I’m about 98% finished with my car. I’ve got everything put back together except the exhaust, for which I need two bolts that connect the end of the main pipe to the muffler flange. I’m so fucking lazy, I haven’t gone anywhere except Checker to find the exhaust bolts, but anybody else should have them in stock since they’re pretty common. I think I’m going to boycott Checker, for the same reason I no longer shop at CJ’s Do It Center–they may have a bigger store than anyone else around here, but their selection is no better, if not just plain worse.
I tried starting the Subaru without the exhaust, but each time the engine finally caught, it died. I just couldn’t keep it running. For the few seconds that it did run, it was extremely loud–much louder than I’d expected. Hopefully tomorrow, when it’s warmer outside and the exhaust is connected, it’ll start up just fine. I think I’ll charge the battery before I give it another go as well, since it was having a hard time turning the engine over.