Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

1132133135137138692

Comments

  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    We've got
    Mike
    Mark
    Bob
    Dennis
    Dave (Myself)

    Patti- think we could get "PRESS" passes? :-)

    -Dave
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    Sorry juice, I'm a little late on the draw here -- I'm just subbing for Karen for a few days. There are no chats until after New Year's day. Lots of hostypeople gone as well as participantfolk.

    PS -- I'm a west ham fan. Would the hat match my soccer jersey?

    kirstie_h
    Roving Host
    Edmunds.com

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
    Review your vehicle

  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    The annual New Year's WRC broadcast is on again. 18 1/2 hours of rally footage!
    Now would be a good time to have TiVo.
    edit: Actually, the last few hours are being replayed so it's 15 1/2 hours.
    -Dennis
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Begins the last week in March. Not sure of the exact date.

    Bob
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Well hopefully I can make it, unless unexpected business travel pops up. NYC is an hour by train from here (cf. Philly, 40 min by train, 30 by car).

    Thanks, Bob.

    Ed
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Well, scratch me from the NY Auto Show.
    Just realized it's the same time as when I'm going to see my family in SC during Easter.

    The auto show starts March 29 and ends
    April 7th. I'll probably be back on April 6th and might go on the 7th. I went on the final day a few years ago and it was a madhouse. Might not be as bad if you get there when it opens.

    -Dennis
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I've gone on the first day every year. Guess what? It's a madhouse...

    Bob
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    I'll see how the trip goes and exactly which date I get back.

    -Dennis
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    SC in April much nicer than in January.

    E-mailed you offline and traded thoughts w/you on tires in i-club.

    Off to watch my alma mater's bowl game.

    Ed
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Dennis: I loved your reason C.

    DC Auto Show was fun. Subaru had Karl's Group N Rally car, which had carbon fiber front and alloy rear skid plates, but stock brakes! Interior is gutted, but otherwise it looks very familiar, remarkably stock.

    They had an LL Bean, which I liked a lot. They had no VDCs, just a base H6 sedan. The rear seat on those is smaller than the wagons, perhaps because of the raised roof? Dunno, but the wife wants space, so the sedan is basically ruled out. I liked the two-tone leather and wood/leather steering wheel, though, made it look like a competitor to the Lexus ES300, not the Camry.

    No Legacys. No L, no GT, no GT Ltd, not a sedan or wagon. These babies are the step-child, I swear.

    The WRX drew lots of attention. They had a sedan and a wagon, and an Outback Sport. Two Foresters, which also attracted attention (2nd only to the WRX).

    I'll share other impressions in Future Models.

    -juice
  • 1subydown1togo1subydown1togo Member Posts: 348
    This vacation is going TOO FAST! like a WRX! Anyway, a happy and healthy new year to all here and your families.
    Serge, Susan, Michael, and Dina
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    We are back last night from a week on the South Coast of Victoria, Australia. A friend has a holiday house which we borrow a couple of times a year. The house is in Apollo Bay which is a seaside resort hanging on a thin sliver of land between the Otway Ranges and the sea. Think of the Pacific Coast Highway and you get the flavour! There are two gorgeous bays with golden sands, reefs with rock pools and all the goodies one needs when holidaying with young kids. We spent a fair bit of time watching the seals on a near reef. Seals know how to relax!

    I filled the Outback with the debris necessary for a holiday (why does the addition of two kids quadruple the luggage?) and slung my Mirror dinghy on the trailer which was packed with Christmas presents and some furniture for delivery to the house. On the way down, the trailer weighed about 1200lbs and the Outback towed spectacularly well. The self levelling rear end and dual ratio gearbox makes a world of difference for towing. A pity you cannot get them in the USA.

    Launching the boat gave an interesting insight on beach performance. First launch, I backed carefully down the steep beach noting previous tracks were scuffed. On inspection, the Outback had not spun at all so I tried turning on the sand to drive down onto the beach and back again. Again, no skidding at all and absolutely no problems, even with tyres at 33psi.

    I initially thought the sand was just very hard but then found myself hauling a Holden Commodore out from a better (flatter) position. The owner, originally from India, had spun the wheels, clogging the tyre treads and digging the car in deep. Normally, I would try jacking and filling the hole first but this was a non starter so I got a rope around his rear axle and pulled him out. Again, there are distnct advantages to the low range as it allowed a much more controlled pull without pulling his axle off or whipping the Commodore against my Outback.

    My wife sat back amused and asked whether I realized that the whole proceedings had been videotaped by the poor guy's wife who was fairly dubious about his driving abilities. Turned out he was showing his brother, over from England, the wilds of Australia and he was delighted to show off what he described as "the real Aussie spirit". The accolade quite made my day.

