Adam

The car was first advertised on another forum about 3 months ago and didn't sell. I've been busy at work so just parked it up, I haven't bumped the thread and it's long lost now, but he contacted me via that forum within hours of me posting here... Either it's a huge coincidence or he is on both forums!

Not an area I know much about, but I would say it needs to be addressed as the damaged area will start to rust.

I've sent you a private message with a phone number to call. Sounds to me like the head gaskets have gone and exhaust gases have got into the coolant when under high pressure, ie when on boost. The pocket or pockets of gas/air are now moving around the system which is why you may get hot and cold radiator and demisters etc.

I have someone who wants to view the car...

There is always a risk of further unseen problems, no matter what the job is. I would say it's unlikely the heads or block are cracked unless you have really cooked the engine and run it for a long time while overheating. They may be slightly warped but that should be put right with a skim, and whoever does the gaskets should skim them anyway as a matter of routine. A compression test before doing the gaskets wont be much use as there is no way of knowing if it's loosing compression through a failed gasket, cracked block or piston ring etc... It will just tell you what you already know, which is the engine needs to come out. Draining the fluids and removing the engine should take one man about a day, so that is a sizable lump of labour to pay for no matter what issues you find once the heads are off. It's very unlikely you will need them, but I have a pair of AVCS heads for sale... :)

I would say £1,000-£1,200 is about right for just the head gaskets. I really can't see how anyone could do them for £700 unless they were making a loss. Obviously the other items will add to that, but you should only be paying for parts and no extra for labour as the cam belt etc needs to come off anyway to do the gaskets. I do know a Subaru specialist in Kent and I've only ever heard good things about him. I don't have his details to hand so I'll get back to you on that.

Sorry... £2,500 just for head gaskets? I think you need to shop around! Ask Tlag for a quote.

I wasn't! Paid £20 for one that had been very badly painted white. Spent the same again on paints and filler etc, had Bip kindly fabricate the fittings as mine were missing and after a few days work and waiting for paint to dry, all was well.

The car had a rare RFRB grille fitted and at the time I was looking to buy one. With the risk the car would never get back to the UK I decided to steal it! We fitted my standard one to his car and I kept the grille for several months but once his new engine was fitted I had to give it back :( I later found a damaged one on eBay and managed to restore it, so we're both happy now. (RFRB was Subaru's in-house styling department but they never sold it in the UK. Finding their stuff is neither easy or cheap!)

All is well now. The video was shot in October 2011 while heading home from a 2,500+ mile tour of Europe, and the car has since gone in to bigger and better things. For the record, Tlag is the one you hear saying "You can't drive f***ing normally!" when we first open it for a look. And Bip (also a member here) is the one in the yellow top.

Is it an air-suspension version? If so, you could be looking at all sorts of expensive problems and it may be easier to convert to standard :(

Subaru Legacy GX Lux 2.5 Auto Saloon. First registered 1st September 1999 Tax until 31st January 2014 MOT until 14th February 2014 (Valentine Day ) with no advisory 113,750 miles, give or take. Oil and filter service 1,500 miles ago. Super Fast White! 4-speed automatic with "Power" button. 16" Impreza Turbo 2000 wheels with slight corrosion. Loads of tread on the tyres (fronts are less than 6 months old, rears are about 18 months old). Tow bar with working electrics and a spare rear reg plate. Factory fitted "Luxury pack" which includes... Full leather (black) interior with a few scuffs but generally in good condition for the age. Heated front seats, perfect for those cold mornings we've been having. Heated electric mirrors Cruise control, makes the car a great motorway cruiser. Ice cold air-conditioning with climate control. Works perfectly should you like that sort of thing. Windscreen Wiper De-Icer. The body work is showing signs of age and could use some TLC as the paint work has started to discolour in places and there are a few "touch up" areas that were done by a previous owner to a less than ideal standard. If there is no interest on the forum, the car will go on eBay just as soon as I can get some better photos. Make me a serious offer :) I'm based in Worcester.

I've had that problem in the past too.

If you choose a good air filter (Subaru STi for example) or induction kit, and don't mind getting the car to run on higher octane fuel you should be able to get a 10% rise, maybe more. I wouldn't worry too much about an exhaust for an N/A as it's only turbos that really gain from a free-flowing exhaust. N/As tend to work better with a bit of resistance. Try and contact a chap called Bob Rawle at BRDevelopments. He will map N/A cars and has a very good reputation. He is based in Swindon which is miles away from you but he travels all over Europe mapping. Try to find out when he is next up your way and see if he can fit you in. Be warned, he is very busy so you may have to wait a while for a reply.

I would say it's the other way round... I ran an Evo6 TME for a few months at the end of last year and I hated it. It was a one-trick pony and while it was great on a twisty A-road it was usless at everything else. Epic turbo lag, harsh ride and a tiny fuel take. Give me an STi any day as you can use it every day, not just for fun.

All the above is sound advice so nothing for me to add other than it was 2010 with the introduction of the hatchback Impreza that the head-gaskets were upgraded. Make sure you use these new ones when you get the car fixed.

OK, here goes. P.S., I reserve the right to change my mind between now and collecting my cheque. BMW M635CSI I learned to drive in one of these, aged 14! This will always be in my list. Range Rover V8 Supercharged The latest version of the icon. Note, not the Sport model! Aston Martin V8 Vantage The last of the real Astons! Aston Martin Vanquish Has to be a modern Aston in there too Ferrari F12 Berlinetta And a modern Ferrari, and this has to be the best in a long time Lancia Delta Integrale Evo2 If you have to ask, you have no sole! Jaguar XFR-S The best fast car for every day? Maybe replace this with a BMW M5. Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione The best looking car ever! Maybe replace with a better Alfa? McLaren MP4-12 The best quick car about at the moment? Maybe replace with a Audi R8 V10? Not sure on this one! Subaru Legacy S402 I would be happy to keep my GT-B, but this has to be the best Legacy of all time

What? I can only have ten! :( OK, this is going to take a while... I'll get back to you in a day or two.

Yes I'm sure it does but alas I've never had a chance to try one. But which badge would you prefer to ware... Nissan test driver or Audi test driver?

Audi test driver could be fun. Anyone else here driven an R8? It's an amazing car. And just think, you'd be paid to go to the Nürburgring and I wouldn't have to remind you to try and get time off work to come with me. HINT. Next month. HINT HINT. That photo of your company car seems a little small... I've seen better examples. Where's the one of it next to your Limited?

Ah I know it well. About 8 years ago I used to drive coaches to and from there to take the staff to and from work. I later left public transport but returned earlier this year and now drive buses, mostly around Upton-Upon-Severn.

I'm not too sure about that... Ask Tlag what his day-job is, ie what he does when he's not building Subaru engines. :p

Hours can be a little antisocial and at times there are language issues, but it's certainly a lot less stressful that tuning Subarus for a living!

I remember seeing the engine a while back. I think they also plan to introduce, or have already introduced, a 2.0 version of the same engine. The feature I like the most is the front mounted turbo... That should keep the lag down! I have been out of the Subaru game for a while now, but the last I heard (over a year ago) Subaru were looking to get as far away from the performance car image as they could. A guy I know was looking to take over a local Subaru franchise but when he heard their future road-map for the UK he walked away. Don't expect to see a return to the dirt any time soon.

There was a lot of in-fighting among the P1 owners about 18 months ago and several owners had enough of all the name calling and sold their cars. With so many going for sale at the same time it pushed the used prices down and they have never really recovered. There are bargains to be had out there!