Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    and congrats on your new x. Give us some more details; color, options, any problems. Do you own a dog named Dave? (you'll soon understand)

    Greg
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    what's with dog named Dave. ;-)

    -Dave arf arf ruff ruff
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    I hope you enjoy your Subaru. The Edmunds Town Hall is a great resource for information.

    Patti
  • moderator_bobmoderator_bob Member Posts: 9
    The chat server is apparently having a bad night and isn't letting me stay connected. The chat room opens, but then I immediately get booted. If someone tries to get in and succeeds, just drop me an email at pf_flyer@edmunds.com ... even if it's just to tell me what happened when YOU tried to get in...
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Server: Your connection to the chat room has expired or an error occurred with the connection. Please use the "Reload" button to enter the room again.
    Lost connection to chat server -- Use the "Refresh" or "Reload" button in your browser to enter chat room again.


    that's what I get. Bummer!

    -Brian
  • hammersleyhammersley Member Posts: 684
    Same thing here.
    Paul
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    This what i got when I tried to log on to chat.

    "We're sorry, the Subaru Crew chat room is now closed.
    We're sorry, the Subaru Crew Owner's Club Chat is now closed. Please join us every Thursday: 9-10pm EST / 6-7pm PST
    Press BACK in your browser to return to your previous location."
  • mrk610mrk610 Member Posts: 378
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    make it to the chat at a reasonable time and it's down. hmmm

    Greg
  • nygregnygreg Member Posts: 1,936
    about the dog named Dave. Trying to incorporate several Subaru stereotypes in one vision. :)

    Greg
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Greg-
    We're both horsing around :D

    -Dave
  • subiedaddysubiedaddy Member Posts: 22
    first, gosh that was a nice welcome! thanks for making me feel like i belong..(sniffle suppressed)
    seriously it made me feel very good! thanks to one and all

    my x is platinum silver and manual. it was purchased towards the end of june and now has about 3200 miles on it. the only option i thought i had was the tweeter kit but i recently discovered that the armrest extension and cargo net were part of pop equip group 3B along with an air filtration kit. i think that i just went blind when i sat in the driver's seat for the first time. compared to the x terra, altima, and matrix...well there was no comparison, the interior and the seat were so superior...i lost it completely

    anyway...

    about a month ago i noticed that the rear windshield wiper water squirter wasn't squirting. actually it is more of a drip or a dribble than a squirt but no liquid was coming out. service told me to try gently removing a possible wax build-up with a safety pin. i tried that but there was no wax of any sort that i could see in there. turns out it was a kink in the hose that service took care of quickly.

    the only other prob. was that when i checked the tire pressure, one was at 47 psi the others around 45-46. this was at least 3 and a half hours after driving and at night. i should have checked when the issue came up on the forester board and saved several hundred miles of driving with blimpies but i didn't think that the tires would have been so over inflated. i lowered the pressure to 32psi all around and some of that road noise i was hearing has diminished.

    other than these two issues, the forester (haven't named her yet) just keeps getting more enjoyable.

    best,

    jorge
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    Welcome aboard...this is a great place where everyone is named Dave or Mike or has pets named Dave or Mike.
    High tire pressure is done for shipping the cars so as to not flat spot them...that should have been caught in the pre-delivery inspection.
    Enjoy the Subie!
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Hey, cool that you slug out LA traffic with MT. After working the clutch in traffic, your left leg will be larger than the right.

    A kink in the hose to the rear windshield washer is new to me. Thanks for the heads up.

    Cheers,

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I actually tried to dial in at 9:55pm, but then my wife's notebook crashed. Guess I didn't miss anything. I'm replacing her notebook today, I'm tired of that dreaded blue screen.

    jorge: the new silver is nice, I think it matches well with the lower cladding.

    Tires are overinflating during shipping to prevent flat spotting. The dealer is supposed to air them down during the pre-delivery inspection, but it's common for them to overlook that. Glad you didn't.

