then you know what to feel for.

There are a few options out there from other makes. I think Ford Escort seats were a drop in for some of the older cars. Most of the Subaru seats are interchangeable with little to no modification. I would think that a Civic seat would need to be altered. A few write ups exist from people doing seat swaps from various makes and models. usually it involves swapping the subaru mounting/sliding rails onto the seat portion from another car. If you can weld, or have a welder who can help, this should be a straightforward job.

Welcome! The one weakness of the 98-09 forester engines (which also came in legacy/outback and others for several years) was that it was prone to head gasket failure. The 08 you're looking at should be far better than the earlier models. Depending on history, the head gaskets may have already been done, and may go in the future. On Subarus, this is not as huge a fix as with other makes, but still can be a costly repair. There are a number of write ups on how to do it yourself, or how to replace them so it doesn't repeat itself. My wife drive's an outback with this engine in it that is currently at 333,000 miles, so i wouldn't be scared away from this car due to head gasket concerns, just a good topic to look into with each subaru you look at. Check for external leakage, make sure the engine gets up to temperature during the test drive and doesn't run hot. Torque bind is an issue with AWD from the trans. It can show up from driving with mismatched tires etc. When you test drive the car, be sure to drive it in a few tight turns. (U-turns or parking lot) Turn the steering wheel as sharply as it will go so you feel the full turning radius of the car. You are feeling for shuttering/shaking. If the car turns smoothly and feels normal - you should be good to go. If you feel a jolting shutter as it turns, you've got torque bind. Which is generally repairable, but a bit of a pain to fix as it requires some transmission work. Good luck with the car. Hope it all check out well.

If the two are related, I'd second the sticky caliper, or likely a failing axle. Calipers don't go bad that frequently, but they are not super expensive to buy new (or rebuild) So far, I have personally gone the route of used calipers and not been disappointed. Simply because I generally live close by to an auto yard and my cars are far from cream puffs. But used typically comes with no guarantees. (Or 30 day at best) Most auto parts stores are now offering limited lifetime warranties.

I bet if you put a wanted ad in the USMB classifieds, someone will have some good heads from a parts motor/car that they'd sell you pretty cheap. I have shipped EJ22 heads cheaply by using a large flat rate priority box per head. Came out to just over $30. to ship - which is more than many of us would pay in gas just to visit a junk yard. Not sure if EA81 heads will do the same or not, but it's food for thought. Good luck!

Used to get that way with my dad's old 84 DL wagon. Started putting mid grade or premium gas in it and no more problem. Seemed especially prevalent when the weather was colder.

Looking better all the time!

Trip was fantastic. The only real drawbacks being - wife is pregnant so we had to take frequent stops/breaks. This was less enjoyable for her than it usually would be. And the stop and go traffic in the desert west of las vegas was quite miserable. The number of entitled jerks that simply drove down the shoulder of the highway passing everyone was maddening. 9 out of 10 of them were giant SUVs with California plates. Way to confirm the stereotype there. But yeah, the rockies were the highlight of the trip. Great scenery, wildlife, fresh air, winding roads. Felt right at home.

Don't the 99s have a phase II trans as well? If so, that would rule out th 90-98 options.

Shoot. $600. is a bargain. The EJ25 is a solid motor. Prone to head gasket failure so don't let it run hot. But we're at 333,000 on ours.

Heh. Just turned 333,000 on the 2000 and I know I'm not the highest mileage car on this board. I have seen Volvo, Subaru, VW and Toyota exceed 1,000,000

"1. Any Subaru That Isn't the Crosstrek XV or B9" - That title made me giggle.

Seems a number of midwest subies are finding their way into the right hands. Nice score! Hard to beat for $350. I know it's more of a beater, but you can extend the life of the body with regular washings when the salt is flying. Especially if you have the combo of undercoating/washing. Using a hose is a pain in the winter, but worth the extra effort in the life of your car. I used to have a $4. drive thru car wash near my house and every time it got above or near the freezing point, I'd run the car through there and get the salt and grime off. Thankfully, I reside in California at the moment and have a respite from the snow and salt for a while. Get that car running nicely and you will love the gas mileage you'll get out of a 2wd subie. They're still great in the snow. Grew up with my dad's old silver 84 DL wagon with 2WD. We took that car up into the mountains and through snowstorms with no troubles. Never got stuck. Our 86 Isuzu trooper 4x4 couldn't say the same.

If you are sure they both came from an outback, you're just fine. Outback and Forester were 4.44 The legacy and Legacy GTs and such were mostly 4.11 had to research this one for a while before I swapped a forested trans into the wife's 2000 Outback

Great car. My wife drives a 2000 outback that has served us very well for years and many MANY miles. Post up some pictures when you get a chance. Welcome to the board!

Thanks. Spent part of the morning cleaning the interior. The dog and I have been looking up some adventures in Stanislaus area and will hopefully get a couple days to head out that way next month. Snorkel will be up and coming. Anyone have any good resources on snorkels on an Impreza/EJ22 Most of the info i found was on a EA series body.

If it's just noise - drive it. Check it periodically for a bunch of play, but so long as it's tight, I wouldn't be worried. A used hub is fine if you have access to a cheap one. But unless you have a bunch of driving to do on the car, I wouldn't worry about grinding that bearing around a while longer.