Anathema's Oddball Collection

[Anathema]

After the Expo decided it had had enough of living (still not exactly sure what died on it, but the metal flakes in the oilpan gave me a hint that it was terminal) I was once again trying to find a car.

This time, though, thanks to the new job (at UPS) I am making enough money to actually get something decent for a change, something that wasn't older than I am.

So cue a good 2-3 months of searching for something that was:
A) good on gas, due to the new job's commute;
B) manual.

This limited my options a lot, if I'm honest. 'Good on gas' I use here loosely, given that the Expo and 240SX only averaged around 22 MPG (for both.) Good to me was at least 30 MPG highway.

The first serious contender (i.e., was actually planning to buy it) was a Hyundai Elantra Blue in really good shape (the Blue is the base trim model with a 5 speed manual gearbox) but by the time I had started the financial side of things, it had been sold. Lesson learned, if it's at a dealer, put a deposit on it before it's gone.

A number of other cars caught my eye, but nothing really stood out. Went to look at a Veloster (base model obviously) but wasn't a fan of the non-traditional manual 'box.

April 6th, I did my usual routine of disconnect from a league race while in a good position (screw Verizon, honestly) and then browse sites like Autotrader and Craigslist to try to find something. I did find something, all right.

This caught my eye, and not just because it had only been posted that day. With only 26k miles, a clean bill of health (with a full service record history), a very good price, and a proper manual 'box, I was absolutely ready to go see it.

Since the dealer was closed by the time I had seen it online and contacted them, I spent Sunday and a good part of Monday thinking about this little copper 500, and nothing else. Got there after work, everything checked out, test drove it and was hooked.

They hadn't even had a chance to detail it/ do their full presale inspection, and as I was talking with the salesperson I learned why; they'd taken it on a trade-in that past Friday. Made sure to not make the same mistake as before and put a deposit on it, then had to wait until the 17th to pick it up and sign all the paperwork.

So, information. It's a 2012 Fiat 500, Sport model, meaning I get a good bit of extra goodies to play with. Alloy wheels, upgraded sound system, hill start assist, fancy seats, etc. One owner, used as 'the fun weekend car' by an older gentleman and his wife. It's super clean throughout, I would be posting more pictures of the interior if it wasn't raining out (and if I had the good camera working again and not the phone's mediocre one.)

Having driven my parents' car (an '08 Elantra, nicknamed Old Mann) back and forth for a while, it's taking a bit to adjust to the copper boi. I absolutely love it already, even though the road noise is a lot more noticeable than in the Elantra.

There's no major plans for this other than to take good care of it, but I will be getting a set of the steel wheels in a few months, and some snow tires to go with them. My sister has a '14 500 Sport in red (also a manual, she did convince me to look for a 500 in the first place) and she's had problems in the snow before. Given my commute I'd rather be safe than sorry - while the Contis that are on the car are good, given past experiences with her car I kinda do need snow tires.

Other than that, there's one or two decals I'd probably put on the car (and one I have to remove, not a fan of dealer decals) and that's really it. I've only ever seen one other 500 in the copper color (Rame) and that individuality makes it stand out.

 

[homeforsummer]

Nice choice - 500s are fun little things and they've got more character than most smaller cars.

Out of interest, what did you mean by this?

Went to look at a Veloster (base model obviously) but wasn't a fan of the non-traditional manual 'box.

I figure something's either a manual gearbox or it's not...

 

[Anathema]

Out of interest, what did you mean by this?

I figure something's either a manual gearbox or it's not...

It had the dual-shift clutch with the paddle shifters, with no actual clutch pedal either.

 

[homeforsummer]

Ah, gotcha. I'd just lump that in with the general term "automatic" personally. Manual if there are three pedals and a stick, auto (with additional detail as necessary) for everything else.

I've not actually tried a dual-clutch Hyundai so not sure whether the gearbox is any good or not, but Hyundai and Kia's manual gearshifts tend to be okay at the very least and pretty good in some of the sportier models. The 500, incidentally, has quite a good gearshift I reckon.

 

[Anathema]

Long overdue update. Five-plus years later... here's where we sit.

The Fiat has still been the daily for those five years, although as of recent it's been replacement parts time for a lot of things. New spark plugs, front struts, front and rear brakes/rotors/pads, rear shocks, front wheel bearings, and a new starter motor. Additionally, the Italian memes about electrics have come true although infrequently and I think due to general idiocity in engineering (and lots of cost cutting measures, if I'm honest.)