    We should provide a little back ground. Subaru Crew was formed about 3 years ago, co-founded by myself and Mike Smith. Since then Bob Holland has also joined us as a Community Leader. It's not a paid position, though I wouldn't mind it if Edmunds sent me a check once in a while. ;-)

    The "Dave" thing is a joke about our demographics. Roughly 76% of Subaru owners are named Dave. In fact we think they should personalize every car with a plaque with that name on it. The few excpetions are of course the Mikes, which make up the other 24% or so. If you apply in writing an exception can be made, but you have to have a "K" in your name, or a Dave or Mike in your family.

    You must own a pet. Preferably 2 dogs, but cats and some other pets may qualify.

    "Dave" is educated, uses a Mac, and loves outdoor and water sports. Hiking and kayaking are big, mountain biking too.

    That's the Crew in a nutshell. I'd encourage you to attend any local Events (check that topic for details) whenever you can, I've made some close friends that are almost as whacky as I am.

    -juice
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Mike-

    The car was at the show. I'm not sure if he was showing it, but it was parked with all the other cars. Nothing was open though.

    Mark
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Thought you might have seen me roll through there, I passed by for about 2 min.

    :)

    -mike
  • dsattlerdsattler Member Posts: 135
    As I contemplate my upcoming WRX purchase I notice I'm named Dave, have a Mac, have always had dogs (don't now but soon will again), love the water (we have a vacation house at the beach) and enjoy kayaking. If my wife asks me why I haven't test driven anything besides the WRX, I can show her why, demographically, this IS the car for me!
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Yet another Dave.

    -Dennis (at least starts with "D")
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Did I mention Dave won the baby pool for weight? Problem is, which one?! I think it was Hypov.

    Did you see the Outback Sedan outfitted for police duty in Drive magazine? Driven by a Dave, of course, whose letter was above yet another Dave's letter.

    It is your destiny, Dave.

    -juice
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    I won?...
    I don't remember what my guess was - 9 lbs.?
    :) I'm getting good at not knowing or remembering :)

    -Dave (going to check on old lottery tickets - if I can remember that)
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Welcome to the club! A certifiable bunch of car-crazies that march to a decidedly different drummer.

    I do need to correct one thing that Juice said - we Steve's make up a ever growing proportion of the Crew.

    Steve
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    I noticed that about two weeks ago "Symmetry" came up in discussion of recent advertising. I was looking thru my stack of JDM 2002 brochures (my favorite being the Legacy Lancaster - Outback to us) and noticed that they too have been using this in the description of the drivetrain:

    "Boxer Engine + Symmetry 4WD"

    It is always funny to me to see a full paragraph of mixed Japanese (Kangi and Katacana), then a few words of English. (Ken: sorry if I butchered the spellings)

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yep, you said 9 lbs, it was 9 lbs 4.8 ounces. Most guesses were in the 8-9 range, except Hutch, who was slightly off when he guessed 236 pounds!

    And you win....eternal good fortune!

    The name Steve actually did pass the appeals committee by a close 5-4 vote, so yes, they're in. But in an ancient Portuguese dialect, Steve actually is pronounced "Dave". LOL

    -jucie
  • hammersleyhammersley Member Posts: 684
    And under the guise of cultural diversity, there's a couple of Pauls thrown in for good measure,

    Cheers!
    Paul (whose middle name isn't Dave, but does start with a D.)
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    ONLY ONE SERGE!
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    I reported on the 2005 flagship car, one step above Legacy, in Future Models. Here are annual report excerpts related to marketing (emphasis mine).

    President's Interview: Kyoji Takenaka

    Q: The new Fuji Dynamic Revolution-1 (FDR-1) medium-term business plan, aimed at achieving FHI’s 10-year vision, has now commenced. Please describe the philosophy behind it.

    Takenaka: .. FHI has implemented [efforts] to be a global player with premium brands. .. We will [convert] from technologies that focus on material goods to technologies that resonate in peoples’ hearts and minds, ..

    Q: What are the premium brands being pursued by FHI?

    Takenaka: In its product strategy, FHI is aiming to assemble world-class premium brands. .. In a group of 100 customers, premium brands would not necessarily be the products that satisfy the majority, but would be those that delight and leave a lasting impression on as few as 10. FHI will cast off the traditional perception that sees it as a purely technology-driven company, fuse design and technology together, ..

