If your car fell into a lake, then you're probably having a really bad day. However, if you happen to be a resourceful Subaru owner from Finland, then it's really no big deal.
Hooniverse reported a remarkable story that all began earlier this winter, when a Finnish driver drove his 1996 Subaru Legacy wagon over a frozen lake until the ice cracked from underneath him, swallowing the car whole. Demonstrating some quick thinking under pressure, the driver had just enough time to save his dogs and shut off his engine before the Subie wagon scuba dived.
After 3 months of lying in the murky depths, the car was pretty much a total loss. Despite that, the Subaru was reeled in anyway and the owner and his buddies decided to inspect the damage.
It was laughably bad. According to the amazing story first posted on the Finnish Offipalsta offroad forums, the boys opened the hood only to find a freshwater cod resting on the bottom tray as well as its spawn on the alternator. To say the least, the Subaru had been sitting in the water long enough for the fishes to accept it as nothing more than a part of the underwater geography. Upon draining out the oil and water from the engine bay, fuel tank, and crank case, there was only water gushing out from its internals for the first minute.
Finally, the moment of truth came when all the proper oils and fluids were refilled and a new set of spark plugs were installed. Miraculously, the Subaru shrugged off the water damage and rose from the dead on the very first twist of the ignition!
Electronics including wipers, headlights, and ECU are all operational as well. After a 20km cruise around town, the boys determined that there is still some water mixed in the fuel robbing them of power. Considering its 3-month bath, it's not surprising to see water working its way into places that can never be reached. No matter, Subarus have earned quite a reputation in Finland for being quite robust machines. As demonstrated, this particular 16 year old Subaru wagon proved that its still got quite a life ahead of it!
In fact, the boys rationalized, "It passed MOT inspection a week before going underwater, so there can't be much wrong with it, can there?"
