Drew Whiteman Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Please share the names of the BEST Subaru mechanics/shops in Seattle and Portland areas: Great diagnosis, quality work and parts, fair prices. I want help keeping a stock '86 BRAT well. If you want to keep your opinions off USMB, please send info to andrewt@iname.com. Thanks very much, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarule Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Subaru's only. In Tacoma. http://www.yelp.com/biz/steves-pacific-import-auto-tacoma I have no connection to this place at all, I just knew about it. It's BBB accredited. Read the reviews & about the business at the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarutex Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Smart Service is highly regarded in the area, as well as Pacific Import Auto. Smart Service has 2 locations, one in Shoreline, and one in Mukilteo. PIA is located in Tacoma/Parkland. On the east side in Kirkland, All Wheel Drive Auto are the ones to go to. There are lots of other shops, but these are the 3 I trust the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Brat Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Pacific Import Auto is a great subaru only shop. They dont do alot of work on the older EA81 and EA82's. But they do when it is brought to them. I have been family friends with the owner of this shop for years. They are very good and very reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northguy Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 SIRS in Portland, run by Richierich, moderator on this board. Why go anywhere else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I'm partial to my own garage. I do side work on occasion and I've been known to "assist" or lend some garage space now and then. I'm very particular about the parts I will use and how the job is done. I'm not a "shop" and I don't treat people like customer's - if your car is here it's because you're a friend. And that's just how I like it. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkindred Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I too recommend SIR in Portland - 2 locations - NE 82nd & Prescott & E Burnside. Great people with lots of years of experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarule Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 SIRS in Portland, run by Richierich, moderator on this board. Why go anywhere else? Probably a matter of how far a drive it is from the start point. I'm closer to Portland so I would go there but someone in Seattle is much, much closer to Tacoma (and of course the greater Seattle area). It would be about a 3-hour drive from the Seattle area to Portland, whereas it would be about 30-40minutes to Tacoma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Whiteman Posted March 30, 2010 Author Share Posted March 30, 2010 I'm partial to my own garage. GD This may be a stupid question to ask online, but if its needed (I'm still trying to correct low MPG) will anyone gut and stitch back up a cat? Feel free to take your answers to my email: andrewt@iname.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 (edited) This may be a stupid question to ask online, but if its needed (I'm still trying to correct low MPG) will anyone gut and stitch back up a cat? I've done all of mine. The older cat's weld real pretty too - stainless steel . With the dust cover in place you can't tell it was even done. Of course - you probably won't pass a sniffer but one option for a bad/gutted header section cat is to add an inexpensive aftermarket cat to the mid-pipe. This is MUCH cheaper than a new header and has the added benefits that it doesn't require the air injection system to work properly, and it also isn't near the passenger side inner axle boot anymore . Come on down, pull your header and cut it open - I'll weld it back up for free if you do the pulling/cutting/installing bit. Or I can do the whole job for a small fee to cover my time if you don't want to get dirty. I have air tools so the whole job can be done in an hour or maybe a bit more. I have tons of EA81 parts too so you might end up going home with freebies - beware of my shed - it will suck you in . This was the last cat I did on my '83 hatch - I gained about 2 to 3 MPG from clearing this mess: (note that there's nothing left of the actual "cat" - only the remnants of what used to hold it in place. It's all burned away.) GD Edited March 30, 2010 by GeneralDisorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Whiteman Posted March 30, 2010 Author Share Posted March 30, 2010 ICome on down GD General Thanks for the additional info, images, and offers. All very helpful and really appreciated. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Whiteman Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 I've done all of mine. The older cat's weld real pretty too - stainless steel . With the dust cover in place you can't tell it was even done. Of course - you probably won't pass a sniffer but one option for a bad/gutted header section cat is to add an inexpensive aftermarket cat to the mid-pipe. This is MUCH cheaper than a new header and has the added benefits that it doesn't require the air injection system to work properly, and it also isn't near the passenger side inner axle boot anymore . Come on down, pull your header and cut it open - I'll weld it back up for free if you do the pulling/cutting/installing bit. Or I can do the whole job for a small fee to cover my time if you don't want to get dirty. I have air tools so the whole job can be done in an hour or maybe a bit more. I have tons of EA81 parts too so you might end up going home with freebies - beware of my shed - it will suck you in . This was the last cat I did on my '83 hatch - I gained about 2 to 3 MPG from clearing this mess: (note that there's nothing left of the actual "cat" - only the remnants of what used to hold it in place. It's all burned away.) GD Thanks General. Very helpful and thoughtful. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 No problem. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAugur33 Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 I too recommend SIR in Portland - 2 locations - NE 82nd & Prescott & E Burnside. Great people with lots of years of experience. NE 82nd & Prescott is the goto location for EA technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micahgc Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 GD is a dude-- I almost got to tear my clutch apart in your garage about a month ago, ended up at someone else's place doing it. Is your cat offer open to others? I just passed DEQ, so now its time to modifi-cate the exhaust, I have a good 2 years before i'll have to put back on an inline cat. Also, there's a Subaru only shop in Oregon City, Mountain Tech i think its called, its on 7th by Monroe. Nice guys, I picked up a CTS there to get my car through emissions. They seemed a little on the steep side for EA parts, but they were awesome about working with me on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted April 8, 2010 Share Posted April 8, 2010 (edited) Is your cat offer open to others? Sure - I got no problems gutting a cat for you. For off-road and racing purposes only of course . That's my story and I'm sticking to it..... I have also heard that Mountain Tech in oregon city is expensive - I know a few folks that have gone there in the past. I have never taken any car to a shop, never owned a new car, and don't see either happening anytime soon. GD Edited April 8, 2010 by GeneralDisorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92_rugby_subie Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Yes Micah It is Mountain Tech... They are pretty spendy though... and Im partial to Ben (old mechanic) that worked there. Always called me Michael or Mitchell instead of Marshall lol, but he knew my first Subaru, and was a HUGE part in it breaking 450k miles. Now he works in Portland somewhere, but then again, GD is helping me keep my Subaru inline and its better to learn things now and do them (with help) then to watch someone speedily do it through a window and then pay the bill and drive away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Im closing this thread because it is illegal to gut a catalytic converter and we can't promote this activity. At the same time I am not deleting the thread or information and I know I can't stop any of you from doing this. Furthermore. A modern catalytic converter can actually make an NA car run better than a gutted car. Back pressure is necessary. A bad catalytic converter is a very common problem. Adding a smaller one behind the old one that is gutted is not as good as leaving it where it was. It needs to be closer to the heat to both do a good job both in providing the most efficient air cleaning but also in making power most efficiently. A good DIY repair involves a 2 in 1 out catalyst, and recycling the old one is actually a money maker at a scrap yard. This can actually be a cheap repair. We also try to be environmentally friendly here. I don't want internal combustion, cars, and car modification to go away any time soon so lets keep them clean, efficient and powerful. It is entirely possible to do all 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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