dumbskate

So what are my odds with a well serviced 150K one? still better than a "who knows where its been" EJ20? or should I just avoid altogether.

But don't all EJ's to that ;D

I have heard a bit of gutter talk about this engine. I have had plenty of EJ20's and TT without issues but never a 2.5. I am looking at a cheap non-turbo 2.5 to use for a while as a run around but I don't want to end up buying dog if they engine design is a liability. Thoughts?

In case your trying to find lower anchor point for a 0 - 6 month seat you may need to install a few like I did.

The shape is alright but the speedo, rev counter area looks like a frikin dive watch.

Now that I am Subaruless for a few months I installed child seat anchors in the back of the surviving VW Golf for baby Roman and marveled at how stiff Euro steering compared to Subaru.

Just to double check did you follow these steps in checking the codes: Identify ECU Fault Code [*]With ignition OFF, locate black (note in very early Legacy’s this maybe white) ECU check connector below dashboard on left side of drivers foot well. It will be two small black connectors, one female and one male which will probably be alongside the ECU reset connectors which are green. Plug the black connectors in. [*]Turn the ignition ON and identify how many times the check engine light flashes (if any). This will be the error code stored in the ECU memory. If the ecu is noticing the problem and going into limp mode so regularly then it should throw a code?

sounds like that is going into limp mode not long after you reset ecu. There could be an issue that is sending it into limp mode without throwing a code. Does it run like normal for a while after the reset?

Yeah the little 1.8 engine is still having to shift the same curb weight as the 2ltr model so it would have to work harder to get the same job done.

Thanks Hopai! that's all the more reason to get a BP. So from a quick look through the model list it works with all our all our import BP legacy's in '04 but then jumps to '06. It that how it reads to you? It will be good to know what to avoid when I cone to buying mine as the idea of being able to do my own tune/monitoring is awesome. Legacy 2.0 04 E2ZD308E (MT/AT)* Legacy 2.5i 08 E2SB001K (AT)* Legacy 3.0R 04 D2WD200A (MT)*, D2ZU200A ()* 05 D2WD604A (MT)* 07 D2UK001Q (AT)* Legacy B4 (DTC DEFS ONLY) 02 A4SH701H (MT/AT), A4SHB00H (MT/AT), A4SHC00G (MT/AT), A4SHC01G (MT/AT) Legacy BH (DTC DEFS ONLY) 02 4SLEHB00 (MT/AT), A4SH701G (MT/AT), A4SHB00G (MT/AT) Legacy GT spec.B 07 A2TB100K (MT)*, A2UI000K (MT)* Legacy GT 04 A2WD000A (AT)*, A2WD001A (AT)*, A2WD001B (MT)*, A2WD010A (AT)*, A2WD010B (MT)*, A2WD012A (AT)*, A2WD012B (MT)*, A2ZJ600B (MT)*, A2ZJ601A (AT)*, A2ZJ800A (AT)*, A2ZJC00B (MT)*, A2ZJD00A (AT)*, A2ZJD00B (MT)*, A2ZJD01A (AT)*, A2ZJD02B (MT)* 06 A2UG000B (MT)*, A2UH000A (AT)* 07 A2PG420A (AT)*, A2TB100B (MT)*, A2TB100Y (AT)*, A2UI000A (AT)* 08 A2SB000A (AT)*, A2TB100A (AT)*

Yeah I have decided I will wait a month or two and upgrade to a BP wagon. I just can't find what I want in the BH's anymore.

Yeah I really enjoyed my last BH manual but I have heard a few poeple saying that the TT system in Subarus is better designed for an automatic gear box

Thanks for the advice. So if its just a 4 cyl not such a big concern? was this an issue on the early 6cyl models? Also whats involved in the sports shift upgrade Hopai?

Right leggyfreak threw me off there. So if my money is keeping me in a BH for a while is there difference besides that some have buttons on the steering wheel and some don't. Basically anything as far as features i could be looking out for in the 4AT BH world?

Right so the 5AT are in some of the BH's and the 4AT is in the rest of them huh? So unless I come across an amazing deal on a BP that is that what I am looking for right, Any BH Auto with the 5AT?

I am looking at buying a new car after the one in my signature was written off (http://www.clubsub.org.nz/forum/index.php/topic,9256.0.html). The last one was manual and because I don't sit in traffic I really enjoyed driving it, especially on trips to the mountain. I haven't driven any of the auto/tiptornic models from '99 to 2006 so can anyone fill me in on how well they drive in their "manual" mode? I am not after a race car obviously just the ability to sit in a gear for as long as I want and down shift for added braking around corners from time to time would be ace.

