Our New Old Car

[gtigiant 0]

good car choice. that is a very dependible motor. while in college I had a corsica with the same motor that I *beat* on very much and when I traded it in w/ 147,900 miles on it the only two good things about the car were the stereo and the motor

as for the soobies, only a couple of model years had any issues. with routine maintenance the bodies will rust off before the drive trains give out. my impreza wagon ('93) has 158,000 miles on it and still going strong. it is my back and forth to work beater. best 1250$ I ever spent.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

'Paid for' cars rock!!! nice work. The 3100 V-6 engine is a great engine.

Did you sell your Suburu?

Sell your Suburu here

[happyimmigrant 0]

good car choice. that is a very dependible motor. while in college I had a corsica with the same motor that I *beat* on very much and when I traded it in w/ 147,900 miles on it the only two good things about the car were the stereo and the motor

as for the soobies, only a couple of model years had any issues. with routine maintenance the bodies will rust off before the drive trains give out. my impreza wagon ('93) has 158,000 miles on it and still going strong. it is my back and forth to work beater. best 1250$ I ever spent.

I disagree. I've had three Subarus, two of them the transmissions failed, and all three of them leaked oil (which just happens with horizontally opposed engines). Two had hydraulic valve lash adjusters that constantly plugged up causing massive "tapping" noises. I just had problem after problem, and they are EXPENSIVE to fix.

No more Subarus for me.

[rebeccajo 14]

Hahahahahahahaha.......

You know, I really don't care much about cars. Basically for me they are a way to get from Point A to Point B.

But I just LOVE it when men talk motors.........it's SOOOOO sexy........

[gtigiant 0]

well that is better then what i normally get as a reaction: "that is so annoying!"

depends on the motor you have for the soobies, and it should be noted, they are maintenance picky, so if you skip any maintenance periods you are fux0red for the rest of the ownership of the car often times. then again, soobies are the only japanese cars I can fit in (even accords are uncomfortable to drive and I can't afford a big body Lexades).

maybe I just have good fortune w/ cars as I love my VWs too and people ###### about them being difficult to maintain.

oh yes, note on the 3.1 motor, the side motor mounts are prone to wear, it was a flakey design. if it feels like it is shifting hard, have that looked at. they were a common failure and a warranty item. not sure if they ever did a full recall on it or not.

[rebeccajo 14]

oh yes, note on the 3.1 motor, the side motor mounts are prone to wear, it was a flakey design. if it feels like it is shifting hard, have that looked at. they were a common failure and a warranty item. not sure if they ever did a full recall on it or not.

It's an automatic. Please describe 'shifting hard' as it won't be something I'll be able to sense if I were going through the gears myself.

I bet the warranty is long gone.....she's a '95 remember? Ah, but I've been loving driving her today....

[happyimmigrant 0]

It's an automatic. Please describe 'shifting hard' as it won't be something I'll be able to sense if I were going through the gears myself.

Even an automatic shifts gears - it just does so...well, automatically.

You can feel it shift gears, as well as hear it, when accelerating. At a stop, press the gas, and listen to the engine. It will accelerate, the engine will speed up, then the engine speed will drop suddenly, and you should feel a gentle "bump" as the shift happens. If it is shifting hard, the gentle "bump" won't be so gentle - and you might hear or feel a clunk along with it - particularly if it is loose engine mounts that is causing it.

[gtigiant 0]

yep, that is a good description. now keep in mind i was a college student with little care in the world when i had mine, so i beat pretty hard on it (i think that is how you describe airborne at speeds in excess of 100 mph <- yes, that was stupid and yes it was a long time ago).

but, that being said, you will notice a bad motor mount if when you pull up to a stop, the car doesn't seem to want to go again right away when you step on the gas, it will "clunk" when you accelerate... you will know there is something wrong if it happens

[rebeccajo 14]

Even an automatic shifts gears - it just does so...well, automatically.

*wink*

Darlin', I might be a WOMAN but I knew that.......

What I didn't know was the sound to listen for. Thanks for being a car guy and explaining it to me!

[KarenCee 3]

Love the story! Just glad you two were able to find something. Joel and I are dealing with the "one car blues" at the moment, although right now it's not too bad since school is out. But...when school starts back it's gonna be a toughie when he has to go for job interviews (yes, I'm being VERY optimistic here ). We'll manage though. Sounds like y'all got a great lil car

[CanGal 1]

I'm happy, Wes is happy and we still have a paid-for car. Our wallet is a bit lighter, but it cost far less to buy this car than it would have to put a new engine in an aging Subaru. Plus even though we are three model years older and a bit 'frumpier' looking, we have a car that is cheaper to insure and less expensive to work on whenever it does need help.

In the end that is all that matters, that the both of your are happy with the choice you made and are able to sleep at night with that choice. So what if it's frumpier or whatever, least your not paying more for it or stuck with monthly payments! Congrats to you both