Subaru engine reliability aside, these old drivetrains were pretty solid. They were many steps ahead of what GM had to offer, oh those awful awful early 2000's domestics.. Back in the day, Foresters and Outbacks were a good buy - and you still see them on the road! Also, today I learned about that fuse trick! Kinda smart to save it for city driving in FWD and then make a small adjustment when you have some hilly dirt back roads and trails to haul your camping gear up .. thankfully there are now more user-friendly ways to do this with a button/switch/display.
@@wigletron2846The trick is to 1. Use either OE EJ255/257 or SIX STAR Head gaskets and 2. Have it done RIGHT! I'm done with "Mickey mouse" mechanics. Done once and for all!
That fuse actually activates a solenoid in the transaxle at 100% duty cycle, and may cause it to fail over time. Also, no changes to fuel efficiency, as I came to find out while running it in FWD mode for a few weeks.
@@MikeStavola There's a whole lot of debate amongst Subaru people with the 4EAT on if will actually "fail sooner." Same on the fuel economy thing, some feel it is "The same" others note improvements
Greetings! Jersey Shore at the moment :) *Zack listed Newark.. it actually takes me 2 hours driving before I'm out of NJ on Rt 80. I TRY NOT TO PAY TOLLS! Except if I'm taking I-80 in a straight line to Chicago...
My first car was a 2001 Subaru Outback L.L. Bean Edition. It was not well maintained by the previous owners, but it worked for getting me from point A to point B before the transmission finally died. I have bittersweet memories of it as it was a bucket of bolts, but it it was MY bucket of bolts! Lol!
My mom had one of these. An H-6 L.L. Bean edition. I had high hopes for it, and it failed to impress. Even the Macintosh radio was unimpressive. 🤷♂️ It did the AWD job well, so I guess that's a win.
Its a DeLorean Time Machine H6-3.0 with a 2.5L 4 thats also Not A GM 🤣🤣lol.. H6 shots were for comparison. Someone stole the L.L. Bean (methhead in Dayton Ohio. "Brian Holbrook" who may be in Sarasota or Pensacola Florida. October 2020.) This car survives, it was in NJ at the time. I had to catch a bus home..
Review came out pretty well. Great job, Zack! It's getting a built engine and all 4 new Z-rated tires and a new catalytic converter. And a wash/cleaning. Can't be beautiful everyday. Sometimes you're too busy using it to keep it, vacuum and wash and etc. It'll happen.. sorry about the vibration thats what happens when fronts are like 1/8" off or something like that. Hey.
I've owned a 2002 Legacy wagon for the past two years, been a really great commuter car, and I've camped in the back a few times too. About to "upgrade" to an 02 AWD Astro van, but will definitely miss having the manual transmission
Yes. That's getting done next week..... no more playing around... you try to save money you spend orders of magnitude more money... I agree with what you say.
Have driven an ‘02 Outback Wagon 2.5H4 5MT since new. Gaskets went at ~180k following an overheat (malfunctioning thermostat - my daughter was learning to drive stick and didn’t notice the temp gauge needle pointing skyward 😢). Did the job myself, which was quite the adventure. Over the years have replaced clutches, timing belt, brakes, struts etc. At ~190k now. Car is slow as balls and ~50% rust, but I love it. Will drive it until it finally dies
I've owned an 02 outback for 3 years now 315000kms bloody amazing car it's so comfy and practical and in basically new condition compared to the one in this vid. Golden age of wagons before bloated less practical suvs
These cars are bulletproof vehicles!!! They can easily last up to 250k miles!! When Subaru used to be cool and sporty!! They don't make them like those anymore!!!
One of the peak Outback generations. These are still good-looking cars and drive reasonably well. The selectable FWD is a nice trick. I'm glad someone is keeping this on the road even though Subarus don't hold up well to age and miles.
Rust and head gaskets aside, as long as you look after them and have those taken care of it's not hard to find old Outbacks and Foresters with 200, sometimes 300,000 miles still chugging along. Now with the advent of CVT transmissions we'll see how that plays out...
they "blow" head gaskets usually after 125,000 miles of service. I had a 2005 Outback and it needed the gasket job done at 149,000 but it still ran fine. (it used up coolant). But it got hit by a Tacoma truck going 35 mph right in the front left wheel area the airbags deployed and I walked away. (and the Tacoma driver did too)
Toyota picking up Subaru was a win/win for both companies. Subarus’s QC increased while Toyota kept cost down on new development. As is typical with GM, they couldn’t see the Forester for the trees.
