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Safety Dance posted:Is there a good resource detailing the various Subaru-specific engine and body codes? For example, there are EJ## and FB## engines floating around in GD, GG, GE, and GH chassis(?), and based on my research the Legacy was interchangeable with the Outback for some years but not others, and the Outback is sometimes abbreviated OBX (I think) but sometimes not. I'm trying to get a good fix on this arcane Subaru knowledge so I can better understand the things I'm reading. http://cars101.com is your best bet.
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Jan 19, 2012 04:45
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Falco posted:You could fly out to Salt Lake like I ended up doing. I couldn't find a manual Outback XT within the state of California. I found it on Autotrader and bought a $150 flight on southwest to do the deal. I figured if it came down to and it wasn't absolutely perfect, I'd spend the $150 and fly home. I high suggest the Mark Miller South Subaru. Easiest car purchase I've ever had, and they were pretty easy to talk down in price. I'm not afraid of buying a plane ticket, but I just want to sit in a car and take it for a test drive. That shouldn't cost me $300 in my opinion. Plus I just checked their inventory, and out of 300 cars in stock, only 3 are WRXs. Maybe it's just a WRX problem.
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Jan 19, 2012 04:50
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Fascist Funk posted:
If you were truly in a blizzard, I'd bet that the snow piled up in front of the radiator or A/C condensor and blocked airflow. The hissing sound was the very hot radiator quickly melting snow. This happened to me all the time when I was driving in Rochester, NY when the snow was extra intense. Snow would gather on my FMIC and completely blocked airflow to the radiator, causing the needly to climb a bit but never really overheat. Chances are you're completely fine as long as it didn't get to the point of overheating.
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Jan 19, 2012 07:15
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Thought this was an interesting wheel choice. I actually really like it.
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Mar 6, 2012 23:29
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THE BLACK NINJA posted:Don't go to McCurley Integrity Subaru in south east WA unless you are buying parts. And then check them before you leave the store. Why not just buy OEM parts online for cheaper and never go to a dealer at all?
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Mar 7, 2012 02:47
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jamal posted:my go-to for turbos is Blouch. They have a huge range of stuff for Subarus and it's all top notch. Basically, pick how much power you want and get the corresponding turbo. They use Garrett CHRAs on the ball bearing stuff with their own billet wheels. Is there a reason Forced Performance turbos don't get much love with the Subaru crowd? In my (and other's) experience, they are incredibly reliable and come in a variety of designs and power levels at reasonable costs. I have a first generation FP Green on my Talon that was pushing 28psi for almost 20,000 miles and has zero shaft play or any detectable wear.
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Mar 7, 2012 22:11
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Lazor posted:Whelp, it looks like my 08 STI has a blown piston ring again. Have you looked into lemon laws in your state?
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Mar 11, 2012 19:55
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I ran stage 1 and stage 2 AP on my '09 STI for about 6 months each without any problems at all. I used the ACN/91 maps and avoided places like Arco for gas (I'm in LA). One of my friends has been running the same maps on his '07 WRX for 4 years without a hitch. If your engine has blown that many times it sounds like a lemon to me for sure.
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Mar 12, 2012 09:13
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Hughmoris posted:Anyone own a 2011 or 2012 Forester? I'm thinking about purchasing one and would love to hear some of AI's opinions. My friend has an '11 Forester XT and I think it's great. Plenty of utility, decent pickup, etc. He has cloth interior which feels cheap, so I'd get the leather if that's your thing. Otherwise it's pretty standard Subaru build quality and basically rides like a slightly taller Impreza. What exactly are you looking for in terms of opinions? If I were in the market for a mid-size SUV/crossover thing, I'd definitely consider the Forester. The only thing with the turbo engine is my friend averages around 19mpg combined city/highway, and he drives like a grandma. So if you're looking for fuel efficiency, I'd stay away from the XT.
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Mar 13, 2012 03:30
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Hughmoris posted:I can't afford the XT, will probably look for the Forester Premium W/ All-Weather Package and the 5-speed manual transmission. The m/t is rated 21/27 mpg which isn't toooo bad. What are the opinions on the manual transmission in these? Am I better off going with the automatic? My friend's is automatic. I haven't driven it yet, but riding around with him in city and highway driving, the auto seems nicely matched and gets through the gears pretty quickly. I'd opt for the manual myself, but it really depends on what your goals are.
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Mar 13, 2012 04:43
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Lazor posted:I just shot an email to Cobb. I'll ask you too though, assuming it's blown rings what should be done to make it reliable and about what should it cost? I had my 4G63 machined and the parts assembled by Greg at Millenium Motorsports in Temecula. He does great work and knows the Subaru engines very well too. When I dropped the block and head off, he had probably half a dozen Subaru blocks and heads in various stages of builds. He does most or all of the machine work for Road Race Engineering which they use in their racecars, so his work is quality. The price for machining and assembling the block and head including parts and tax was around $3,700 for me. That paid for this: Torque plate bore and hone Resurface block Resurface head Heli-coil several broken studs Valve job 2.4L 4G64 Crankshaft Inspect, measure, and micro-polish crankshaft All new seals Wiseco Pistons 8.5 CR Eagle Rods ARP hardware all over Balance shaft removal New Mitsubishi oil pump/front case assy ACL H series bearings Brian Crower springs and retainers SS swirl polished 1mm oversize nitrided valves Engine balance Sales tax I pretty much built the engine to the teeth, so if you are just doing new pistons and simple machine work, it will be considerably less. It's worth giving Greg a call though. Temecula is a bit of a drive from LA, but he comes highly recommended.
