Need positive encouragement/feedback

[boobaru]

After a long hard rain, I go to get in my 84 wagon and both the front seats are soaked. There was a leak in the moon roof and the ceiling linning is water-logged and dripping on everything!

Well, I needed to get to my classes up at weber state and luckily was leaving a little early. So I cover the drivers seat with towels and the floor mat to sit on, and head out.

A little ways out I notice my volts reading below normal in the red. Since its still raining I find a covered place to take a look at the battery/engine and stuff.

well, the bolt on the back of the alternator that holds on the wire connecting to the battery had come loose. After turning it twice with a wrench, it completely broke off.

 

I made it home and pardon my french but I was considering selling my subie and driving my toyota camry (which is currently for sale)

I have been a subaru addict from day one. no one I have met in utah understands it. I just sold my old 85 hatchback to "spanky pete" and he wrote a story called 1700 miles of doom (or a story of addiction) and I printed it off and showed it to my friends and family to show them that there were other people like me. Chris, you rock!

I bought my 84 wagon about 6 months ago in pitiful condition and have put a lot of work into it, taking a lot of parts off the 84 that I sold chris. It has always been my dream to have an old wagon and just pimp it out, (tried going on "pimp my ride", but you have to be from cali) and besides the fact that ive spray painted it (due to lack of funds) and it has significant rust damage it was starting to look pretty bad rump roast.

I just can't afford to fix it very often, and if the alternator is screwed than I can't even afford to fix that right now. I have to be able to get to school and back and then to pay for school I have a full time job. I need my subie to work for me.

any words of encouragment would be greatly appreciated, or advice.

I heard once that "advice is something you ask for when you already know the answer but wish you didn't".................suck.

 

-Tyler

[MorganM]

Here's how I approach car ownership. I either buy a new car, make a payment, and let my warrenty cover the majority of any problems I have. OR I buy a used car and make 'payments' in the form of repairs as they come up. Relying on myself to fix it and keep it working.

 

I tried for years to drive old cars. Frankly I got sick of making repairs just so I could get to work; so I went the other route to car ownership. I now have a new car with a warrenty and payment. Now I can get to work and stuff on time

 

I'm not rich by any means and didn't think I could afford a NEW car. Just not true. I only financed $8000 for a new car. No down payment ($1500 "cash back" deal was my downpayment) and 6% financing. My payments are $167/mo and $99/mo for insurance. What did I REALLY buy? 10 years or 100,000 miles of peace of mind

 

Weather you keep the Toyota or the Subaru you are gonna be paying for it in repairs. So either pick the one you like working on the best or buy a car with a warrenty

 

Now my Subaru is just what I've alwasy wnated it to be... my offroad toy. I make repairs when I choose and modifications at will with out worry of it being running intime for work.

[oddcomp]

got a welder ?? know someone who does??

make a new mount and put a gm alt on it cheaper than suby more power and alot more durable

 

go to a junk yard or a alternator place ask specifically for a dead suby alt tear it apart and swap the charging stud over..

just idea's

[northguy]

I am the opposite of Morgan. After 4 new cars in 9 years, I decided to buy a moderately priced car and maintain it. Thus I bought a clean Brat for $2700 and have put less than $1300 into it over the last 14 months. That's less than a 350 - 400 payment per month, and I own the cor outright and it'll carry me for at least 2 more years with very little problems. In addition, I picked up a spare motor and transmission for 200, so I'm covered in the event of a major problem. The parachute I have is a very reliable 97 F-150 sitting in the stables just in case of a problem. Don't let the little things get you down. Your subaru will still be there for the long run once the tlc is taken care of.

[LaureltheQueen]

Well, my 1992 Legacy was running spectacularly, until I moved out. Within a week of moving into my new apartment, and away from spare cars, my brake pads finally quit. Had to wait a whole week for new pads to come in, got those and new front rotors installed, that cost me just over $200, when I took off my wheel to do the brakes, i found that my CV joint had exploded, and needed replacing, well, when one dies, the other's not far behind. 2 new cv joints and another $200 later, my car seems very happy. I'll be spending all of my extra money this next year replacing everything that is likely to die in the next few years, so I dont have unexpected expenses while going to a real college, and not working as much as I am while attending comm. college. Yes, it sucks spending lots of money on your car to replace things that you feel should keep working, but it beats the hell out of a car payment, and you know that you wont have a problem with that particular thing for a very long time.

