MeanGreenZ28

It was my first time at a real Auto-X (autocross) event and this was organized by the local Mazda club. Lots of Miata/MX5's. Got 6 runs and progressively got better, just need more seat time. This car is a daily driver and seriously underpowered, so I doubt I'd do any mods to make it more suitable for auto-x ... but I could surprise myself, lol Video is long, 'cos I put all 6 runs in it inc. inside/outside shots.

didn't see this. In all, with video and pics/etc. was about $280. Kinda high but worth the experience.

Take a huge brick and place it behind your rear tire ... take your time and take off like you normally would lol, j/k

pulled them off and put them on the '11 Legacy and threw the 16" stock Legacy wheels on the Outback ... I think it'll stay this way 'cos the 19's on the Outback looked a bit silly, lol

Well, I can't leave well enough alone so I bought a set of wheels for it ... lol I was actually looking for a stock set of used 205/70-15 on Craigslist and stumbled upon these. They were on his '09 Ouback XT he traded in and the guy was asking $450 for them but he settled on $400. They are 19" x 8.5 (+50mm offset) SSR D5R rims with 245/40ZR19 Hankook Ventus V12 EVO tires. Tires have plenty of tread left but the rims have seen better days 'cos there's a lot of curbings and scratches. Should all be fixable with a good polish and paint/powder coat job. I priced them out new and total is close to about $2000 for the whole set ... wow! as always, PICS!!! Had an issue with the rear wheels rubbing on the strut, so I put in some crappy 1/4" spacers (brings it to about +45 offset). however, the lugs aren't long enough for this (got only 4 turns on the nut) so I ordered a set of hubcentric spacers and extended studs today. Till then it can sit pretty and move about the driveway... when I picked them up Mounted... Well? what do you guys think? They look awfully big but they're actually not that much taller...

sorry to say but the way you've explained it, it does look like the symptoms of a head gasket failure. Also guys, nomatter what baas tells you, pls don't remove any equipment like thermostats/etc. unless you really know what you're doing and you understand the consequences of it. Manufacturers test their cars in freezing temps like Alaska and scorching temps like death valley and have come up with a perfect balance of performance and longevity ... somehow, I feel we should trust their product.

if its a copper crush seal, you probably don't have to use any gasket maker with it. Although there are some spray surface preps you could use if you want. It it's a paper gasket, then I usually apply a very light coat on both surfaces to improve sealing.

Plastidip is your best bet but not sure it's available in SL. Did it on mine

Yes. The rubber on my drip rail trim had peeled due to rotting and I cut off all the old rubber coating and sprayed it with Plastidip. Worked awesome and looks stock.

I remember Zenith; and the circuit books they used to publish. Simple radios, flashing lights, counters, etc. We would build these at the electronics club after school. It was fun!

am I the only one who got this??? Was about to make the same comment and saw yours so on a give you a kudos instead. Lol

after your comments, i think this sounds like a decent project. if you followed my project thread, I just bought and restored a '99 Outback for about half the market value here and am super pleased with the end result. But I knew exactly what I was getting myself into and also gave myself a safety net on the budget knowing well enough that my initial estimate would soon be surpassed by incidentals. Even though the car is now on the road, I'm still fixing small issues and upgrading things that nag me even though it really doesn't need it ... it adds up the $'s over time! Only wish I'd got a good deal on a turbo engine instead of a stock replacement at the time. Now that I could probably afford a bit more, I see good deals on turbo motors, ugh!

care to say why you're going for the largest SUV's on the market? In my opinion, it's overkill unless you've got a big boat or a trailor to pull around. I know it's your money and you've probably thought about it before you zero'd in on these two vehicles but here's my take on it ... I feel I can comment here because I too was a "I NEED THE BIGGEST THING ON THE ROAD" kinda guy. I've always wanted a Ford Excursion (not produced anymore) and wanted to go for a GMC Yukon Denali but we settled on a Ford Explorer Limited with all the bells and whistles. It was much more fun to drive around town, did better on gas and the wife wouldn't let go of the keys!!! I rented a Ford Expedition when I crashed my work truck and damn, that thing was a SHIP! A big and powerful answer to a question that was forced on people who really didn't need the excess. It was ofcourse nice to drive around like you're the king of the road, but it got old really fast and then moving around in town with the rest of the traffic, UGH! finding parking spots and parallel parking, manuvering around the mall parking lots and fitting into the narrow spots, making tight turns and u-turns in neighborhoods was all a pain in the ass!!! Sorry, that's just my take on full size SUV's. A few more thoughts... The largest SUV's get hit with the biggest depreciation with the volatile nature of gas prices these days. If you're buying this for your wife, I'd recommend going one step smaller due to ease of manuvarabillity, parking and general handling. Toyota has the 4Runner that can be had very well loaded and if that's not luxury enough, it's cousin the GX is an option. They both provide plenty of space and are a bit more more economical and will save you $$$$'s just buying it. Also look into what gas you'll need to use, the lexus is probably "premium gas only" ... Go to https://www.fueleconomy.gov/ and check out the figures I know you asked about just the two options you posted but had to give you my opinion ... this is the internet afterall!!! lol

How's the body/interior? After putting money into the engine/trans, is that going to be enough to have a good car? or do you have to do any body work/etc. and reupholster the interior? What's your plans? to get a decent car to drive everyday or do you want to mod it? If you think it's a good car, I would rebuild the engine, turbo and trans. Unless the internals are really trashed, they're easy engines to work on and complete rebuild kits aren't that expensive. But again ask yourself if it's easier to just buy a car that runs already.

Probably my last post in this thread 'cos the project is officially complete; which is to get it ready for inspection and tags. Got the inspection complete and tags today. Total cost for the whole project including the car came in a tick under $2000, which it higher than I innitially thought but only about half the market price of the car ... so I can easliy turn a profit if I decide to sell. Carbon, sorry didn't answer your question about the scoop ... since it didn't come with a turbo/intercooler, the hole is covered underneath by a black metal plate that directs any water away from falling on the engine.