I’ve owned and restored a number of Subaru’s from the era. I keep coming back because I love the concept, but rarely the mechanical execution. Imagine a Subaru wagon with a Toyota driveline?
Subaru didn’t switch to cvts until like 2012 and after the 4 speed auto Subaru used a 5 speed auto, also new Subarus continue to have great visibility since they continue to have that corner side windows on the front driver/passenger windows
The 2000-2004 outback was the best looking one they made. Love my 5-speed manual 2004, but tempted to find an H6 version and try to convert it to manual.
The only reason they blow headgaskets is because people fill the cooling system through the radiator. Big no-no in a motor with the thermostat on the bottom. Just had an EJ22 blow its original headgaskets at 406,000ish miles. Owned it since it had 165,000ish miles. 1996 Outback with a 5 speed.
@@82_KID I always see the green ones, or a dark blue. I looked it up, apparently Seamist Green wasn't a color name until 2003, and blue wasn't an option until 2004. It was called Wintergreen on the 2002 to differentiate from the Timberline green.
The key of keeping a subaru this era alive is every 100k do timing belt and head gaskets. Then you won’t have any problems. Or buy the turbo head gaskets.
Fyi the 9-7x wasnt Subaru related, it was the unreleased 9-6X which was meant as a companion to the Tribeca. The refreshed Tribeca ended up using the exterior styling that would have been used for the Saab variant.
We had a H6 Outback, good overall car BUT: Decent Power BUT Indecisive Transmission that never gives you what you want.....Need a Downshift Now?....no downshift for you.....Soft push on pedal, it downshifts?
was the trans maintained? the 4eat in the 4 cyl wasnt much better , very much dislike , but in the early 90s in the subarus the ratios and respose was great held rpm and shifted quickly , after 99 the tras was gittery idk why
I am so happy right now 😊Gotta say. This car is going the distance!!! Movie was so-so... if anyone has any questions etc, I'm not against being interactive! Surely am gonna get the set of 4 tires to take it out of "FWD mode." It more than likely does use less gas and is peppier.. 4 matched tires "are still important" though. I just hope it wasn't too dirty in this video! Needs a cleaning.
My first car was an Ouback identical to this but the five speed. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Everything was replaced except the head gaskets. Two transmissions, countless CV boots and CV joints, a turn signal stalk, headlights monthly. I once had both headlights pop simultaneously and had to take my father's car instead. I could go on and on. I blame GM for how that car ruined my bank account.
@@Dankcatvacs Hey man. Some people just can't drive stick. I'd LOVE to swap bellhousings and maybe one day make this one a manual. Or just buy a manual.. hmm.
❤awww... I got the same stereo head unit in my Audi. Recently set it to variable RGB to keep it fun instead of red like all the illuminated things on the interior.
GM also had a big chunk of Suzuki around the same time, and sold some Suzuki cars with Chevrolet logos in some markets (look for 2008 Chevrolet Tracker). And GM cars with Suzuki logos (even weirder) in other markets... Also, these older Subarus doesn't seem to held big miles very well whitout looking like they live under a lake, don't they?
My car says Subaru-Isuzu. Made in Lafayette Indiana.. GM had... from memory: Hummer, Saturn, Saab, (Pontiac Chevy Olds Buick Cadillac) - said Hummer already.. and yes, Suzuki, Isuzu, Geo (Chevy.)
i would be leary of running around in 2wd , psersonly sounds great now you can break traction and have a little fun accept those cars are so heavy , but i would wonder about that the transfer case thinks of it . i need to read more on this subject. also my friend had one loved it , the water pump locked up , i suspect it was a gates not a aisin, so he had to get a new timing set with the water pump and a tow to the shop, i hate internal water pumps , old fasioned pushrod ohv engines most water pumps ran off belt and you wouldn't have that possibility of that problem. what killed it the second time was he ran it low on oil and burnt out the rings sad , so it you want one CHECK THE OIL never let it get to the low because the low is too low in these cars. he got about 272 ,ooo miles out of it ,
Not everyone has the time to keep their car in showroom condition. Given that this Subaru is on its third set of head gaskets, someone loves it enough to keep it going even though it makes no financial sense. Think of how many of these aren't on the road any more.
These engines are known for blowing head gaskets "left and right". I see what you did there.
Took me a sec
Literally
yooooooo lol
all because of subaru cheapness using a graphite coated gasket ... using a multi layer gasket is supposed to last a long long time .
Subaru engine reliability aside, these old drivetrains were pretty solid. They were many steps ahead of what GM had to offer, oh those awful awful early 2000's domestics.. Back in the day, Foresters and Outbacks were a good buy - and you still see them on the road!