    The weather was attrocious for much of our stay so we were picking our way along rainforest tracks with mud coursing over them. This must be close to a Subaru's natural habitat as the Otway Ranges are thick with them. Several times, I found myself parked with two or three Subarus immediately alongside. Apparently Australia is Subaru's third largest market after Japan and the USA. They are very popular wherever a sensible four wheel drive car is required. This year Subau will sell about 27,000 Subarus in a country of 19million people. I think, per capita that this would equate to about 400,000 Subarus per year in the USA so you can see that they are a bit more common here than for you.

    I had an odd experiece on the way home. From 9C on Friday, it was 35C (95F) on Saturday. The route acrosss the mountains is winding and the bitumen very hot. The car and trailer were heavily laden and being pushed hard. Suddenly, the drag on the tyres increased enough to be felt as the tarmac melted or the tyres reached a critical heat point and became sticky themselves. Slowing down fixed the problem and the tyres are fine today. The sensation was rather like wading through suddnely deeper mud.

    I have to get the Subaru washed down tomorrow to get the sand off the underbody. Fortunately, this is the closest we get to salted roads in Australia. My sympathy to all of you who are freezing. May you get some snow to make it all worthwhile.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Thanks for the story. As usual, always an interesting and entertaining read... :)

    Patti, here's more evidence of the desire and need for the dual range tranny and self-leveling suspension for here in the USA.

    Bob
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    I would like to wish everyone on the crew,a safe and prosperous new year, and may all you wish for come true.

    Cheeras Pat.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm one of those freezing souls. Teens today, and still no sign of snow. I can hardly believe Buffalo!

    Graham: the amount of luggage space required is inversely proportional to the size of the person.

    Psst - let's not tell Patti Graham is Down Under. ;-)

    Really, Pat? So a Legacy Avignon will be dropped off on my doorstep on Jan. 1? :-)

    -juice
  • prouloproulo Member Posts: 26
    Happy New Year. 17F today in NH. No Snow yet. Played 18 holes of golf. Strange bounces.

    Phil
  • yellowbikedonyellowbikedon Member Posts: 228
    In the Automobile section of the New York Times today, James G. Cobb, in an article (page S14) entitled "Drives That Made The Year Worthwhile," writes "... here are the nine that stood out:"

    (First selection) "Subaru Impreza WRX" Highly energetic, superbly balanced and exceedingly grippy, this turbocharged sedan (or wagon) turns any grocery run into a road rally. All wheel drive makes it fearless, a roomy cabin makes it practical, nerdy styling makes it unobtrusive and a $25,000 price tag makes it affordable."

    His other selections, in order as listed are:
  • yellowbikedonyellowbikedon Member Posts: 228
    Toyota Prius,Acura RSX Type S, Honda Civic SI,Audi Allroad, Cadillac Escapade, Cheverolet Avalanche, and Hundai Elantra.

    Don
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    I might be able to make it to the NY show. Keep me posted. :)

    On a sader note, I hit a dog with my OB last week while traveling in the Bronx. He just jumped out in front of me in the left lane while I was going about 60 -65 mph. I had no time to react other than slam on the brakes. :.( He hit the front bumper and went under the car. No real damage other than a bent plate and I lost the plastic cover for the tow loop. God, I hope 2002 is a better year.

    Greg
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Can anyone tell me definitively what the consequences are of the oil being overfilled. I am dubious about the reading on the dipstick as I cannot see where the level is.

    Any help gratefully recieved

    cheers

    Graham
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Freudian slip there? :-)

    Greg: I empathize with you. I ran over a Lab puppy, right in front of its owner, when I was 21. I was driving my mom's then-new '83 Olds 98 along a paved two-lane road in rural South Carolina, doing about 50. The woman and her dog were walking out of the end of a garden row at the edge of a field. The puppy bolted and chased after the car and I heard it go under and hit the tires and undercarriage and looked up in the mirror to see it fly out from underneath. I screeched to a halt about 50 yards later and ran back to apologize. The woman was very good about it - she saw the dog bolt and knew there was nothing I could do about it - but I was traumatized for a while. Though people can do a lot to prevent these events by leashing or penning their dogs, dogs can't help being dogs. I know that doesn't make it feel any better (it didn't make me feel any better) but there's only so much that you as a responsible driver can do to prevent an unleashed, unsupervised dog from running in front of your car.

    Ed
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    Sorry I haven't been here. Lot's of PC problems at home. I'm trying to catch up while I'm at work.

    I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, exciting 2002!

    Patti
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Great holiday story! Maybe one day we'll get that lo-range.

    IIRC, too much oil can cause leaks. I'm not sure how much is too much though. A quart maybe??

    -Dennis
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Getting closer to seeing the Brat-not!

    Have a safe one.

    -Dennis
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Escapade, or Escalade? Was that typo on purpose? Hey, at least Cadillac knows what type of AWD system (like Subaru's) to put on their priciest models.

