Every one Read Ive got to get something off my chest.

[The Dude Abides]

Ive been on this websight for a few weeks now. Ive watched all you talk about your cars, diagnose your cars, talk about meet and greats. Ive got to get a couple things off my chest and i promise i will be nice.

 

Wow i cant believe these vehicles. I have personally in my 27 years of life owned 100 cars. All shapes sizes and walks of life. I have never ever seen a cult following like the one here with these vehicles. I mean you guys know these vehicles inside and out. Ive worked on many american made vehicles and can diagnose them pretty well. You folks are talking about things i have no idea about. In order to change brakes you need to twist the piston not just push it in. Wow. Automatic transmission fluid for power steering fluid. Wow and again not to make anyone mad but these older vehicles really dont seem to be worth much. And you guys are liftin them to the skys and slamin them to the ground. If the engine craps out. No worries mate got another one in the boot. Body rusts out. No problem Ill transfer all the good parts to the spare car behind the shed. Keep the coil as a spare. Y your buying a brand new coil to replace the broken original right. Engine leaks. Forget it all subaru engines leak, Want new shoks sure put on used ones from 2 different years and 4 different cars. It will work. Everyone has a chevy or a ford but y a subaru. It seems to me and again dont hate me. Thats its easier and maybe cheeper to just lift a chevy truck and call it good. Or if u want a wagon throw a celebirty wagon body on a s10 chassy. I mean i am truly blown away. I dont remember his name but he didnt have any spark in his ignition and 5 pages later of everyone helping him out it finally works. These cars are truly quirky and to be honest im kinda scared and alittle worried about buying mine. I dont have time to diagnose 40 problems in a vehicle i am poor have a very limited budget. I had to beg to get the money to buy this. The only comfort i have is that if something does go wrong all of you can help me diagnose it. And McBrat is in the same town as me.

 

Thanks for all your help and im gonna stick it out as long as i can.

 

Ben and Guido

[Turbone]

Because old Subaru's have character.

And they have a knack of building some as well;)

Want to really learn about cars? Own a older Subaru:headbang:

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Very Nice Post, you´re Right!!!

That´s what makes a Subaru a Subaru ... ... and a Subaru fan, to be a Real Subaru Fan!!!

[RdNkBrt]

pass a group of jeeps on the trail as a member of a chevy caravan and people dont look twice.... pass up a group of jeeps in a bunch of lifted beater soobs eatin up the trail like its cornflakes, and heads spin 360 degrees!!!! Once you've owned the soob that's made for you, you'll understand! until you get whiplash when you pass a SWEET gen2 wagon on the road wondering for just a second if you have time to flip a u turn and catch up to tell them how nice their car looks, you don't understand......

[daeron]

Oh man, you haven't even gotten baptized yet if you are just talking about ATF in the steering reservoir.. but it is obvious what you are trying to talk about, the mystique of this community built around these weird little studies in trapezoids...

 

It is alot like the old Volkswagen crowd; I have known a couple of "volkswagen guys" who could take a beetle or an air cooled rabbit or a van and make it do all KINDS of insane things on a racetrack or on the street.. And these "volkswagen guys" were all the same kinda dude. Jesse James said something about it once on Monster Garage (for which he regained much respect he had lost in my eyes) and its just true. I think some members older than you and I can chime in to support this similarity; the "volkswagen guy" phenomenon is all but dead. We used to have a local VW parts dealer and junkyard that had over 50 bugs on a yard, on some ABSURDLY expensive real estate downtown, but they were there for years. Gone now, of course, but the community that those cars fostered blows this away.

 

This old Soobie crowd is about as close as it comes, but now we gots Da InnernetzzZZz!!1!!!!! so things have changed just a little. Life is good in a Subaru

[Bucky92]

I have also owned well into the 30-40 vehicles of almost every make and model..and old Subarus...have personalities..everything else is just so boring. Plus they are 100 times easier to work on. Around here..I have one of 6 or 7 EA82 cars and the only XT6 ( the next closest one is an hour away and the owner is a friend of mine) Yet I cant drop kick a dead raccoon without bouncing it off a lifted Ford or Chevy or Toyota. I happen to be an old Ford Mustang freak ( only had 5 of them 66,70,71,79,81) and I like my Subarus so much better.

