slothoncanvas

ok guys, i called about the Raider today. Was planning on driving up and getting it tomorrow or the next day, but found that it had been sold over the weekend. so, that leaves me with the turbo subaru gl wagon! i do have one concern though, i hear these cars are known for rusting out very quickly. there were a couple rust spots on the outside of the body, but i didn't check underneath the car yet. do you guys have experience with this happening? also... how expensive/simple-to-install are lift kits for such a vehicle? (i know absolutely NOTHING about cars, so if i purchase this car i will be doing intense amounts of reading to try to become a do-it-yourself-er.)

hey guys... finally, i have a few cars that i am actually considering and are in my very narrow price range. I'd be using them as daily drivers and would also be doing a great deal of off-roading. i saw a subaru GL (i believe it was) Wagon Turbo full time 4WD for sale for around $1000 outside a local music store. i got very excited when i saw it, and am considering it. also, however... i've recently become aware of this dealer in Phili (about an hour and half from where i live) that's selling an 87' Dodge Raider for the same price. The Raider is basically a 2-door, short wheelbase Mitsubishi Montero, or a Pajero as the call them over sees (which has sort of been my dream car since i got into off-roading). so i'm torn between the two. both aren't you're typical everyday off road vehicles, so each has that unique quality. although, i have to say it may be more practical for me to get the Raider. The Raider already has pretty decent clearence, and there's plenty of space for bigger tires. The subaru may give me a headache trying to get it lifted and such. plus, Raiders have 4hi and 4lo... which i don't believe the subaru would have. well, any opinions would be appreciated... and try not to be too biased based on the name of this Message Board. Thanks.

ok... so i have a friend who has two older subarus. One i am sure has AWD, but the other i'm not so sure of. so... my question is, has subaru made 2wd cars? and... say i find an old subaru for pretty cheap, can i be sure that it has either? I mean i realize that if it is 4WD then i'll be able to tell upon entering the vehicle, but i'm not sure that such is true with AWD. hmm.

hey guys, thanks again for all the feedback... I think I'll let the forester do what it was built for - the road. However, some interesting news came my way. A girl i know is selling an older Geo Tracker with 4wd for 500 dollars. as far as i know, there are no major problems with it... she just really wants to get rid of it. I realise that these are not nearly as strong running as say a Jeep or Land Cruiser (or probably even some of your guys' cars), but with the cost of the vehicle, it should be fun to beat up. Plus i've seen some videos of them putting on some pretty serious performances, though those most likely have thousands of dollars in mods. Hopefully she was truthfull with the price, and if i go out there and find out that she told me it was 4x4 and it's not... i'll be more than upset. If fact i might start screaming at her . thanks again guys.

oh... yeah, i guess i didn't really take all that into much consideration. With all the crap the local kids throw into this creek (i.e. ice tea containers, beer bottles, etc.) me driving in it is probably the last thing it needs. and... yeah, i should probably save my car the trouble. i mean after all, that's not what it was built for. i'll stick to more conservative driving for now.

um... more likely serious rock and water. as in... purchasing and using a snorkle for whatever vehicle i decide on. oh yeah... and a side note, are there any Xterra fans out there? because, though they haven't been around a while, they are very reasonably priced and i've heard very good things.

I have a serious qestion. It's probably been asked many times before on this board by newer members, but i'm going to ask anyway. I have a 2000 Forester, and in not too long of time i'll be in the market for a new car. I am considering trading in my Forester and getting a Wrangler or something in that market. That or keeping my Forester, lifting and tire equiping it, and buying a more economic car. My question is about performance. Will my Subaru's AWD system perform as well as a Jeep's 4 wheel drive sytem? I'm aware of the exceptional handling and control my car gives me on the road in the rain and snow we get here sometimes... But how exactly does the AWD work in serious trail, mud, and snow conditions?! again... information and advice is greatly appreciated. I'm new.

I'm not too far from NJ, but far enough that it wouldn't be an issue (it's about 2hrs from here). although, i am under 20 and have longer hair... and my local police force has a tendency to be not so kind to people of my description. but... there are a few nice ones, and i'm pretty sure they've not run into a sittuation like this before if i do get caught. so they might think it's "pretty cool." thanks for all the tips and advice guys, it'll prove to be a big help. oh... and if and when i do this, i'll definately bring a camera. oh yeah and one more question. it's about to settle into to winter here, and it can get pretty cold. Say i go in the dead of winter... is the cold, cold water going to be "bad news" for my tires?

hey... thanks guys. my Forester is manual. i think for the most part this creek is very shallow, meaning from a few inches to maybe 2 feet max. but i have been in it when i was a kid and in certain small areas there are little drops that can get as deep as 4 feet. so... i guess the best bet for me would be to walk alongside of it and see where these ditches are so that i know when they are coming and how to avoid them. also the floor of the creek is almost all covered in tiny and not so tiny rocks. very, very little mud. but... as far as legal issues go i think i don't think i would run into any problems, but if say i did. what kind of trouble are we talking??

ok... now, within the past few months i have become seemingly obsessed with the whole "off-road" scene. I just joined this forum, this being my first post. I have a 2000 Subaru Forester, as stock as it gets. And, i'm sure you are aware.... this does not provide me with very much ground clearance. I lack the money to get anything done to it as of right now. My main question is... would it not be a good idea to take my Forester into a creek that is near to my house? The creek is very shallow (in most places). Not just drive across the creek, but actually drive in the creek in the direction it is going for a half/mile or a mile or so. I think the biggest problem i may run into would be my tires, which are not only your run-of-the-mill street tires, but they also will need to be changed within the next few months due to the depleating tread. Also, she has plastic mud guards hanging from the bottom of the car behind the wheels. these seem like they can be removed very easily, and that would give me a bit more clearance there. I really, really want to do this... because i have gone out with my friend a few times and i had a terrific time. (he has a Mazda MPV 4x4 sport edition, which is essentially just a van with 4 wheel drive and ground clearance. that's the car in my icon actually). So i wanted to take my Subaru off into this creek nearby, i just didn't know if i would get into much trouble? you're advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.