Starting to not like this car anymore

[LudwigMiles]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

I did. Here's how much I spent on my 60k service.

$80 spark plugs
$175 two coil packs
$70 oil and filter change
$80 transmission and diff fluid
$20 brake fluid
$10 cabin air filter
$15 engine intake filter

So I overestimated a bit and phrased it poorly, $450 and a sweaty summer afternoon.

Spark plugs for this car cost $20/ea !?!

How did you spend $70 for oil and a filter?
Filter is $10 and oil should be $30.

Did you use racing brake fluid?

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by LudwigMiles

Spark plugs for this car cost $20/ea !?!

How did you spend $70 for oil and a filter?
Filter is $10 and oil should be $30.

Did you use racing brake fluid?

Yes on the spark plugs, and the prices have come down, early on it was common to see nearly $30/ea for OE spark plugs. This isn't the best deal but shows they used to be $27/ea here, I bought them from a dealership parts website by googling the part number and picking the best deal (I actually bought the spark plugs from a Toyota dealer in Florida and the coil packs from a Subaru dealer in Ohio).
http://www.ft86speedfactory.com/toyo...lugs-1466.html

I used Eneos 0W-20 and 5W-30 which came out to around $50-$60 per oil change once you factor in shipping, switched to Subaru 0W-20 for this change due to excessively high prices and delivery time on the Eneos right now (reflected in the link below, it used to be cheaper) and not wanting to do any research in the short term, I agree I've been overpaying for my oil changes and I'll try a more standard Mobil1 0W-20 next (I read rumors that Subaru is just rebranded Mobil1).

Yes, <$10 for OE filter and crush washer, looking at Mobil1 "extended performance" looks like my oil changes should be in the ~$40 range in the future (5 qts. may be just enough to get a fill on the FA20 so I'll be buying the big jug +1 bottle for the foreseeable future)

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Subar.../dp/B00RPEC1YC

https://www.amazon.com/ENEOS-ENO5W20...ds=eneos+0w-20

https://www.amazon.com/SUBARU-FOREST...+filter+3+pack

I used ATE Typ-200 this time at <$20/L, good value imo but I wouldn't call it racing fluid. I've run Motul RBF600/660 in the past as well as Project Mu G-four but I don't plan on hitting the track anytime soon so the lower boiling point of the ATE shouldn't be a problem for just autox/street duty.

https://www.amazon.com/ATE-706202-Or.../dp/B003VXRPL0


But even overpaying for all this stuff (barring the spark plugs/coil packs) I still come in way under $1,500 lifetime ordinary maintenance items on this car (minus tires and brake pads) on DIY maintenance over 60k miles (nearly 5 years). Meanwhile other people pay >$1k for a dealership visit that likely doesn't even touch things like brake fluid or transmission/diff fluid of which I've changed out at least twice on both already.

So right now I'm spending about $300/year to maintain this thing (again not counting brake pads or tires) while I'm trying to autox it at least once a month and average a little over 13k miles per year. Yeah I could be cheaper about it, but I drive this car hard and want it to last a really long time so I've spent a little extra than most (as mentioned before I'm on my 3rd set of transmission/diff oil at 60k miles).

If I spend an extra $30 per oil change over 200k miles on this car, that's a grand total of $810 I'm "wasting"... over 15 years... I'm not fussed about it, I paid nearly $30,000 for this car, a few hundred extra over it's lifetime (and mine) is money well spent imo.

I get it, I harp on people for changing oil prematurely but am totally willing to spend extra on oil that's likely unnecessary, it amounts to the same thing but it's all about whatever helps you sleep at night.

[LudwigMiles]

That $20 spark plug price is face melting.
I've never heard of anything like that.

It seems like internet posts from 2015 could not cross reference a replacement for Denso ZXE27HBR8.
Very slimy dealer practices.

Has anyone found a substitute in 2017?
I bet most FRS/BRZ are still on their first plugs.

[sunami88]

...No one will ever convince me that 4-6 does any appreciable damage. Besides, by the time you're all the way into 5th it's exactly time to go to 6th give or take two seconds... Why bother fussing with the pedal at all? That's a lot more work on the throwout bearing because synchros.

Before it even happens I'll just ask if I should just make my own thread about this lol.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by LudwigMiles

That $20 spark plug price is face melting.
I've never heard of anything like that.

It seems like internet posts from 2015 could not cross reference a replacement for Denso ZXE27HBR8.
Very slimy dealer practices.

Has anyone found a substitute in 2017?
I bet most FRS/BRZ are still on their first plugs.

It's a very odd engine, how many flat-4, 12.5:1 compression ratio, direct+port injection engines are you aware of? It's a weird plug spec if you look into it, oddball parts = more expensive parts.

Seriously if you put 300k miles on the car and pay $20/plug that's a grand total of $400 over the lifetime of the car on spark plugs, it's not that bad. At 10k miles per year that's 30 years to hit the point where you've spent $400 on spark plugs.



Of all the things to get picky on price about spark plugs are silly imo. How about spending $10 on a cabin air filter every other oil change interval? That's literally the same cost over the life of the car as the spark plugs, change it every oil change and that's double the cost of spark plugs spent on the cabin air filter.

