Ranger83

Mileage? Temperature? Subarus are notoriously loud on cold start. It's an alloy block with a lot of steel components. check your oil level. If it's not low, try Castrol High Mileage on the next oil change. I found it to be much quieter on cold start.

I replaced the head gaskets preemptively on my 1997 OBW at 140K miles. It now has 171K and is being driven nearly 500 miles per week. You can buyt a mid 90's OBW with around 100K miles for $3500-5000 and do the headgaskets.

Is'n that a lot of money to put into an 11 yo car? How long would you have to drive it to get your money back? Is the 2.5 smoked or can you have new HG put in? $1,200 might be worth it. OBW's with blown engines sell for $650 to $1,000 on eBay.

What he said.....

3.0R with BBS RK wheels.

OK, hope that sits well with the Americans who make their tires at their three US plants. Not including the BF Goodrich plants they also own...... How is it that if you worked in a garage, you know how the tires handle? You've worjked there since the TT was introduced?

I wouldn't know. I might buy a WRX to drive this summer but I find LegacyGT.com to be more technically useful for the new gen cars. If you post pictures of a heavily modified car it's reasonable to expect opprobrium as well as praise, don't you think? $800 into a $3,000 makes a lot more sense to me than $4,000 into a $3,000 car.

The TT's are usually cheaper than the Michelins as well. They seem to be the most popular replacement areound here at the moment. I was at the 4oth anniversary of D-Day at Ponte du Hoc for the dedication of the Ranger Memorial. The French people I met in Normandy were very friendly.

The reviews on tirerack.com are from users, so I'm not sure what they're trying to sell me. Consumer Reports buys the products they test blind and accepts no advertising - what are they selling me? It sure sounds like you have a strong emotional hatrid towards the Michelins. So, what tire are you suggesting to the fellow who started the thread? Why did you leave the garge?

Care to detail your experience on your Subarus? Tirerack.com surveys and CR reports belie your experience.

OK, let me detail my two cents. We replaced the OEM Michelins with Michelin X Ones at 57,000 miles. When I took them off at 120,000 miles they had 5/32nd tread left. They were excellent all-around tires. We put the HydroEdge (new at the time) on our second 97 OBW at 120,000 miles exactly. I sold the car to my sister-in-law in VT at 165,000 miles because hers died (at 245,000 miles). They live up a dirt driveway up a dirt road and need AWD two seasons a year. They were down last week and I measured the tread depth. The car now has 171,000 miles on it and still has over 7/32nds tread depth. Not bad for 51,000 miles of use. The HydroEdge were excellent in rain, decent in snow and ice and had solid handling in dry. The Consumer Reports All-Season test ranked the TT First - IF you didn't need to drive on ice. If you need to drive on ice, the two Michelins were ranked first.

I had Michelin HydroEdge on mine 97 - excellent tire. I also had plain ole Michelin X, a less expensive but all-around excellent tire.

Weight; strength and manufacturing process; durability of finish; and whether they designed it or cloned it. Some WRX 6.5x16 wheels also have 100mm bolt circles and 55mm offset. Some SAAB dealers are selling 17x7" BBS RK wheels for $500 per set. Offset is 48mm. Those wheels are usually $250 or more each. You'd need a low profile tire. I say a 90's vintage Outback yesterday with late model 5 spoke 17's on it, from the looks of them. Didn't get close enough to scope it out. but they tansformed the look of the car.

Usually the antidote for lack of directional stability is alignment. Have you had the wheels aligned or checked, by chance? I had a car that became downright treacherous to drive in rain after I backed into a concrete stopper in a parking space. After I got the rear wheels aligned, it was fine again.

Go to http://www.scca.org/. The SOLO events are autocrosses. Click, "Find a Region Near You," to find the regional chapter. The regional websites will have event schedules. The autocross series is usually listed under SOLO II or Autocross. They sometimes have links to other area clubs that host events as well. BMWCCA, PCA, and other auto clubs host events, and there are regional clubs as well. They are not usually race track events. Some regions also host drivers schools, and many have a Novice class that you compete in basically until you win a novice trophy. Most events require a Snell 90 or later spec helmet (not always), and the tech inspection is pretty much to make sure pieces don't fall off and you don't spill anything. It's a lot of fun and not too hard on the machinery, since most runs are short in duration and relatively low speed - 30-60 seconds and 1st and 2nd gear. Some higher speed events are held at airports and race tracks. I went to one wide-open event years ago at an airport where they had a radar gun to see who hit the highest speed on a straight. At the first autocross I ever went to, an old Peugot diesel station wagon showed up to compete with my friends diesel VW Rabbit (48hp, 155 r 13 tires) so you can "run what you brung," to have fun and safely learn how your car handles at the limits of adhesion.

Go to LegacyGT.com. Endless discussion on this topic.

So how do you get $4,000 to $5,000 worth of coil-overs, springs, bushings, and wheels for $800? From what I could find ADR wheels cost close to $300 each. Even the cheapest 17" alloy rims on the market are over $100 each. So you got the STi units and the tires for $400? ContiSportContacts - 245/35r17 not listed, but 225/45 r 17 are $142 each on tirerack = $564 plus shippping. You need to be our fleet manager. I could understand doing something to a Legacy sedan, but if you can be competitive in the heavier Outback wagon, congrats. What are you competing against? And a caution to everyone else - if you set your car up like this, make sure your seat belts are tight going over railroad tracks, or you will crack your head on the ceiling.

18's, gotta have 18's.....

Canadian Driver has a test of the WR at: http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/hl/nokian.htm And the Winter RSI at: http://www.canadiandriver.com/winter/tires/hakka_rsi.htm And a winter traction test that includes an Outback at: http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/traction2006.htm

I see his posts but I still don't see anything that shows me he's doing any driving in competition Sorry, the car still looks like a silly poser-mobile to me. And a waste of money.

Oh, how many trophies have you won? You mean you have a competition license and compete in autocross, time trials, road races, performance rallys? So you changed all the suspension bushings to improve feedback? What did you do with the rear swaybar to minimize understeer? And how did you solve the problem of not being able to increase the tire section width? What have you done to the engine internals to increase output so that your drivin' machine is faster than a Ford Explorer? Oh, sorry, what you really mean is you DRIVE around on the street. At least no one will laugh at you because it's a station wagon. What did that poor Subaru do to you? Obey posted speeds.....Unpimp ze auto.http://previews.thenewsmarket.com/Pr...3986_33414.wmv

The seats are different in 06. I know because I ordered a Katzkin leather kit and the 06 didn't have the pattern yet. An automotive upholstery shop can help shape the seat. My 06 just turned 5,000 miles (bought in December). I've had zero problems. I have an H6 and the rpms don't hang more than any other emission-controlled vehicle we own. The 4 cyl Legacy and Outbacks I test-drove didn't, either, so you have bad luck, apparently. 175hp VVT engine Immobilizer key 17" wheels Air flitration standard on all models. Different seats (I'm told) Some lineup changes, like the reintroduction of the base Outback 3.0R wagon.

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I knew this was going to happen someday. Avian flu => humans, Honda Zivics => Subarus. Cool, with -4.5 degrees of camber on the front wheels your tires should last, oh, 10,000 miles?

NTB will give you a little gage to measure tread depth, or you can buy one for a buck or two. Treadwear is really the determinant, not dealer service solicitations. The Bridgestone RE92's have a much lower treadwear grade than some of the Michelin All Seasons that used to come on the car, so the fronts (usually) may wear faster. I've gone as much as 15,000 between rotations with Michelin HydroEdge. But they are still showing 7/32nds trad or more after 51,000 miles.