1990 rusted out.

[Jed Thone]

I have run into a problem with my old car. After 20 years and almost 250,000 miles the rust has finally gotten to it to the point that the frame has rusted out. Its also my first car... Everything runs perfectly considering how many miles on it and the way I drive it (I destroy most other cars). But I cant keep driving it because the frame and body is no longer safe. Does anyone know where I can get an empty frame/body for a 1990 Subaru Legacy so I can transfer everything that works to the other car? The car has been far to good for me to condemn it to the scrap yard and I want to keep as much of it as I can.

 

The car has always been there for me and my family for 20 years (only left us stranded once), now its my turn to return the favor (as odd as that sounds).

 

Anyone know where I can get an empty shell for a reasonable price that has very little rust so I can rebuild this old car?

[Yamarocket630]

you didnt say where you are, but check ebay and craigs list (in the south or other placed where salt isnt used)

[Jed Thone]

I live in the New England region. I am looking anywhere depending on price, but the closer the better. Unfortunetly any shells in my region will probably have many of the same issues as my old car.

 

Here Subarus get taken off the road, not because they die, but because there is simply nothing left to drive.

[Platinum_Racing]

The Legacy doesn't have what you would call a "Frame" like an old American car or a modern pickup truck. Instead, it has what is known as a "Unibody" construction. Pretty much, the body holds the car together. Most of the body is actually a structural unit, with the floor and the roof being the most structural parts of the car.

 

It is possible to repair the rust while keeping the current car. You could find a bare bones Legacy chassis but swapping over the engine, transmission, body, suspension, and interior would be far too much work for a job of this magnitude to be considered a good idea. Financially and realistically, this project is a bad idea.

 

I too live in New England, where no car hides from rust. I have patched and cut rusted sections of bodywork on many cars, and the Legacy is no different. Where exactly is this car rusted? Usually these cars rust on the rear fenders right behind the rear tire, and in the dog legs close to the bottom rear corner of the rear doors. It is also common for the front fenders to rust behind the tire.

 

I fixed these issues on my car several ways. For the fenders, I just bought a new fender. I got one for under $100 at the local junkyard. For the rear fenders I just trimmed back a little ways on the rust and filled in the hole with body filler such as Bondo, using an aluminum screen as a backing. For the dog legs I cut out the entire section of rust with an offset grinder, ground off the paint so I got good penetration, and welded 12 gauge steel straight to the existing chassis. So far so good, and I still managed to get an inspection sticker.

 

If you want to fix the car you have a lot of possibilities. If you don't want to fix the car, but want another one on account of the first generation Legacy being the most durable car ever built aside from a diesel pickup truck, buy another one for $500 on eBay or Craigslist. Swapping over all those parts as you suggested isn't wise, especially considering the book value of a car this old and the fact that they are a dime a dozen. I know this car holds sentimental value, so if you want to take something of sentimental value from the old one try taking the drives seat, or the cigarette lighter, or if the car is a manual transmission take the shift knob. Unfortunately a car is still a machine, and all machines wear out sooner or later.

[Jed Thone]

I will post pictures sometime this week of where the rust is. The back end is rusted out real badly, needs a new rear door. Holes in all the car doors actualy, and the rocker panels are gone.

 

There is more but I will post pictures for that. Stupid road salt.

 

Also time is not an issue, if I spend 3 years doing this I will spend 3 years doing this, I dont really care if its a long term project (its nothing in comparison to what some of my friends have done). I just cannot (not only for sentimental reasons) throw out a perfectly good engine and drivetrain, thats an absolute waste to throw out perfectly good equipment if it can be salvaged. I also stand to learn a lot about cars in doing this project which is part of the reason why I want to do it. I have a manufacturers manual and a garage to work in.

[Platinum_Racing]

If you really want to do this it should be a fun project, but there are a lot of parts that would be easy to leave in the car that should make your job easier. Like the wiring harness, brake lines, fuel lines, and interior. If you want to change the seats you can do that fairly easily, but the dashboard, console, gear lever, and door panels usually never go back on the same once they've been removed a couple times.

 

Either way it would be possible to fix some of the rust and keep the car on the road. Whatever you decide to do should make for an interesting read, so I suggest you post the build on this site so we can all follow along with your build.

 

Good luck.

[subikid90]

Like said before I would check craigslist of more southern states! even some junk yards will sell you a shell if they have it