My two 1996 Legacies (BG & BK)

So, as of Monday, I became the owner of my first Subaru!

A 1996 Legacy Outback! Took it for a drive, A/C worked, all gears shifted, I bought it on the spot. $700. But it was a short lived excitement, I get it home 50 miles away, and the radiator cracks, it over heats, and I pay $100 to have a shop tell me the HG was toast.

So now it's Thursday, and I still don't have a car to drive, contacted a woman about her 1996 Legacy GT. we meet, records indicate a compete engine rebuild at 162k in 2006. The car has 185k, so only 20k on the timing belt and HG. Work was done by roosonly in Denver, CO. However, the brakes are completely gone. Fluid leaking on the calipers.. I still buy it. I figure, why not? I've got a $700 parts car. Lol

So it's the second time in my life I buy two cars in one week. Both Auto, both 2.5. And lucky for me, I run into a guy who has a clean running 2.5 on Saturday for $275' I can drop into the OBW.

So I'm guessing, I swap engines in the OBW, sell it, and use the proceeds to repair/fix up the GT. or vice versa..I haven't decided.

What do y'all think?

1996 Green Legacy Outback 220k, blown 2.5, Auto, rust free (some dents)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Nicca64/b56504c3.jpg

1996 Blue Legacy 2.5GT, 183K, dead brakes, some rust (dent free)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Nicca64/dc9149c3.jpg

Same size rust on rear pass door too..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Nicca64/90c0d040.jpg

A lot if you pay a shop to do all the prep and paint. You can do the prep your self and save a lot of money. I don't know exactly what it would cost for a shop to fix it, but just to paint(no preop) my rear hatch a shop quoted me $300. To do all the prep with paint will be at least twice that. I would recommend going to two or three body shops and they will give you a free quote.

Does the rust go all the way through? It looks like it from the pics. I would pick which body I liked the best and swap everything into that.

Rip off that crappy plastic wheel well flange protector.

Here are pics of the holes... Other than the holes, the body is pretty damn straight. Thinking about putting the suspension of the OBW on the GT since I originally bought the OBW to go camping in.

Opinions? I've seen a few decent lifted GTs...

fender

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Nicca64/e576238a.jpg

Door

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/Nicca64/0467ef74.jpg

And I took your advice and removed that stupid rubber piece on both sides.

Yikes! Too bad the rust holes are so big. To fix them properly would require welding on a few patches. What sucks is that the rear quarter panel is part of the unibody and can't be replaced. The best way to address the door would be to find a good one at a junk yard and swap it over. It would take less time than fixing the hole, if you can find one.

I have some dents and rust in the front fenders of my SS. I could do the body work on them and fix them, but subarus are so plentiful out here I am going to just get a few junkyard fenders and swap them on. However, I am going to repaint the whole car, so I don't care if the colors match.

I have also seen people take wire mesh and secure it behind the rust holes and then just bondo over the mesh. Either way you would have to remove as much of the rotten metal as possible.

A lifted GT would look good with big wheels.

I have a friend's dad who runs a body shop. Maybe he can work some magic. ( they work on porches and Mercs mostly though, so who knows.) my only aversion to replacing the door is the color. The paint on mine is in good shape, so I'd hate to rock an unmatched color for awhile. .. I did think about wire meshing it myself. But that's too redneck for my taste. The holes should be fixable to a decent bodyshop.

This car does look sweet lowered too. Since the OBW is already beat up, keeping two cars isn't unreasonable, but it's expensive..bah

I'd use the GT as the parts car for the Outback since the Outback has a clean body.

Actually the outback is rust free, but has a bunch of dings and scratches. It's missing a side mirror, and the pass fender is dented all to hell, and the interior is trashed. The gt only has these two rust spots on the body, paint is good otherwise, and the interior is minty fresh.

Also, still have to swap engines on the outback. Which is my second dilemma. I can part it and sell for scrap for about $700, or I can spend an extra $300 and swap engines and sell for $1600. I've got $800 into it so far.

Keebler,

The one with the dead breaks will be a fun job you can work with:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/2nd-gen-lgt-brake-upgrades-wrx-front-and-h6-rear-154702.html

I posted on the thread, "what did you do to your 2nd Gen Legacy today" when I did my H6 rear breaks and replaced all of the pads as well. The H6 is a cool upgrade and I know a guy in Dallas that's parting out a 3rd Gen Legacy that you can get the brakes from. It's job, but it's what the whole Subaru experience is about.

