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Project Subaru Justy: It Could Be Zero
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Old cars break. I keep forgetting this fact. I’ve been chasing a rough idle and rich running condition ever since I bought this Justy in… October. Alright, a few months isn’t forever, but I am a little disappointed to have bought a rolling restoration that gets 20 mpg instead of a finicky-but-economical daily driver. I had changed the…
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Project Subaru Justy: Sorting a Sloppy Shifter
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Finding gears in my Justy was a guessing game. The shifter was sloppy and vague, with long throws between gears. There had to be some way to improve this. It was diagnostics time.
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Project Subaru Justy: Bad Omens and Junkyard Luck
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Put the car in gear to pull away from the stoplight. Slowly let up on the clutch. A moment that feels almost like forward motion is followed by grinding. Feel that gut sink. Try again with same results. Open the window, then the door. Step out. Reach in and turn the wheel. Put a shoulder to the door…
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Project HoonTruck: Let's take a look at what we've got here
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I pulled up to the stoplight. Third gear was still a mystery to me, but I was working on it. I’ll figure this truck out sooner rather than later, but I was still stuck in the getting to know you phase of our relationship. The brakes were stiff, but I knew that already. Regardless, they…
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Project Subaru Justy: Itty Bitty Wheels and Tires
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My Justy’s previous owner sold the car to me with a brand-new set of tires mounted on alloy wheels. He said he had spent a good amount of time finding wheels that were the right size and period-correct. It was clear the man loved the car and was interested in taking good care of it, but…
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Project Eagle: Diagnosing a Driveline Problem
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When I last spoke of this Eagle, it was a mere introduction — both of myself and of this project. I hinted vaguely at its “some kind of clutch problem.” Honestly, that’s about all I knew at the time. Shortly after, my dad came over for a visit and we spent a couple days yanking the…
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Introducing Project HoonTruck: My "new" 1965 Ford F100
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The time has come to begin a new project journey. For some reason that I can’t fully explain, I’ve had an itch to add a truck to my life. It had to be old, and it had to have a bit of style. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to my 1965 Ford…
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Project Justy: Even Your Horn Can Wear Out
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On my first night drive with my Subaru Justy, a friendly motorcyclist pulled up next to me and said I don’t have any marker lights. My brake lights worked fine, which was somewhat comforting, but any co-spatial event in this tin can is unlikely to end well for me. I had to avoid driving at night until I…
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New Project: A Buyers Dilemma
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I’m very close to adding a new project car into the Hooniverse garage. Ever since I’ve sold the Civic, I’ve been looking for something to fool around with at least until The Wombat is ready to roll. I’ve got two choices on my plate this week, and I’m interested in both. One is close to…
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Project Justy: A Tune-Up and Unearthing Problems
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This Subaru Justy, as with most cars that sell in the very-low-four-figure range, has had an unknown number of previous owners. It’s not worth the trouble to find out. That simple fact, combined with its low price, means the Justy had problems that were ignored because they’re not worth the cost to repair, and has problems…