[paulca]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

We are of exactly the same mindset.

Mechanical sympathy requires mechanical aptitude. I backed away from advocating the practice of "properly" skipping gates when I realized the wide range of understanding we see in members here. That's the one and only reason for the change in my tune.

It's why I hated the sticky 2nd gear issue when my first 86 was cold. I would go for 2nd and the car would say "NO!" I always had a moment of conflict. I need 2nd, like now, but the car won't accept it. My choices are to force it or avoid it. Of course then I would return to neutral and ask again for 2nd. If it still didn't give it to me I would declutch in neutral and the try again. Usually this worked.

The new 86 Pro gear box has been much nicer, but I have a minor issue with 1st. Sometimes it goes partly into first, but you can feel it hasn't completely mated. If I have time I neutral, declutch, clutch and retry which works most times, but I have taken the chance it's actually in gear enough and raised the clutch to feel that final little notch as it clicks fully in.

I'm sure it will settle ... only 230 miles on the clock so far.

[StraightOuttaCanadaEh]

Originally Posted by paulca

The new 86 Pro gear box has been much nicer, but I have a minor issue with 1st. Sometimes it goes partly into first, but you can feel it hasn't completely mated.

happens to me when I try to go into first too soon after clutching in. So I clutch in, wait a second, and then it pretty much goes in there on its own.

[LudwigMiles]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

It's a very odd engine, how many flat-4, 12.5:1 compression ratio, direct+port injection engines are you aware of? It's a weird plug spec if you look into it, oddball parts = more expensive parts.

Seriously if you put 300k miles on the car and pay $20/plug that's a grand total of $400 over the lifetime of the car on spark plugs, it's not that bad. At 10k miles per year that's 30 years to hit the point where you've spent $400 on spark plugs.



Of all the things to get picky on price about spark plugs are silly imo. How about spending $10 on a cabin air filter every other oil change interval? That's literally the same cost over the life of the car as the spark plugs, change it every oil change and that's double the cost of spark plugs spent on the cabin air filter.

I understand your rationale, and agree, philosophically about maintenance.

But, getting gouged by the dealer on a $3 part still leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.
$400 on plugs is a lot when it really should be $60

I think a cabin filter is good for 50-100k miles.
Who ever said to change it so often?
What is the manuf. oil changer interval on this car anyway?

Hey, tell us about your '61 Strat...Pre-CBS.
When did you get it?

[radroach]

Also forgot to mention the battery I replaced (eh maybe left it out for obvious reasons), Subaru's OEM battery didn't even last 100,000 miles and couldn't run accessories for a few minutes without going so weak it would barely start the car.

So another $120 spent this summer on a part I really didn't expect to fail so quickly. I've spent around $500 in maintenance on the car since this time last year, and about to spend more.

[bcj]

NAPA autoparts are an Eneos dealer.
They carry the 0-20w in my local store.
If they don't have it, they can order it from another store.
Saves on the shipping that way.

[TrackRider54]

Having been a gear head since I was a preteen, I have always taken great pride in meticulously maintaining my vehicles. I use the highest quality parts and fluids I can find.

$20 for a spark plug is not that bad. My motorcycle plugs cost $25 each and I need 4 of them. I use Amsoil synthetic and a high quality filter. To do an oil change it my car costs about $45 in parts. I do an used oil analysis to detect any issues about every 20,000 miles...so that's about $25 or so.

I rather enjoy doing maintenance on my vehicles. Most of the time, I go above and beyond what is called for. I also like to clean things when I have them apart. Even parts no one will ever see (like the back side of the wheels).

Because of this, I've never had a major failure on any car I've ever owned....and I've owned a many cars and motorcycles. When I trade/sell them, they are usually in top condition and the next buyer is getting a heck of a deal.

[Shinigami301]

Originally Posted by bcj

NAPA autoparts are an Eneos dealer.
They carry the 0-20w in my local store.
If they don't have it, they can order it from another store.
Saves on the shipping that way.

This is where I get my Eneos synthetic, local NAPA parts store- though they usually have to go to the back shelves to find the 0W-20.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by LudwigMiles

I understand your rationale, and agree, philosophically about maintenance.

But, getting gouged by the dealer on a $3 part still leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.
$400 on plugs is a lot when it really should be $60

I think a cabin filter is good for 50-100k miles.
Who ever said to change it so often?
What is the manuf. oil changer interval on this car anyway?

Hey, tell us about your '61 Strat...Pre-CBS.
When did you get it?

But it's not a $3 part, go look up the specs, it's an oddball, you don't want to throw any old plug in there. As above many spark plugs cost more than you think they should, that doesn't mean they're a ripoff they're just for a purpose other than a lawnmower or Civic from the 90s.

Cabin air filter is 15k/15 months. If you haven't pulled yours out I suggest you do, they get nasty over that time span which is why I think vents end up getting all dusty is when people don't change them or at least clean them frequently enough.

Oil is 7.5k/7.5 months

I don't have a 1961 Stratocaster, the curse of picking user names as a dumb kid and then being too lazy to change. The 61 stands for something else.

My social security number is
jk

[radroach]

@strat61caster kinda scaring me for a minute about the plugs. I had NGK plugs put in, not sure which specific part but they've worked well.