robb
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2021
- Messages
- 2
- Location
- Berkeley CA
- Car Year
- 2010
- Car Model
- Forester
- Transmission
- Manual 5 speed
I recently bought a 2010 Forester on the Facebook Marketplace. Despite having it checked out beforehand and knowing the seals were likely going I bought it anyways for a hefty discount. Sure enough, the seals blew while I was taking it over the 108 pass to Bishop CA. After a long tow back (thanks to piggybacking AAA memberships!) I ended up replacing the engine with a barely used import from Japan. Turns out they mandate replacement engines at about 30k miles and they all flow into the US. I decided I'd keep on modding and got some Bilstein struts, king springs, a 1.5" lift and a skid plate. Even it all out with some AT Trails and I have a decently capable offroad machine! In the spirit of a DIY overlanding vehicle I built a bed platform with pull out tables for cooking. I had to remove the rear seat, but it's COVID season and no one's riding in my car anyways.
Well after a couple months of work the mods were finished and I decided to take her out to see what she was made of. I'm kind of a GIS nerd and I've been scoping out abandoned ruins in the Death Valley area for a while now. I picked the Ballarat Canyon area with a bunch of coordinates saved into a Garmin. It was an eye opening adventure. I definitely found the limits of a Subaru Forester manual 5spd. She handles like a champion over pretty crazy rocky off-cam. The problem is almost entirely the transmission. A Subaru will never be a jeep and the gearing in a forester just doesn't go low enough to tackle the really steep grades and boulder hopping that's necessary to go way out there in the mountains. I made it back in one piece, saw some amazing ruins in the desert mountains, and pushed my off-roading limits.
I'm actually writing this post from my second offroading trip. This time in Moab!
Let you all know how it goes!
Well after a couple months of work the mods were finished and I decided to take her out to see what she was made of. I'm kind of a GIS nerd and I've been scoping out abandoned ruins in the Death Valley area for a while now. I picked the Ballarat Canyon area with a bunch of coordinates saved into a Garmin. It was an eye opening adventure. I definitely found the limits of a Subaru Forester manual 5spd. She handles like a champion over pretty crazy rocky off-cam. The problem is almost entirely the transmission. A Subaru will never be a jeep and the gearing in a forester just doesn't go low enough to tackle the really steep grades and boulder hopping that's necessary to go way out there in the mountains. I made it back in one piece, saw some amazing ruins in the desert mountains, and pushed my off-roading limits.
I'm actually writing this post from my second offroading trip. This time in Moab!
Let you all know how it goes!
to the forum, Robb.
