Turbo Tecnology Old/new

[Tweaksta]

Thanks so much Tweaksta for sharing your trip. As a Suby turbo owner who spent a few years of his childhood growing up in Thargomindah I can appreciate the special places you've visited. Except for Coongie Lakes I've been to them all. I never tire of going back. You are fortunate to have done that trip without tyre trouble (other than at the start) and just shows what non offroad tyres can put up with. Your fuel consumption figures sound exactly like what I get in my XT. The lack of premium petrol in Thargomindah and Tibbooburra when it was available in Innamincka when I was there last doesn't make sense. How many km's do you have on the GT now? And you are right - that green is the best Suby colour ever.

You're absolutely right - it's a breathtaking part of Australia. Thargo is a nice town in a great neck of the woods.

Turbo Foresters really gobble up the kilometres out there. You can drive all day on the roughest of roads and still feel a little disappointed when you have to get out of the drivers seat at the end. I still would love to have a lower ratio or two - or a DR box but I did ok with 1st gear and the turbo's torque.

So, my oldish technology EJ-20T with 2 litres, turbo and free-er flowing exhaust gets about the same mileage as a 2007 (newer technology) 2.5 turbo. Is that with a stock exhaust Guzzla?

Mine is just under 195,000kms now. I bought the car with 77,000km on it and have put 100% full synthetic oil in it every 5000km religiously. The engine still feels like new. No smoke, no worn engine smells. Doesn't need oil top-ups - ever.

It's at the age now where I am thinking of giving is a mid-life overhaul in order to get another 200,000km of trouble-free motoring or change up to a newer model. I do like the rawness of the SF Foresters (no VDC or CVTs). These old GTs just used pure power and a basic (but highly functional) rear LSD to help you power out of trouble. I can't express how important a rear LSD is in a Forester if you go offroad.

I do like the SH & SJ models but sometimes I wonder if the electronics in these models would have interfered too much when the sand got too deep - eg: when I got (slightly) stuck in the sand I was able to use a mountain of torque to spin all four wheels and power out of the situation but with something like X-Mode dulling the engine response and individual wheels braking at all corners it makes me wonder.

I'd love to see an offroad SF, SG, SH & SJ shootout just to see if they really have become more "family" or if it's just all cosmetic.

 

[guzzla]

So, my oldish technology EJ-20T with 2 litres, turbo and free-er flowing exhaust gets about the same mileage as a 2007 (newer technology) 2.5 turbo. Is that with a stock exhaust Guzzla?

Mine is just under 195,000kms now. I bought the car with 77,000km on it and have put 100% full synthetic oil in it every 5000km religiously. The engine still feels like new. No smoke, no worn engine smells. Doesn't need oil top-ups - ever.

My 2007 model has now done 264 500km and has the stock exhaust (I like the silence) but got an ECU reflash when the secondary air pump was deleted. Now has 142kW instead of 126kW atw but the last thing it needed was more power. It has also only had synthetic oil but every 12 500km and still uses none. A brilliant engine. I have averaged 9.4L/100km overall with a low of 6.6L/100km. Only service items have been to replace a seized air con compressor at around 190 000km, King springs & KYB struts at 250 000km (what a bonus!) and the steering rack last week. Also both inner CV boots recently. It feels indestructable.

I wish I had invested in a set of 16" steel wheels for off road tyres early in its life. On trips I take an extra tyre with me. It's been across the Gibb River Road, Innamincka/Cameron Corner, Flinders Ranges, Birdsville/up on Big Red as well as many other dirt tracks all over QLD. It's also towed a small camper trailer across the Nullarbor twice and gets most of its running now on sealed roads.

 

[Tweaksta]

Damn.....makes me want an SH.....