[QUOTE=02RS25;3355894]no prob. the rad can be cool to the touch, but the coolant can still be pressurized. proceed with caution. ive learned the hardway :(

side note: if for whatever reason the repair bill is out of your hands or you and the wife decide its not worth to fix...im always down for more scoobs! actually been looking for a pre 05 forester/outty.

but lets hope the reapirs are not extensive and she can get back on the road ASAP! good luck with everything! :thumb:[/QUOTE]

Hopefully it won't get that bad! We just bought it in December for $3200 and this is the first car she could afford(she's 21 and hasn't had any financial help from parents).

[QUOTE=jjtodd0612;3355899]Hopefully it won't get that bad! We just bought it in December for $3200 and this is the first car she could afford(she's 21 and hasn't had any financial help from parents).[/QUOTE]
ah i feel it. bought my 03 RS for 5k with 185k miles with a few probs right away. worth it? hell ya! hopefully shes on the same boat!

So turns out there is a crack in the radiator and thankfully no headgasket issues. The shop is quoting me $550 for new radiator and coolant. I feel like that is a little steep. Is this something I can just do myself? I've changed my coolant, swapped out turbos, installed springs, all sorts of bushings on my wrx so is this something I could tackle myself? I figure a new radiator will run me about $130-150 so I could potentially do this for under $200 myself this weekend. Any thoughts?

[QUOTE=jjtodd0612;3356235]So turns out there is a crack in the radiator and thankfully no headgasket issues. The shop is quoting me $550 for new radiator and coolant. I feel like that is a little steep. Is this something I can just do myself? I've changed my coolant, swapped out turbos, installed springs, all sorts of bushings on my wrx so is this something I could tackle myself? I figure a new radiator will run me about $130-150 so I could potentially do this for under $200 myself this weekend. Any thoughts?[/QUOTE]
remember when u asked about how to top off and i mentioned the litrtle things to save issues? i.e purging all air bubbles. do it yourself! :thumb:

[QUOTE=02RS25;3356237]remember when u asked about how to top off and i mentioned the litrtle things to save issues? i.e purging all air bubbles. do it yourself! :thumb:[/QUOTE]

Just spoke with fine line imports and I'm just going to go ahead and learn how to install a new radiator! Doesn't look too bad and will save my girlfriend $300. Again, thank you 02rs25 and everyone else for the input.

[QUOTE=jjtodd0612;3356241]Just spoke with fine line imports and I'm just going to go ahead and learn how to install a new radiator! Doesn't look too bad and will save my girlfriend $300. Again, thank you 02rs25 and everyone else for the input.[/QUOTE]
yuou got it! :thumb: seems like your relatively mechanically inclined. why not save money, learn new things, and get your gf the V-day present she needs! GL! PM if you run into any problems as ive flushed my system prob, oh, a dozen times now. lol