LandCruisers Follow me: Dedman’s 99 Subaru Forester

I have been a bit slack and haven’t got around to starting member journal until now but better late than never

I had been riding an 83 Honda CX500 motorcycle for a few years since getting my licence but the lack of practicality was starting to get somewhat annoying and maybe a tad dangerous…

After the motorcycle started to **** itself using oil at the same rate at petrol (not even exaggerating) and a large portion of the exhaust coming out of the radiator I decided it was time to upgrade to a car. I was going to really miss destroying people’s egos when they tried to drag you off at the lights in their sports cars and ended up getting covered in clouds of blue oil fueled exhaust smoke but the appeal of a car was just too much.

Initially I wanted something that used the same amount of fuel as a motorcycle but was big enough to sleep inside, a Honda Jazz was one of the only suitable candidates for that.

And then I bought a forester…… I have never looked back.

Here is the new car bought November 2012;

 

[Dedman]

The first modification was to put on a sump guard. I had an old 83 Subaru Leone paddock bomb which was well past the end of its life so I decided it was time to take what parts I could. After a lot of unbending of the sump guard and with some slight modifications it was ready for the forester.

After a short test run off road I decided that lift was needed so I fabricated some 50mm strut blocks. Built in camber correction to the front but there was absolutely no room to do this in the rear despite other members of this forum claiming they have done so. Here are the blocks

The lift was a great improvement off road making the forester a very capable vehicle.

 

[Dedman]

Next mod: Uhf radio and inverter built into dash. Inverter didn’t turn out as neat as I had hoped but oh well. Also I have discovered some weird feedback from the inverter which only happens every so often but causes the buttons on my stereo to become less sensitive…… When I get a chance I will insulate the inverter body from earth and see if that helps…

 

[Dedman]

Next it was winch time: 4k under bumper winch install;

Here is the write up of the winch build in case you missed it;
[FONT=&quot]https://offroadsubarus.com/showthread.php?t=4402[/FONT]

 

[taza]

Nice mate, I love it! Reminds me of when I got my Foz as a P plater back in 2010. 3 engines, 2 gearboxes, 2 diffs, 3 lots of shocks and 5 sets of tyres and I still love it!

I put my UHF in the same spot, I actually have the same unit. Good little unit and fits perfectly there..
She just needs a bullbar, some chunky offroad tyres and a loud exhaust with a cannon :lol: :iconwink:

 

[Dedman]

Coming soon;
New 9k winch and custom off road bumper
Kings
Snorkel
Trailing arm blocks
Rear camber bolts

:ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin::ebiggrin:

 

[Fly]

1. I love that thread title
2. Lots of great work you've put in there! It gives me some ideas too.

 

[lefty]

Clever mods
Love the james bond winch

 

[mr turbo]

Great to see you've started a journal DedmanWalking

The transformation is amazing & it's all been done in less than a year

Well done mate :biggrin:

Regards
Mr Turbo

 

[Scooby2]

Dedmanwalking, some brilliant work here. I have to ask tho... where the inspiration for your very first Honda Mod came from? I would like to be a fly on the wall the first time you move house with your Subaru :rotfl:
Best regards,

 

[stilson]

Nice work Dedman, very cool Soob.

 

[Ratbag]

Nice, DmW ...

Love your CB500 :biggrin:. Have to agree that it might have been becoming just a tad dangerous :rotfl:! I hope your 240V electrical work is a bit more carefully designed ... .

 

[NachaLuva]

Agree you've managed to do a lot in a short time...great job

I wonder how the winch would have gone on the bike :rotfl:

 

[carljwnc]

Nice journal!!! You've done your Foz right.

I rode a Silver Wing (touring version of CX500) for a few years, nice bike.

 

[Dedman]

Nice mate, I love it! Reminds me of when I got my Foz as a P plater back in 2010. 3 engines, 2 gearboxes, 2 diffs, 3 lots of shocks and 5 sets of tyres and I still love it!

