Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

njswamplands

ateixeira

<clears throat>

paisan is a regular. So no, he wouldn't qualify as a Special Guest.

I intend no disrespect my paisano...

-juice

lark6

juice: We've had Petter Solberg and the late Mark Lovell. I would guess either one of the SRTUSA drivers, Mikko Hirvonen, or Jamie Thomas. OTOH your use of "crash" would lead me to believe that either Colin McRae is back from Dakar or the recently retired Tommi Makinen has some time for us.

I'd love to talk to Tommi since I own the steering wheel, autographed by him and Kai Lindstrom, from the car he crashed in Argentina in 2002.

Loosh: That fence is fun, ain't it?

I feel as though a plus-one wheel/tire setup and a stiffer rear sway bar would be all I'd need for the XT to handle to my satisfaction. If staying on the OEM wheels, then a different tire from the Geos would help dry handling. The longer-travel suspension of the XT may be a detriment to the type of spirited driving you'd contemplate in a WRX but given the number of crappy, potholed roads where I live I see it as a benefit.

Ed

kens

Loosh,

When you first purchased your Legacy, between which of the two were you least satisfied with, power or handling? Where are you now?

I say FXT.

...or you can jam one of these beauties in to make it a 3-way fence just in case you don't need to jump right now:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid99/pbbc32800411fde0f8795- ece7e37f5e12/f9f50e06.jpg.orig.jpg

Ken

goneskiian

Considering who they got to hang out with at the show my guess is Ramana. ;-)

I'd be great if it was Colin or Tommi. Isn't Colin out of Dakar already. I thought I heard he and Tina had gearbox trouble.

-Ian

goneskiian

Loosh,
I'd recommend NOT adding an intersection to your fence. Why? It makes it wider, more comfortable and ultimately harder to get off of. ;-)

-Ian
(OTFC Founding Member)

bigelm

just a nobody........ lol!

stever

Now that Outbacks are officially going to be trucks, I'll have to officially align myself with the Proks in I don't like SUVs, why do you?.

Not that that's a bad thing :-)

My guess is that the the chat guest is going to be Michael Schumacher.

Steve, Host

lucien2

With the STi suspension, my GT was awesome on good roads and certainly outhandled the Outback. But in the city I could never put much distance between me and Kirsten. The slightly softer OB setup continued to hunt for grip on wavy pavement, washboard-like bus stop areas, and pothole fields, while the STis became completely upset and the handling became unglued on the GT.

As for the new GT, I have to say that I don't think I can wait any longer for pricing and avail. dates. I also think the shorter XT will stand me in better stead in an urban street/back alley delivery/ parallel parking environment like the one I work in.

You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to defend Subaru today. The article is just so slanted; I mean, when it comes to CAFE and dodging the mileage, of all the cars to go after, they picked the OB. Yeesh.

kens

Loosh,

In the close to 6-years I've owned my Forester, I've never scraped the bottom pulling into a parking spot or going up/down a steep driveway. It's great for urban off-roading.

The higher hip-point of the vehicle is also great for unloading cargo. Your lower back will thank you for that.

Ken

hondafriek

Just point out that Subaru have just joined the rest of the crowd, after many years of trying to abide by the rules, the field is just too slanted against them.

Mind you on a completely different subject the slant that the Media puts on things is largely reponsible for a lot of what is wrong in the world today, not just how they reported on the announcment from Subaru.

  Cheers Pat.

njswamplands

jimmyp1

in the near future, ask him to email me or call me. I am only able to check the board at most once a day, sometimes less.

Thanks,

Jim

hypov

I just drop him a note

-Dave

c_hunter

Remember in the recent NY Times article where an owner commented that the Outback was almost like the official car of Charlottesville VA? Well, I think it's true. I passed through Charlottesville on my way to go skiing today, and must have seen 30 Outbacks (of all years) on the way to the mountain. Only saw 2 Foresters!

Of note, I had Yakima ski racks on my LL Bean Outback and a single pair of skis mounted up there in a bag. My gas mileage took a real hit, down to 20mpg. I had gotten 24mpg on the previous tank, which wasn't even all highway! Normally, I would have gotten 26-28mpg on a highway trip like this. So, ski racks are good for about 6 to 8 mpg highway penalty on the Outback.

