thatswhatshesaid

Go Gen II. You'll be glad you did. Also, those EA81s are fantastic engines. You pretty much can't break 'em. They've got a surprising amount of grunt, too.

update: Just picked up this AMAZING OBXT Limited (5 speed)... I can't decide between Forester and Outback now! I think I may have a problem...

Which models are you considering, and what's your price range? I buy/sell/trade Subarus all the time, and I have a great mechanic who does all my HG jobs (we use all OEM/high quality parts). I might be able to find you a car. I also have a hook-up with an independent dealer in Texas. I get a LOT of great deals on Subarus there.

I'm with grossgary on this one. Although the N/A SOHC 2.5s are not impervious to HG problems, they're infinitely superior to the older EJ25Ds. The price on a car like this won't be much different, but you'll almost assuredly save on maintenance/repair costs. Go with a 99+ Forester/Impreza, or 2000+ Legacy if you want a 2.5

oops. double post

ha ha. I know what XTs are. Thanks for the re-reception, folks. Oh, and I was out for like...a year and a half. Silly me!

Man...this place has changed. I haven't been back in a while. But now I'm a Suby monger again. I'm gonna be back for good this time. You guys are real cool. Here's my FXT:

updates on this car?

Let us know how it goes. After my Forester struts were installed and 225/60r16s mounted, I measured over 9" clearance at the rear diff on my 94 Touring Wagon. Pretty darn cool.

.....pretty well sums it up. ha ha

I'm doing the Forester lift on mine (I think that's slightly less lift than your Outback struts) pretty soon as well. Love your touring wagon, BTW. White looks awesome. I just pulled my winter tires out of storage (they'll be on the car as soon as the first real snow hits) and threw on some awesome Bosch wiper blades. I'm looking into the 4EAT lock switch. That'll probably happen next week. I really wanted to do a 5-speed swap by winter, but that'll have to wait. I'm building my just-in-case kit. I have so far: - tool box with basic tools - extra fluids (brake, ATF, oil, coolant) - washer fluid - fix-a-flat - a small DC air compressor - recovery strap - full-sized spare tire - recovery chain - tire chains - space blanket - sleeping bag - spare clothes - 5 gal water jug - .45 cal pistol and ammo (never leave home without it) - duct tape - electrical tape - jumper cables - backpacking stove w/fuel - backpacking cookware - freeze-dried food - water purifier I'm thinking I need to add: - spare belts/hoses - magnetic block heater - decent shovel - jerry can - couple bottles of octane booster, in case I can't get my 92 octane way out in the boondocks - axe - nonperishable food items - come-along winch - spare axle any other ideas for gear to bring or modifications to the car that might be useful?

I would REALLY like to see some photos of this in action

It seems like you're focusing on the diameter of the rim. The diameter of the rim doesn't really matter. It's the diameter of the tire that counts. A 27" tire on a 15" rim is just as big as a 27" tire on a 14" rim. Why are you concerned with the "15s?" You can run a smaller tire. You don't have to get a smaller rim.

I'm kinda torn... I could really make any of my wagons into the ultimate snowbeast (I mean, they kinda all are already)... I'm still leaning toward the TW, though. On another note, I'm thinking of building a snorkel for it. Any other materials besides ABS I should look at? I think a rectangular-ish tube would be cool (like a Safari Snorkel), rather than just round black tube...

true... a car that was actually built on a RWD platform

Recovery stuff - good plan. I'm working on putting together all the goodies...

I know. it's a weird concept to grasp. I'm glad you have experience with this exact setup. I guess the trivial amount of power loss doesn't really bother me. Maybe I'll get another .5 mpg. ha ha

I know that tires are the #1 most important modification. I have Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5s (27" diameter on 16s). So...I get the point. Thanks for the advice, though. I absolutely agree. Tires dictate the capability of a rig in snow/ice. I love my Hakkas. I do drive in deep snow - dry and wet. Ground clearance and recovery are important, too.

Where is this? If you don't want to talk to them and risk the mean dogs/getting shot/etc... (lol) I'll talk to them. I'm in the Spokane area as well. I would LOVE one of these. Wanna go halfsies? ha ha

I'm usually not a fan of non-boxer Subaru ideas, but...this is amazingly sexy.

Supplies in the back - good call. I try to always come prepared. Part of the motivation for this thread/build is my recent fascination with the idea of a winter road trip to Alaska. I'm going to try to do it in January '12. Also, I have huge concerns with cooling. That seems to be a big issue among cars plowing through lots of deep snow (a strange paradox, eh?) and sustaining long winter drives. Any suggestions for keeping my turbo motor as cool as possible? Thanks for all the ideas/preparedness tips, everyone. Keep 'em coming!

GD, you are a gentleman and a scholar. This news saddens me, though. I wish there were a way to get back some CR...

Are those just drilled into the bumper beam?

I have a car that came originally equipped with the EJ251 (2000 Outback). My block was toasted by negligent mechanic work (totally different story). I have a shortblock from a 99 Outback (EJ25D) that I'd like to swap into the car. Here are my questions: - Is the 25D shortblock identical to my 251? Or are there piston differences that would affect CR, piston contacting the head, etc? - Which head gasket do I use for this combination? - Is there anything I'm missing or overlooking? Thanks, guys and gals. - T

TeamCF - are those Daylighters mounted to the roof, or your racks? They look like they're on the sheet metal. and you should take some pictures of the nighttime performance of those projectors...