Cascade Crew

[Alphius]

I picked this thing up a couple weeks ago. Aaron will be disappointed to learn that I sold the Land Rover to help fund this purchase.

The vehicle came with the "Radio Flyer" name. I'm strangely obligated to keep it.

So what is it? Sitting in the driver's seat, you would be reminded of the fact that there is apparently BOOST available to you. Even better, some FULLTIME 4WD action up in here.













1991 Subaru Legacy Turbo
Rio Red
AWD, 5-speed

It already has: fuel+spark piggyback ECU, '03 WRX transmission, limited-slip center and rear differentials, 3" straight turbo-back exhaust, upgraded suspension parts, 14k on the motor. Came with a couple different intercoolers, and a trunk/backseat full of spare parts as well.

I drove over 1000 miles in one day cruising to Idaho and back to get the Radio Flyer. It was a good deal, really. Couldn't pass it up and the roadtrip was worth it. Left home at 5:30AM and arrived back home with the new car and a good story at 11:59PM, and promptly crashed for more than a few hours.

I bought the car with a known problem, as soon as you hit positive boost pressure it would cut fuel and die until you got off the throttle enough to drop below atmospheric. 500 miles like that on the freeway was... interesting. And no speedometer cable, but I did have a GPS that said "Please obey the speedlimit" repeatedly if I went more than 5 over. Quickly also discovered that the left turn signal was not working. Oh well, keep on trucking. As dusk fell and we were trekking across the vast expanse of Eastern Washington, a kind sheriff saw fit to pull my beloved Radio Flyer over and inform me that "Sir, it appears your marker lights are not working." He let me know that he "didn't want me to get deep-trunked in the dark, and you better have your buddy back there tailgate your ass the rest of the way home." Off with a warning! No ticket! Time to trudge on and make it home without further incident... As if. The car is running great, transmission is shifting like butter, I'm heading up Snoqualmie Pass in the dark. I used the clutch to downshift for a steeper grade, and BAM! clutch pedal hit the floor like Chris Brown hitting Rihanna. We're now about 250 miles from home, but luckily it's mostly freeway. So with no taillights, no speedometer, no clutch, no blinker, and no boost I proceeded to merge onto WA-18, then I-5 through Tacoma and back home to Chehalis rev-matching my shifts and hoping not to get rear-ended the whole way.

Quite an adventure.

At the time, I thought I had made a mistake. No sane person would pay actual money to buy this car and drive 1000 miles in one day for the privilege to do so. Now, three weeks later, I'm feeling a little better. No taillights was a simple fuse. No clutch was because it needed bled and new fluid. Left blinker was unplugged. No boost was because it was missing a couple solenoids and needed a new ECU. A trip to Pick-A-Part took care of the speedo cable and a couple other interior bits and baubles. Now I'm coming out on top, or so it seems.

Plans are to make this my daily driver if and when I determine it's reliability and make it nice enough to spend a lot of time inside. Currently running 11psi of boost, and it pulls alright. 2700lb car and with my current 11psi boost right around 160-170awhp. Eventual plans call for a bigger front-mount intercooler and some injector upgrades along with a bigger turbo. That and 16-18psi should push me up to around 220-240awhp (300chp). At that power level, reliability is not a concern. People on my Subaru forums are pushing bone stock shortblocks (with different heads than mine) up to 25-28psi with supporting fuel and making 340+awhp.

Yay new project! And a turbo-ed car is addicting. I've been jonesing for daily-driver boost ever since I sold my first turbo Subaru wagon.

What's up with people buying RED cars lately anyway?

[aaron_sK]

Bah! That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!

The engine is broken in half, and it only has half the cylinders to begin with, the transfer case doesn't shift, it's got a fart can, and... they made you get one of those new bogus Cali-style plates.

Sun-faded red is the thing now, though. You are correct.

[Alphius]

Retarded-government-of-WA Cali-style plates - Check.
Half the cylinders, twice the power - Check.
Fartcan with "advanced mid-exhaust muffling device" (turbo) - Check.
Transfer case seems stuck in 4WD - Check.

Don't worry Aaron, I need a real truck, not a lame Land Rover. And I'll get one eventually. Couldn't even haul any crap with the Land Rover. Land rovers are a soccer mom's parking lot status symbol. I have been looking for a cheap diesel Ford truck for all my trucking needs.

Plus Land Rover was BLUE. I was feeling left out of the RED club.

Bwaaaahhhsssssssssssss-PSSSHHHHHW-Bwaasssssss-PSSHHHHW

[91RSVert]

Dont forget to do something about that warm air intake.

I have had a few friends that had the non-turbo/non-awd models and they seem to last quiet a while....then pop the head gasket.

[Alphius]

[Spikeophant]

My sister had a stock one of those Legacy turbo's in highschool, 5spd, sucker was f***ing fast.

[aaron_sK]

[Twilightoptics]

Minus the fart can looks like a good deal. Buddy has a non turbo one with an auto. Gutless as hell but durable.

I'd totally roll that red car!