    Graham: make sure the surface is level. You really get no reading at all? A buddy overfilled his 911 Targa and he got a lot of blue smoke from the exhaust. He caught it early enough that no damage was done.

    Sorry to hear that, Greg. One time I was driving on I-95 in a rental K-car and a deer actually hit me! It ran in to the side of the car I was driving, causing a dent in the 1/4 panel. Fortunately, I saw it run off, so I'm assuming it survived. The 1/4 panel didn't.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The 4wd system sux on it. I mean as far as an SUV goes. I mean c'mon no low range? That is ridiculous for a supposedly full-fledged SUV. They should have put the TOD system on it then I'd be impressed!

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I agree, it should have a low range.

    Bob
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Apparently the high bidder backed out on this car http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=599401746&r=0&t=0 and they are willing to give it to me for $3300. Hopefully I can get rid of my XT6 to get it. We'll see though


    -mike

  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    you're brave. or you have plans to put a fresh drivetrain in it?

    -Colin
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The SVXs are known to have bad tranny. But I know a few owners who haven't had any tranny problems so I'm willing to take the risk. Just need to get about $2000 for the XT6 to squeek the SVX into the stable.

    -mike
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    stable is right, you're becoming quite the horsetrader. :-D

    an engine with 125k miles on it won't be a spring chicken either...

    -Colin
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    At least from what I've been told they aren't taxed at all and usually if they make it to 125K they've been maintained well. The tranny though is my big concern. If I pull this off though I'll be set for a while.

    Trooper: Off-road, trips, towing
    SVX: trips, GTing, everyday car
    '91 XT6: Trailer Queen for auto-x and Track.
    17' Bowrider w/90hp: Fun for the summer

    :)

    -mike
  • bigfrank3bigfrank3 Member Posts: 426
    The real danger of overfilling is that as the level in the pan rises it gets closer to the crankshaft. This can result in whipping and churning of the oil and causing foam from the air entrainment. Oil pumps will not pump this stuff and lubrication is lost if there is enough present.

    Regards,
    Frank
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    frank,

    isn't the crankshaft at least halfway submerged at all times in a horizontally opposed engine?

    the pan doesn't hold much.

    -Colin
  • bigfrank3bigfrank3 Member Posts: 426
    I would doubt that any engine has the crank in the oil for the reason I mentioned. In addition there is _much_ loss trying to rotate a crank through a fluid instead of air, especially the counterweights.

    We always used "windage trays" in our drag motors to solve both problems, even with a normally filled crankcase. Most HiPo MOPARS came with these from the factory. Under enthusiastic use that oil is sloshed all over the place. You always want it to stay away from the crank, even if it is to just save power. That is also why dry sumps work so well, the oil is stored externally, and lubrication is assured even under high G's, without power loss.

    Regards,
    Frank
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Does anyone know if a vehicle manufacturer is required to provide seat belt extenders? I thought it was law but apparently not. Subaru wants like $35/each for them which I think is ridiculous since it's the law to require seat belts.

    -mike
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    AFAIK they are required to have them available for consumers, not necessarily free though.
  • mrk610mrk610 Member Posts: 378
    Have a Happy and safe New Year everbody . Paisan I'm looking at a svx down here in South Jersey for $2900.00 110,000 miles .Haven't driven it yet because when I looked at it I was at work and people don't like to have an ambulance parked in there lot .PLus the battery was dead and when they jumped it it started right up but died when cables taken off .Bad alternator they said . Don't know about trans but I'll let you know .

    mike k
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Lucky you. Hopefully we'll both have SVXs come the new year! :)

    -mike
  • tincup47tincup47 Member Posts: 1,508
    Are not required to be available by law. Some manufacturers do not offer extenders, just extended belts. Others do not offer anything. The belts have to fit a certain percentage of the population, that is the only requirement.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Thanks for the info. Seems odd though that the law requires people to wear them but they aren't std. equipment. I wonder what one would do if they got a ticket? I'd send it to the manufacturer! :)

    -mike
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246


    Happy New Year !!


    ..Mike

  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Great story. I enjoy reading down under prose.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    I realize that it is time to leave these boards. This morning I found myself waxing Rufus. Is this any way to spend New Years Day? Fortunately my back gave out before I could remove the wheels and wax the insides. OCD must be contagious after all. Hope you all had a safe and happy New Year.

    Ross
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    hehe, don't go, don't go! We need guidance! :) If it had been warm enough, I would have washed and waxed myself. It was above freezing, so I had no excuse.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I'd say it's more like we need his psychotherapy! :)

    Bob
  • armac13armac13 Member Posts: 1,129
    who's going to give me therapy? Oh, I feel so clean! Ugh.

    Ross
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    washed my Spruce Green OB since last year (October) ...
    Wanted to see how it looks in Wintergreen. =D

    A very Happy New Year it shall be to All.

    -Dave
Sign In or Register to comment.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.