AdventureSubaru

Pig in a Poke isn't a huge problem. You're not stuck with the car until you hand over the money. Ebay buyer protection is such that you can walk away from a sale and get no negative feedback. Sellers are no longer allowed to leave anything but positive feedback. (Which, does make it easy to be abused as a seller.) if the seller pursues it, you can accrue an unpaid item strike - which means nothing unless it happens multiple times on your same account. You are under no obligation if the seller did not describe the car accurately. Just sometimes out the time it takes to go to the car. Did that when I was out east on a car I bought on ebay. Sent a down payment. Drove 3 hours to pick up a car and they had a title that was already signed by a previous buyer. No way around that in that state and I wasn't going to take their word on mailing me a new title. I filed an "item not as described" case through ebay and got my deposit back. I was out gas money and 6 hours driving time, but it happens sometimes. As I recall, I did get an amazing Philly Cheese-steak on that trip, so it wasn't a total bust.

That's no beater, it's a classic! And a rarity for the midwest. Sandpaper and Rustoleum rust reformer is your friend for the light rust stuff. Keep the salt from eating it. Great looking car and welcome to the board!

I put Ebay in the same category as craigslist, used car dealers and stickers in windows. It's "buyer beware." Which doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it. I have both bought and sold cars through Ebay with few surprises. The vehicle history report is the same as carfax. It can retrieve random history of the car, accidents etc. I have never been a fan. If a car was properly fixed, an accident is no reflection of it's value or reliability. Depending on where a car may be repaired, many/most damage history will not be recorded by carfax or anyone. A title brand such as salvage, rebuilt etc. is printed on the physical title, so such reports just tell you what you already know. Ebay is nice in that sellers can establish feedback reputations that can be reassuring, but nothing makes up for old fashioned research. Before you take the car, look it over and be sure that the seller was honest in the description. Check for signs of head gasket failure etc. if things were covered up/omitted by the seller, you can walk away. All the better if you can inspect the car before you bid. But the seller is responsible for providing an accurate description. As a seller, I ask that a buyer do his research ahead of time and be realistic about what you are buying. A $600 car that is listed as a "good commuter" is going to have some blemishes and places that will need attention in the near future. Also - read the entire listing. EVERY WORD. Especially from dealers. I bought a Honda Prelude from a dealer in NJ off ebay years ago for $750. They tried to charge me $425. for "Car detailing and documentary fees" I told him he was nuts. The car was listed as "parts or project" and I asked why you would detail a car like that. I was a car dealer for a couple years and i knew there were 3 pieces of paper following the transaction. I ended up speaking with management and the fees were dropped. I think I got the salesman in trouble. That was a random incident, but I have seen a number of dealer state in their listings that there is a $100 or $150 documentation fee added to the price of the vehicle. Make sure you read everything so this comes as no surprise. I no longer sell cars on ebay because the fees are relatively high and most cars I own/sell are not worth that much, so I choose to save the money. However, if I had a low miles BRAT in good shape, that's where I would go because Ebay has huge exposure for collectors. So yeah, Ebay isn't any more or less secure than anything else. Just do your research and it's like any used car market.

Autozone has the Duralast reman 2WD Impreza axles for $44.99 + a core. Junk yards around here want $35. for a used one.

My rack was just some extra pieces of steel display racks that I welded into a 3x4 basket. The fog lights mount onto a piece of angle iron that I think came from an old bedframe. Took about an hour to weld and cost me a can of spray paint to coat the welds.

Looking good! glad to hear it will not be meeting the salt monster.

