February 2, 2024

An artisan from The Witcher

Back in April of last year, I bought a control unit along with a set of Defi gauges: oil pressure and temperature, boost, and water temperature (the latter is looking for a new owner), all with beautiful, deep amber backlighting. They match Hawk’s ambience perfectly. I then set out to find an ATI gauge pod, which turned out to be quite a challenge. There is a bunch of similar products available, but none with attachment clips at the bottom, and I wanted it to fit perfectly, with no squeaks or gaps. The Belgians came to the rescue, and so, in mid-September, the postman brought a package from AVB Sports.

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January 9, 2024

Departures and arrivals

Sometimes we wander around northwestern Poland, usually by bikes. A few months ago, I noticed a large, unused railway siding in the middle of the forest. I thought to myself: “This is a place worth remembering when the white stuff starts falling from the sky”. Some time passed, the stars aligned perfectly: Forester, Tomek, I, and the snow found ourselves in the right place at the right time. Here’s the result of a good few minutes with AT locked in 1st gear, starting from virgin powder, to this:

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December 31, 2023

Maintenance: 2023 Forester Log

2023 09 25

305969 km

Engine oil change (Castrol Edge LL 5W30),
Fuel filter replacement,
Air filter replacement,
Cabin air filter replacement,
Spark plug replacement (NGK Iridium).

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December 31, 2023

Maintenance: 2023 Impreza Log

2023 04 19

54435 km

Engine oil change (Motul 300V Competition 5W40),
Air Filter Replacement,
Cabin Filter Replacement,
Replacement of Rubber Gasket for Engine Oil Filler Neck.

2023 08 10

56514 km

Turbocharger Intake Duct, Impreza STI 02-07 – 14459AA224,
ACL Race Connecting Rod Bearings STD for Subaru – ACL-4B8296H-STD,
Spec C Connecting Rod Bearings – 12108AB010,
Crankshaft – 12200AA430,
Cosworth Metal Head Gasket 1.1mm – 20010707,
Piston for Subaru Forester/Impreza 2.5T – 12006AC410,
Piston Rings 025 EJ25 NPR (AA760) – SWF20064ZZ025,
Exhaust Valve Seal – 13211AA110,
Intake Valve Seal – 13207AA120,
Engine Block O-Ring – 10991AA001,
Waterpipe O-Ring – 806933010,
Engine Block O-Ring – 806932030,
Intake Manifold Gasket – 14035AA421,
Exhaust Manifold Gasket – 14038AA000,
Rear Crankshaft Seal – 806786040,
Front Crankshaft Seal – 80673-3030,
Camshaft Seal – 806742160,
Camshaft Seal – 806732160,
Small Valve Cover Gasket – 13293AA051,
Right Valve Cover Gasket – 13270AA190,
Left Valve Cover Gasket – 13272AA140,
NGK Spark Plug – ILFR6B,
Timing Belt – 13028AA240,
Double-Row Guide Pulley – 22-07010K,
Timing Belt Idler Pulley – 22-07003S,
Single-Row Guide Pulley – 22-07002S,
Small Double-Row Guide Pulley – 22-07009D,
Timing Belt Pulley Bolt 8x55x20 – 800708460,
Hydraulic Timing Belt Tensioner – 21-07006D,
Oil Pump – 15010AA360,
ARP Bolts – ARP 260-4701,
Aisin Turbo Water Pump, Three Inlets – 10-07009,
Heat Exchanger – 21311AA051,
Flywheel Bearing – 806212020,
Oil Hose – 15192AA570,
Engine Breather Hose – 99071AB352,
Oil Filter – W67/1,
Engine Break-In Oil – Millers CRO 10W40,
G11 60L Coolant Fluid – KTT G11,
Cylinder Head Regeneration,
Block Machining,
Radiator Replacement,
Motylgear 75W90 60L MTF Gear Oil,
Differential Oil Change,
Release Bearing – 3050212U00,
AC Belt Tensioner Pulley – RNK-SB-000,
Millers Oils CRX LS 75W90 NT+ 5L,
Knecht Air Filter – LX307,
Timing Belt Cover Sleeve – 13592AA011,
Camshaft Pulley Bolt (Intake) – 13199AA000,
Oil Pump Pickup O-Ring – 806917080,
Impreza WRX/STI Rear Muffler Gasket – 44022AA131,
Internal Timing Belt Cover – 13573AA131,
Thermostat – 21200AA072.

2023 09 25

57099 km

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November 16, 2023

What's up with Forester?

After all those Impreza Rust Diaries, it’s finally Forester’s turn for some love. This week, it’s time for an oil change, and since the mileage is steadily increasing, the spark plugs were also due for replacement, as per the book.

For the record, at 305969km:

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September 25, 2023

Maintenance: Engine break-in done

Engine break-in done: 57099km. Oil change to the default: Motul 300V Competition 5w40.

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September 25, 2023

Rust Diaries: Post scriptum

Since Tomek is currently laying down the carpet in the Impreza and will soon start installing the seats, I thought it would be a good time to write a little summary.

Is it worth it?

Yes, definitely yes. Time takes its toll, and although this particular example was in objectively good condition (see sills, shock absorber mounts, and fenders), I don’t know how it would have looked in a few years time. Now, I can sleep a bit more peacefully. Besides, there’s a lot of fun in all this work — we laughed like beavers chomping on aspen twigs. There’s also satisfaction — maybe not exactly “build not bought”, but something along those lines.

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September 21, 2023

Rust Diaries: The interior

During the summer holidays, we stripped the interior from the dashboard to the trunk; now it’s time to finish the job. Although I’m already in Poznań, Tomek is still working on it. The condition is actually very good, no holes or deep rust pitting.

The method is exactly the same as for the undercarriage: stripping, sanding, and using the chemicals. The only difference is that instead of Cobra, Tomek is applying 02C paint as the final layer.

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September 18, 2023

Rust Diaries: All things are important, but some are more important

Of the important ones, with a big smile on my face, I’m happy to report that the Impreza will soon have all its clips in perfect condition. I spent a fair bit of time under the car and noted all the missing, broken, and suspiciously hanging by a thread clips, and as always, my local Subaru specialists stepped up to the task. I’m also really happy about the sponges for the fuel tank roll over valve and fuel pump access flap, they were in pretty bad shape, and are notoriously hard to come by.

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