    Q: Please describe FHI’s brand strategy.

    Takenaka: We face the tasks of emphasizing the merits of our small market share —- promoting our quality over quantity —- and implementing innovation in the three main pillars of our Subaru’s individuality: the uniqueness of the Subaru driving experience, its safety, and its environmental soundness.

    Q: Please describe your marketing strategies to raise brand awareness.

    Takenaka: .. we will add high performance lines to our existing crossover lines and fuse the two together.

    Cheers,

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
  • 4wdisfun4wdisfun Member Posts: 55
    I am wondering if somebody can help me decoding the 17 digit vin number in a impreza. Is it true that the tenth digit is manufacturing year. Please advise. THX
  • jimmyj1945jimmyj1945 Member Posts: 141
    I got this from someone else on this board, but it appears correct.

    VIN #, How to Read it.
    1st digit is where vehicle is built, 1,4,5=USA, 2=Canada, 3=Mexico, Puerto Rico or Costa Rico, 6=Australia, 9=Brazil, J=Japan, K=South Korea, L=Tawain, S=United Kingdom, V=France or Yugoslavia, W=Germany, Y=Sweeden, Z=Italy.
    2nd and 3rd characters indicate specific manufacturer.
    4th through 8th characters are a portrait of the specific vehicle, Brand, Body Style, Engine Size & Type, etc.
    9th character is a security code that identifies the VIN as being authorized by the manufacturer. Law enforcement can determine if a VIN is authentic or not from this character on a specific vehicle.
    10th character is the model year of the car. 1980=A, H=1987, J=1988, N=1992, P=1993, T=1996, V=1997, through Y=2000. Then 1 = 2001 and so on. There are no I, O, U, or Z years.
    11th character is the specific plant which assembled the vehicle. Each manufacturer uses different codes to identify their plants.
    12th-17th characters are the serial number of the specific vehicle. Not all companies start at #000001, practices vary among manufacturers.

    Jim
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    Jim has it correct above. The 10th digit is model year. The build tag (usually on the door jamb) lists the actual build date.

    For Legacy/OB: the 11th number means two things - plant of manufacture and transmission type. Also, serial numbers are in blocks, 200001 and up = 4 dr sedan; 300001+ = station wagon; 600001+ = OB wagon.

    Above information from the 2000 Legacy/OB Service Manual.

    Jim (another one)
  • mrk610mrk610 Member Posts: 378
    Stopped by the dealer on my way home from work the other nite . Had a lot of 03's on the lot ,but no baja. As I could see on the outbacks(base model) a few things .

    1st new front bumper not to bad

    2nd new grille which I like very much would love to have on my outback

    3rd silver rings around gauges nice touch very sporty.

    4th all weather pack standard.

    5th the design of the seats look different . Seems to be more bolstering on the sides.

    6th the seat fabric has a different design .The design is the same in both color interiors .

    7th stereo is more compact looks to be no tape player just cd slot were tape was .

    Limited & llbean outbacks

    1st stereo is 6 disk no more 2 slots for cd .

    2nd has silver around gauges too.

    3rd new front bumper and grille

    I really liked the new legecy L great price for all the goodies you get .
    Dual sunroofs
    Leather wheel and shifter
    All weather pack.
    Upgraded stereo
    Fog lights
    Alloy wheels 16"

    Didn't see any gt's .
    Saw the new silver color on the outbacks ,just didn't look right with the lower cladding color.
    I really liked the all titanium color H6 outback.

    hope this wasn't to long .

    mike k
  • 4wdisfun4wdisfun Member Posts: 55
    Thx for the info. I'm also buying a car for my wife.

    RV
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Thanks for the info, Mike. Your post wasn't too long (course, this comes from the king of long posts). Didn't realize the L now has dual moonroofs. Interesting.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    come only with "Special Edition" packaged L wagons.

