In reply to Dirtydog :
It photographs well. These were the plastic trim pieces from the seat legs.
There is a LOT of nook and cranny work to do. Most of the major surfaces just have a skim of sticky and dirty that cars get when they sit outside for a couple of years. Combine that with the past use as a work car and a rallycross camper and this is where you end up. No previous owner neglect, just peeling back the years.
I was wondering where that 10mm wrench was. You by chance find a dual screwdriver bit in engine bay? Didn't realize until after y'all left it got left there after hooking up batterey.
I’m sure you could find something i could trade you for the valve spring compressor
Kinda wish i had a use for the gauge just to help you out.
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
Dollar store trip. Cheap tooth brushes, scrub brushes, sponges with scuff pad backs, etc. Simple Green et al. A bucket or 3 of water and have at it. Tuff Stuff works ok on carpet. Elbow grease and good as new.
Every picture tells a story, don't it? Apologies to Rod.
Pressure washer on carpet is awesome.
Great progeress, nice to see your son interested in it.
I always found black fabric dye and spray bottle works best at getting rid of dirty carpets
FYI, this combination screwdriver is an original part of the car, included in addition to the lug wrench and scissor jack.
I'm amassing a collection of nearly-worthless Subaru parts. Most of them are from Imprezas and Legacies; the mechanical parts are all basically identical though so let me know what you find yourself needing. I know there's at least one part on that car that's worth trading for 
And I didn't say this.. Nate may or may not have a Forester that'd be good for parts. Although I'm family and he's been one to bargain with for parts
slammo, fine purveyor of bad ideas
And since we're not on the subject: https://andersondesign-fab.com/product/long-travel-coil-over/
slammo, fine purveyor of bad ideas
In reply to Papabishop :
That's actually a 7mm. I think it was tucked in the back, but then again, my Craftsman set is missing it's 7mm on the rack and now I'm wondering if I just dropped mine while messing around? Did I ever have one?
The double ended bit rode on the core support all the way home. I'll put it in a bag and save it for you.
Also, if you have contact info for Nate, there are a couple of pieces that would make the car a bit more acceptable to my wife. I think it's going to clean up great, but there is a HUGE difference between "nice enough for my kid's first car" and "nice enough for my wife to drive to work".
In reply to Slammo :
Stop! No. Wait. Don't, keep throwing fuel on the fire.
In reply to everyone else :
Don't worry too much about budget recoup right now. This is going to be less of a proper Challenge project and more of a kids first car on a Challenge budget. At this point I fully intend on being at the Challenge with it, but best case scenario we're going to be looking at a stock clean forester that's lower and stiffer on sticky tires. If it were a "real" challenge car I would be deleting the AC instead of fixing it and putting off the timing belt until after the Challenge to save on budget. Because the kid is getting his permit before we head to Gainsville, we're going to be spending more of our money making the car a better car than a faster car. Which brings me to my next question. Is refrigerant considered a fluid for budget purposes?
mazdeuce - Seth said:In reply to Dirtydog :
It photographs well. These were the plastic trim pieces from the seat legs.
There is a LOT of nook and cranny work to do. Most of the major surfaces just have a skim of sticky and dirty that cars get when they sit outside for a couple of years. Combine that with the past use as a work car and a rallycross camper and this is where you end up. No previous owner neglect, just peeling back the years.
Nooks and crannies of interior floor trim plastic can get like that regardless. You can imagine what my TDI looks like after 300K+ miles... I've tried cleaning it, but at some point I'll have to do a similar interior strip-down so I can really get to everything.
Seth,
For carpet, nothing beats removing it and hitting it with the pressure washer. Brushes, vacuums, and cleaners pale in comparison. The water will run brown.
For trim tools, you need a set of BOJOs. They are made in USA and the industry standard for professionals. Less than 30 bucks will buy you a good kit. There is a difference, they are lifetime tools.
In reply to Cousin_Eddie :
Or for a few $ more, a kit that includes a set of trim-pliers you'll wonder how you lived without.
Ian F said:In reply to Cousin_Eddie :
Or for a few $ more, a kit that includes a set of trim-pliers you'll wonder how you lived without.
I'll go with you on the trim pliers. I love mine. I do like the BOJO tools over the other brands though due to the old school made in USA company and they have proven to hold up long haul.
In reply to Ian F :
LOL The models in the pictures are hilariously out of place.
This car needs AC. I've played the no AC in Texas game before, and it's not happening.
If you push the AC button with the car on, the clutch doesn't engage, however, if you make a sketchy jumper out of an old piece of electric dog fence, it clicks. Nice.
The assumption is that most of the refrigerant has freed itself and the low pressure switch is preventing things from happening. The system is still positively pressurized a little bit, which is good from a moisture and o-ring standpoint. Grabbed a can of R134 from the store got out the gauges and went to work.
Step 1 was almost immediately popping an o-ring when I started to fill it. Lucky for me it was the one right at the compressor and I have a case with about a million metric o-rings. I did have to release that last couple of psi for just a minute, but once it was screwed back together the rest of the refrigerant went in without a hitch (it needs a bit more) the compressor engaged when the button was pushed, and it started making cold. Yes! The bad part is that the clutch still makes very very bad noises and it feels like any bearings are kind of angular. I ran it without the belt and all of the bad noises are AC related, so that's good. I can find clutches for newer Subarus online for $40ish, but none for a 1998. They look the same. They go on the same. They take the same belt. If anyone has any idea about Subaru AC clutches it would be appreciated. I'd very much love to spend $40 instead of $140 considering the compressor works.
Crackers said:In reply to Ian F :
LOL The models in the pictures are hilariously out of place.
"We'll just photoshop the pliers into his hand, nobody will notice."
Hard to believe that bit made the trip back! You might cross check with a legacy or 2.5rs of same year. Talked to Nate briefly, when I inquired about the Forester I didn't get a response if he still has it . If he does should be right down the road from me, and I can go check said parts you need to make sure they're in ok shape. Sending email Shortlt with his number so you can get ahold of him.
Crackers said:In reply to Ian F :
LOL The models in the pictures are hilariously out of place.
Ha! I (obviously) didn't look at them that hard.
Cousin Eddie: I looked for the pliers on the BOJO site but couldn't find them. The set of plastic trim tools I have came from Eastwood (I think) but after numerous jobs they're starting to get beat up.
If the bathroom isn't clean this evening like I said it would be, it's because I was mowing the lawn. It's NOT because I found a guy who replaced just the bearing in the clutch for $15 which made me need to go out and pull the clutch to measure. Absolutely not because of that. Nope.
Mr. Deuce --
You've got a pretty good gig. Don't berkeley it up. Go clean the bathroom.
Respectfully,
every other man on the planet
Check kid out from school early and put them on chore duty?? And I'm keeping my mouth shut now
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