Picking up a free 98 Subaru Outback, now what?

So my brother calls me up and says he knows someone that was going to scrap a Subaru unless I wanted it. It has 170k miles with a manual transmission and was a daily driver till that person got a newer vehicle. Many ideas have gone through my head but I’m not sure what I really want to do with the car. I’m kind of thinking challenge car but I need to finish my current projects first. Figured I’d post it up and see what ideas everyone else has.

As far as looks this is what I have in mind:

One question I have is how would I go about turbo charging it while keeping the stock computer happy so I can pass MA inspection? I can’t just flash it like my old 02 or 07 WRX’s and I don’t know if I can piggyback Megasquirt with the stock computer and not get a check engine light. I also know the stock 2.2L won't take too much power.

PseudoSport wrote: As far as looks this is what I have in mind:

Are you kidding? If I was getting a free Impreza OBS, THIS is what I'd have in mind as far as looks go:

Good score, though.

RALLY!!!

Keep it as close to free as you can and rallycross the crap out of it.

If you're interested, my nephew just sold his WRX. He has a set of these wheels with Hancook Ventus V12 EVO tires for sale. Wheels and tires are less than nine months old. He's not too far from you either, in Manchester, NH.

Rally Cross looks like fun, but it looks good enough to make a fun street car out of it. I think it would be more fun as a turbocharged track car than a rally crosser. It really depends on how rusty it is underneath.

If we can figure out a way to make it pass emissions and build a budget turbo motor, it could be real fun.

They were going to scrap that? The mind boggles. Nice score though.

Headgaskets and fender rot.

Other than that they are probably the best over all cars i can think of, and i want to say if you get in to the lowering with an outback you can only go so far due to a welded block or something on the strut towers.

Good luck and congrats.

Evaluate the rust before you get too far. If they patched the door, it could be a nightmare underneath. Probably a good rallycross candidate. Don't bother with turbo'ing it if you plan to register it. If it turns out to be super clean, best way to pass emissions is to swap in a usdm turbo motor and the corresponding wiring harness and dash.

Seriously, Every free subaru ever should be 1-2 feet off the ground regularly.

Why would somebody "scrap" a perfectly good car like that? Oh, I forgot, you're in Mass.

You always get the good deals. I do hate you sometimes.

In reply to sachilles:

I don't know if it's that easy to just swap the thing here in MA. They will plug the registry computer to the OBDII port and I'm pretty sure it will read as whatever car's computer it is, and not a '98 OBS. If it is that easy, I know where there is a wiring harness for one of these, and maybe even a computer.

Flip it for a few hundred bucks...that thing is worthless.

(what is your paypal address, I will have the "few hundred bucks" wired instantly!)

I already have a beat up Subaru or I would gladly take that clunker off your hands. If it passes emissions put some good non studded snow tires on it and terrorize the neighborhood. I have led several big tired pickup trucks into grief when they tried to follow me through the twisties on packed snow. I KNOW how fast I can go. They did not know how fast they could go. For the summer use it in dirt roads or rally cross.

Oh before this nonsense put a roll bar or simple cage and a good driver and passenger seat in. You don't want to drive alone do you? A fire extinguisher is also a good idea. I once saw a wreaked Subie that had burned itself to the ground. The fire was hot enough the engine castings and aluminum wheels had burned. Scary.

ArthurDent wrote: They were going to scrap that? The mind boggles. Nice score though.

I have a friend who scrapped a 97 last year. He tried for a month, and couldn't get $500 for it.

Rust is my biggest concern and the vehicle is currently up in Maine. It’s hard to tell from the pictures. I can see a little rust on the rear quarters but the fenders and bottom of the doors look ok. If it’s getting bad underneath then rallycross might be in its future. Who knows what other issues it might have. Free vehicles are rarely perfectly fine.

BobOfTheFuture wrote: Seriously, Every free subaru ever should be 1-2 feet off the ground regularly.

Quoted for truth.

Zomby woof wrote:

ArthurDent wrote: They were going to scrap that? The mind boggles. Nice score though.

I have a friend who scrapped a 97 last year. He tried for a month, and couldn't get $500 for it.

Seriously? The crap merchants around here would ask $2k, say it's "like a WRX" and have it off the front lawn by sundown.

Where in Maine is it? Only Cumberland County (Portland area) requires emissions testing, so for all you know you could run into issues with emissions in Mass. even as-is, unless it's pre-96.

Insert the obligatory "you should just give it to me since I live in a part of Maine without emissions testing" here. But I am serious about that concern. Granted, if it fails Mass. emissions with the stock 2.2, all the more reason to ditch it in favor of a, um... newer, more environmentally friendly powerplant.

If it is costal maine i can tell you from experience (and show you my legacy) check the rear quarter panels behind the wheels and looking at the pics poke at it to see how bad it is.

Give it to me.

The quarters and rocker panels don't appear to have any major holes, free sounds like a good deal to me.

I'd try to clean it and flip it, and if no one bites rally the crap out of it.