Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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Comments

  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    is those 'state of independence' ads by saab. i guess state of independence means having non-independent rebadged GMs vehicles?
  • dstew1dstew1 Member Posts: 275
    Our local Audi dealership has been doing radio spots recently promoting their Quattro system as the end-all, be-all pioneer, saying that "other car manufactures have only recently started using All Wheel Drive." He doesn't specifically mention any brands, but it seems he is directly targeting Subaru.

    Every time I hear it, I keep thinking, "Define recently."
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Still not standard on Audis.

    In fact, right now you can't even get an A3 with Quattro. Just try finding a Subaru sold here in the past decade without it.

    So much for that theory.

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I would argue that the 5MT continuous AWD is symmetrical front/back left/right by default!

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yup, the only one that is symmetrical in both dimensions.

    We'll ignore the lack of a front LSD. ;)

    -juice
  • dstew1dstew1 Member Posts: 275
    Still not standard on Audis.

    In fact, right now you can't even get an A3 with Quattro. Just try finding a Subaru sold here in the past decade without it.


    I didn't realize that the A3 Quattro wasn't available yet.

    Yes, the sales manager doing that radio spot didn't mention that Quattro is an option - one that most Audi buyers probably opt against because of the added cost.

    Speaking of AWD, I tested out the new FXT out on some dirt/rocky trails this afternoon and realized that I am definitely going to need the option rear differential shield. Chalk it up to the wrong mix of overconfidence and inexperience - whatever it is, I'm just dumb enough to have too much fun in situations I probably should not be getting into. So either the car has to change, or I have to change - hence the body armor for the Forester undercarriage. ;)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Give mike a call, they make 'em in-house, and will even install them for you.

    If you have Subaru Bucks, you can get an OE rear protector, I think mine was about $80 or so, IIRC.

    -juice
  • dstew1dstew1 Member Posts: 275
    Thanks, Juice. I found the OE version for $57 at a subie parts website. Hopefully it will arrive before I get another wild hair (you know where). Too bad I didn't order it a few days ago with my dog guard and side cargo nets, as I might have saved a little on shipping. Love those cargo nets - such a simple product but so very handy.

    Anyone installed a "front-bumper underguard"? The picture I've seen on websites doesn't give much detail and neither does its description; it's pretty costly ($275) and I'm wondering what kind of protection it offers for the price. It's difficult to see how far it actually extends under the vehicle.

    I don't know that I ever formally introduced myself here in the members forum - I'm Doug, in Little Rock, AR. I'm a new Subaru owner and addict, and have learned a tremendous amount from the ramblings of members of this forum, so thanks to all of you. While the new South is not exactly Subaru country, I'm not at all new to the brand, as my parents owned a mid-80s GL wagon and an early 90s Legacy wagon when I was growing up. (how I'd love to still have that brown GL around to customize for use as a beater!)

    -Doug
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Rally Armor that juice mentioned also makes skid plates, probably much more durable and effective if you're goin' a little crazy on those rough roads. I think the Subaru underguards just prevent the lip of the front fascia from getting scratched up - nothing rugged, mostly cosmetic.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Welcome aboard!

    As far as I know, the underguard is just cosmetic (painted plastic). I have one on my OB XT (was ont eh car when I bought it), and it looks pretty good.

    Craig
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    I am still trying to finalize some logistics issues. To save on having to make a second trip out a week or two later, I have been asked to cram in more stuff on this trip. It looks like Wednesday night (11/9) may be open, but Thursday night 11/10 would be better. I'll try and lock it in on Monday.

    Steve
  • dstew1dstew1 Member Posts: 275
    My FXT looks to have a plastic skid plate, which I'm assuming to be more to protect the engine from dirt and road grit than dings and scratches. The molded aluminum rally version looks like it would be a good investment. Plus it might get my Ford truck driving buddies to ease off a bit with the funny looks when I talk about wanting to get a little dirt under the Subie. :)
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Steve,

    Okay, I'll pencil in both days. Keep us updated.

    Will you be staying near San Jose again?

    Ken
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    ...was fun, the MX-5 is a fun ride around the courses. Probably the most fun I've had while driving at one of these type of events. Lines weren't that bad, but were steadily growing as the day went on. 1.5 hours wait for the Performance Challenge course when we left.

    Drove a Mazda5 on the "matched time" course and was 1 second slower than the target time. I was counting in my head while driving and must have thought my timing was right. Also drove a Mazda6 on that course and was 0.5 seconds too fast - I adjusted my head count but was still a tad off, oh well. Went entirely too slow on the "Jinba Ittai" smooth course in the MX-5, but I didn't spill any golf balls. The RX-8 (school of zoom) is quite different to drive, that motor can take some getting use to, but it handled well. The Performance Challenge was a blast. I drove an automatic since that line was very short. There were several delays due to people spinning out or taking out several cones. I came in 3 seconds slower than the target time, I should have taken another lap as I probably could have done a bit better.