My wife and I recently moved to California with each of us getting new/better jobs out in the mountains and redwoods. She is wanting to upgrade in the not to distant future from her current car - 2000 Legacy Outback with 332,000 on it. The outback keeps chugging along just fine, but we now will be able to afford a better machine. Something a little nicer and less prone to breakdown. There is a baby on the way due this spring which I'm figuring is probably our deadline. So with time to shop we are exploring either a newer (05-10) Legacy Outback or a Tribeca. She wants Passenger capacity - the 7 passenger option of the Tribeca is a HUGE plus Reliability - I don't want her and baby broken down somewhere. Comfort Ground clearance - to fit our lifestyle and job, light trail driving will be necessary at times. A small suspension lift and bigger tires will be more than adequate. My Impreza or GL will do the rougher stuff. Style never hurts - she's now the assistant director at the Outdoor School I am very familiar with Legacy/Outback stuff. Never driven nor worked on a Tribeca. For those who have experience with these cars, I have the following questions. Does the reliability compare to an Outback or Legacy? (Keep in mind we'll probably buy either with over 100k and may very well take it to the 300ks like the 2000 she's currently driving.) Does the subframe allow for a few inches of body and/or suspension lift? Is this the sort of car that is comfortable to get in and out of/drive long distances? We're probably going to test drive some soon to get an idea of comfort, but I trust a lot of the people on here with first hand experience.

Nice set up. All goes together quite nicely.

2.5 and a 4.44 would be a great setup, but probably not fitting for an 18 year old on a budget. If you can post up a picture of where your starter is mounted, we can tell you concretely which transmissions to go for. Chances are that you have options for EA series transmissions. The quick and simple solution find a 4 speed dual range and swap it in - no modification necessary. The other option, which will probably be a bit more expensive and a little more labor intensive project - swap a 5 speed dual range with the added parts/modification. The 5 speed has better gearing, the 5th gear for highway driving and is less prone to failure than the earlier 4 speed. The 4 speed isn't a bad trans, just not as bullet proof as the later 5. PA Grown- what's your automotive experience so far? There are a lot of options available to your car, but if you're new to working on it/modifying it, best to start small and manageable. If we know what you're up for we can give better advice for your needs. Either way, go easy on that clutch until you've got something line up. Unless it's just a wheeler. Twitch - Isn't there a re-drilling option for the flywheel to keep an EA81 clutch? Or some such thing? It's been a while since I researched the particulars of it. I have a low miles 5 speed for the Ski Team Wagon, but the project is on hold for now until I get the car out here.

Extra HP would be a short term solution for off roading. If you're hitting the clutch hard now, you'll only do more damage with more HP. A weber is a nice power upgrade but not a gearing solution turning 28s. That low gear will make all the difference for off road. If you get a 4 speed dual range from an EA81 car it will bolt right in - no modification necessary. Last tranny swap I did took maybe 6 hours total. They're a little heavy, but it's not a very difficult job, especially if you have a buddy to help. A 5 speed dual range requires an EA82 drive shaft, and modified shift levers and a few options between redrilled flywheel, EA82 clutch/flywheel or some such thing. I forget the specifics. Not a terrible job, but more involved than just bolting up the 4 speed dual range. The last two transmissions I purchased for cars of this generation cost me $100. and $65.

Find a good used dual range transmission and swap it in. These can be found cheap, especially if you are patient. All bolts right in. No difference between it and the single range.

Falken in general is a pretty cheap tire. Fine for short term or if you're sending the car to auction, but if you're in it for the long haul, I'd go with a trusted brand. Goodyear and BFG come to mind, but there are many others that have great reputation and long road life.

Glad it was an easy fix!

Yep. Carbs aren't a bad thing, just more temperamental. Many have swapped gunked up carbs for a Weber carb or switched over the parts to make it fuel injection. But for $350, I wouldn't be picky. Just the difference between a great deal and an awesome deal if it's a good runner.

EA81 is 135lbs. EA82 is 155. EJ18 is 170 and EJ22 is 185. I carry EA81s no problem. A little awkward to hold onto but they are very light engines. The trans I'd guess to be about 2/3 the engine. I think if you went with an EA81 platform you could make this happen.