Craig

paisan

I will mail you when I get home. I don't have your e-mail addy here at work.

-mike

paisan

It's about time the little guys start taking advantage of the system like the way the Big-boys do with their Neons, Escorts, Foci, Cavies, etc. Don't think for one second that the reason that those cars are produced is for any other reason than to offset the CAFE ratings of the Suburbans, Excursions, Vipers, etc.

-mike

locke2c

if they're sold for a loss, perhaps. but it would probably be less of a loss to just not sell them at all unless you move enough volume to 'fix' your whole fleet's average fuel economy.

they are probably sold for profit to fill the niche of new vehicle (thus reliable, so the sheep thinks) for little money. there has to be a bottom range by definition.

~c

paisan

IMHO it's to bring down their CAFE average, pretty well known fact that they sell em at or below cost...

-mike

subaru_team

You've posted a very good suggestion to help prevent snow and ice build up in the wheel wells in Subaru's. I can't post it as an "official" Subaru thing, but would you mind sharing it again today?

Thanks - as always!

Patti

bluesubie

ateixeira

Loosh: same here, look at Chrysler, Pacifica doesn't have AWD standard and PT Cruiser doesn't even offer it! So they go after...Subaru!

Wheels and wheel wells?

#1, have fun, but keep it clean! Spray those out each time you wash to keep debris out of those areas.

#2, wax your rims! Clean, waxed rims are slippery, literally, so ice and slush don't stick to them. If you feel your wheels are unbalanced, it could be slush. Plus, they'll look great!

#3, if the problem is really bad, some folks have even sprayed lithium grease in the fender lining, so ice won't stick. I haven't done this myself, keeping it clean has been good enough for me, but it's something you could try if the problem was persistent.

Caveat: don't use a petroluem-based product that might damage the finish or the plastic/rubber in the area.

-juice

lark6

If Ramana is going to be the special guest tonight, we may wish to question him about his driving future.

I read a press release yesterday that Subaru is withdrawing the SRTUSA from the SCCA ProRally Championship Series. Given that there are no other factory teams competing in ProRally, it makes sense from a corporate perspective, though certainly some jobs may be lost. The press release went on to state that Subaru will shift its 2004 focus to supporting privateers with greater contingency funds and parts availability.

It should make for an interesting discussion, though perhaps not as spirited as the "Outback as truck" topic.

Ed

bigelm

You can also spray silicone in the wheel wells. Not only does it look awesome when the car is clean but it prevents snow and grease and excessive road particles to get stuck in there. Easy wash off and also creates a nice layer treatment. ;-)

Just some FYI...

lucien2

subewannabe

Given that , as somebody pointed out, any business in the US can can fully-deduct as a business expense the cost of any pick-up truck or any vehicle over 6000 lbs,i.e, anything that will get the worst possible gas milage, especialy when computed in terms of miles per gallon per passenger---("Oh yeah! I gotta have that 500 HP Hemi Dodge pick-up to cruise through McDonalds on Friday nights!---but our invasion of Iraq had ABSOLUTEY NOTHING to do with oil"), I cant get excited about Subaru re-classifying the Outback, which will have EPA figures over 20 mpg .

On the other hand, the re-classification will enable Subaru to offer a vehicle which is decidedly more capable offroad than the new Legacy, which now makes my misery even worse. I love a "drivers car" with performance promised by the new Legacy GT, yet I live on top a mountain that sees plenty of snow and haul dogs, bikes and/or boats on the roof or on the hitch every weekeknd. I think I was the only one glad to see the bigger roof rack rails on the USDM Legacy wagon. I agree with Juice that Chicago may reveal a very different Outback than was seen in Frankfurt. The choices are getting harder. Add an intersection to the Fence, indeed!

I couldnt help but notice that the new Ford Freestyle's paint scheme was described as "Subaru-like". While cladding has its draw backs, I prefer the contrast on the Forester X to the monotone paint scheme, which simply involves same-color paint on the cladding.

    Power-Wash the inside of the wheels, as well. Accumulated slush can freeze in the space between the wheel and brake calipers and create tremendous wheel imbalance, and if you get off into the mud, it will dry in there and require some determined power washing to get it out.

