Nevada - SOLD: 91SS 5MT Robtune.
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 1:06 am
Well, the way life is going, I am really thinking of selling my '91 SS. I finished my Ph.D. this year, have kept the family in meals and shoes, but car tinkering time is no longer possible and as the kids get bigger I need to switch car priorities.
UPDATE: SOLD! Best of luck to Nick, who will I'm sure take good care of her!
This is the perfect car for someone who either wants a reliable tuned/upgraded Turbo Legacy for a daily or else wants to put more time into suspension/chassis to really make her shine. I have taken care of the basics in my build, but I have not kept up with cosmetics or handling modifications. She has just enough power and gearing to be really fun, but isn't a crazy tire-burner. A new clutch is needed soon, the OEM just isn't up for a 16psi TD04. There are a few minor issues that have built up over time that a motorhead would want to fix, see below.
The build thread (pretty much current configuration) is here: http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=40430
I've been driving her about once a week, since I bicycle to the University most of the time. I occasionally take her on 2-3 hour drives in the mountains as well. She has about 20k miles since the engine refresh. Read the build thread outline for the mod list, I'll highlight the good/bad here. For a 1991 vehicle, she's pretty darn clean and problem-free. Not garaged by grandma, but not ready for the demo derby yet either.
Good:
- Reliable, Robtune EJ22T with TD04 @ 16 psi.
- Not burning or leaking engine/tranny oil. I use Synthetic.
- Better gear ratio and tire size for street driving (70 mph @ ~3500 rpm, not ideal for long high-speed freeway commutes but quite torquey in all gears from 3.5-6k).
- Essentially rust-free, life in the desert is good for chassis longevity!
- 5MT (although converted to a cable clutch and Impreza tranny for 4.11).
- Lots of little extras added over time (see build list).
- Awesome Conti Extreme Contact Z-rated tires, still 75%+ tread.
- Buyer has options on spare 22T block (had a bad hole and oil starvation knock but the halves should be good), parts (I'll likely throw stuff in, I cleared out last year but kept some essentials and an OEM STi downpipe).
Bad (mostly minor stuff):
- Removed AC system.
- Time for a WRX-rated clutch (don't try to slip it or hit boost at low RPM, but otherwise is fine around town or freeway onramps
.
- Cracked clear coat on driver's side created a couple 1" superficial rust spots under paint on rear door, only rust on the car (showed up since the thread photos).
- Rear struts are a bit saggy (typical).
- Power steering leak (pretty sure it's the hardline-to-hose fittings), drips every drive if you fill it up. If you run it low, no drips.
- Various minor cosmetic issues, like window trim sealing, small dings/dents, hood corner crinkle. Not a show car, but not ghetto.
- Paint is OK, but driver's side clearcoat is peeling. Various dings here and there.
- Sunroof would drip if you aimed a power washer at the seam, but not light rainfall (could either pull and fix, or just seal the top).
- Sticky taillight relay, I just flip the bypass switch on the column to be certain they come on at night.
- Reverse light wire broken at tranny connection.
- Driver's door doesn't lock.
- Passenger door lock mechanisms are pretty worn, typical for the model age. I cycle the electric locks before people go to exit.
- The LS-1 sensor and module is still installed, but somebody stole the wideband gage. Plug and wires are all there and ready under the dash for a new gage.
- I've had it stall/backfire momentarily a few times in the last 5k miles, totally random. Can't decide if it's a sensor/wire or something else. Another 25 year old car glitch...
- Front STi hub bearings give a little noise on hard corners when they are cold, it's not loud, but you can tell it's there. They've been like that since I installed them ~25k miles ago.
That's all I can think of at the moment. She starts every time, doesn't overheat, and runs awesome. An upgraded clutch and some roll stiffening would complete the fun package. The new owner should ideally be someone who is not going to play with bigger turbos and crap. This build was about OEM reliability and I think I hit the sweet spot. Someone who is good at preventative maintenance and pays attention to what the car is telling you will get a lot of life out of her. Sensor aging will be the challenge into the future I think. That's life with a 25 year old car.
I'm posting this here first rather than locally, because it is really an enthusiast's tinker toy, and I've benefited from this community quite a bit over the years, even though I'm not on much. I'm not looking to get a ton out of her, but also know that a reliable tuned 5MT 22T daily is worth something. I'm guessing around $4000 if I toss in the extra block and so forth. Be aware that sale is final. I've represented her as best I can, but once someone buys a 25 year old turbo car from me and drives away, it's theirs. Personally, I would not hesitate to drive her across the country.
If there is serious interest, email me as I rarely check for PMs. Email to scotty at dayhike dot net. I'll try to answer your questions and can take photos of current conditions (dings, spots, etc.) for you. I really don't have time for a lot of tire kicking - but if someone is genuinely interested I'll do my best to help you evaluate the vehicle.
