[lumberjim]

Tricky spot. He wants to help, but is incompetent. Which you already knew, but the price was too tempting. The part where you're taking the car to Pep Boys says you don't have a good, reasonable mechanic that you trust. Pep Boys is a training grounds. You're rolling the dice there. On the other hand, Dealers are too expensive.

Subarus are one of the easiest cars I've ever worked on. Everything is 10mm. And easy to access. You should find a local guy that charges less than $80/hr labor.... You might try calling local domestic dealers, asking to speak to the used car manager, and then ask him who he trusts in the area if he has to send an import out for cheap recon.

You need a relationship like Shaw has.