RHD '97 Legacy Outback at pnp in SE PA

[Rob Kuhlman]

Meant to pass this on the other day after I visited Shorty's Pick-n-Pull outside Bridgeport, PA. There's a white '97 Legacy Outback, which is a right hand drive, being parted out. The tailgate is missing, and the RR corner was bashed, so I suspected it was totaled after a rear end hit. Air bags were deployed, so maybe it got pushed into something immovable. What was fascinating to me was how perfectly the mirror image symmetry was preserved. The driver's electric window switches are reversed; even the climate control mini-cluster is a mirror image of what we LHD folks are accustomed to.

 

I'd be curious to learn this vehicle's story -- I've never seen a RHD Subaru on the highway before -- the odds of finding one in a pick-n-pull are slim indeed. If you're in the area, stop by and have fun browsing it over.

 

Rob

[Suzam]

Hey Rob,

do they have any other Subies, I need a couple of things for my MY95. I tried Googling but came up empty. Can you post or email me the address of Shorty's? I'm always looking for sources for parts.

TIA.

[Rob Kuhlman]

Here's Shorty's web site:

 

http://www.shortysupullit.com/

 

They're located on 541 Flint Hill Road, and the postal address is King of Prussia, though they're really located in the community of Swedeland. It's between West Conshocken and Bridgeport; Flint Hill Road parallels Rt. 23, River Road (also called Conshohocken State Road) one block up from the Schuylkill River. If you're near the Phila. Inquirer/Daily News printing press facility, at the intersection of Pa. Rt. 23 and Rt. 320, you're a stone's throw from Flint Hill Road. GlaxoSmithKline has a major facility right around there as well. Coming up from Wilmington, Del., if you were to go up the Blue Route, get out at Conshohocken, get onto Rt. 23 north (or west -- I can't remember which), head to the light with Rt. 320, turn left, go one block and turn right onto Flint Hill Road and Shorty's is on your left in about a mile.

 

Shorty's is kinda funny. I go there because it's close to where I live. I used to have a number of Volvo 240s, and I'd pull tons of parts from Shorty's. I could run over after work before dark and grab a part. But, in the last 2-3 years, they've gotten into the habit of crushing the cars prematurely, in my judgment. I guess the price of scrap steel which the Chinese is paying is too high to hold onto the cars. Harry's up near Pennsburg, PA has a much better inventory in my view, but it's farther for me to go. Shorty's also doesn't seem to put the current models 'on the floor'. I've only seen one Volvo 850 in my life, and that was just the other day. I suspect they cull the current models themselves and sell the parts internally. Also, Shorty's is really heavy on Detroit; the foreign cars aren't as abundant.

 

I'm just getting into Subarus after many years in Volvos, so my knowledge of the different models is pretty pre-schoolish. In addition to this '97 RHD Legacy Outback wagon there were two other Legacy wagons, a '90 and '91. There was a Legacy sedan, but I can't remember its year -- but it was pre-'95, I'm certain. And there was a much earlier wagon -- mid-late '80s body design (pretty boxy)? By that time I got distracted by a '95 Volvo 850 from which I started looking for parts for my two 855s.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Rob

[tcspeer]

The right hand drive Subaru's were sold to rural mail carriers from the early 90's untill around 2000. I have a 1997 right hand drive that now has 310,000 miles. You will see a lot of them around post office's in the rural towns. As for as the parts nearly everything will exchange with the left hand drive, except the steering links on the front and the heater core. I am sure they are some other things also, but that is all I have found so far.

[Suzam]

Thanks for the link, I may call and find out what they have in the yard, I used to work in Conshohocken so i know that area pretty well.