    Got a t-shirt for the point group I was in and looks like a 1year Autoweek subscription according to the exit survey.

    -Brian
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Steve,

    Just an update from my side -- it turns out that Wed night works better for me. I hope we can manage to meet up.

    Ken
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Just found out an old high school friend of my wife was a victim of the Twin Towers on 9/11. I had met him only a couple of times, but his parents were very good friends of my in-laws, and I had met them a number of times at parties and so forth. From what I remember they were both very warm and caring people, and my in-laws thought the world of them, and of their son.

    Both of my in-laws have since passed away, so we have lost touch with a lot of their old friends, but needless to say, this news really hit home.

    Bob
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Bob,

    Sorry to hear about the loss of your wife's friend. Even though it has been 4+ years since that date, it is amazing how we still learn about someone we knew having been lost that day.

    They started filming a movie about 9/11 this weekend in NYC. They keep mentioning it on the news because a portion is being filmed at Ground Zero and they do not want to alarm anyone downtown here. They are also stressing how they are trying to be as "tasteful" and sensitive about this as possible.

    Once again, sorry to hear of the loss.

    Mark
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Thanks Mark. I really didn't know him, as I had met him once or twice. His parents, on the other hand, I had met a number of times as they were among a small core of very close friends of my in-laws. This one couple stood out from that group, in they were always extremely warm, and took a lot of interest in both Deb and myself. Of all the people in this world, they really didn't deserve to have this happen to them. Very sad indeed.

    Bob
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    I bought a front skidplate from paisan ( www.azpinstalls.com ) and I love it. The four bolts to remove it are so much better than the plastic rivets in the OEM thing when doing an oil change.

    My wife lost an old friend (that she wasn't really that in touch with) and it's amazing that we didn't lose more friends. There were many close calls.

    Speaking of paisan and 9/11, he was within a couple of blocks of the Towers. A group of us stuck with our off-roading in the Pine Barrens plans a couple of weeks after 9/11 as a show of comraderie. juice, is that when you were there?

    -Dennis
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sounds like a cheap deodorant, doesn't it? :D

    Yes, I was there that very weekend. We went just to prove a point - that it wouldn't stop us from getting together as a group. You were there that time, so were Ed and paisan.

    -juice
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Bob,

    I too am sorry to hear of your high school friend. Unfortunately, 9/11 keeps giving and giving for many of us. My brother-in-law came thru the path station early that morning, and was next door in World Financial. He survived, a number of his friends did not. The scars remained, and this summer they moved from NJ to New Hampshire. It was time for a fresh start.

    Steve
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    The scars of that sad day will run deep for many people, and unfortunately some of those people will never really recover.

    Cheers Pat.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Kate, Jim & I will be meeting for dinner on Wednesday, November 9th somewhere around the San Jose / Santa Clara area. Ken, who had promised to be with us, decided to leave town instead. Said something about getting a better offer with someone else that night.... Only kidding....

    Any other regulars care to catch up with us?

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Take pics and share them, I can host if need be.

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Zing!

    Ironically, I had a last minute trip out east crop up. Too bad -- I wanted to give Steve a spin on my LGT wagon.

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    How far east? ;)

    -juice
  • bigelmbigelm Member Posts: 995
    It's been awhile guys.. alot of work, being a homeowner and doing my fatherly duties. Needless to say, I'm 'working' but needed a break to stop and say Hi.

    Man... not reading good news...

    I'm sorry for the losses and also throw some positive thoughts your way. 9/11 will always be a scar, especially those of us who lived it. - Sorry about the bad news as well Bob.

    At least those who experience nature's fury, survived it. I guess there's some good news after all. Well, gotta get back to work.

    Stay safe everyone...
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I'll be in Wilmington, DE. Flying into PHL and driving down. The other option was to fly in to Baltimore (and possibly find time to hang with you guys again), but this trip was on short notice and required a quick turn-around.

    Ken
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Hey Ken, if you come to Baltimore, let us know.

    Bob
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    ...the Crew's own rsholland is now providing content for Straightline! Go to the Straightline Blog and see what Bob's been up to. :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Cool, I'd already seen it and commented on a couple of them.

    This is a neat idea because news moves so fast nowadays, this is the best format to get it out there quickly. The full news articles can come out later, but I think this helps us keep up much better, if you follow it daily.

    You go, Bob!

