Partial surrender - no more dailying my GTA

[poohbah]

Garage update.

I feel a little bit like a surrender monkey, but I have just made the difficult decision to give my '02 156 GTA a break from the daily grind of peak hour commuting at the ripe old mileage of almost 280,000km.

This follows a frustrating 4-month period which has involved some reasonably serious expenditure (+$9k including normal servicing) and a handful of unscheduled trips on a flatbed to resolve various sudden age-related issues. I'm still in front, given I bought the car so cheap in late 2021 ($8500 and the $4k I spent then to get it up to spec for local registration) and the next two years were largely trouble free, requiring mostly just scheduled maintenance.

However, the recent issues included clutch failure/replacement (fair enough after 270,000km...), radiator fan failure/replacement, a failed injector (failed fully open, hydrolocked one cylinder but cut out before any damage - I thought I'd killed her...), coil packs replaced on rear bank at same time, snapped gear selector cable, another fuel line leak, and the engine bay fusebox failed out due to hidden corrosion and required replacement along with various associated electrical repairs (it shorted out half the instruments and electrical functions). To cap it off, I've just discovered the AC is leaking again. (*Correction - on closer inspection it is an oil leak of unknown origin, further investigation in train.)

The GTA is still the best car I've ever owned, so I'll be keeping it and using it weekends and maybe one or two days a fortnight for work, but I think its time to start backing off the mileage - I've done about 50,000km in the almost three years I've had her - and see if I can stretch out the frequency of major unscheduled repairs (I'll still service it 6 monthly).

To achieve that end, I've picked up a supercheap daily workhouse from what I reckon is the most Alfa-like Japanese manufacturer - Subaru. For the princely sum of $1800, I acquired the pictured 2002 Outback 2.5i with just over 255,000km on it.

Crazy I hear you say - all the same risks as the GTA... Sort of and not really.

For starters, I'm well acquainted with the quirks of Subaru (we've had 3 Foresters, including my wife's current 2019), and I am fully aware of their reputation for headgasket failure, transmission failure, timing belt failure, and incessant oil and coolant leaks. My new toy was owned by a pretty handy spanner twirler (now driving his Brumby ute with a Forester-swapped boxer in it) and has no leaks to speak of, the headgaskets were replaced at 225,000km with MLS ones (WRX style), the timing belt was done at the same time, along with fitment of a heavy duty clutch and single mass flywheel (yep she's a manual, no CVT worries either). Everything works - even the AC and windows, no clear coat peel, straight body and no rust, even the interior is unmarked. Plus, it's had a lift kit, HD offroad tyres, bull bar and spotties fitted - even has a working CB radio. To round it out, it came with rego til the end of January 2025. The only real job I need to get onto is to replace a couple of CV boots.

So far I love it, and without wanting to jinx it, she seems a good 'un. And hopefully it allows the GTA the dignity of more fun adventures than riding on the back of a flatbed...

And despite "encouragement" from the missus to sell the '81 GTV, I've kicked that suggestion into the weeds too ... for now at least!

[poohbah]

Further observations: the Outback is obviously a much more "relaxed" conveyance than the GTA but I have to say the 5sp gearbox is an absolute delight, particularly the short-throw stubby gear change which also feels a hell of a lot more robust than the shifter on my GTA, and has an extremely positive action.

Meanwhile I'll be taking the GTA back to the workshop for a third attempt at identifying the source of the oil leak - first pass was too grimy to tell, second after degrease and steam cleaning was inconclusive as the leak was not significant enough to show itself under pressure testing and after only a few clicks driving. So I have been advised to give it a decent workout and bring it back to see if the source can be tracked down. Current focus is on the compressor (which makes sense given my first thought was that the fluid was due to AC leak) though there may be another source. But as the leak seems fairly minor and she is running perfectly, I should be able to manage it with vigilence and reduced mileage while we work out the resolution, now I no longer need to drive it every day.

[bazzbazz]

If it "appears" to be coming from A/C compressor then the usual suspects are the front Camshaft Cover Gasket, or it's not engine oil but a leaking Power Steering Pump or hose.

Just "Spitballing".

[poohbah]

Cheers bazz, the initial assessment in the workshop was that it was most likely front camcover gasket, but wasn't obvious where exactly it was coming from. And if it was the compressor itself I'd have thought it would have already run dry and seized. I had thought maybe power steering leak but its definitely oil not power steering fluid.

[poohbah]

Just to close out, yes the leak is coming from the camcover gasket on front bank. Only small, will manage it til I next major service.