Also, today I learned about that fuse trick! Kinda smart to save it for city driving in FWD and then make a small adjustment when you have some hilly dirt back roads and trails to haul your camping gear up .. thankfully there are now more user-friendly ways to do this with a button/switch/display.
You'll have to do the head gaskets at some point but if you budget for that the car is solid and will run a long time.
@@wigletron2846The trick is to 1. Use either OE EJ255/257 or SIX STAR Head gaskets and 2. Have it done RIGHT! I'm done with "Mickey mouse" mechanics. Done once and for all!
That fuse actually activates a solenoid in the transaxle at 100% duty cycle, and may cause it to fail over time. Also, no changes to fuel efficiency, as I came to find out while running it in FWD mode for a few weeks.
@@MikeStavola There's a whole lot of debate amongst Subaru people with the 4EAT on if will actually "fail sooner." Same on the fuel economy thing, some feel it is "The same" others note improvements
You know Subaru's drive line without their engine is a nice and cheap way of awd pared with honda' Jseries.
Keeping classics on the road with rebuilding is certainly a labor of love. Greetings from New Jersey:-)
Greetings! Jersey Shore at the moment :)
*Zack listed Newark.. it actually takes me 2 hours driving before I'm out of NJ on Rt 80. I TRY NOT TO PAY TOLLS! Except if I'm taking I-80 in a straight line to Chicago...
My first car was a 2001 Subaru Outback L.L. Bean Edition. It was not well maintained by the previous owners, but it worked for getting me from point A to point B before the transmission finally died. I have bittersweet memories of it as it was a bucket of bolts, but it it was MY bucket of bolts! Lol!
Mazda and subaru are like step brothers but don't want to talk to each other.
I don't understand what you're trying to say here, please clarify.
@@damilolaakanniToyota also owns a percentage of Mazda
@@damilolaakanniMazda was partly owned by Ford and Subaru was partly owned by GM
@@brandonblanco8379 Mitsubishi was partially owned by Chrysler and Suzuki was partially owned by gm.
My mom had one of these. An H-6 L.L. Bean edition. I had high hopes for it, and it failed to impress. Even the Macintosh radio was unimpressive. 🤷♂️ It did the AWD job well, so I guess that's a win.
2.5 flat 4 under hood but at 4:12 the plaque says H-6 3.0
Not to mention it's badged as a DeLorean!
Its a DeLorean Time Machine H6-3.0 with a 2.5L 4 thats also Not A GM 🤣🤣lol.. H6 shots were for comparison. Someone stole the L.L. Bean (methhead in Dayton Ohio. "Brian Holbrook" who may be in Sarasota or Pensacola Florida. October 2020.) This car survives, it was in NJ at the time. I had to catch a bus home..
The motor was swapped. watch from 1:07-1:43.
that was from a different car this car doesn't have hated seats he says if you had the higher trim.
@@Dankcatvacs Yup. I got the seats at a deal outside Pittsburgh.. yeah a little worn but I'd replace the seats again if I found good ones.
Review came out pretty well. Great job, Zack! It's getting a built engine and all 4 new Z-rated tires and a new catalytic converter. And a wash/cleaning. Can't be beautiful everyday. Sometimes you're too busy using it to keep it, vacuum and wash and etc. It'll happen.. sorry about the vibration thats what happens when fronts are like 1/8" off or something like that. Hey.
i have an 03 with 305,xxx miles, blown headgasket and i drive it every day. It also has a 1" lift on it and uel's and i love it
I've owned a 2002 Legacy wagon for the past two years, been a really great commuter car, and I've camped in the back a few times too. About to "upgrade" to an 02 AWD Astro van, but will definitely miss having the manual transmission
I had this exact car in this exact color in manual, loved that thing every time I drove it. 276k miles and happily chugged along
Manual swap is actually a good idea.
I replaced my original headgaskets to a set of MLS headgaskets and they’ve been absolutely trouble free
Yes. That's getting done next week..... no more playing around... you try to save money you spend orders of magnitude more money... I agree with what you say.
Have driven an ‘02 Outback Wagon 2.5H4 5MT since new. Gaskets went at ~180k following an overheat (malfunctioning thermostat - my daughter was learning to drive stick and didn’t notice the temp gauge needle pointing skyward 😢). Did the job myself, which was quite the adventure. Over the years have replaced clutches, timing belt, brakes, struts etc. At ~190k now. Car is slow as balls and ~50% rust, but I love it. Will drive it until it finally dies
I've owned an 02 outback for 3 years now 315000kms bloody amazing car it's so comfy and practical and in basically new condition compared to the one in this vid. Golden age of wagons before bloated less practical suvs
These cars are bulletproof vehicles!!! They can easily last up to 250k miles!! When Subaru used to be cool and sporty!! They don't make them like those anymore!!!