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Mar 14, 2012 19:27
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War Bunny posted:Hey guys. I have a massive wild hare. I think I'm going to trade in my reliable but soul-crushingly boring 09 2.5i with 33k for a 05 Fozzie XT with 120k and a 5 spd. Is this a horrible idea? I'd say yes, horrible idea. Rock what you got unless you have another daily driver. Nothing beats a reliable if slow car as long as it's reliable. Save up your money for something later that you can beat on and keep the '09 as a DD.
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Mar 31, 2012 12:40
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I know people will disagree with me, but I really see no point to getting a non-turbo Subaru if you care about performance at all. If performance is even slightly important to you, I'd wait until a turbo model pops up for sale. You'll seriously regret it the moment you ride in a turbo version of your slow car. Basically, it's worth the wait.
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Apr 12, 2012 03:39
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The front bumper on my 09 STI cracked near the same place from hitting a single piece of cardboard in the road. It's just super thin, lovely quality plastic.
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Apr 15, 2012 00:43
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Seat Safety Switch posted:I drat near bought an SRR WRX wagon, but the previous owner had paid to have an aftermarket sunroof installed. When I bought my Evo last month, I was adamant that it have a sunroof. As I was going through the typical negotiations, the salesman at one point said I could further lower the price of the car if I bought a model without the sunroof and paid the dealer to install one instead. It would save me "like a thousand dollars". I checked, and it was indeed quite a bit cheaper to install an aftermarket sunroof than to buy a car with one from the factory. So, I guess there's your answer. Edit: Also the sunroofs on that generation Impreza were a US only option and were silly small. Like only 4 or 5 inches wide from front to back. I assume aftermarket sunroofs are a bit bigger.
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Apr 18, 2012 23:55
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Cat Terrist posted:Who wants a sunroof, full stop? Dreadful things Not everyone is making a RACECAR. And sunroofs might have been leaky in the 80's, but seriously they've been around for a long time and manufacturers have done a pretty good job in making them water tight. Maybe after 10 years the seals could get brittle, but that's not exactly a hard thing to fix.
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Apr 19, 2012 04:21
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Cat Terrist posted:so I ask again, who wants a sunroof full stop? Dreadful things Well, me! I do! I rather like them. They allow sun in and hot air out. Also many other people like them since they are quite common on many tens of thousands of cars. And yes, some people do not like them. Why does this have to be a point of contention?
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Apr 19, 2012 04:41
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kimbo305 posted:Are Subaru clutches stiff across the board? I drove an 06 Legacy GT with an ACT Stage 2 clutch, which the owner said was somewhat stiffer than stock. But drat, that was the stiffest clutch I'd ever felt. From memory, it was stiffer than the clutch in my SVT Focus, which every autocross instructor that went into it said was the stiffest they'd felt. I don't know what "Stage 2" means for a clutch, but single disc ACT clutches are always heavier than stock. The 2600 ACT in my Talon will seriously build up the muscles in your left leg. It's HEAVY. Every time I had to take it in for an alignment I had to drive it onto the machine after painfully watching the goomba "who does this all the time" stall the car repeatedly.
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May 1, 2012 01:37
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kimbo305 posted:I think stage designations delineate the levels torque the clutch is designed to handle, within a brand line. Never really thought about how any of the clutch design could affect pressure/effort. I had a "stage 4" Clutchmasters clutch in a Focus once and it was super light. It really depends on the clutch design. Dual disc clutches usually have lighter pedal feel since they don't increase friction from pressure alone, while clutches that rely on increased clamping force like the ACT 2100, 2600, and 2900lb clutches will directly transmit that force to your leg. Personally I prefer the ACT style clutches because I get more feedback from the direct pressure connection as opposed to relying on mechanical trickery.
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May 1, 2012 05:34
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jamal posted:The EVOX for example has a plastic clutch master cylinder that has a tendency to explode when you upgrade the clutch. Lord Gaga posted:I know someone with an Evo X that blew up two of them at the track within like 1.5 years of owning the car for this exact reason. That's why I got an MR.  Also I don't plan on tracking it. Or modding it to the point of exploding things. That's what my Talon is for.
