Hello! Newbie from Vermont

[vdubster79]

Hello all. My name is Jason and I am a 28 year old Jeep Tech from Burlington Vermont. My family always had Subies when I was growing up, but somehow I managed to fall into German cars first, then Jeeps, and now finally my Own Subie.

I have probably owned 60+ cars in the last 13 years, some to fix and sell others to thrash and trade up, most of them all fun. A handfull were big money project cars that were fun while they lasted and sold as is or dismatled and put into other people's cars bit by bit. I started working when I was 14, and cars have always beena passion of mine.

Back when I was a wee little kid I used to be strapped into the back of my dad's black on gold Turbo Brat. Most of my family members had first generation Legacy wagons, and an Impreza or two here and there.

My first Subie is a 1998, Midnight Blue Legacy L Sedan, 2.2L 5 speed with just over 200K miles on the clock. I have most of the receipts from the first three female owners, car has been well taken care of and I bought it for a song. Originally it was from Rhode Island and has lived here in Vermont for about 5 years. It has a few typical New england rust spots starting, but pretty darn solid compared to others running around up here in the Green mountains. Since I have owned it I had to do a few things like alternator, and belts and a radiator. Other than that I have been collecting some nice JDM bits to make her a little less plain Jane :wink: Hoping to add some boost next year if she treats me right :twisted:

Pics to come next week when I can.

[d1giPhux]

welcome man! im located about 1.5 hours south of you in NH!

[Reason]

Welcome, PM me if you need parts!

[Huffer]

Sounds like a good little car. You planning to take care of the rust? That's a sore spot for me...

[vdubster79]

Absolutly, I will be having one of my body shop buddys repairing the rear quarter spot. Its just starting, and the other side is fine. A few years ago when I tried to buy this car from the second girl I pulled the rubber mouldings off so it wouldnt hold mud and salt. When I bought it from the third girl it got a nasty dent in the hood.

So far I have bought and installed the JDM projector headlights, RFRB badgeless grille, Legacy GT/Outback Hood, and JDM skid plate. I have bought but not installed yet: JDM BG5 16" BBS Forged Wheels, JDM BD5 trunk lid spoiler, and JDM BD5 projector fogs.

-Jason[/quote]

[99SUS SFD]

Welcome! I'm just down the road from you in Stowe. Good to see someone else relatively close by. My last rig was a '98 ZJ, so I came here from the Jeep world too. Went from the "official" SUV of VT to the "official" car of VT and am pretty happy so far.

Where have you been getting the JDM stuff? Just online or is there someone local?

[d1giPhux]

Damn, you should have your friend with the body shop hook me up on a paint deal for my JDM front bumper :P been dying to get it painted.. but everyone around here wants like.. $150-200 to paint it.. which sucks. Once i get that done.. mine too will have the JDM front bumper / fogs. =]

We should have a north north east meet sometime!

[vdubster79]

Paint for a front bumper in the $200 region sounds fair to be honest. I have the USDM GT front bumper, and will be modifying the brackets on the fogs and trimming my cover and core support to accept them instead of swapping bumpers.

I have been getting JDM stuff off NASIOC and Ebay

[d1giPhux]

^ not for the amount of work it takes to paint a front bumper.. I'm talking about a bumper that is READY to go.. already scuffed etc.. $200 is wayyyy too much for that. I understand people gotta make their money.. thats why im waiting to find a good deal! :D

[Reason]

^ not for the amount of work it takes to paint a front bumper.. I'm talking about a bumper that is READY to go.. already scuffed etc.. $200 is wayyyy too much for that. I understand people gotta make their money.. thats why im waiting to find a good deal! :D

Kid you are crazy, for a decent shop to do a front the $200 is a deal. Go find some bum off the street that will do it for $50. Save your pennies from your paper route and you will have the money in no time.

[99SUS SFD]

No kidding. The local body shop wants $200 to paint and replace my passenger side mirror!

[d1giPhux]

When i lived in FL.. paint and auto body was a HELL of a lot cheaper.. its sickening how much people charge where there are very few businesses. Its called competition.. obviously I will just go with the cheapest person... and THEN try to talk them down some. Because its really not that much work.. thats BS.

Sorry to cluster your thread.. free up for you! post some pics up of your ride btw!

[vdubster79]

Honestly you get what you pay for. If you want it done for $100 because you have it "prepped" and ready for spray try MAACO :?: Otherwise, just like anything else in life you are paying for the expensive materials, and a trained professional to make it 100% correct.

[Reason]

Exactly, plus a shop won't guarantee the work if you prepped it. They will paint it and send you on your way.

Besides that in Florida cost of living is cheaper than it is up here some things are less expensive. $200 for a front bumper would include prep, paints, disposal of hazardous materials, labor and tax. If you don't want quality work paint it yourself picasso.

[vdubster79]

Cost of living, it stinks no matter where you live, but up here in VT EVERYTHING is ridiculous. I have been seriously thinking of moving to North Carolina for the last two years now.

Back to paint, for an example my current VW project has been in the making for 3+ years, and I am having the best shop in the area do my work (I am friends with the family) He told me straight up: "You want a show car, drop it off this winter and leave me $10,000. There wont be a single defect in the car and your jaw will drop" Because I work for a living I opted to do it as I can afford. I throw about $1,000 a year at them and they do sections. Bare metal my hood to get rid of stone pecs, rolled my fender arches, and shaved the front of the nose and re-paint was over $800. He told me to buy a new bumper cover because it would be extremely labor intensive to revive the bumper, but it could be done for the rght ammount of money. Instead I am saving for a new piece that will be brought over from Germany.

[BE-Fresh]

VDUB!!! sorry... welcome

[Okin DaVanh]

I tried to tell him that that was the range for painting a bumper. I guess it should be done for $100. The material alone is about 3/4 of that price, so you might get a hack job. IMHO.



None the less... I'll stop thread jacking. Welcome to the site. A question not asked, Is a dumb question. Guys on here are generally ready to lend a helping hand (idea) and not tear you a new one like Nasty-Cock.

[Reason]

Guys on here are generally ready to lend a helping hand (idea) and not tear you a new one like Nasty-Cock.

Fuck that, sell it and buy an Impreza! :twisted:

[blackgtbeauty]

+1 on the get what you pay for. He tells me to tell all my friends that ask "Nice car, think your dad'll paint mine?"

"Sure, $2500, maybe more maybe less."

"Yeah, well, I'll take it to make and they'll spray it for $500."

"ok." Which is fine, He doesn't and I wouldn't want to do anything for someone with that mentality.

Oh and bump for a fellow Vermonter :grin: