Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

subearu · April 2001

Saw my first world rally last night. It was on 8-9pm CDT. This was the Swedish one with lots of snow. The drivers look like they're insane as they race through the twisties!

One thing I couldn't figure out was whether or not they had ABS. You could hear a rythmic pulsing during entry to some of the corners, but it sounded like air brakes going ca-ching, ca-ching instead of the ABS noise I'm use to which seems to be more rapid paced.

Regardless, it was very cool and fun to watch. I was a tad bummed that the 2 Subaru's didn't come in 1st and 2nd. (one placed 6th)

-Brian

rsholland · April 2001

from what I've read, it doesn't look like Subaru's Rally Team is having much success yet this year. I know it's a new vehicle, and is probably is having some teething problems. I think(?) there have been a few accidents which also have put the top Subies out of the race too.

Bob

ateixeira · April 2001

I like the 323 GTXs. Not overly fast, but fun and small, plus AWD.

Kate: excellent advice. I try to have my Mavica handy at all times, too.

Yup, the last WRC event Subaru one was wth the previous generation car. And that was its last race, too. Not a bad way to retire.

-juice

lucien2 · April 2001

Yes, at Monte Peter crashed out and Richard's engine went up. Peter just overdid it a little, caught the edge of a pile of snow, and rolled over on his roof.

He was doing quite well at the time, too.

lucien2 · April 2001

Well I'm off to hunt Imprezas. No one in MD has a TS, so I will be hunting the elusive but affordable ej22 cars....

paisan · April 2001

My dealer may have a TS if interested...

-mike

rsholland · April 2001

Have you checked the Fitzgerald's site?

Also, I thought(?) I saw a green TS at Tisher Subaru this past weekend.

Bob

jres · April 2001

Have you thought about a Nissan 240SX?

Yes I'm Biased I own one, it twelve years old pushing 200 K and has been extremely reliable (The Japanese version had a romper of an engine so the US version is overbuilt) and it is still a blast to drive.

There is a dedicated following with plenty of performance parts. The more recent models had slighty peppier stock power plants and the last few years didn't come in a hatch.

Check WWW.240SX.org or 240SX.com.

Not AWD or a Subaru but, still a really enjoyable ride.

JR

miksmi · April 2001

kate5000 Apr 23, 2001 7:06pm Wow, Kate, what a hassle. For your and your family's sanity, I hope that's the end.

p0926 Apr 23, 2001 8:30pm Hehe Frank. I guess we'll now see you in the Isuzu forums

grahampeters Apr 24, 2001 3:31am Graham, that one tickled my funny bone, though perhaps at Kate's expense.

..Mike

kens · April 2001

Kate,

Wow, you've been through a lot. I'm glad to hear that the claim was denied. Good thinking with taking lots of pictures.

Ken

rsholland · April 2001

... the Ford Escape.

Bob

http://www.auto.com/industry/iwire24_20010424.htm

nygreg · April 2001

Hope things get better. Still like the surface to surface missle idea.

All - See my post in the Outback Wagon forum for my first impression of our new OB.

-Greg

bat1161 · April 2001

Hang in there, I hope things get better. I always keep a disposable camera in the car, just in case. How about a LAW rocket kept on the front seat? It would be a little less conspicuous.

Mark

bluesubie · April 2001

Hello all.
Wow, so many posts! Went to SC (from NJ) for about 8 days vacation. Due to the passing of my Grandfather (alzheimer's), I drove back down the day after I got back. Thought about taking Spirit Air but didn't want to take a chance and miss the funeral if there were delays.

The first trip average mpg was 22.5 for my manual 97 OBS. That's with 2 adults 2 kids, Kanga 8 cu. ft. roof carrier filled to capacity, as well as a packed cargo area.
The second trip we drove my wife's 99 OB Ltd. Two adults this time and not as much luggage. Average mpg was 26.9. The best was 27.5 twice. Both cars used Amoco or Sunoco premium.

While I was there, I had a suspension knock checked out in my car(Hadwyn-White near Myrtle Beach). They told me it was a bad strut and would have to order the part. They charged $28.88 to look at it including $1.45 "shop charges" for the piece of paper they put on the mats. Puh-lease. Spoke to my regular dealer (Flemington, NJ) and they said it could just be a mount. Will go there in May.

The weather was sunny and 90 in Myrtle Beach. Found a dirt road with pretty deep sand. Didn't try anything crazy because I didn't want to get stuck.

Good to be back.
Dennis

locke2c · April 2001

if you don't get a blown strut replaced fairly quickly, the other strut on the axle will be blown too.

-Colin

lark6 · April 2001

Well that doesn't speak well of Hadwin-White; it's too bad the next nearest dealers are in Wilmington or Fayetteville, NC. There are also dealers in Columbia and Charleston but I don't think there are a half dozen Subaru dealers in all of SC. I guess the next question would be whether there are any non-dealer Subaru shops in the state.

My sympathies about your grandfather.

There's a package in the mail to you today. Enjoy.

Ed

rsholland · April 2001

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. Both my mother and mother-in-law passed away from Alzheimer's. It's a terrible disease, and very difficult for surviving family members to deal with.

Bob

paisan · April 2001

I was kinda wondering what happened to you. Sorry to hear about your loss. Any chance we could get you and/or wife to the covered bridge tour sunday?

-mike

nygreg · April 2001

I'm very sorry to hear the news. I'm dealing with a similar situation concerning my mother in law. Very stressful on the family as Bob mentioned.

-Greg

bluesubie · April 2001

everyone.

mike - I thought the bridge tour was the 22nd and I missed it. Then I saw the Pine Barrens thing on the i-club. I think Sunday is already booked though.

Colin - thanks for the info. My dealer's first Sat. opening is May 5th. Guess I'll keep my fingers crossed and not drive much until then.

Dennis

lucien2 · April 2001

Ok I'm back. 2.2l is slower than I'd like, but oh well. I drove an OBS which was alright, then I drove a bare bones "L" which seemed to have more scrap. Pulled about the same, but stopped better and handled tighter, and seemed to rev a little more happily. Sadly it also suffers from paint damage and will have to have the roof resquirted (pine sap, or so they say). It has beem there a l-o-o-o-n-g time, it is a 2000 MY. They are asking 14K (down from 17K), but methinks they shall have to do a little better than that...doesn't have a roof rack but does have a CD. Interior is that special shade of tan and drab that reached its zenith in a 1983 Corolla. And yet, and yet....I kinda liked it. I asked it if it wanted to be a rallycross car, and it said "just get me the hell outta here!" Kind of like a pound puppy or something. Felt tight, seemed to want a set of GT or RS rims. The OBS was mum on the issue, but prettier. So there is the holistic review of my day.

The OBS looked a lot nicer, had better interior color too. Drove a TS also, which was great. Big step up in quality and sophistication. I could easily have been driving a new Golf 1.8T. Kewl. Too much dough for me right now, though. They also have a Blaze Yellow WRX for sale.

soon2bsubee · April 2001

Our sympathies to you and your family on the loss of your grandmother; I am sure that she has left all of you with many happy and warm memories.

Serge, Susan, and Michael

hammersley · April 2001

How 'bout an Aztek? Oughta be a bunch of 'em out there dirt cheap

Cheers!
Paul

locke2c · April 2001

If it's under warranty don't worry Dennis, if the other strut blows they'll fix that too.

If it is out of warranty...

-Colin

paisan · April 2001

Shouldn't they be done in pairs anyway? I've always been under the impression that brakes, shocks, struts, tires, springs, axles, etc. should be done in pairs. That's just me though.

-mike

pattim3 · April 2001

My sincere condolences to you and your family. I've lost most of mine and a day doesn't go by that I don't think of them.

Let me know about your strut situation and also what you paid for. I think that it might be able to be wrapped into the repair coverage under warranty. If you talk to Diane in service at Flemington, ask her to call me?

Re: replacing struts in pairs - yup - you should if you have high mileage. Under 80K, it should be okay to replace one.

My thoughts are with you.