I'd love to shoot my car. But not sure the range will let me take the Glock 44 outside.
One of the peak Outback generations. These are still good-looking cars and drive reasonably well. The selectable FWD is a nice trick. I'm glad someone is keeping this on the road even though Subarus don't hold up well to age and miles.
Rust and head gaskets aside, as long as you look after them and have those taken care of it's not hard to find old Outbacks and Foresters with 200, sometimes 300,000 miles still chugging along. Now with the advent of CVT transmissions we'll see how that plays out...
That dead switch to the left of the wheel is a wiper defroster on higher trims, as well as the black oval on the drivers door is a mirror defroster
they "blow" head gaskets usually after 125,000 miles of service. I had a 2005 Outback and it needed the gasket job done at 149,000 but it still ran fine. (it used up coolant). But it got hit by a Tacoma truck going 35 mph right in the front left wheel area the airbags deployed and I walked away. (and the Tacoma driver did too)
They are known for blowing factory, head gaskets, not aftermarket ones that are the proper built.
Toyota picking up Subaru was a win/win for both companies. Subarus’s QC increased while Toyota kept cost down on new development. As is typical with GM, they couldn’t see the Forester for the trees.
I’ve owned and restored a number of Subaru’s from the era.
I keep coming back because I love the concept, but rarely the mechanical execution. Imagine a Subaru wagon with a Toyota driveline?
Subaru didn’t switch to cvts until like 2012 and after the 4 speed auto Subaru used a 5 speed auto, also new Subarus continue to have great visibility since they continue to have that corner side windows on the front driver/passenger windows
That's a real beauty ❤
From Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Thank you kindly! I appreciate you!
The passenger quarter panel now has the Loctite Rust Neutralizer product on it.. needs washed and compounded.
I never knew Subaru had anything to do with GM.
They rebadged the Impreza WRX STi Wagon as a S.A.A.B. Aero.
Yes .. the” saabaru “ 9-2x which has a little better interior and lower face value then WRX . For now
Also the saab 9-7/ Chevy trailblazer
Isuzu is the link. They didnt share any parts 2nd Gen.
My car says Subaru-Isuzu, Lafayette Indiana.
The 2000-2004 outback was the best looking one they made. Love my 5-speed manual 2004, but tempted to find an H6 version and try to convert it to manual.
I remember Crocodile Dundee promoting these in the commercials
The only reason they blow headgaskets is because people fill the cooling system through the radiator. Big no-no in a motor with the thermostat on the bottom. Just had an EJ22 blow its original headgaskets at 406,000ish miles. Owned it since it had 165,000ish miles. 1996 Outback with a 5 speed.
Why would anybody need to add coolant to the radiator? It has absolutely ZERO to do with any of that you're just talking out of your rear end.
@@CNCMatrixwhen you drain coolant isn’t there some cars that require putting coolant in through the radiator / reservoir feeds through radiator ??
That's a cool car. I almost got a red one a few years ago, but the day I decided to go to the dealership to get it; it had been sold the day before!
In my opinion.. Seamist Green and this color look really good. Not sure I'd want red. Never seen a black one.
@@82_KID I always see the green ones, or a dark blue. I looked it up, apparently Seamist Green wasn't a color name until 2003, and blue wasn't an option until 2004. It was called Wintergreen on the 2002 to differentiate from the Timberline green.
The key of keeping a subaru this era alive is every 100k do timing belt and head gaskets. Then you won’t have any problems. Or buy the turbo head gaskets.
Fyi the 9-7x wasnt Subaru related, it was the unreleased 9-6X which was meant as a companion to the Tribeca. The refreshed Tribeca ended up using the exterior styling that would have been used for the Saab variant.
Can I remove the fuse form my 2018 Crosstrek and make it FWD?
Hey man, its a little weird, you ADD the fuse in it activates a solenoid that then doesnt transmit power to rear for true FWD. It really does help.
@@82_KID what amp for the fuse?
@@richardepstein3494 10A. I once used a 5 in a pinch and it didn't blow
We had a H6 Outback, good overall car BUT:
Decent Power BUT Indecisive Transmission that never gives you what you want.....Need a Downshift Now?....no downshift for you.....Soft push on pedal, it downshifts?
was the trans maintained? the 4eat in the 4 cyl wasnt much better , very much dislike , but in the early 90s in the subarus the ratios and respose was great held rpm and shifted quickly , after 99 the tras was gittery idk why
I am so happy right now 😊Gotta say. This car is going the distance!!! Movie was so-so... if anyone has any questions etc, I'm not against being interactive!
