Jack's Journey, another Poverty Pack

Jack is a one owner since new (me!) SG MY04 Forester X.
He's served us well over the years, mostly as a daily driver for SWMBO with a few camping trips towing a 7'x4' light off road camper trailer as well as board carrier and shuttle bus for the kids.
The last 18 months He's been reduced to Camper Trailer puller & Mal/Nipper (surf lifesaving) board carrier.
About 8 months back, SWMBO started raising discussions about trading Jack in on "Something Else" to the value of about $15 - 20ksecond hand, hiluxy sort of thing as she felt Jack was getting a little worn out.
This was to be used predominantly as a shuttlebus, camper trailer tower & board carrier mind you, but with a view to more adventurous touring..

With a little bit of effort, I managed to convince her that Jack was not in fact terribly worn out (backed up by the mechanic thankfully) but just needed a bit of a spruce up.

And thus the journey begins..

 

[SquiresSquire]

Well...
bought some second hand bits today.
SubaExtreme Bull bar, genuine Subaru rear towbar, headlights, front left & right panels, in fact, an entire car.
$500.00 well spent I re ockon. Now I've got to decide whether to strip the axles and a few other bits & pieces or just sell it all.

I wonder if an SG Forester auto gearbox will fit in an SVX..?!

They both have 4EATs, however, it would be the electrical differences which could be a problem.

 

[Ben Up North]

however, it would be the electrical differences which could be a problem.

I'd have to use the Forester TCU I'm guessing. I do know I'd have to swap the axles.

 

[El_Freddo]

I'd have to use the Forester TCU I'm guessing.

And probably the matching loom at a guess.

Cheers

Bennie

 

[Ben Up North]

And probably the matching loom at a guess.

Doesn't everyone just make new ones from scratch?

 

[Ben Up North]

Starting to pull apart the parts car:

Sharing a few stories:

Oh My! The lightforce spotties fit!! I didn't think they would.

They stick out a long way though might have to get some mounts welded up a bit further back.

I should keep the axles too I guess, seeing as I've got the wheels off...

This bottom bar (presumably part of the bull bar kit) has been mashed:

Not sure whether I should try straightening it out a bit, or just get a new one made up (friend of a friend is a fabricator.should be pretty easy to replicate.

32 degrees C & 50% Humidity makes it a bit of a sweaty job, thank goodness for beer and water (not at the same time mind you, and only kid mid strength beer.).

 

[Ben Up North]

Just wondering if I should paint the bar with the same stuff I did the rear bumper and sills (ute liner stuff), or just leave it as is.
Thoughts anyone? At the moment I'm tending towards leaving it as is.

 

[Kevin]

tending towards leaving it as is

I agree. Is the anti-reflection stuff on the rear of the bar in good condition?

 

[Ben Up North]

anti-reflection stuff

Pretty much like new.

The whole car is in pretty good nick apart from a the rear bumper and a bit of a dent in the quarter panel. it's almost a shame to be stripping it. It even turns over ok, engines isn't seized. There's no fuel in it though. I should put some in and see if it starts up.

 

[Ben Up North]

There's no going back now that I've started taking panels off though, but it might make what's left worth a bit more to the wrecker if it runs.

 

[El_Freddo]

Good score on the parts car with the bullbar!

I know your pain of stripping an otherwise good unit. I’m currently doing the same to a GT foz. But this one hit a roo good and proper. Could still be fixed if I hadn’t stripped the interior out already. I probably would’ve got it back in straight order if it were a manual.

Looking forward to picks of the bullbar on your foz!

Cheers

Bennie

 

[Ben Up North]

Not bolted on yet, but the mounting bar is.
Swapping the front left guard too as I managed to dent that one a bit..

Needs a wash before fixing it too.

 

[ABFoz]

That's looking good already!

Also, you have a decently-sized play place there that is good enough to do swaps and everything.

 

[Ben Up North]

Also, you have a decently-sized play place there that is good enough to do swaps and everything.

Most of the carport is full of SVX & camper trailer, otherwise both the foresters would be under cover.

 

[scalman]

So bullbar for bulls and roobar for roos? Looks good there.

 

[Ben Up North]

So bullbar for bulls and roobar for roos? Looks good there.

Not a chance with a bull. even the trucks get hurt by those. would protect the front at slower speeds from roos, but still wouldn't be pretty. That's why I prefer lots of light... best way of dealing with anything on the road is being able to see it in time.

 

[scalman]

Wonder why we put them or russians we dont have none of those on roads ?? . Mostly for look sadly. Why i duno. To hit sand or ground we dont need steel bars here but most thinking we do. Nothing happenned when i hit it with soft bumper it just bended .
Could be that truck drivers where first using those bars because they would not slow down so just hitting its best option? And later jeep guys took that from them?

 

[Kevin]

The bar mainly protects the radiator because without that working you are stuck.

 

[ABFoz]

So bullbar for bulls and roobar for roos? Looks good there.

Haha. Sort of but yes they do protect the vital front end of the vehicle from impact from larger mammals. In the Australian highways, you will find that playful kangaroos usually drive toward or cross the line of the vehicle and without the roo bars, the impact is good enough to decommission the car. With the bar and upon impact, the bar may or may not bend but there is that insurance that somehow, the radiator is protected.

Interestingly, bull bars were first used in the Australian Outback initially by farmers as cows (and bulls) sometimes get temperamental and hit the vehicle. We're talking low speeds here. The bull bars protect the vital frontal components from damage even at those lower speed impacts. At higher speeds they still protect the vehicle with their usually tubular steel construction. Non-farmers, then, adapted them as an insurance from collision from larger animals because being stranded 500 to 1000km away from civilisation is not pleasant, at all.

I got the above info from an encyclopedia when I first installed a bull bar on the old FJ40.

 

[scalman]

Yh australia is dangerous enough even without driving haha. But i would like to do it. But subarus are not that high cars and roos can be tall animals if you hit it with bar it would still fly onto your hood and via front glass ,ouch.
Have any bars against them?

 

[Ben Up North]

bull bars were first used in the Australian Outback initially by farmers as cows (and bulls) sometimes get temperamental and hit the vehicle.

Near enough...

I first installed a bull bar on the old FJ40.

My family had an ex rural fire service swb FJ40 back in the mid-late 70's. Bright yellow, long range fuel tank & water tanks, PTO winch, axe & shovel mounted on the bonnet, and on the front of the bullbar was a 4"X 4" lump of Jarrah running the length of it. Horrificly slow on the highway, but pretty much unstoppable off road.