    Bob
  • wmiller4wmiller4 Member Posts: 97
    Spent 5 days in Moscow. Very suprised to see many Subarus. I saw a few "L"s, 2 Outback Sports, and many pre and post 2000 Outbacks. I was very suprised to see the Outback badging in English! The only difference I could see was the side view mirrors appeared to be smaller than US versions. I did not see any H-6 badging at all.
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Today's Automotive mystery! Why are all tyres black? I know that the colour comes from carbon black which is used in the manufacturing process, but tyres on smallers objects (baby buggies and such like) come in much more exciting colours.

    Accordingly, could we not get car tyres in colour matched car colours? I have visions of baby pink to match a tasteless 57 Cadillac.

    Presumably, Subarus could come with Outdoors related colour schemes (forest green and sand hues) for Forester and Outback, stripes in dodgy tints for WRX and more mundane tones for other models.

    Any ideas?

    Cheers

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

    It looked like a really good idea for a while there, but I have just discoved that I have been beaten to it by an Indian firm. Back to the drawing board!


    http://www.indiainfoline.com/auto/feat/colo.html


    Mind you, I still want to hear about appropriate colour choices.


    Cheers


    Graham

  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    I think it is BF Goodrich here in the US that markets a line of tires to the, erm, long grain set called "scorchers." They have colored tread patterns, presumably to match the intepid buyers under-body neon.

    -not another dave
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    I have one word to say:

    Heeheeheeheeheehee

    More later, in Future Models.

    Ed
  • bsvollerbsvoller Member Posts: 528
    I suspect it has to do with UV protection and heat resistance. Carbon black is one of the most effective - and earliest known - UV inhibitors. It has been used extensively in the plastics industry for decades to improve a given plastic's resistance to weathering.

    Remember the early plastic dashboards that would crack in half after a few years if they weren't black ?

    I don't know for certain, but my guess is that carbon black is used for similar reasons in tires. Synthetic rubber tires were first produced in volume, if I'm not mistaken, during WWII, due to the difficulty in getting real rubber shipped in from overseas. It was quite a breakthrough at the time.

    Historically speaking, the timing would be right, since a great deal of research went into synthetic replacements for all kinds of products as a result of the war effort, which lead to the consumer plastics industry after the war's end.

    -brianV
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Back in the USSR. Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out..


    Bill,


    Pretty cool that Scooby Doos are in Moscow. Visiting for business or pleasure?


    Subaru Russia: http://www.subaru.ru/


    The photo of a left-hand drive Legacy 2.5 GL is actually a Blitzen (spelled backward in one reversed photo) but the engine photo shows no intercooler. The moniker "2.5" implies a normally-aspirated motor. Looks like the site has a few errors. I wonder how many are sold annually.


    Graham, I have enough trouble choosing exterior colors!


    Cheers,


    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Serge: the Post's Mega Employment Section was yesterday, so now's the time to check it out if you haven't already.

    Technology that resonates in people's hearts and minds? Like the Blitzen and STi?

    I don't necessarily like all this talk about being a premium brand. And removing any emphasis from performance (by adding design) can also be a bad thing. Give me a big box, it can even be ugly, just make it grippy and fast.

    Add high performance lines to the crossover lines, now you're talking.

    mike: the L you liked is actually the L Special Edition. They still have a base L with no moonroof, but even that gets the CD player. The L/SE even has body colored mirrors, something even the pricier base Outback does not get.

    Ed: finally. I'm rushing to Future Models right now to read about it.

    -juice
  • barresa62barresa62 Member Posts: 1,379
    You could've driven my WRX when you were here in Seattle but (as you know) it wasn't in the best of condition over the installfest weekend, LOL! Next time though, you can drive mine and see what the Vishnu Stage 0 does to a WRX. :-)

    Stephen
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Interesting but he lists drivetrain smoothness and features as some of his reasons for it. We've been asking for that smooth 6 speed from the STi as well as some attention (no, make that respect) for the mostly forgotten GT model.

    The 2.5 GT is a start, but the Outback still gets all the good stuff first. Shiftronic is the one and only exception so far.

    So in a way we've been saying that all along.

    -juice

    PS The A4 is way small, we didn't even consider one for our family hauling duties
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    I checked out the jobfair this morning and applied to 2 positions that fit my background, both in DC..I'll keep my fingers crossed.Thanks for the heads-up!
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    #10999
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    #11,000 !
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