Keebler,

 

The one with the dead breaks will be a fun job you can work with:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/2nd-gen-lgt-brake-upgrades-wrx-front-and-h6-rear-154702.html

 

I posted on the thread, "what did you do to your 2nd Gen Legacy today" when I did my H6 rear breaks and replaced all of the pads as well. The H6 is a cool upgrade and I know a guy in Dallas that's parting out a 3rd Gen Legacy that you can get the brakes from. It's job, but it's what the whole Subaru experience is about.

Pm the info! I was originally just going to swap the OBW brakes over to the GT, but that sounds like a better option, especially if he has all the parts required... ( will also save me from having to put two cars on jack stands in my driveway.)

Also, reading that guy's post, I like him already (he has a 16v Scirocco), the upgrade to 16" wheels would be a problem though.

Keebs, I left some snowflake 16" at the tire place next to my apt. If they still have them

There you can have them. They are not bent but the previous owner really used "Braille"'to parallel park on them.

my only aversion to replacing the door is the color. The paint on mine is in good shape, so I'd hate to rock an unmatched color for awhile.

A body shop can easily take a scan tool and match your current color. Then you can paint the new door and swap it on!

GT. Fix the brakes, use any parts from the Outback. Rarer find and stealthy in a way. I wanted an Outback, but the 3rd time in a row for myself and my father, found a Legacy and a GT and really enjoy it.

The sound of the engine already being rebuilt, etc. and it needing brakes sounds simpler than the OB. Still can go camping in the GT, just a little slower. How is the AWD on either? Any issues?

Just scroll down to my posts:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/did-you-do-your-2nd-generation-subaru-todayi-130047p433.html

GT. Fix the brakes, use any parts from the Outback. Rarer find and stealthy in a way. I wanted an Outback, but the 3rd time in a row for myself and my father, found a Legacy and a GT and really enjoy it.

 

The sound of the engine already being rebuilt, etc. and it needing brakes sounds simpler than the OB. Still can go camping in the GT, just a little slower. How is the AWD on either? Any issues?

That's another thing. The OBW has 4 non matching incorrectly sized tires, the FWD light is on, a CV boot is torn, and lord knows what else. It does shift fine though, so the tranny is good at least.

The more I think about it, the more I think I'm just gonna part out the OBW, If I hadn't spent the $1500 on the GT, then maybe, but even if I swapped in a new engine, it wouldn't be enough to make it truly road worthy.

Just scroll down to my posts:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/did-you-do-your-2nd-generation-subaru-todayi-130047p433.html

Got any contact info on a source for the swap?

Even if I do decide to part out the OBW to fix the GT, I can always do the H6 later.

Keebler,

Here is a 3rd Gen Part out in Dallas:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ptd/3031388426.html

Here is a 3rd Gen Leg that is getting parted out. What you are really after are the rear brake caliper BRACKETS:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee134/Rubenjc111/AAD5C829.jpg

Then the 3rd Gen Bracket will allow for the 3rd Gen Rotor to fit. Before you put on the 3rd Gen rear rotors you have to drill out the spot welds on the dust shield on the rear side of the rotor. The old dish shield is too small to allow for the new size rotor. I just got a drill and drilled them out. The metal on the dust shield is VERY thin and pliable to remove easy. This is what the original rear brakes looked like:

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee134/Rubenjc111/C4C20DAA.jpg

Once the rear dust shield is gone you can put on the rear rotor and begin assembling the brakes back in order. I used the same brake lines that I had on before.

The bracket is what holds the caliper on the to the second Gen wheel hubs. The 3rd Gen Brackets will be plug and play

Keebler,

 

 

 

Here is a 3rd Gen Part out in Dallas:

 

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ptd/3031388426.html

 

 

Once the rear dust shield is gone you can put on the rear rotor and begin assembling the brakes back in order. I used the same brake lines that I had on before.

 

 

The bracket is what holds the caliper on the to the second Gen wheel hubs. The 3rd Gen Brackets will be plug and play

Thanks for the link, I forgot that one was still available (had seen it before).

My rear calipers look 10x worse than yours. I can literally pick off the scaling rust. The car came from Mass, and then Colorado. Even the wheels have rust on them. The car has damn near brand new rotors though, all around. Would be a shame to not use them.

looks like tools to me:lol::lol:

^^^ it ain't right unless I get trolled by the best...