New Subaru Domingo (to me)

**olddatsunfan** · 01-26-2011, 10:56 PM

Well, I finally picked up my new to me Subaru Domingo. It's a 1996 model so it's just allowed in this month. I purchased this from a local dealer called "Japanoid" (www.japanoid.com) over in New Westminster. I had expressed interest in one in July when my first Suzuki Carry Van was totaled in a rear ender by a Ford SUV and Shogo found me one in November.

It had 66,800km on it when it came and the Shogo changed the timing belt and waterpump for me (they have an in house shop with 3 mechanics) and changed the front brake pads as well as all the compliance items for BC. They also did a full tune up at the same time including the air filter. They mounted up 4 new Goodyear Nordic Track snow tires for me on the stock rims had it aligned and then had it inspected and passed it through vehicle inspection. All I had to do was to have it registered and insured in my name when I went to pick it up! Great service! The last thing they did before I got picked up the van was to install a new Pioneer stereo! Gotta love dealing with a top notch dealership! Oh, and they gave me smoking deal too!

It's a 5 speed, full time AWD with a 1189cc port injected, 3 cylinder engine. Seats up to 7 people (you'd be be small!) and rolls stock on 155/80/13 tires on 13"x5" steel rims, I have 175/70/13's on the stock rims right now. I haven't managed to run off a full tank yet, however, I've put 300km's on it since Friday night, it drives great and does 120km per hour on the highway easily, it's still got some left, but ... Being a 7 seater, I can now move all the family around at the same time in one car. It's great! So now I have to sell the Turbo Suzuki Van I picked up last July to tide me over until I got this one... Too bad, it's a pretty good little Kei van ...

I guess you guys want some pics, this is with 5 days of road grime on her, it's been raining here for 6 days straight!

**fupabox** · 01-27-2011, 12:23 AM

Wow looks damn clean...neat van....I never noticed the rear nudge bar on the Domingos before...looks like an awful nasty winter you're having on the West coast with all that snow and ice

**olddatsunfan** · 01-27-2011, 12:49 AM

Thanks Fupa! It is pretty clean, I'm impressed! Yah, it's been a pretty bad winter so far, we've had 3 days of snow out here on the coast, well, maybe 4

...

**anthill** · 01-27-2011, 08:52 AM

Nice, super clean van plus you get a tiny rear spoiler and it's a GV-R... or rather, someone put a "TYPE R" sticker on it?

Also, that engine compartment looks SUPER clean... is that just silver spray paint, or are the exhaust manifold and hangers really rust-free?

Welcome to the Domingo club - glad to have a mechanic-minded person contributing advice. If you can figure out which cabin cable harness has the tachometer signal wire, you will be my hero.

**olddatsunfan** · 01-27-2011, 11:12 AM

Thanks Anthill, well, lets see I think I've got to find a wiring diagram now. The engine room is really clean, but, I think they fixed the exhaust, I haven't looked at it really close yet. The rest of the van is pretty similiar in condition!

**franck2cv** · 01-27-2011, 03:57 PM

It looks superb!!! woooaaaa.... Now we all looking forward to having your feed back. Thanks for the pictures Jason.
Franck.

PS: My Libero is now 14 years old..... one more year!!

**olddatsunfan** · 01-27-2011, 05:34 PM

You know, I'm not sure what the "GV-R" stands for Anthill???? Frank, you've a '97 right? Well, Shogo had this fellow on the way in December already, got here middle of January. Get the shipping sorted out!

She's a good driver, more oomph than the Turbo Suzuki even and with the lower gears, well, going a constant 90-100 on the highway is easy! It's only about 3700-4100rpm at that speed ... Suspension is softer than the Suzuki though, but, lots of travel. Have to say it doesn't handle as well as the Suzuki either ... Could be the 60 series tires I was running on the Suzuki though .... Gotta work out my fuel milage though, it's got a tiny tank and my fuel gauge is off, no biggie, just have to remember that I have to fill at "E" and I'll still have about 6L left in the tank.

**anthill** · 01-27-2011, 08:33 PM

Not surprised that the Domingo drives like a bus... it is one, sorta. The one tendancy that really un-nerves me is that the steering gives a lot of push-back when taking corners at speed, especially while braking. Probably a good thing to stop oversteer and spin-outs, but takes some confidence and muscle.

Hey, your super clean upholstery seems to be missing the flip-up fronts on the driver/passenger seats. Can they spin around to face backwards?

Speaking of oomph, the Justy got 73hp out of the same E12 engine. I wonder if there's any way to retrofit the 3-valve head to a Domingo? Probably not, with the cylinder block mounted in reverse, but still... +20 naturally aspirated hp would help the van even more.

Oh, and Fupa, that nudge bar must be a GV-R special, cause I don't have one!

**Stuff99** · 01-27-2011, 09:54 PM

very nice find!!!

**olddatsunfan** · 01-28-2011, 12:35 AM

Anthill my seats don't seem to have the flip up fronts ... I have to check if the front seats rotate or not yet. Yah, the handling isn't the best, have to slow down quite a bit for the big turns and such, it's all good, I can accelerate in the turn! Steering effort is very light too.

I'd be suprised if you couldn't fit the 3 valve head somehow, the bottom end torque through the 6.166 rear end seems to do a respectable job getting things done though!

**franck2cv** · 01-28-2011, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by olddatsunfan

You know, I'm not sure what the "GV-R" stands for Anthill???? Frank, you've a '97 right? Well, Shogo had this fellow on the way in December already, got here middle of January. Get the shipping sorted out!
.

Yeah, well it's a year model 97, first time on public road December 1996. Being in Quebec, I prefer to have it shipped for the following Spring.

Thanks for the feed back - It confirm yet again how clever those little vehicles are!

F.

**Meesho** · 01-31-2011, 12:40 AM

Originally Posted by olddatsunfan

Wow, they went hardcore and painted everything in the engine compartment silver. Covered up all the rust, no wonder it looks mint.

Also, what happened to your headlights, they look weird.

**olddatsunfan** · 01-31-2011, 01:10 AM

Importers solution to compliance for the headlights meesho, they modified some covers and inserted E code lights from some other product. I'm watching for the Libero E codes to replace these. They do work though.

The engine compartment stuff doesn't seem to be repainted either, weird!

**Meesho** · 01-31-2011, 01:25 AM

Engine has definitly been blasted and painted. Those brackets on the engine/manifold should be black and the exhaust covers should be bare metal (galvinized) not brite silver. Not to mention the bolts and studs. I will try to get a photo of my friends domingo sometime this week to show. Spent many hours toying around with it.