I bought my 92 Loyale 5 years ago for $600..and it has been the most trouble free..dependable car..these things arent like american cars...oil leaks mean nothing...and can still be driven with issues.

We arent a cult...this place is one big family...and I am serious..there are people on this board who will bend over backwards to help someone else out. We will drive hundreds of miles to give a fellow family member a hand. And for someone like myself who doesnt have family...this is mine.

Once you drive a Subaru and the car bonds to you..you will understand;)

[skinnyhb]

We arent a cult...

 

its more like a support group.

 

its true though. no one else understands. everyone else around me doesn't understand why i dont get a "new" car that i don't have to work on all the time. when i attempt to explain that a $400 payment every month on a new car that i can't work on and have to spend $85/hour for labor to fix it is insane compared to the <$100 parts and a few hours, beers and curses that it takes to get my car running well they just shake their heads.

[LeakingOil]

I've owned Plymouths, Dodges, Fords, etc., but Subaru is the only car that came with friends:clap:

[86ruguy]

I am currently onmy 4th Subie. The first was an EA 82 wagon that gave me my taste for dirt drifting and rallyXing.

 

I am now on my 3rd legacy wagon which happens to be a 5mt that I bought from a Legacycentral member for $400.00 drove it home 35 miles with a bad clutch and the next day put a $150.00 clutch in without even lifting the car off the ground.

 

these cars are ABSOLUTELY fun to drive, maybe not the fastest but it will get you there.

 

I only wish that I had gotten some video of me PLAYING in the snow this last winter.

 

BTW...if you purchase a Subie YOU WILL BECOME AN ADDICT like the rest of us. :banana:

[Bucky92]

What he said^..and even when you hate them ( like my love/hate relationship with my XT6) its hard to give them up...like selling your child..

I have had 7 Subarus..and currently own 3..each has thier own use.

You will see

[Nug]

You can run ATF in your Chevy's power steering too.

[heartless]

yupper, old Subaru's are great little cars!!

paid $150 for my first one - 89 GL wagon, 5 spd, FWD, named Brumhilda - almost 7 years ago - put in clutch, both axles, alternator, battery, and new tires and drove the heck out of the ol girl.

 

Had 142K on the clock when i got her, has 255K on her now. In 6.5 yrs of ownership she has only been "down" 4 times - twice for timing belts (i didnt reseal the first time - my bad), once with an ignition amplifier problem and once when we took an unexpected "trip" offroad. And she gets an average of around 33 mpg to boot!

 

She is still running, altho doesnt get driven as much since getting the 90 Legacy on the road, i am really liking the Legacy - Shhhh, dont tell Hildy!

[suburpy]

Love it man Subaru's rock. You can come here a noob on soobs or cars for that matter and ask the lamest questions but you get help! Soobs are so easy to work on. I have no mechanical aptitude at all yet I fix my soobs i done clutches, carbies, axels, distributor rebuillds etc. Books like How to keep yourt soob alive etc are testament to how much people love these cars, no other car I know has this sort of help. Also they are reliable and if not you can predict what's going to go wrong. They really are like a little lego car and if you ever enjoyed playing with Lego as a child you'll enjoy your soob

[crazyhorse001]

I've always been of the mindset that you can make your payments to the bank, or the parts store. I prefer the parts store...they can't repo:grin:

Subies are SOOOO easy to work on, not they need it often tho. The parts can be tough to find, and expensive, but they beat $400/mo.