Only 3 more months of being a P Plater for me
Hopefully I wont go through parts as quickly as you although my engine does seem to have used a fair bit of oil since the last change....

I have to ask tho... where the inspiration for your very first Honda Mod came from? I would like to be a fly on the wall the first time you move house with your Subaru :rotfl:
Best regards,

Haha its not even a mod. I just strapped the bicycle to the pack rack that was already on the bike. It actually worked amazingly and didnt have much effect on the bikes handling although you wouldnt want to ride it to much like that.

Actually moving was the first thing I did when I got the car. Was pretty amusing..... Full height bookshelf, a wind surfer, 2 mountain bikes a set of draws and a whole bunch of other crap in one car load. Pretty good effort I thought :ebiggrin:

Nice, DmW ...

Love your CB500

That CX500 was an amazing bike the odometer was on its third trip round before it started to die. But when it went it a lot of things went wrong.... Sheared camshaft, timing chain minced up half the engine water pump impeller disintegrated and with all that the engine still ran fine it just had issues with water mixing with the oil....

It was sold to someone who wanted to restore it so hopefully it went to a good home.

 

[Ratbag]

Good bikes, Hondas.

The CBs are from when I was MUCH younger (like nearly 40 years ago ... ), LOL! They were still terrific bikes.

CX500 ... Got it ... :lol: .

Sorry about that.

 

[taza]

If your engine does crap out I'd recommend changing to an EJ22 or EJ25 block, slap in a used piggyback computer. Then crank the ignition timing up and the fuel.
Best mod I did I reckon, changed the capabilities of my foz by 10x
A word of advice... fact 1; the rings will go if you thrash it every gear change(done this twice). Fact 2, if you dump the clutch from a high rpm on bitumen it will shatter first gear.
I find the car undrivable with big tyres and the gutless 2.0l, both on and offroad. I can now pull faster and harder in every gear at any rpm, especially low range. I even reckon I can pull faster when putting my foot down at 110km/hr in 5th than I could at 60km/hr in 3rd.
I built 50mm trailing arms for my foz and I have 60mm rear blocks, 50mm front, 30mm raised springs all round and front whiteline camber bolts. My wheel alignment is pretty good on the front and slightly out on the back.

Keep up the mods mate, I love the winch build and custom work :iconwink: :biggrin:

 

[Gravel_Rocks]

:rotfl: You're sportin' some nads to ride that CX with bike humpin' it!! I'd be scared for ya if I saw that at "110 on the freeway". :ebiggrin:

Great job on the conversion, I'll be following the upcomping planned mods too. I've got winch thoughts simmering, thanks to your thread. Why are you bumping up the winch capacity? For pulling out jeeps, rrs, or lcs?

 

[Dedman]

If your engine does crap out I'd recommend changing to an EJ22 or EJ25 block, slap in a used piggyback computer. Then crank the ignition timing up and the fuel.
Best mod I did I reckon, changed the capabilities of my foz by 10x

Yeah Ive been following you engine mod quite closely and Im very tempted. If you dont mind me asking whats a ball point figure for what the engine conversion cost?

I've got winch thoughts simmering, thanks to your thread. Why are you bumping up the winch capacity? For pulling out jeeps, rrs, or lcs?

Three Reasons;

1. The old winch shat itself.
2. 4k is not enough to recover a properly bogged forester without a snatch block
3. 4k winch only have 10m of cable (8-9m useable) which with a snatch block = 4-5m. Not that much and very annoying for a long bog hole where the car is filling with water the whole time.....

The 9k winch I have has 20m of rope, no need for a snatch block, will pull me out far more quickly that the old one so less water in the car, more durable and not loaded to capacity so hopefully more reliable.

Here in Victoria every single time I have managed to get stuck was in water/mud resulting in lots of water getting in the car

 

[mr turbo]

I'd be scared for ya if I saw that at "110 on the freeway". :ebiggrin:

You & me both :lol:

Regards
Mr Turbo