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I would look at a L wgn with the 2.2L engine because it has less problems. Does your friend ski/snowboard? If not AWD is not needed for Portland weather. Subaru is very popular here so there should be many cars to pick from. Also check for oil leaks, Cam/crank seals etc and get a PPI!

I had the same problem with my 96 OBW (oil in the coolant) I had every thing fixed while the engine was out. Seals,valve guides,oil pump, water pump. If you plan on keeping the car a long time fix it all, if not now maybe a good time to dump it. In 5+ years I will know if I did the wise thing.

My only complaint with my 96 OBW is doing the head gaskets at 127K. I bought Subaru because it seemed like it was a simpler car with less to go wrong. Looked at a Audi 100 wagon. More money and did not drive better then OBW. If I got a VW it would be TDI for the mpg.

My auto 96 OBW gets 22-24mpg. Might be better with new HG's. I wish I bought a legacy L wgn. They sell for less, I don't need the ground clearance, and I think the 2.2 has less head gasket problems than 2.5's.

I go by the trip odometer not the gas gauge. 96 OBW 2.5 22-24mpg highway trips don't seem to improve my mpg. I should have bought a 2.2 legacy wagon. Better MPG and head gaskets.

Yakima should have what you need. On my OBW their racks mount to the stock subaru rack. Don't go too long on the bar or you will hit your head on it. Edit: I missed that you need the bars farther apart not wider. Sorry I have no idea.

Oil on the ground and in my coolant. I had hoped that Subaru would be more reliable and get better MPG. Is great for getting to the mountain to snowboard and plenty of room for the windsurfing gear. Going to have a bunch done and hope to see 250K Rebuilt heads,seals,T-belt,oil+water pump.

It could also be the valve guide seals. Were these replaced when the head gaskets were done? When you down shift the engine vacuum tries to pull oil past piston rings and valve guide seals. Then when you get back on the throttle you see a puff of smoke. Compression test would help to rule out rings.

Thanks for the picture. Mine looks worse. I will get it fixed before summer. Might also do the head gaskets since I don't know if they have ever been done. Also there is a improved gasket. I plan on keeping the car. There goes my tax refund!

I took a look under the car. The front cover (not sure if that is what it is called) looked damp on both sides. This could be from cam seals and or crank seal. Valve covers did not seem that bad. Could be oil blowing back from from front cover? I think the water pump is recomended because they will be there and 128K miles. Thanks

I noticed a little oil on the driveway and asked the mechanic to look. They say leaks from cam seals,oil pump O rings, and crankshaft seal and that oil on the timing belt can cause the belt to break. Is this true? They say it should be fixed in several months. For $800 they will fix the seals,change timing belt,waterpump and valve cover gaskets. for $1200-$1500 the Head gaskets could be done plus all the other work. I bought the car at 96K and now has 128K I don't know if the head gaskets had been replaced before I bought. What would you do? Thanks