In the middle of 2021, the rear wiring harness was in the process of trying to fry itself. This took out a body control module that meant the license plate lights were out, so it wouldn't pass inspection... but due to COVID shortages, I had to wait six months for a replacement (thankfully covered under warranty.) Last year, before I finally figured out it was also the starter motor, it would intermittently refuse to start (but it could be bump started without an issue.) Poking around on various Fiat forums led me to suspect it was the battery ground cable underneath the battery box, and it was indeed that.

You're not supposed to come apart when I loosen the bolt holding you in...

Remember when I mentioned cost-cutting measures? The drip hole for the battery box goes right over this unsheathed ground cable, which is why they oxidize and rust. Didn't want to replace it with the same piece of crap that would then later do this, so found some shielded ground cable and made a replacement. No issues once the new starter was installed.

Until the rear wheel bearings started to give out. And now something else in the front end is making bad noises. Cars are lovely until they're not.

Speaking of...

In early 2023, about six months after the Fiat had been paid off, I'd been looking for something relatively affordable to take to the racetracks in the area as the Fiat is not allowed (rollover hazard.) I do not have the garage space for a convertible like a NA/NB Miata or something slightly older that would need to be hiding in a garage for most of the time. The only real criteria I had was I wanted a manual. I also was looking at running costs, so that also kept me wary. I was looking at GR86s, Elantra Ns, GTIs, things of that nature.

Then, browsing AutoTrader... this popped up.

The day I first saw it at the dealer. Not my parking job.

Someone had traded in this 2019 VW Jetta GLI at a dealer a few hours away, and it caught my eye once I realized what it actually was. They had it listed as a regular GLI, but it is not a regular GLI. This is the 35th Anniversary Edition, which means a number of special things.

• Only 3,500 of these were built and only for the 2019 model year
• This package has the analog gauges in the instrument cluster unlike the Autobahn (the top of the line model)
• Magnetically adjustable suspension package lifted from the Golf R
• Brake package also lifted from the Golf R
• At the time, it only had done 20,700 miles (!)

The biggest seller for me was that GLIs, even these, were on average $4,000-$6,000 cheaper than an equivalent GTI (even with this being a special model.) It was not without flaws, which is entirely understandable - it lived its entire life in upstate NY to that point, and there's some minor chips and scratches in the paint plus a small bump in the rear by the trunk, but it was all cosmetic stuff and things that I could overlook and fix later down the line if I really wanted to. The main thing is that it had a full service history and had been coated underneath to stop corrosion, which I really do appreciate.

The day I brought it home, feat. rain. You can see the bump by the trunk right before the right rear taillight.

As it stands today, it's done just over 29,000 miles total. Very comfortable ride, feels excellent even with the all-seasons it has on it currently. Made the trip down to VIR, then to Watkins Glen the following weekend with no issues. Never fails to bring a smile to my face when I drive it. The only plans I have currently are to get a set of aftermarket wheels to fit performance tires to for track usage. It's been to Pocono Raceway and Lime Rock for open track days, and that's the one thing it really needs to be what I want it to be.

 

[Anathema]

I wonder what this could be.

 

[SVX]

Welcome to the valley of death team. I highly recommend you join 2nd Gen Legacy Enthusiasts on Facebook - pretty irreplaceable resource for the twin turbo cars.

 

[Anathema]

I didn't expect to buy this at all.

You don't generally expect to be able to find your affordable dream car in as close to perfect spec, especially when said car was never sold in America. Yet... here we are. I'd been looking for a JDM Legacy GT wagon for a long time ever since they first became legal to import here, and as prices have started to climb the ladder, I was worried I would miss my chance and be priced out of one like the Stagea 2.5 and 260RS' have been. The other option was a WRX STI wagon of similar vintage, but those are also now out of my comfortable price range (in good condition)

That left Legacy GT wagons, either a VDC or a GT-B preferably - and I didn't care if it was an automatic or not (will explain why later). Prices for these are reasonable excepting the major importers. I'd looked at a VDC before this, but the miles were relatively high (in the range of 110,000) and the service history wasn't that well known.

This one showed up on Marketplace for a good price given the condition, miles, service history, and aftermarket mods done to it - although I would have preferred one as close to stock as possible, the mods aren't obnoxious or eBay garbage. So... what is it, actually?

This lovely gem of a Legacy is, to give the full title, a 1999 Subaru Legacy GT-B E-Tune, rev. B. What does that get you for your mouthful of a name? Well, a twin-turbo (sequential) EJ20 to start, paired to an automatic transmission (!). If it wasn't obvious from the badge, the B in GT-B meant Bilstein suspension, which this car no longer has. E-Tune... there's so many different definitions floating around on the internet, but unless I'm wrong (and correct me if I'm wrong, @SVX ) it stands for Economy Tune. Different gearing, different turbo sizes, better interior trim, and a stiffer chassis from my understanding. The rev. B stands for revision B, which I think relates to a different instrument cluster, HID headlights and a few other differences.