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Please note that's "You go, Bob!," and not "Yugo Bob!" :)

    Bob
  • twrxtwrx Member Posts: 647
    Hi all, in case you have forgotten my locality it is Newburgh IN where the tornado hit Sunday morning. My house has probably been on TV around the country from all of the helicopter flyovers we have had. It is one that is still standing. In fact my biggest problem right now is a lack of electricity. (on a computer at school right now) I have a few shingles missing and a dent in the left front fender of my '05 Legacy. My neighbors are not so lucky. If you walk out of my backyard to the next street and walk up it about 1/2 block everything is destroyed. It is mostly two story homes and they have all lost their upper stories. There are collapsed garages with smashed cars in them. About 3 blocks away there is one house totally flattened. As far as I know there were no fatalities in Newburgh. If you have seen the news there are at least 17 dead at a trailer park about 4 miles from me. I have stalks of corn from the cornfields near the trailer park on my front lawn. I could not believe the location of that trailer park in the first place. It is in a riverbottom cornfield and has no protection against any kind of wind and worst of all is only one mile from the Ohio River. There has been flooding that has reached within 1/4 mile of it before. I was unaware that there was even a tornado. We had a severe T-storm warning. At 2 AM we did not hear any sirens, just a loud roaring wind, the loudest I had ever heard. It quit soon after and Susan and I fell back to sleep. At 5 AM family members started calling to see if we were OK. I had to go past a Nat. Guard check point to go to work this AM. Have not seen the Gov. I heard he was hanging out at the trailer park rather than my neighborhood, and of course I have not seen FEMA. (Insert FEMA joke here.) I almost feel like one of those people who survives a plane crash and has the survivor guilt syndrome. I don't understand It other than the science that says these storms do very narrow paths. (Although this one was big, 500 yards wide which is 5x a normal on and on the ground for over 20 miles.) So I am hoping for power today but if not I have good lanterns and I still have H2O including hot for showers. Going out for dinner tonight and gotta be home by curfew. I f you want to hear any good tornado stories just let me know (or pictures, I have about 100 photos from our location).

    Bruce
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Holy cow, Bruce, I had only heard a little bit about the tornado because we were out of town this weekend and didn't watch any TV.

    It's so random, how it hits some places and completely misses others.

    Good luck cleaning up the mess, hope you get electric back soon and that your neighbors are OK.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Wow Bruce! Boy are you lucky! Must have been good Subie karma. :)

    Bob
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I was looking at storm damage photos last night at Wunderground.com but they were mostly downed trees from the Warsaw area. Bad storm....

    Steve, Host
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    I saw some of the damage on this mornings national news. Another weather tragedy. :(
    Glad you and your family were spared.

    I grew up in an area that was frequently hit with tornadoes, but I can only recall one instance when it happened during the night. Very unusual.
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    internet is out and my place rite now so i just drove around sniffing for wireless connections with my laptop. had to go an amazing 3 houses down the street to find 4 open wireless connections. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Thank God you're ok, Bruce. Sometimes the why is harder to answer though. I guess this will be a memorable Thanksgiving season for you and your family. Hope you have plenty of water and supplies and get your power back soon.

    BTW, if you don't have power how are you on the internet?

    tom
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Ahhh....drive by WIFI. :shades:
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Glad to hear you are safe and well Bruce.

    Cheers Pat.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Glad you're OK. I'd be curious to see some pictures.

    CRaig
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    oh my gosh .. glad to hear from you that you guys are "ok" .. I've had people calling me from around the country (with not a lot of geography knowledge of the state of Indiana) asking if we're "ok" because they just get a blurb about a tornado in Indiana ... I'm glad to know you're all fine .. but I also know how it feels to have "just been spared" as we were only a few miles from the path of a huge tornado through Fort Worth in 1999 ...
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Bruce,

    I'm sitting in the 'internet cafe' of the McEnery Center (San Jose) at a conference eating lunch and reading your post. Simply amazing... I read the first paragraph or two of the copy of USA Today that was slipped under my door this morning. It made an impression, but nowhere near the impact of reading your first hand account of what you experienced. Somehow you cannot really 'feel' it until you know someone who has suffered thru it. Then it becomes real and personal.

    I am glad to hear that you and Susan are safe, and wish your neighbors and friends well.

    Steve
  • twrxtwrx Member Posts: 647
    Night number two with no electricity. It is a good thing that it has not been cold here. I got lots of batteries so I had a small B&W TV so I could watch the Colts stomp the Patriots last light. Sorry east coast friends, we have been waitng for that one for a long time around here. The National Guard set up a checkpoint at the intersection two houses from me yesterday and I have to show a card to get in. Also there is a 6 PM curfew but with the card I got in OK last night. The subdivsion behind me now has power but they are the area where most houses are destroyed. What is so strange around here is how normal everything is that was not in the path of the tornado. Only the trailor park in Evansville and the expensive subdivions south and east of me here in Newburgh were affected. As you drive into Evansville there are still leaves on the trees and not the first sign that anything has happened. In fact if you were looking at my house and the ones around it you could not tell any difference.

