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Old 08-14-2006, 11:16 AM   #11
Calamity Jesus
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Member#: 44501
Join Date: Oct 2003
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Yeah, well, you know
Vehicle:
that 's, like, your
alternate facts, man.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by preid1184
Okay, sorry if I'm hijacking but I'm in a very similar spot as the first guy who posted. I'm in need of new (to me) wheels, and I really like the 2.2L Impreza. I looked at one today that had obviously been through at least one new england winter (I'm in NC). The engine had a good bit of corrosion/salt buildup but ran well, and the car felt strong. It tracked slightly to the left and will probably need an alignment as well as new belts and some new tires. It did not appear to be leaking any oil, and the CV boots looked fairly new. Asking price is $1,995.

So here are my questions-
Most of the corrosion looks superficial, but I don't really have any experience with the effects salt can have on a car. Should this be a red light?
My spending cap is 3K. I'm not opposed to picking up something on the cheap and putting a few hundred into it, but in this case I'm worried that might just be prolonging the inevitable (rust/corrosion affecting the cars overall integrity), and that I would be better off looking for something more expensive, but cleaner.
How hard is it to clean that salty looking crap off of metal and plastic?
How much would an alignment for a 97 Impreza wagon run?
Would anybody in central NC like to sell me their Impreza?

I'm new here, and will hopefully be a bonafide Subaru owner in the near future. If this is the wrong place to be asking these questions, let me know where to go!
1. Check in the South East Region Classifieds forum. Get to know the SE, lots of good NC folks there.
2. There are a few good Subarus in the Raleigh area.. most from the mountains have seen a good bit of salt. IMHO, it's worth it to get a salt-free vehicle if you plan to work on it yourself. Suspension work is a nightmare on my '99 RS which has spent it's life in Boone. Meanwhile, my gf's 240,000mi '92 Legacy is easy to work on.. it spent it's first 10 years in Raleigh. Keep looking.
3. There's no cleaning to it.. it usually seizes bolts and makes everything really ugly and nasty.. I effing hate salt!
4. An alignment is free if you don't mind doing it yourself. I've been aligning my Subarus myself for a few years now with the 'string method'.
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