The car is located in Reno, Nevada, which is not difficult to fly into if you are from farther away.
UPDATE: SOLD! Best of luck to Nick, who will I'm sure take good care of her!
This is the perfect car for someone who either wants a reliable tuned/upgraded Turbo Legacy for a daily or else wants to put more time into suspension/chassis to really make her shine. I have taken care of the basics in my build, but I have not kept up with cosmetics or handling modifications. She has just enough power and gearing to be really fun, but isn't a crazy tire-burner. A new clutch is needed soon, the OEM just isn't up for a 16psi TD04. There are a few minor issues that have built up over time that a motorhead would want to fix, see below.
The build thread (pretty much current configuration) is here: http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=40430
I've been driving her about once a week, since I bicycle to the University most of the time. I occasionally take her on 2-3 hour drives in the mountains as well. She has about 20k miles since the engine refresh. Read the build thread outline for the mod list, I'll highlight the good/bad here. For a 1991 vehicle, she's pretty darn clean and problem-free. Not garaged by grandma, but not ready for the demo derby yet either.
Good:
- Reliable, Robtune EJ22T with TD04 @ 16 psi.
- Not burning or leaking engine/tranny oil. I use Synthetic.
- Better gear ratio and tire size for street driving (70 mph @ ~3500 rpm, not ideal for long high-speed freeway commutes but quite torquey in all gears from 3.5-6k).
- Essentially rust-free, life in the desert is good for chassis longevity!
- 5MT (although converted to a cable clutch and Impreza tranny for 4.11).
- Lots of little extras added over time (see build list).
- Awesome Conti Extreme Contact Z-rated tires, still 75%+ tread.
- Buyer has options on spare 22T block (had a bad hole and oil starvation knock but the halves should be good), parts (I'll likely throw stuff in, I cleared out last year but kept some essentials and an OEM STi downpipe).
Bad (mostly minor stuff):
- Removed AC system.
- Time for a WRX-rated clutch (don't try to slip it or hit boost at low RPM, but otherwise is fine around town or freeway onramps
.- Cracked clear coat on driver's side created a couple 1" superficial rust spots under paint on rear door, only rust on the car (showed up since the thread photos).
- Rear struts are a bit saggy (typical).
- Power steering leak (pretty sure it's the hardline-to-hose fittings), drips every drive if you fill it up. If you run it low, no drips.
- Various minor cosmetic issues, like window trim sealing, small dings/dents, hood corner crinkle. Not a show car, but not ghetto.
- Paint is OK, but driver's side clearcoat is peeling. Various dings here and there.
- Sunroof would drip if you aimed a power washer at the seam, but not light rainfall (could either pull and fix, or just seal the top).
- Sticky taillight relay, I just flip the bypass switch on the column to be certain they come on at night.
- Reverse light wire broken at tranny connection.
- Driver's door doesn't lock.
- Passenger door lock mechanisms are pretty worn, typical for the model age. I cycle the electric locks before people go to exit.
- The LS-1 sensor and module is still installed, but somebody stole the wideband gage. Plug and wires are all there and ready under the dash for a new gage.
- I've had it stall/backfire momentarily a few times in the last 5k miles, totally random. Can't decide if it's a sensor/wire or something else. Another 25 year old car glitch...
- Front STi hub bearings give a little noise on hard corners when they are cold, it's not loud, but you can tell it's there. They've been like that since I installed them ~25k miles ago.
That's all I can think of at the moment. She starts every time, doesn't overheat, and runs awesome. An upgraded clutch and some roll stiffening would complete the fun package. The new owner should ideally be someone who is not going to play with bigger turbos and crap. This build was about OEM reliability and I think I hit the sweet spot. Someone who is good at preventative maintenance and pays attention to what the car is telling you will get a lot of life out of her. Sensor aging will be the challenge into the future I think. That's life with a 25 year old car.
I'm posting this here first rather than locally, because it is really an enthusiast's tinker toy, and I've benefited from this community quite a bit over the years, even though I'm not on much. I'm not looking to get a ton out of her, but also know that a reliable tuned 5MT 22T daily is worth something. I'm guessing around $4000 if I toss in the extra block and so forth. Be aware that sale is final. I've represented her as best I can, but once someone buys a 25 year old turbo car from me and drives away, it's theirs. Personally, I would not hesitate to drive her across the country.
If there is serious interest, email me as I rarely check for PMs. Email to scotty at dayhike dot net. I'll try to answer your questions and can take photos of current conditions (dings, spots, etc.) for you. I really don't have time for a lot of tire kicking - but if someone is genuinely interested I'll do my best to help you evaluate the vehicle.
The car is located in Reno, Nevada, which is not difficult to fly into if you are from farther away.