I Love my '97 Legacy wagon, with leather, CD/mp3& all the other toys, its a TRUE luxury car. Lexus my shiny metal ***

[Reveeen]

Well Dude:

The "thing" of it is that, unlike many other cars out there, a older Subaru, from say around 1975-1994, is pretty well completely re-buildable. There are only 2 things that will "get" a Subaru, one is rust (rust too bad to recover from) and "bad" mechanics (the kind that will find a SAE bolt they can screw into a metric hole). I am not saying that the newer models are not re-buildable, but they require 2X "greater": greater automotive skills, and greater amounts of money.

The reasons are many that we find ourselves here, most of us can go out and buy a new car without thinking twice, but for whatever reason, we seem to like being here.

If you happen to live in a Subaru "hot spot" (where there are and were a lot of Subaru cars sold) you have it made in the shade, as there is very likely a large parts pool, and folks that can fix these cars. If you find yourself in a spot where there were not a lot of Subaru cars sold, you face a much, much, smaller parts pool (with waits up to 2 weeks), and better be able to fix it yourself.

The advantage to living in a place where Subarus are few, and far between, is price, you can buy these cars for nothing under these conditions (eg: 92 Loyale $60, 91 Legacy Sport Sedan $400).

Whatever your reason (and reasoning), the folks here will make you welcome, and assist you any way they can.

[Tosh]

its more like a support group.

 

Hi, my name is tosh and I own a 87 GL-10. I'm also a member of the Td04 club kind of (I'm a quitter word) and the "why wont this damn thing start".

 

My first subaru was a 84 or 83 Gen 1 that I got for free. It had been sitting in a barn for over 6 years. My other car had just been nailed outside my house by a hit and run driver and I had no way to go to work, so the rusty yellow 2wd gen 1 wagon became my DD (we named it "Yellow warthog" man I miss halo 1 days). Anyway thats where I learned how to work on cars. I still think carburetors take some kind of vodoo magic to tune. But I love my 87 wagon, even if I am trying to swap in a new gen motor

[monstaru]

You can run ATF in your Chevy's power steering too.

 

smartass........

 

 

 

 

ok and,"i'm broke";that pretty much sums it up.you can pretty much fix these cars somehow at anytime for no more than 150 bucks-ish.well, i usually do it for lesss.because i have bought entire cars(like the one sitting in my driveway)for 100 bucks all day long.legos mate,legos.

and to lift and modify my brat i am into that thing about 2 grand ....total.to lift a chevy k20 i had properly it was going to be in the thousands.not to mention the tires.anyways.if you like 'em you'll stick around.if you don't you'll sell your car and say piss on'em.cheers, brian

[GeneralDisorder]

Well - I was a mechanic in the ARMY, and so I can speak with some authority on GM stuff as well. Plus I've had a hand (at times whole arms) in repairing just about every common brand out there, and a few that aren't.

 

Frankly there's a variety of reasons I stay:

 

1: 4WD (dual range even) + Independant Suspention. Can you say Hummer? I enjoyed the attributes in the ARMY, and this is the closest I can afford on the outside at this time. Why don't I just lift a Ford? I like to be able to feel my nether-regions after off roading, and I like to have something left in my wallet after hitting the gas station.

 

2: Econemy. Show me another vehicle costing $500 with these capabilities that gets near 30 MPG.

 

3: Parts. Here on the left coast (particularly OR and WA) there are just TONS of parts and cars everywhere. Probably would be driving Toyota's if I was in the east or midwest.

 

4: Reliability. For what they are ($500, 20+ y/o cars) the reliability is very high. Often easily exceeding 300,000 on most major components.

 

5: Drivetrain layout. I don't like working on transverse engines.

 

Those are the big reasons for me personally. As for your claim about the ATF in the power steering..... well they are both hydraulic systems so what's the problem? At least Subaru had the sense to use a common fluid that's sanely priced. One less specialty fluid I need to stock. That's common-sense engineering.