Surely am gonna get the set of 4 tires to take it out of "FWD mode." It more than likely does use less gas and is peppier.. 4 matched tires "are still important" though. I just hope it wasn't too dirty in this video! Needs a cleaning.
I'm gonna check in properly later tonight, after movies with Dad!! (THIS IS MY CAR Y'ALL) 🤣🤣🤣
My first car was an Ouback identical to this but the five speed. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Everything was replaced except the head gaskets. Two transmissions, countless CV boots and CV joints, a turn signal stalk, headlights monthly. I once had both headlights pop simultaneously and had to take my father's car instead. I could go on and on. I blame GM for how that car ruined my bank account.
Ouch. Yeah.. this car is my "Car for life" and any car after it gets added to.. this one has to last a looooong time to break even. Like 10+ years.
must be a great driver to burn up 2 manual transmissions...
@@Dankcatvacs Hey man. Some people just can't drive stick. I'd LOVE to swap bellhousings and maybe one day make this one a manual. Or just buy a manual.. hmm.
@@82_KID different radios for manual the wholeb running gear is different
@@82_KID yes they can
❤awww... I got the same stereo head unit in my Audi. Recently set it to variable RGB to keep it fun instead of red like all the illuminated things on the interior.
Anyone know where to get that privacy shade? I just picked up a 2002 and of course I don't have it
"weird time" yeah peak of subaru history 😭
GM also had a big chunk of Suzuki around the same time, and sold some Suzuki cars with Chevrolet logos in some markets (look for 2008 Chevrolet Tracker). And GM cars with Suzuki logos (even weirder) in other markets...
Also, these older Subarus doesn't seem to held big miles very well whitout looking like they live under a lake, don't they?
My car says Subaru-Isuzu. Made in Lafayette Indiana.. GM had... from memory: Hummer, Saturn, Saab, (Pontiac Chevy Olds Buick Cadillac) - said Hummer already.. and yes, Suzuki, Isuzu, Geo (Chevy.)
I have an 03 like this the still questing for a luggage cover yards se;; as soon as they get em
interior looks like it hauled coal
i would be leary of running around in 2wd , psersonly sounds great now you can break traction and have a little fun accept those cars are so heavy , but i would wonder about that the transfer case thinks of it . i need to read more on this subject.
also my friend had one loved it , the water pump locked up , i suspect it was a gates not a aisin, so he had to get a new timing set with the water pump and a tow to the shop, i hate internal water pumps , old fasioned pushrod ohv engines most water pumps ran off belt and you wouldn't have that possibility of that problem.
what killed it the second time was he ran it low on oil and burnt out the rings sad , so it you want one CHECK THE OIL never let it get to the low because the low is too low in these cars.
he got about 272 ,ooo miles out of it ,
Love these so much, would totally own one in the H6
6:22 I always thought these were ugly in the rear end for some reason
I never knew about the GM/Subaru collab. Even further, a Chevy FORESTER!?!?!?!??!?! What countries did this happen in?
Beautiful video.
We had a 2001 Forester S
Whomever owns this car must be 41 y/o this year! 😀
That's more accurate than the Magic 8 Ball! "All signs point to yes"🎉
Heyyyy... 82 KID here and this is my car. UPDATE 12/2/2024: North of 347,000 miles. 👍
I like when you find quirky stuff like this
This car is filthy on the inside. I mean c'mon man you know he's gonna be showing your whip on RUclips... At least vacuum that shit
😂
“It makes…horsepower.” 🤣
150 hp for a 4 is not bad at all remember 150 hp v8s of the 80s?
Looks just like my grandma's from back then
I'm gonna cry
my grandma had 92 baby blue loyale sedan
Yo if it’s true, why didn’t they make a ls1 outback? When cars for built to last rather than takes people money for a cheap plastic lemon.
I got a 2001.
now toyota own a part of subaru!
Not a fan of Mr. Subaru by the way. Just putting that out there. Im like Joe Subaru myself...
oh yeah he does seem kinda bullheaded.
@@Dankcatvacs and off-putting. I'm sorry to say.
@@Dankcatvacs He sucks.
I love the way this generation of Outback/legacy looks
Dirty owner. Poor Subi.
😮
Not everyone has the time to keep their car in showroom condition. Given that this Subaru is on its third set of head gaskets, someone loves it enough to keep it going even though it makes no financial sense. Think of how many of these aren't on the road any more.
it's just an outback calm down it's his he can do as he wishes