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May 3, 2012 03:31
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Dice Dingus posted:The other thing I've heard (from my dad who is kind of a crotchety old man about cars) is that turbos are unreliable, which I'm very skeptical of, but I want to make sure I ask. Old people who lived through the terrible early days of turbocharging vehicles (think GM from the 60's to the 80's) always go on and on about how unreliable turbos are. It's the same reason most old Americans think diesel engines are only good in huge trucks. They were buying cars when technologies like diesel engines and turbochargers were in their infancy in the US market and were not refined yet, and somehow they refuse to believe they've gotten any better since then. Turbos and small displacement diesel engines have come a long way in the last 25 years. In fact a growing number of American cars now offer turbo engines, from the lowest Economy car Chevy to the twin turbo flagship Ford Taurus. Actually the funny thing is that the one American car company that has been turbocharging vehicles pretty consistently since the 80's currently offers no turbo cars while everyone else does. (Dodge Caravan turbo, Dodge Spirit R/T, Omni, Shadow, LeBaron, Stealth, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, PT Cruiser Turbo, Neon SRT-4, Caliber R/T, etc.) Don't fear the boost.
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Jun 2, 2012 19:29
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The fuel issue doesn't sound like a problem if it's as fun as I hear.
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Amandyke posted:Dodge Dart, Fiat 500 Abarth. The Caliber R/T wasn't turbo, the SRT-4 was though. It just didn't sell at all because it was fat, slow, expensive and ugly. I meant SRT-4, not R/T. Didn't count the Fiat since it's not a Chrysler, it's a Fiat. And you got me on the Dart. I didn't think the turbo version came out til later. I think my point still stands though.
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Jun 4, 2012 05:46
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Amandyke posted:The dart will use the 1.4l multi-air turbo out of the abarth as soon as they go on sale. Not quite sure what point you were making as nearly all of chrysler's older turbo cars (eagle, laser, stealth, etc) were all re-badged Mitsubishi's. Unless it's that chrysler needs to team up with mitsubishi again and make an evo spin off... My point was just that Chrysler was embracing turbo technology for decades while the other domestic auto makers were not. And now that turbos have become mainstream, only one actual Chrysler product is turbocharged. That's all. Just kind of funny how things flipped. And there were many turbo cars that were not Mitsubishis. Voyager, Caravan, Spirit, Shadow, LeBaron, Duster, etc. I remember seeing a TURBO badge on the side of a Caravan in college years ago and about shat myself. But it wouldn't surprise me if Chrysler did warm up to turbos so early due to their partnership with Mitsubishi.
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Jun 5, 2012 22:35
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MrZig posted:
It's also largely a Subaru thing from what I've seen. I've owned and been a part of many car forums over the years and Subaru guys seem to be the only ones that make the effort to put MY before everything.
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Jul 19, 2012 20:36
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Are Subaru people the cheapest bastards in the world, or is $325 too much to ask for a nearly brand new Invidia SS catted downpipe for 08+ WRX/STI?
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Oct 5, 2012 06:12
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I figured this might enrage some people here. I saw this on Saturday at a local junkyard. It was in fantastic shape all around, and zero rust. 
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Mar 18, 2013 20:41
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Gigi Galli posted:Looks like an Evo from the side, I don't like it I was just going to say the same thing. Looks REALLY similar, right down to the shark nose. Actually looks like they blended the 3 series nose with an Evo X.  
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Mar 27, 2013 01:39
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I owned a brand new 2008 Legacy GT Spec.B for 4 months and sold it. Worst car I've ever owned and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. No wonder it was $6k off MSRP. By comparison, my 2009 STI was amazing.
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Mar 29, 2013 02:20
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nm posted:No one waves in socal I got waves or headlight flashes all the time in my STI. Evo too. Can't wait til other Bricklin owners throw the peace sign on the streets.
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Apr 2, 2013 22:43
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il serpente cosmico posted:Don't do any hard launches or anything like that (it is possible to destroy a clutch that isn't broken in by abusing it), but spirited driving isn't going to hurt the engine. That's what I love about ACT clutches. Rip a 5000rpm launch and then drive gingerly for a day or two and it's good to go.
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Apr 10, 2013 06:37
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My brother's 2002 Legacy Outback 2.5L shot the front passenger spark plug out and stripped the threads in the head. It has 150k miles on it and otherwise drives ok, minus needing brakes and a blown power steering pump. Is this a common issue? How expensive would this be for a mechanic to fix on a subie? I assume the engine has to come out to get to it?
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Nov 12, 2013 19:22
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Thanks for the advice. His car has not been very well maintained over the years and has some body damage on the side from a deer. I think he wants to just get it running again and sell it for whatever he can get for it and buy something that hopefully has been better taken care of. He knows it's his fault for not maintaining it. I don't have time to rip into the engine myself and he's not as mechanically inclined, so I'll have him call up some shops and get quotes. I just wanted to make sure I know what the mechanic is getting into. I assumed they would have to pull the engine to repair the threads. Any idea how long that might take? At $80 per hour or whatever the current rate is, I assume it's going to be in the $1,200-$1,500 range at a mechanic for labor and parts, which would basically total the car.
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Nov 12, 2013 19:59
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