 

GD

[opelsuby]

Subies aren't the only ones that are freaks (used affectionately). I also own an Opel GT (actually 2 1/1 of them). I also belong to their message board. That are just as much a bunch of fanatics as we are here. You just can't do as much with one as you can with a Soobie. These sites are invaluable to the novice, the weekend knuckle buster, etc. I raise my mug in toast to all who have graced us here with their opinions, advice, questions, and humor:clap:

[Gloyale]

I've spent some time on a nissan board lately, getting info about my GFs Altima. Man is it a different world over there. Here, everyone wants to actually help you. Over there they want to tell you why you're a dumb rump roast unless you have headers and NOS. Subaru are a part of my childhood and my lfe today. And the people that are on this board are a family for sure.

[Bucky92]

As for friends and family on the board...I met my bestest friend here ( LeakingOil)...and some true saints to the car world ..Skip,Turbone ( my new daddy:-p ), moosens,edrach,McBrat,grossgary...etc etc.to many to list actually. And some even from other countries..Loyale 2.7 Turbo..he is my favorite body guy from Honduras..does amazing work with fiberglass and paint...Joost from Holland..another who helped me paint my XT6...just too many great people.. Also on this board..even the women are treated as highly as the men..Us girls get respect here..unlike other boards

[backwoodsboy]

its more like a support group.

 

 

*STANDS UP*

 

Hi everyone

My name is John...... and I own a lifted sube. Its all I think about, I cant help it!

 

*smiles and shakes hands with the group*

[LUVMYBRAT]

"Hi John!" (group chimes in unison)

 

"Try it, you'll like it" remember little Mikey:rolleyes:

 

Thats the truth, and if it isn't for you oh well. We're all here because they it makes us feel good in one way or another. Its hard to believe,yes but have you seen a common thread yet? Friends. I live out in the middle of nowhere Wyoming and yet folks from 100 miles away that have never seen me or knew me drove on their own $$ to give me a transmission for my car that they didn't need. 91loyale from Conneticut stopped by just to say HI! and then he let me drive his Wagon with a EJ conversion and lift!I have Friends now from the west coast to the east coast( Caboobaroo,Hondasucks, Cheftim, to name a few). We don't descriminate, we're old, we're young, There's Men, There's Women ( I'm already married, but what a cool thought that there are Women who enjoy and can walk the talk as much as any other guy on the board). There is something here that you just have experience for yourselves. By the way since my induction into Subarus ( it started 20 years ago with an X who had a hatch) I have had 2 wagons, 4 brats, and 2 turbo-coupes, and thats just an inkling of what some here have had. So there ya go mt .02:headbang: Subarus Rock

[subyrally]

I've owned Plymouths, Dodges, Fords, etc., but Subaru is the only car that came with friends:clap:

 

 

basically thats what i love about it, that and the sound of the boxer engine.

[nipper]

I've owned Plymouths, Dodges, Fords, etc., but Subaru is the only car that came with friends:clap:

 

I've owend in no particular order

 

2 AMC ramblers

Dodge Demon

340 plymouth Duster

VW Super Beetle with autostick

2 79 Honda civics

Datsun 210

Nissan 310 (change a clutch in 20 minutes .. sweet)

Ford Escort

VW Rabbit Convertable (freind would see you coming and run it was so troublesome).

Lancia

4 subarus

Chevy Corvair

 

 

 

Only the last two came with freinds.

 

Any pre OBD 1 car is touchy to diagnose. Try diagnosing a american car from that era, it makes subaru a breeze. SUbarus are like VW beetles in their day. Have any issue, easier to remove the engine in 20 minutes to deal with it then work with it in the car. Every old car has its quirks.

Transmission fluid has always been able to be used in the PS pump. Its basically the same thing, just PS has less additives because they arent needed (but yet can be more expensive). Parking brakes being on the front goes back to one of the original purposes of the parking brake, to hold the car in place and protect the driveline. Its just far cheaper to put them on the rear wheels then the front, thats why everyone does it, doesnt mean its right (and as much as i cursed them when i did brakes i miss them).

 

My subarus and corvairs are the only cars i owned that came with freinds, and my corvair came fame to boot.

 

nipper