Project: AWD TURBO Family Hauler (04 Forester 2.5XT)

[JustinG]

Yea, well a trade up is inevitable in the next year or so. Smart Justin would sell all mods and put in a reman/junkyard motor. I really should just do the smart thing......but it is no fun

Looking at the cost, a shortblock from Subaru is gonna cost me $4-500 less than a basic forged piston short block.

[WRXtranceformed]

Yea, well a trade up is inevitable in the next year or so. Smart Justin would sell all mods and put in a reman/junkyard motor. I really should just do the smart thing......but it is no fun

Looking at the cost, a shortblock from Subaru is gonna cost me $4-500 less than a basic forged piston short block.

If it fails compression / leak down the smart Justin would put the turbo back on and trade it in on something else. Who knows what that thing could keep costing you down the line, especially if you keep modding it.

[JustinG]

This is true.....problem is trade in value is shit on these. Private sale to an enthusiast is where you get your money back, but no one is gonna buy a broken XT.

[Sully]

I would.....if it was an outback.

I'm sorta debating if i want a headache though. Current plan is to buy one as cheap as possible with the plan that the motor might and probably will shit the bed and be ready to drop in a replacement long block with forged internals and a turbo upgrade but not sure that'll be worth it in the long run.

Or if I get this certain job where I have to commute to Fredericksburg, buy the cheapest tdi I can find and a cheap outback xt and rebuild the motor that's in it with all the forged goodness but a built long block seems to be the easy button still

[Jake]

All of you Subaru people are certified insane.

I'd do a compression check, figure out if you're keeping the motor you have or putting in a reman'd motor, take all your fancy goodies off and sell that pile.

[ScottyB]

All of you Subaru people are certified insane.

we have the same masochistic tendencies as you BMW people, only difference is our cars are uglier and we have more lesbians.

[SlimKlim]

Yeah well I get the sorority girls. In fact I'm almost certain my car was owned by a real live genuine future sorority girl! She even left me glitter on every surface, spilled soda goop in the console and a cigarette burn on the passenger's seat!

Doesn't get more authentic VW than that.

[JustinG]

Leak Down Tester will be here tomorrow.....$9 to have it on my doorstep tomorrow when I just ordered it 30 seconds ago, yea sure. I LOVE PRIME.

I decided I didn't want to trust a $20 harbor freight piece, and if I keep buying dumb turbocharged cars with horrible reliability I will need it later.

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[Mike]

For a brief, glorious moment VW would sell you an MKV Sportwagen with a 2.0T TSI (far fewer known issues with the TSI, you can count 'em on one hand!)

I had no idea this existed. This could be the A4 replacement when it burns to the ground.

Ditto. Damn. Shit. Awesome.

[JustinG]

Got everything pulled off to do a leak down test last week and I cant get a wrench in there to turn the crank to get it to TDC. The pulley has 4 holes in it, so I am just gonna fab a wrench with a flat piece of steel and a couple of bolts to turn the pulley. Still looking for time to do this and the generosity of my inlaws and letting us borrow their unused car may be running out soon.

Regardless of what the tests show, I think I am just gonna put it back to as close to stock as possible. Even if it comes back with good numbers I am just playing with fire, and if it doesn't come back with good numbers, it is going back to stock anyway and Carmax will soon get a visit, assuming it doesn't smoke otw there.

So FS add with parts will soon be posted, spread the word if you know anyone looking for OEM STi or high quality aftermarket FXT,STi,WRX parts.

[SlimKlim]

Sad it hear but it sounds like the best move given your experience with this thing.

Any idea on what might be next?

[JustinG]

Something cheap, reliable, slow and boring, pretty much done with cars and their bullshit, especially when its a DD.

Civic, Mazda 3, Protege, XJ, etc

[RawrImAMonster]

The 8th gen civic si's are reasonably fun for what they are. I might get one as a daily if/when I move to Richmond this summer. My friend had one and beat the shit out of it all the time. We tested the compression at 100k and it was only like a max of 3psi off brand new factory spec. We then proceeded to supercharge it and it still hasn't had any major failures. It's been boosted for over a year now and it's his daily so I'd say it's holding up just fine.

[.RJ]

Something cheap, reliable, slow and boring, pretty much done with cars and their bullshit, especially when its a DD.

Civic, Mazda 3, Protege, XJ, etc

New Mazda 3 hatch looks really sharp.

[JustinG]

I'm talking $3-5k cheap, no payments, no stress on wallet.

[V1GiLaNtE]

XJ

[.RJ]

I'm talking $3-5k cheap, no payments, no stress on wallet.

impossibru

[SlimKlim]

XJ

Time is a flat circle.




$3-5k cheap. So.... E36?

[HAULN-SS]

Shoulda bought my malibu

[ScottyB]

I'm talking $3-5k cheap, no payments, no stress on wallet.

if you're done with DD bullshit i'm thinking you need to add another $3k to that to get something that isn't a 200k mile pile.

anyway....protege5, 5th gen maxima, 318ti, old accord....all can be had with a manual.

if you don't need anything remotely entertaining, just buy an old camry/corolla/rentalthing and drive on.