 

 

Next to go is my battery.

[SubaSkeet]

After a long hard rain, I go to get in my 84 wagon and both the front seats are soaked. There was a leak in the moon roof and the ceiling linning is water-logged and dripping on everything!

yet another reason why sun/moon roofs arent worth the view...sadly.:-\

 

 

 

i feel fer ya, even just going to high school is hard enough to maintain paying for broken parts. gotta replace the clutch, brake pads, front axles, battery, and quite possibly everything else that i got the car with. at least the parts are cheap compared to many other cars, and easy to work on. do not be discouraged, keep the soob, but focus on using the toyota for daily driving for now while you fix the better of the two vehicles. clearly the subaru.

 

p.s.: got a cousin that goes to WSU... name's jason kamerath. soph class.

[86subaru]

well had a car payment of 350 month , we decided to sell it and the loan was paid off , we have 3 subaru's , 86 spfi a/t fwd sedan, 88 dl d/r wagon, 88 full time 4wd turbo wagon , 2 are running good ,the full time had air struts and i had to put regular struts in , the subaru's in the 80's are smaller and are limited on space , alittle less hp , but no car payment and less insurance ,

[Sweet82]

There is One other person in Utah that understands the old Subaru Thing!

 

I purchased my Subie back in 1983 and had it ever since! Great car! Still is, it just looks different now...

 

I purchased a new (used) one based off how good my old one was/is.

 

I also have a Camry and it too has been a good car but in the last 6 months it's beginning to show it's age. See my thread in the off the topic section.

 

Every now and again you have to make a car payment/repair. Most of the time you don't!

 

Good luck!

Glenn

82 SubaruHummer

92 Camry

01 Forester

[spanky_pete]

Tyler, that sucks man. I actually broke the bolt that holds the alternator to the bracket when I was putting mine on the Hatch. Luckily I had a spare and I could grab the end of the broken one with some vice grips. :|

 

Someone on here has to have an extra they'd be willing to send you. I know if I had one I'd drop it in the mail today.

 

If you do sell the wagon, I don't think I could convince the wife to drive out to buy it too.

[TomRhere]

It does kinda suck having to spend money on a vehicle when you're somewhat strapped for cash, been there, done that..

 

On the otherhand, I would rather spend my money fixing a used car up, over giving it to the bank and insurance company, in loan payments and full-coverage insurance payments.

 

I have always bought someone else's headaches, for my own personal vehicle. Spend some money on them getting things right, and drive them 'til they fall apart. I, myself, have only once got a loan for a car, and I'll never do that again.

 

We currently own, (well, the bank does), a '95 Grand Am, and are making the payments on it. Got it 3 years ago, last month. Only reason we did this, is because the Mother-in-Law, (yes, she lives with us), wanted a "New car", and she couldn't do the loan herself. Now, I don't think she puts more than 30 miles a year on it herself, as she "don't like that car". Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Wife is now using it as her daily driver. But M-i-L is having fits over the "miles" that are being put on the car. Tough Do-Do, we make the payments, not her.

 

I have spent more money on repairs to the G A, than I have on all 3 of the BRATs. Completely rebuilt the front suspension, all new brake stuff all around, the Multi-function switch for the headlights/wipers/whatnot, got a leak in it when it rains and I can't find it, tranny repairs, exhaust system is the next to go, and a proper tune-up on it cost more to do than doing both of the driveable BRATs combined, the power door locks quit working right after the warranty expired (of course), they'd lock, but wouldn't un-lock, and still won't so they're dis-connected now. Changing the T-stat is a lesson in contortionism, what the he-double hockey sticks were those engineers smoking that day is beyond me.

 

I'll stick to the Subarus now. The G A is history once it's paid for.

 

Did buy a '95 Dodge Ram 1500 with shell, fully loaded, 318 Magnum/auto, paid $1500.00 cash. Going to need some front suspension work, and new tires. But for the price, I couldn't pass it up. I can triple my money right now if I put it out front for sale. Can't do that with the G A. This truck lists on NADA for $3500.00 in sad shape, close to $6000.00 in top shape. And this is one sweet truck, even if it is a Dodge.

 

If you really need an altenator, say so. I have a couple of spares out in the garage. I can send you one.

 

Sometimes, I talk to much,