Glad I could help. But as I have said above don't borrow for anything that will not directly increase the income of the business. Trust me many poeple have ignored this rule and have lost it all. If things don't go as well as forecast (and they almost never do) that $200 per week it would take to pay the loan off in one year could come in really handy actually keeping the business afloat. Have your mum call my accountant and also get her to look into the actual numbers involved in borrowing 10K using the calculator below. I based my numbers for her on borrowing 10k at 13% but she get an unsecured loan in this economic climate the interest rate could be a lot higher a much bigger liability. http://www.sorted.org.nz/calculators/get-out-of-debt/

I help support new and growing businesses with decision like this all the time and your mum is heading in the worng direction with her business. I know its not the original question but take it from someone who owns his own business, buys his cars through it and has also watched his own mum loose her lively hood through this kind of half baked "business" move please listen up. First off your mum has a business that doesn't make much money right? Buying a 20k car wont change that. What it will do is give the business something called negative leverage. All that really means is your mum will be shooting her business in the foot before it even gets started. She has a car right now and I understand the want to get a nice looking car and believe me the first time I had my business written on the side of a car it was a very proud day. Anyone on here can tell you that $7k can buy her a very nice late '99-00 Legacy without any debt what so ever. On the G.S.T, F.B.T and Accountant front she needs professional advice. Possible part of the reason she has not is they would be telling her the same thing I am. A business survives by earning money not debt. Any reputable accounting firm will take her on as a client and she will not pay anything until the end of the first filing year. Even then the cost to file annual returns for small business is only about $800 which happens to be how much interest your mum would pay on a $10K per year if she was repaying the loan at $400 per month. If she hasn't already, Your mum needs to register her company, sign up to GST and Possible FBT (Fringe Benefit Tax for the company owned car). You don't need GST when your are making money. GST is your friend when your spending money and that is now. This would include the $1,000 of GST she would be able to claim back from buying her $7k car. If she has any problems finding a good accountant contact Bruce Rankine of Bullot and Rankine Accountants http://www.b-r.co.nz/

You could be right but its a $2,500 profit for me and the car gave me 20,000km with no problems so thats a great sale for me.

Yeah but as long as you have an insurance company as good as AA seems to be right now you will be sweet. I got a call today from the assessors to tell me that the guys from Turners had been down for a look and they valued it at $8,500. So what does the AA do?! They up my agreed value, after the fact from $6k to $8.5K without charging me a cent. So tomorrow there will be $8,500 in my bank account and I need to find a new manual BH wagon.

I totally hear you but the kid will have his pay garnished for like the next 5 years so either way he's paying for it. They are sending a valuer from Turners car auctions around to see the car tomorrow. Depending on what they think it would worth in pre-crash condition we see whether I get $8,000, a repaired car or somewhere in between.

Ok so the update: I spoke to the head assessor and explained my situation along with how the car was worth more like $8,000 but that I set it at $6,000 as that was what it cost me. He was really understanding and said that because the accident was totally not my fault, that he woudl look to get the car valued by a few dealers and then asses the damage against that valuation. He said that the difference to my yearly premium would only have been $40 more had the car been insured for $8,000 instead of $6,000. The damage to both the front and rear quarters of the drivers side plus some broken suspension parts mean that the car woudl need to be 3/4 resprayed to get the colour to blend and also three of my funny Blitzen wheels woudl need to be repaired for chips and repainted. The repairs were looking to be more than 75% of the cars value at $6,000 but if he can get the agreed value up to $8,000 then the repairs may be more realistic. Otherwise I might walk away with $8,000 which shoudl put me into another car of the same age/km/condition.

That's about what I was thinking.

So an initial call to the AA today told me that they were planning on writing the car off. Now I have to wait to find out what damage they have found and the prices they have been quoted. Hopefully I can get my trusted panel beater to do the work for an agreed price to keep my car in one piece. Anyone got experience with this sort of negotiation?

Thanks for all your info so far everyone. The car will be assessed at AA's special garage in Penrose before that will ask for two quotes from about ten Panel beaters in Auckland who have given a guarantee that they will warranty the repairs for the life of the car. The best solution seems to be get it repaired and either keep driving my 8k worth of car or a little way down the track sell it any way to keep the value of my cars up. If they do choose to write it off, which would mean it needs more than $4,500 worth of repair then I will still be left with the money I started with and I will just have to find another great deal. The repair and sell for a profit is obviously the preferred though.