Nothing Special

[wyrldtraveler]

I'm doing long-deferred maintenance and repairs on a 2002 Impreza Wagon 2.5 TS.  The car was operated by someone who knows little about cars (but drives like he's still teaching the Offensive Driving and Escape Course at bodyguard school.  (Once drove 300 miles in 4.2 hours on roads that DOT would have closed following an earthquake.)  The (originally US) car is located in Panama.  (As I write, I can look out the window and physically see the "End of the Internet" before the footpath enters the rainforest on the other side of the river.)  Parts are a challenge, especially as the 2.5L motor was not sold in Panama.  I have the luxury of making my own schedule and no wife to harass me, unlike him.

Modifications I would like to add:

• Slight lift
• Replace or rebuild the front seats
• Dash and rear cameras with DVR
• Navigation or display system (preferably one that connects through the phone so I don't have to pay for another data subscription)
• Cruise control
• Reflash ECU

And why:

• I'm not looking at anything special, but sometimes water levels get rather high (the car has been known to 'float' across some low-lying intersections in downpours) and it is showing some 'saggy butt' phenomenon.  Given that the suspension components are original from the factory in the US and it has 175K miles on the odometer, I am not surprised. a lift of 1-2 inches (2.5 - 5cm) would help immensely with scraping the undercarriage on some of the roads.
• The seats are pretty worn looking and the cushioning is about gone from the above driver (who now has back issues - so a lumbar cushion would be great for him.)
• Cameras are a must for insurance reasons.  (Fraud, etc.)  White people all live in mansions, you know, and make our spending money speculating on the stock market and playing polo.  (I know you all are relating to this lifestyle.  I sarcastically explained this to a lawyer (who busted out laughing), but her secretary was incredulous, "Of course, like on the television!")  I wish I was joking, but it really happened...
• Navigation system would be helpful for using Waze, which is useful for tracking the speed traps and the traffic accidents.  ("Didn't you know that my husband is a big-shot politician so I can cut you off without warning, Mister BigTruck?  How dare you hit my overpriced luxury SUV even though I am violating the traffic laws!")  Commercial vehicles cannot move to the side of the road until the special traffic investigators arrive, of which there are few. Collide with a truck or a taxi and cancel the rest of your plans for the day.
• Cruise control is a 'nice to have'.  Not sure it is worth it.
• ECU is programmed from the factory to run best at 87 Octane.  Only fuels available here are 91 Octane and 95 Octane, which burns out the O2 sensors in minutes.  Car backfires, but runs fine in 'limp home mode' with a steady CEL.  It currently gets about 28 MPG with the #2 O2 sensor bypassed and has been driven like this for about 100K miles without noticeable damage.  There are no emissions testing and the ones that do exist are not enforced (as one can see from the trucks belching thick black smoke every time they hit the accelerator.)  Compliance with EPA rules is not required.

 

Forester parts are more plentiful (due to the off-road like paved roads.)  Before I pay for the parts (returns are not permitted in most stores) I want to make sure that I don't have to special order something from the States (in which case I will throw it into a suitcase next trip to save on air freight costs.)  One of the benefits of 'white privilege' is that one has the added bonus of having to pay a 'premium' on almost everything.  I'm in the US about twice a year.  Other than that, I can use parts from anywhere.

 

Trying to keep costs down on a car that will probably cost the equivalent in parts and labor to fix as it is worth.    The info on the board has been wonderful, but I am concerned about manufacturers changing things over the years and the parts that once worked being no longer available (or not acting the same way).  Bless you all.  I'll post a photo later when it stops raining. so hard.

Edited September 29, 2019 by wyrldtraveler
duh, forgot about the ECU issue with fuel

[el_freddo]

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like some interesting living conditions and social “norms”.

With your 2002 impreza, basically the 2002 forester will be your go to for parts. The EJ25 sensors will generally be interchangeable from the EJ20. The suspension will be taller but it will fit your impreza and provide you with a nice bit of lift. New or decent second hand items will do a lot to improve the handling of your impreza. I’m not sure that you need to run lift blocks with the forester struts, someone will know. 

Looking forward to a pic of your Nothing Special. 

Cheers 

Bennie

[wyrldtraveler]

Thanks for the welcome, el_freddo.  I put the pics on the original post.  You can't really see where the right front was run over by a bus.  Hubcaps didn't make it, but not a big deal.  It isn't a show car.

I'm concerned about the CV joints and the drivetrain matching up properly, more than anything else.  Do Not Break is a ground rule.