Patti

bluesubie · April 2001

Thanks again, everyone.
I'm at 53k miles. Yes, I dealt with Diane the last time I was at Flemington. She's so nice. The first time I met her she was showing my wife and I her family pictures!
Dennis

pattim3 · April 2001

but some information. In our area, we have a store called American Appliance. They just closed there doors. While the manufacturer's warranties will stay in place, they are saying that they will not honor extended service contract claims. It does bring to mind my "speech" about manufacturer backed plans. So often, these companies go out of business and the money paid for an aftermarket extended service plan is gone. Just be careful. If you do consider one for your Subaru, make sure it is backed by Subaru (Added Security). At least you'll have the comfort of knowing it will be there for the duration of the contract.

Sorry for the rant, but I hate to see people taken advantage of.

Patti

grahampeters · April 2001

G'day

I have just spent a week off on holiday in the Otway Ranges, a glorious mountain range bordering the Southern Ocean, about 150km South East of Melbourne, Australia. It is wild and rugged country with many unmade roads, precipitous drops and spectacular views. A few towns cling between the mountains and the sea and we are lucky enough to borrow a house in one of them.

The summer held on long enough for the kids to play in the surf and then winter set in, dumping 300mm (12 inches) of rain on the mountains, breaking a drought which had hung over the area.

It is a local joke that the Otways are the "Natural habitat of the Subaru" as they are extraordinarily common, the locals valuing the AWD and rugged build together with efficient heating. However the rough roads and rain have thrown up one problem for me.

The sand and grit from the unmade roads have collected in the base of the quarter panels immediately in front of the dorrs of my Outback with the concentration on the passenger side particularly deep.

I have hosed it out but appear not to have flushed though to the drain I would expect under this panel. On the driver side, I seem to have clear drainage. I have tried prodding around with a soft plastic rod and hosing repeatedly but so far no luck.

Has anyone had this problem and how have you cleared it?

Cheers

Graham

lucien2 · April 2001

the problem is you are in Oz. You need to drive north across the equator so the water swirls in the other direction. That should solve it.

ateixeira · April 2001

Yeah, Soobs are made in the northern hemisphere, so you'll have to move north! ;-)

I like the old 240 hatches, too, plus they are RWD. Is the Jetta wagon out yet? It ought to have good weight balance, and the 1.8T is very tune-friendly.

But it sounds like that L spoke to you. Underdog!

Bummer about the Escape's crash test results. Ford had done well with the Windstar, so I expected better. It is on the 626 chassis, which did not score well, but the Santa Fe is on the Sonata chassis and it did much better than its platform-mate.

Dennis: welcome back.

I missed the NY Auto Show because my nanny's father (now 82) has Alzheimer's and spent the weekend in the ICU. He's better and back at home, but at 82 you have to count your blessings for each and every day. Sorry for your loss.

-juice

lucien2 · April 2001

Saw a Jetta wagon V6 on the lot....FOR 27 DAMN THOUSAND DOLLARS!!! Are they stoned? That is 3-series territory. Or A4 Avant territory. Um, I'll take the WRX wagon please!

bluesubie · April 2001

Thanks juice. That's the same age as my grandfather.

Loosh - There's at least one (if not more) i-clubber that dropped a turbo into a Impreza L wagon. That's the ultimate sleeper.

Dennis

paisan · April 2001

It wasn't that great IMHO. The Subaru display was pretty nifty. But you couldn't really see much, since they had no power in the cars, I would have liked to see the LL Bean radio and climate control lit up. Almost all the cars at SOA were locked. Isuzu let me down as well, they had 1 trooper there w/o the SKYLIGHT in it! Go figure. But overall it wasn't too bad.

-mike

paisan · April 2001

I bet that car moves out pretty good. my dad has the 2.2 in his Legacy L and it is pretty good, so the impreza being lighter will make it that much better. Also more room for a turbo under the hood of that car!

-mike

francophile · April 2001

Is it possible that the body cladding added to the OB has a matching opening? If so it may be that it was not drilled out and therefore the crud and water cannot escape. A quick peek at the opposite side of the car should help determine if this is the case.

