Keep an old SVX on the road?

[Conorato]

My trusty gorgeous SVX has taken me across Europe, ton up cruising, seen me through snow where no others would go, and turns heads and gets “seriously, WTFs from young un’s, and smiling nods of appreciation from old gits like me.

The auto box died today. I have long thought about swapping it out for a Legacy 5 speed box, but don’t know a reliable shop that could do it. Recommendations would make an old git happy.

[TEKNOPUG]

Swap to a manual or another auto box?

[jimmytheone]

I'd keep it if you can, they must be getting rare?
Sorry i dont have any recommendations but if the rest of the car is good it's surely worth preserving.

[Hol]

Where are you based?

[Conorato]

TEKNOPUG said:

Swap to a manual or another auto box?

To a manual. That unleashes the beast to perform as it could have been. Apparently.

[Conorato]

Hol said:

Where are you based?

High Wycombe…

[Cambs_Stuart]

You may be a bit out of his range, but I'd Tim Farmer for this kind of job. He's very knowledgeable about all Subarus. Although I suspect even he hasn't worked on many SVX's. Hope you get it back on the road, it's an amazing car.

[Austin_Metro]

Got to save it.

Didn’t see many of these back in the day, even.

More pics pls OP.

[TEKNOPUG]

WRX box will be cheapest and easiest to source. Will need custom cross member, clutch pedal and firewall modding, clutch cylinder, driveshafts etc. Not sure if it's relevant to a Subaru specialist or more a custom car place.

[Mikebentley]

Nothing constructive but these were always a left field choice. nice motor.

[david.h]

What a bu**er. I believe the SVX has a flat 6 and 4EAT autobox? If it is that box surely someone can rebuild/swap it...4EAT boxes must be around. When I was suffering "lumpy" noises from my 2.5 2003 Legacy autotransmission and the local Subaru main dealer recommended a specialist near Knowle in Warwickshire. My transmission cleared itself with some advice from the dealer (do figures of eight in a deserted car park and fit a set of decent tyres so I didn't need to go see them ☺)
I can dig out their name I am sure.
David

[david.h]

Brief note... my "problem" appeared to be with the centre diff ,not the box itself, but the centre diff is apparently integral with the box.
Whether this is the case with your engine/box I do not know!
D

[Cambs_Stuart]

Again, I know Tim F has rebuilt quite a few Subaru gearboxes. No idea if the diff is common to any other models, or is available as a spare...

[Conorato]

david.h said:

What a bu**er. I believe the SVX has a flat 6 and 4EAT autobox? ...
David

Nice one - had not thought to replace the auto box. I assumed that being as rare as they are, the SVX box would have been manufactured from unobtainium by a solitary now retired and 140 year old samurai. So a 4EAT box from a Legacy might do it...thanks for the tip.

[cleverdick]

Evening,I think what you have to decide is if the svx is a keeper to warrant the expense of changing the autobox to manual to scatch an itch.Currently the car if you just repair the gearbox and leave as standered will be worth more,change it and it wont make it worth anymore,with the large expense of the conversion(proberly 50% of the cars worth).I have owned mine since 2005,did 20+trackdays with it,blew the gearbox in 2010 at Snetterton.Did a lot of ringing around and took it to Dave at API Engines(unfortunately no longer in business,P1 5spd hydrid box,new propshaft,gearbox centre diff repair,fit new rear diff,pedal box,rewire and transmission mount.Take into account labour and waiting time for it to be finished.12 years down the line Im glad I did it,but have done other mods to the car.Would I do it now,no,going out for a weekend blasts are no longer as fun,enjoy the car for what it is and how below the radar it is.If you want to scratch that itch your quite welcome to come up to Cambridge for a drive one afternoon.The only recommendation i can give is AS performance for maybe some direction if the manual route is the choice

[gubsta]

Try Dave West as Risborough Service Centre - used to specialise in Imprezas and used to look after a number of my cars.
It looks like a normal garage but you'll frequently find Aston race cars etc sat on the ramps!

[BIRMA]

Conorato said:

My trusty gorgeous SVX has taken me across Europe, ton up cruising, seen me through snow where no others would go, and turns heads and gets “seriously, WTFs from young un’s, and smiling nods of appreciation from old gits like me.

The auto box died today. I have long thought about swapping it out for a Legacy 5 speed box, but don’t know a reliable shop that could do it. Recommendations would make an old git happy.

Can you tell me what symptoms you experienced when it was on its way out please

[Woodymf]

cleverdick said:

Evening,I think what you have to decide is if the svx is a keeper to warrant the expense of changing the autobox to manual to scatch an itch.Currently the car if you just repair the gearbox and leave as standered will be worth more,change it and it wont make it worth anymore,with the large expense of the conversion(proberly 50% of the cars worth).I have owned mine since 2005,did 20+trackdays with it,blew the gearbox in 2010 at Snetterton.Did a lot of ringing around and took it to Dave at API Engines(unfortunately no longer in business,P1 5spd hydrid box,new propshaft,gearbox centre diff repair,fit new rear diff,pedal box,rewire and transmission mount.Take into account labour and waiting time for it to be finished.12 years down the line Im glad I did it,but have done other mods to the car.Would I do it now,no,going out for a weekend blasts are no longer as fun,enjoy the car for what it is and how below the radar it is.If you want to scratch that itch your quite welcome to come up to Cambridge for a drive one afternoon.The only recommendation i can give is AS performance for maybe some direction if the manual route is the choice

Do you still Have the SVX Richard

[cleverdick]

Sorry for the late reply,yes I do and had to use it as a daily for a month or so.And I love just as much and is a keeper.I had a Impreza V3 sti type R as well for 5 or so years(trackdays/bought 2013).And I had to make a choice,which had to go.I always said the SVX would stay.Dont regret it

[RR82]

Hi - just seen your tale of woe re the SVX gearbox. I drove a second hand one of these back in the 1990s, doing 200 a day to get to the office. The SVX was a brill motor, very comfortable (my wife said it was the most comfortable I'ld ever had) if not that fast, but I had to have the gearbox clutches rebuilt at about 127K miles. I have just spent about an hour looking through my records without luck to find the name of the Northampton based company that were recommended for this work - from memory it cost about GBP1,200 - and this was in about 1998. I see you live in High Wycombe (we were near Buckingham in those days) so it couldn't be too difficult to do a Google search for them; they were auto-box specialists, and I am very sorry not to be able to pass on their name. I think I covered the best part of 120K miles altogether in the SVX, averaging 27mpg, but sold when my journey became just local and the consumption fell to 19mpg. - RR82