carljwnc's '01 Outback

carljwnc said:

Even Florida is being taken over by Subies. :ebiggrin: You used to rarely see them, now they are all over the place. Crosstrek, especially around here, really seems to have taken off.

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Glad you made it down to Florida this summer, and that Subies are spreading down South as well!

I've been thinking about the day when I pass on the Green Bean to one of the kids for college, and have to find something to replace it. The newest Forester is a bit too large for my taste. Recently, I parked the 1" lifted Forster behind a Crosstrek, and the ride height is very comparable. Except for teardrop Crosstrek versus boxy Forester, they are even comparable in size. If only Subaru would offer a Crosstrek WRX! :biggrin:

Failing a factory-made Crosstrek WRX, I think a WRX hatchback with the same 1" lift and King Springs that I put on the Forester would be my second choice. Just crossing 100k now, and kids' college is many years away. So I still have plenty of time.

@carljwnc

Hey, Carl! Hope all is well with you and the family down in WNC!

During a long road trip to VT in February, something unexpected happened: I got tired of the wind noise from the frameless windows on my Forester. So I started looking for a new Subie. Gulp!

Today, I ended up with a 2012 Outback. Never thought I’d jump ship from the Forester to an Outback. And just like yours, It’s got a stick! #savethemanuals

Only downside is that I now have to find a new home for the Green Bean. Tossing fingers I can find a taker who likes the lift kit and Sparco rally wheels.

After going Outback, I would find it hard to go back to a Forester. I thought one of your kids was going to get the Green Bean? If not, I'll bet it won't be too hard to find a home for it, it's a really great looking car, and no doubt, well cared for. How much you going to ask? I'll keep my eyes open. Wish I could, but I'm locked into the current OB for a couple more years.

Hope all is well with you!!!

@carljwnc Thanks, Carl! Just trying to wear a mask and avoid large crowds, like everybody else around here. Haven't had a chance to go biking with my son as much as I was hoping yet. But summer is just starting.

I'm still in the adjustment phase with the Outback. It's a big change from the Forester (in terms of footprint literally), esp. when driving and parking in the city. It's essentially been like going from a compact car to a mid-size SUV, with somewhat reduced visibility. Overall, I'm happy and have no regrets. I love having the 6MT. The extra interior space is wonderful. And it's a real wagon (as opposed to recent Foresters).

As far as the Green Bean, it was supposed to go to my daughter for college. But that's not for another three years, plus her mom promised her the Mini Countryman, which is less practical but newer (2010 I think). I'm probably going to hold on to it a bit, so I can start teaching her to drive (with auto) in an empty parking lot during Covid. I'm eventually hoping to get around $4500 for it. I want it to go to a good home, and I want it to keep serving its owner well. So it's currently in the shop getting a new exhaust, A/C overhaul, and a bunch of new ball links. If any ORS peeps or friends are interested, I'd certainly be willing to negotiate.

On a tangent, I'm wondering if the strut top spacer lift from the 06 Forester would fit your 07 Outback? That would be cool, especially if a potential buyer doesn't care and I have to remove it.

I'll probably swap the Bean back to the stock wheels, which have better tires. The Geolandar A/T-S on the Sparco wheels are completely worn out, and I want to see if I can find a suitable Geolandar G015 size tire to run the 16" Sparco wheels on the Outback (Premium model came stock with 17" alloys). I'd love some bronze Method MR502 wheels, but they're quite expensive. So it would save a lot of money if I could just keep the 16" Sparco Terra wheels, which are nice enough.