Good luck,
-wdb

miksmi · April 2001

To make sure I understand, are you referring to the interior of the quarter panel visible when you open the front door? Or the body side cladding affixed to the exterior of the quarter panel?

The body side cladding is removable, though I don't know the procedure. I believe Dave Zartman (dzartman?) accidentally knocked one off on a trail and snapped it on.

..Mike

rsholland · April 2001

Time to flush out your perfect garage. We did this last year, it's time again...

The rules are:

You just got a huge raise, but did not win the lottery. So limit your total spending to around $100K.

Only vehicles sold in North America, or are about to be sold are eligible.

Here are my choices:

WRX 5-speed sedan (no-brainer here!) Roughly $25K.

S2000 roadster (test drive last Sunday made me a believer!) Roughly $32K.

Jeep Liberty (need something to tow my trailer and play in the dirt/sand. Besides, I love the looks.) Roughly $25K.

BMW K1200 motorcycle (still have some 2-wheeling blood in me) Roughly $18K.

Bob

paisan · April 2001

You need to add $25K additional for the Liberty, since it will cost you that much in repairs!

-mike

paisan · April 2001

Audi S8 ~$75K
Isuzu Trooper ~$25K

or

LX470 ~$65K
WRXSedan ~$24K
17'Bowrider Boat ~$11K

-mike

nygreg · April 2001

BMW 330i =$40K for the wife
WRX = $25K for the winter and smoking unsuspecting, arogant "drivers"
Lexus GS 300 = $35K like the looks

-Greg

rsholland · April 2001

is for this year. Next year when we update our garage again, maybe Subaru will be offering something that can tow my trailer. So, for this year... Liberty it is.

Besides, the Liberty will be under warranty.

Bob

soon2bsubee · April 2001

1967 Ferrari 330gtc - $100K

Of course if I had an extra $150K it would be a 250 GT Lusso

rsholland · April 2001

'67 Ferrari, as a daily driver?? You had better be on a first-name-basis with your mechanic!

Bob

soon2bsubee · April 2001

Actually we are on a first name basis with all the people at Shelton Ferrari in Ft. Lauderdale

kate5000 · April 2001

1. Pontiac Aztek $25K (for comic relief and guest entertaining)
2. Ford Escape $25K (because I live in a small town and care about local mechanics staying in business)
the remaining $50K I'll spend on fixing No.1-2 once they're out of warranty

lucien2 · April 2001

WRX Sport wagon $25K

Ford F-150 and a trailer ($25K) to tow...

A group N Rally car, used, preferably a Soob, plus the drivers schools to get me and my co-driver-for-life licensed, parts, etc. $50k

subearu · April 2001

WRX sedan - $25k (since there isn't a Blitzen here)
Viper RT/10 - $73k

If I were really doing this, I'd probably have something more suited for carting around our soon-to-be newborn (mid-May). Make that WRX sedan a wagon I guess. And who am I kidding - if I really had $100k to spend, I probably wouldn't get a Viper, but I'd be sure to drive one at least. Perhaps a 911 AWD instead...oh wait, that's over $100k.

-Brian

locke2c · April 2001

1) '99 Impreza RS...that's right, I'd keep it-- but FINISH what I've started, figure $10k there.

2) Porsche Boxster S, call it $55k. Great replacement for Lisa's Miata, and you wouldn't hear a peep out of me about a lack of power or comfort. ;-)

3) Honda RC51, $10k Yep, same 2 wheel disease Bob has. Made the mistake of going helmet shopping with a friend I introduced to autocross, and made the HUGE mistake of sitting on an RC51.

4) Hmm... $25k left. Think I need a truck. That should be enough for a Silverado 1500 4WD with 5spd and nothing fancy.

-Colin

francophile · April 2001

1 Subie WRX motor
+ 1 Subie Legacy GT sedan
+ a performance parts for the GT
+ labor
= 1 US-legal hot rod Legacy, let's say $45K

1 Porsche Boxter - I love roadsters! $40K

1 garage to put them in :-) $15K

Cheers,
-wdb

Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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