    We have had one major screw up here. The National Guard would not let construction workers into one of the restricted areas yesterday. They had not gotten an ID card like we residents had and they had taken off work to help so they were pretty mad and that made the news.

    State Farm told me that the comprehensive on my auto policy would cover dents in the fender of my Subaru so I am not out any deductable. I have $500 deductable on my homeowners but I would be surprized if there is that much damage to my roof.

    President Bush has not been here to see us but that is OK because I remember how security held back food shipments in New Orleans when he visited. Besides, what can he do? There was one local comment that he was at a Republican fund raiser last night instead. I am about as bad a Bush basher as it gets but read above. I think most presidential visits to disasters are a waste of time.

    Anyway it is funny how nearly normal life is for me. I am here at Bosse reading my email and typing this. I am charging my cell phone and laptop here so I can record scores on my laptop at home tonight. It is a great excuse not to cook and to take in some of the area's fine dining. Susan did not commute out to Portland this week, told her employer IBM that she had insurance adjuster to deal with. Funny though, we told them to put us way down the list what with the hundreds of destroyed homes and they have called us twice now to take information for our claim.

    So in a few minutes it is back to my Earth Science students making posters about energy.

    Bruce
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Bruce-

    Catching up after being away a few days. Really happy that you folks were spared the destruction that was so close by. I remembered a few folks here were in the IN area from when we talked about doing the SIA tour, just could not remember who :blush: . Hopefully the electricity will be back soon for you, and that your neighbors will bounce back.

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

    The tornado tales sound a little too exciting for my liking. We had a tiny one go over our house years ago, removing a polar tree from our rear yard and depositing it in the front. I was mystified when I arrived home to find a wavy line across the hay fields, over the house roof and a corkscrewed tree in the front garden. Biizarrely, only meters from the damage line, the grass still stood straight.

    Fortunately we have comparatively few twisters and usually much smaller although we had one demolish about 40 houses in a country town a year or so ago.

    As a Loss Adjuster I was pleased to hear you identify the low priority of your damage compared to others who'd lost homes and the like. One of the wierdest things about human behaviour after a disaster is that the most severely affected are the most polite and don't wish to inconvenience the adjusters. Perveresly, those with slight damage are usually the most demanding, requiring immediate attendance. We were dealing with a major storm (100 year event) a couple of years ago where I had one householder with a blown oven motor worth maybe $50 and not insured, harrassing me as I tried to find accommodation for peopl whose houses had been demolished. I eventually found myself saying "Look Madam, what part of No do you not understand".

    Cheers

    Graham
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Glad to hear that you're ok and good luck with getting things back to normal.

    -Dennis
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    well as you might have read above i have been without cablevision internet access and silly me had only cablevision internet phones so i was without internet access and phones ( cell phone doesnt work in the hills/valley at my house ).

    so i drive to a spot where i can get cell service on monday and make an appt with cablevision on tuesday ( sometime between 08.00 - 18.00 ). i tell the person my lack of phone contact and all seems good.

    well at 17.00 on tuesday i have to leave ( no sign of cablevision ) to do some kiddie runs. as i drive outta the hills my cell phone lets me know i have voicemail.

    so i check vm and low and behold cablevision says i was NOT home and i need to reschedule a service call.

    i go ballistic. call cablevision and say at the time you said i was not home i was handling the leaves in the frontyard so unless you have an invisible truck....

    well cablevision dude on phone checks some stuff. comes back and says well they didnt show up at my house cause i didnt answer the phone when they called 15 minutes before their ETA. i proceeded to remind them that i told the person that my phone does not work because YOUR internet phone does not work because YOUR internet does not work at my house.

    the cablevision dude on phone puts me on hold. comes back on the phone and says well cablevision will NOT come out to your house unless the tech dude can verify that you are at the house via a phone call.

    i proceed to explain once again why calling me will not work. he proceeds to inform me then the tech will not come.

    seeing this as going nowhere and seeing cablevisions concern for lost tech dude time i make a reasonable offer. i offer cablevision to charge my credit card $500 dollars to be refunded if i am home when the tech dude shows up.

    after being put on hold i am told that that is not acceptable.

    i check with verizon to see if dsl is offered at my house. no luck there.

    so since i can not get cablevision tech dude out i tear apart the cablemodem box, find the problem, and fix it.

    CABLEVISION, GENIUS, NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
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