Everything there is a salvage title... they restore wrecks and sell them to guys like me who get a tax return and want to roll that into something to play with.
There is this green Sub Legacy sitting there... looked pretty nice... a 1992, 130K on the odometer. I walk around it and notice the right rear tire is low on pressure... but everything else is pretty good. I ask to drive it.
Feels pretty tight for a car that got munched and reborn. In fact it felt pretty dang new. I make a deal and we swap. Straight across and they even foot the bill for new skins on all 4 corners. So now I have this Suby for 1,200 bucks. Not bad.
But I have caught a lot of flak for buying this car with a salvage title. But I am not really worried... I know these cars are built right. The engines are remarkable.
Now I live in Utah. But 2 days after I pick up this car, I have to be in Richmond Virginia. I throw my stuff in the car, kiss my wife, and head out... stopping only to get an oil change on the way out of town.
I am crusing from SLC to Cheyenne, drop down to Denver, and start running east. Whole time I'm running at a steady 85MPH. No problems at all... In Kansas I kick it up to 95 and the car is just singing. Get to Virginia and I notice a rather obvious Thumping and Banging when I turn the wheel. Driving down the road at a slow and stead 45... up head up I-15 to a shop I know in Ashland VA. Along the way the car would suddnely jerk to the right... Something is far from right. They are backed up and can't look at it. So I drive back down into Richmond, slowly, to the Suby place on West Broad. Forget the name. I explain the situation and they take the car in and I'm drinking complementary hot beverage in the waiting room. I notice my car, temp tag in the window driving around the lot. I can hear the banging from the waiting room. Service writer walks in about 6 minutes later. "Car is Done".
Huh?
Yeah, come look at this.
They showed me. Under the ball joint, there is a bolt that hold it together.
The bolt was missing. The ball joint would just come part and some how just pop back in. The guys in the shop looked pale when I told them how much driving I had been doing since it started having symptoms like that. Evedently this car COULD have killed me as soon as the joint came open the first time. I think I first noticed the problem in Chesterfield, VA.
Anyways, they put in a new bold and put in a cotter pin to make sure it doesn't come off again.
A few weeks later, I have to be back in Utah.
This time I am in a real hurry.... I get the oil changed again, this time with some 20W50 grade because I read in a shop manual that that is what I should be running. I through in new plugs (Bosh Platinums) and a new air filter too (STP Brand) and then I head West. I super cruise at about 100 most of the way... until I hit Colorado. Weather has been fine the whole trip... then I go through the tunnel up in the Rockies. I am shooting through it at a good clip and see a warning sign go by that says "Winter Conditions Ahead". So slow down a bit... but I am still going pretty fast. I exit the tunnel into a total white out. I can't see ANYTHING. Not the road or even the lines... nothing. Through the heavy falling snow I can make out the flat of the roadway and just stick to the middle of it and keep going. I notice the other direction has been well plowed... but I am on fresh powder and rolling at only 30 now through this winter hell. But the Suby isn't having any issues... it keeps plugging ahead no problem. No slipping tires... no slides... no skids... The snow clears up once I hit PRICE UTAH some hours later.... Later I hear on the news that Denver is snowed in. "No Kidding?" I think to my self. So Price is clear of snow... and I am behind schedual. I hit it and drive the Sube like I stole it. Like something out of GRAND THEFT AUTO III if you ever played that game. I'm doing 130 the rest of the way home... No problem. I make my meeting and all is good.
Oh, I still have a paper tag in the window. So I roll in to the inspection station.. Safety... Passed. Emissions... Passed. No problems noted at all. Car was running GREAT after such a flogging. 2800 miles one way... and I put on about another 1000 around Virginia and Utah since. (And yet another oil change)
I think I am a firm believer in the Suby as a reliable and solid little car.
Now that I have it back home safe and sound in Utah... and we are all settled down...
I was thinking about selling this car and buying a motorcycle... but I have decided to keep it.
I think it's time to whip that Suby some more. I'm thinking some Rally Cross action with it. Its done a lot of hard work... I deserves to play now.
Okay... I'm new to Subes, and to this Forum... so help me out.
I come from Rally Trashing Audi and VW cars. This Sube is ALIEN to me. It's an automatic and that's alien too. But the car feels spry enough to play well... but it could pull a little harder. It's stock right now.
What are the first things you should do to liven up a Sube?
And what the heck is that black button just forward of the gear selector?
