Crazy Canuck

The dilema we are running into now in Canada is that they have extended the time kids are supposed to stay in booster seats to around 8 years old (when I was that age they didn't even manufacture the things!!). The problem with that is a shoulder belt is required which obviously is not available in the middle seat. So when counting seats, "5 passenger" cars are not necessarily going to work for 3 kids no matter how much room there is! I sent an e-mail to Subaru Canada and asked them if they were going to do us a favour and come up with a 3rd row of seats in an extended Forester model (similar to the Susuki XL-7). They said something would be available early in 2005. I'm holding out replacing the struts on my 98 Legacy until I see what the new model looks like!! *S*

I got a 2" Scorpion Lift kit from ISR in California for my 98 Legacy wagon. It left a sour taste in my mouth because they claimed the kit would allow for larger tires (it doesn't because of the low spring seats). Now I'm left with a huge wheel well gap between the tires until I can scrape the money together to replace the struts with ones from an Outback. My word of warning would be that when you get into this with the more recent model years you are pretty much on your own. That all being said, the lift kit did make a big difference this winter clearing the snow banks around our place and it'll look pretty cool once I can get the struts replaced and get bigger tires on there.