Possibly a loose wiring connection if you unhooked the wiring from the trans/starter etc. Double check everything that was disconnected during the repair. If not, it's unrelated to your repairs. If fuel is okay, check for spark. Could be fouled plugs, bad plug wires, ignition coil etc.

there is a TON of info on here on making/buying/installing lifts for these cars. Run some searches and look at some builds in the off road and members ride sections and you'll get a grasp for the job. generally seems to be a weekend job for those new to it. Good day project after you've done one or two. Rack looks like a custom job. Maybe store bought clamps and a custom rack. You can make pretty good racks out of an old futon frame or wire racks if you are, or know, a decent welder. Not much difference between EA and EJ. If you can work on one, you can quickly learn another. EA tends to be simpler to me and the non-interference of the EA82 motor is a nice advantage over many of the EJ motors. Highly unlikely that you'll ever regret buying a $350. Subaru. Go get it and come back with some pics!

$350 for a running car is tough to beat. You can always get a junkyard hub to replace the bad bearing. Ditto to battery. If you can keep it from rusting out, it should run pretty much forever.

That's an awkward start. Just did a little research on the business and it's safe to say that SubDued9000 had some sort of bad deal somewhere because nearly every review I found online was posted on September 15 2013 by this same author making fun of the same pink rims with the same broad generalizations. Whether there is merit to it or not was never explained in specifics. The other two reviews were mixed. One complaint from an Accord owner on a floor jack putting a dent in his car. Another was a NASIOC member who admits "I am not one who really knows about motor builds, fabrication, etc." but seemed quite thrilled with the work done and had a good write up on the modification with pics. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2293516 SubDued commented on the NASIOC post with similar info and was subsequently banned, then came back to agree with himself under another new username. So I take the previous post with a big grain of salt. Subyking - First off, welcome to the board! Seeing as someone is de-faming you for either valid or invalid reasons there may be a story to it if you know who this guy is. Either way, you've come to a great place to learn and share Subaru knowledge and passion and your contribution to the community will far outweigh a very loud nay-Sayer.

Been running Supertech (Walmart) 10W40 in my Subarus for years with no problems. I've seen little difference in oil quality between brands. Only that the expensive stuff can last longer between changes. But Supertech (Or about anything else) every 3000 miles religiously has been flawless. I have never had a subaru engine go bad under my care and currently driving odometers of 332,000 and 275,000 with that care. Keeping them topped off religiously is the other half of the battle, but is also a common part of the Subaru religion. Probably stick with what's working. Subarus don't seem to mind the thick stuff.

You could back that thing up a cliff with that rear approach angle! Looking good! Seems to be rolling right along.

A few other tidbits to think about. Hatches and Coupes will be lighter than the sedans and wagons. Aluminum rims vs. steel will give a small assist in that lightweight category. As will narrower tires. Tube frame and/or lots of chopping. I think the hatches had a stock weight of just over a ton. That's a lot of deleting and not much room to beef things up for off roading. (Spare tire, parts etc.) I think that 600 estimate has to be close. Anyone with a subaru buggy ever put one on a scale?

Looks good. Not enough wheelers on this site. Good to see an off road built car getting some attention.

Probably just swapped out just one side to eliminate the noise prior to the sale. Usually just a cheap fix. If one of the calipers seized it can wear one side very quickly, but you would notice this when driving the car. Agreed that if you replace both front sets, you should be fine. You're probably just following up on a cheap fix from the previous owner. Bleed the brakes and check for leaks if the pedal remains soft. Or if the fluid looks ugly. Brakes are one of the more essential preventative maintenances to be made - particularly since it's your wife's car.

The lines are pretty easy unless there's a great deal of rust. Calipers are pretty simple. You probably just need the caliper itself and not the mounting bracket. To remove the caliper itself, there are two bolts on the backside of it and the single brake line. If you're pulling it from a junk yard, you don't have to be too gentle. If it breaks, no big deal. It comes to an end with I think an 10mm hex. I end up using vice grips most of the time but a wrench usually does the trick. Just righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Back it out like you would a normal bolt. Anytime I've gotten a used caliper, I make sure that the bleeder screw is not seized up. Just twist it back and make sure it can be bled out. Pads and rotors are often as cheap to buy new as they are used. Rock Auto often has some killer deals on closeouts. Good luck!