Mark

toboggan

c_hunter,

I use a Thule ski box on a Thule rack to haul the skis to the ski area. Gas mileage, depending on the wind, has been 22-23 mpg ('98 OBW Ltd 5 spd). Plus your skis and poles remain dry and there isn't a damp/wet ski bag to handle. Now, if there was an overdrive to get the rpms a bit lower at speed <grin>.

MNSteve

hondafriek

Here are some photos just to prove that the Titan is not always pristine:-)






 So there you go Colin one filthy beast.

  Cheers Pat.

ateixeira

*gasp* *eek* *ooofah*

Check out the XT forums...

-juice

subarusaleshou

rsholland

I noticed your north-of-the-border GT differs a little from the south-of-the-border GTs! Yours has a "GT badge" in the grille, our don't; and your rear deck "GT" badge is missing the "2.5."

Bob

dcm61

Bob - The 2.5 rear badge was not on '00 to '02 GTs in the US either. Don't know about the grill other than that's not the original in the Titan. IIRC, Pat replaced a broken grill with an '03 grill.

DaveM

ateixeira

Pat's car is pretty unique, the rims too.

It's hard enough to keep track of all the OE stuff. :-)

-juice

hondafriek

You don't miss much, I added the GT badge to the grill, and Dave is right that's an 03 grill in there also. And juice thats my winter rims.

  Cheers Pat.

nygreg

that was just before you washed and waxed it, right?

Greg

hondafriek

Is that your mystery guest revealed in the Xt forum?

  Nope Greg, still like that, with a windchill of 45 below it is bloody hard to do anything other than grin and bear it:-)

  Cheers Pat.

ateixeira

:-)

-juice

p0926

Pat- I'm shocked and dismayed that a founding member of the Subaru Crew OCD Club would willingly post such compromising photos! You need to go and apologize to Titan immediately for such a serious transgression. I suggest a thorough wash and wax along with a gift of some sort is in order :-)

-Frank P.

hondafriek

Frank, I consider my knuckles well and truly rapped for my transgressions against the Titan, and as soon as the weather approachs a more comfortable zone I promise to make it up to him
how does that sound:-)

  Cheers Pat.

ladywclass

<hides her Outback and slinks over in the corner hoping no one notices that I NEVER post pics of it....>

hammersley

Pat: Mine's dirtier than yours - neener neener!

I've been here almost 4 years, and nobody's seen a pic of me or my car yet, either! (Don't worry - y'all aren't missing much!)

Cheers! (and still trying to carve out download self-instruction & time to do it!)
Paul

njswamplands

kens

Pat: I like the new look. :-)

Ken

rsholland

All the usual suspects plus SubieGal (Jamie Thomas) and John Feldstad (sp?) a Subie racer from the UK, who was running on 100 octane caffeine, as it was well past 2:00 am in the UK. Good show guys! All we needed was Graham from Oz!

Bob

p0926

I counted at least 25 participants during the chat. Is that a record?

-Frank P.

stever

Nice turnout while I was able to attend. I forgot to moan about the cut in my OB's rear door handle from carrying skis inside (a snowboard couldn't possibly have done it, lol).

I suppose I could bag 'em but usually the piece of carpet I carry protects stuff from the edges. Just not OCD enough...

I sure don't want to stick them on the roof if it's going to cost me 6 mpg! Usually cartopping a canoe only costs me 1 mpg on my van.

Steve, Host

paisan

What's so special about subie gal? I don't understand why people go Ga-Ga about her. Guess it's just me.

-mike

fibber2

over the Holiday weekend when it made it up into the '40's, but I think I added some surface scratches as I didn't get it clean enough first. So salty & dirty it stays for a while....

Steve

bluesubie

I post with them on nabisco anyway. :-)

Anyone or any magazine that says the DCCD isn't much use apparently hasn't seen John F's track pics. ;-)

-Dennis

ateixeira

Gee mike, don't hold back or anything. ;-)

She's in a position many of us envy, rallying and working for a dealer to make her hobby pay. Her position as a supplier allowed her to answer several questions folks had.

Any how the chat went well, I saw you try to pop in, but not stay long, was your link not working properly?

At Detroit, I spoke with several enthusiasts about coming in as special guests. Just to tease ya, I might invite Jacoby (from subdriven) next week. ;-)

-juice