L1's Garage

Haha that’s why. It’s a dodge. Not enough zinc. Even the Cali neons have bad rust.

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It somehow passed… idk how, but it did

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That inspector must have been having a serious IDGAF day.

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I have. Not a budge nor wobble.

Not yet. Going to now. Gonna be a long one.

One of the doors does have a rotten corner but I can find a door easily enough - subarus are literally everywhere. The rust seems (seems, mind you) to have “only” gone about halfway up the rocker panel and the other layers. I’ll take an angle grinder to the car and get a better idea but it seems like it still has some good metal to work with. My hope is that some sheet metal bent to fit and welded in to look at least halfway decent will be good enough for inspection. It would kind of suck to be failed on the basis that “It’s more than strong enough to suffice and looks clean but it isn’t factory, so in other words fuck you, rejected”. That would just be fantastic.

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You’re not in commiefornia. You’ll be fine.

Share it with us and we can help you prioritize if you’d like.

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He might just be using them on the drag strip.

Yeah I have a friend that runs Hoosiers on the street, and I thought he was just asking for trouble.

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Admittedly this will depend on the inspector.

Here’s the list for now - it will probably expand as I dig further about the car.

KemoKa’s WRX repair checklist

  • Rocker Panel replacement / rust repair
  • Brake replacements and flush
  • Replace wheel stud on rear passenger wheel
  • Power steering fluid flush / Possible pump replacement
  • Oil pan/gasket replacement
  • Rear sway bar replacement
  • If strut rust is not superficial, replace front struts
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Priority one and two here.

Brakes are most definitely a first priority.

I’d argue a missing stud isn’t that big of deal, but it’s an extremely easy repair and literally cost less than the amount of money in your couch. So might as well get it out of the way.


@KemoKa73 are you going to be driving it while you’re repairing it?

I have five days left on the temporary plate. There is no way in hell this thing will pass inspection in the state it’s in and no theoretical amount of money will get it roadworthy by then, so nope. I can run the engine and let it sit turning the wheels occasionally, perhaps give it a quiet whirl around the neighborhood every once in a while but I will be dailying the Civic for the forseeable future.

This is true for the front axles. It isn’t for the rears. with the stripped (rust) ABS sensor bolt and the drum assembly it will probably need the rear suspension disassembled to get at it, or if Subaru designed it properly, just the brake assembly itself.

Breaking axle nuts is such fun :smiley:

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Not sure if youre being sarcastic. They’re pretty easy with the right leverage.

For the stud, should be even easier with a stock stud.


As for rocker panels, they actually sell them on Ebay. They’re only the outer half of the rocker panel, but that will still probably be easier than trying to match up sheet metal on both sides. Sheet metal will be cheaper though.


I’ll also look through my father’s parts box and see if there’s anything useful in it.

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I don’t know about that. I’ve had a very hard time trying to keep the hub from turning and getting a breaker bar on it.
Not too bad if there not rusted.

Oooof that’s gonna be tight for an LS

Cali doesn’t have inspections, only smog

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Never actually examined an LS, but since tons of people put them in Miatas I’d imagine it’ll go in easy.

it’ll go in with 0 amenities and cutting. that trans tunnel looks too small at first glance.

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Trans tunnel needs a bit of massaging, but aside from that, it’ll do just fine.

It’s gonna have power steering, but no ac.

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