It just ticked over 126,000 kms (about 78.3k miles) and has a full service history (timing belt was done at around 70k miles with pulleys as well) plus had been in the same area its entire life in Japan before being imported here. One of my main concerns with these was rust, and given where I live finding a non-rusty US example of any Subaru of this vintage is a tall order. This car lived its entire life in Kobe, Japan, before coming here (so southern portion of Japan... meaning no snow!) and has seriously been taken care of. There's a long list of things that have been done, and as I go through the car I'm still finding out aftermarket things that the previous owner installed in Japan, but here's a condensed list;

• Prova ECU
• Prova Eifel coilovers front/rear
• Beatrush front strut tower bar
• Beatrush pedal set (with dead pedal)
• Beatrush radiator support bracket
• Zero/Sports upper and lower radiator hose
• Upgraded brake pads/rotors (there's not any markings on these so I don't know what they are as of yet)
• Upgraded crank pulley (all were changed when the timing belt was done, this one is the only one not an OEM replacement and I don't remember the brand offhand)
• Factory door/trunk spats (rare dealer option, has all five)

Is it perfect? Absolutely not, and I never expected that from a 25 year old car. There's some paint scratches and dings, and some of the interior electronics are old and tired, but mechanically this is sound and a blast to drive. It is missing the rear pieces for the factory bodykit, and needs a thorough detailing, but overall this is as close to perfect as I have found.


So... why buy this, and why buy an automatic?

Two main reasons that I haven't touched on.
First, my own health. My family has a known history of sciatic nerve problems, and before my weight loss I had been dealing with a bit of it myself. It still does flare up from time to time, and having a manual car with that medical issue can be a genuine pain. It has been an issue once before with the GLI, and me buying an automatic is a bit of future-proofing for myself. I also have no intentions of chasing more power or taking this to track days - that's what the GLI is for!

Second, and because this is who I am... price. Automatics go for a fair bit less than manual examples, and as I mentioned above in the post for the GLI, why not save some money if I have no intentions of blasting this around a track, or god forbid some idiocity like a street takeover? I care far more about driveability than sheer power and performance; if I really wanted those two things from a JDM sports car, I'd have bought a Impreza instead.

Another reason to get one of these over something else JDM is parts availability. Subaru used the same parts for so many different cars here that will also fit right in this one (barring RHD exclusive things and specific engine parts) that I can find replacements for everything with no serious hassles. Friend of mine who also bought one of these had a Nissan Gloria before he bought his Legacy, and he said the parts availability is night and day.

Future plans? Keep it clean, keep it alive, care for it to the utmost of my ability. It will not be driven in winter at all and will actually be going into storage soon for winter. There is a short list of things to replace and do plus a few additional tools to buy that I don't have (for ease of maintenance.) I'll try to keep this updated as regularly as possible, but there's no guarantees given I'm back in college (thanks to my employer covering 100% of the tuition costs) and I have two other cars that also need care and attention... notwithstanding my recent adoption of a rescue husky that's become my main focus.

Shortlist of things to do;

- Front end inner tie rods, both sides (DONE 09/28)
- Headlight lens restore (have kit already)

• Replace front door speakers (driver's side is cooked, passenger's is crinkly)
• Full exterior/interior detailing before winter storage
• Turbo timer installation (have a Blitz FATT ready to go)
• Boost gauge installation (moreso for my own peace of mind)
• Rear license plate conversion kit (so it's not held on by a single bolt... US plates don't match the bolt holes for JDM cars)
• Aftermarket GPS speedo (I have an idea of what it is in km/h, but just to be safe...)

As far as tools... I do need to buy a lower profile extended floor jack, it sits juuuust a bit too low for the current one I have. Only other QOL tool would be a 22mm reversible ratcheting-end wrench, as my set of those only went up to 19mm.

 

[SVX]

Amazing!
I grew up and around the BH5 because of my dad - incredible soft spot for the wagons, and it looks so good with the front lip.

E-Tunes also meant body coloured grill borders instead of the chrome that peeled when you sneezed, and aluminium bonnet/hood.

Definitely check out SL-i, ClubSUB (NZ forum - we have had a lot of these) for tips and just general help with maintenance. Twin Turbo Legacy Enthusiasts I think is another good resource on Facebook, and a lot of us in 2nd Gen Legacy Enthusiasts have owned third gens.

If you need help tracking down parts or part numbers, or cool optional extras, my PMs are always open!