ateday
Forum Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2014
- Messages
- 982
- Car Year
- 2002
- Car Model
- MY03 Forester
- Transmission
- 5 sp manual, 1.59 LR
Have just returned from the local Subaru Car Club`s 40th Anniversary Simpson run. Subarus were well and truly outnumbered as only three participated but they performed well and kept the accompanying assortment of Toyotas, Pajeros, Nissans and other sundries honest..
Interestingly one Subaru was an, about 2017 auto model, straight out of the box with NO mods at all. Even still had the plastic underbody protection. Despite doing a bit of sand leveling it only had to be helped up a few dunes, as it was. The driver, who shall remain nameless, had a very, to me as I was following him, disconcerting habit of stopping/pausing just over the crest of a sandhill. He did not use his radio much so that added to my surprise of finding a car just as I summited the dune. Apparently he was always unsure of which way the track went so stopped to look. The other two were my MY03 and a 1992 Brumby, also not modified except for a Weber carburettor.
The only damage sustained was to my old faithful MY03 when I hit a very solid and loud "bump" along the Mt Dare to Dalhousie Springs track. This was revealed to be a disintegrated driver`s side front top strut mount bearing. An assortment of balls floating around in a disintegrated race was revealed when I was doing my oil and water checks the next morning. Luckily we had a satellite `phone and could order a pair of replacements from Jarvis Subaru in Adelaide to be sent to collect upon arrival in Birdsville.
No option but to continue so I nursed the Forester over the sand dunes all the way to Birdsville. Having driven up "Big Red" in the past I thought it may be a tad foolhardy to try a repeat with a dodgy strut so didn`t.
Made Birdsville safely although the broken strut did make a few disconcerting noises along the way. New strut mounts eventually arrived by express post via Brisbane and the broken one was replaced.
This delay cost a couple of us the original plan of spending time exploring the Northern Flinders but that can wait for a future run.
We saw lots of sand, very few Desert Peas and little wildlife. except for birds. Some rain in northern SA and SW QLD closed the track south so we spent about 6 days in beautiful downtown Birdsville but well worth the effort and the many kgs of red topsoil for my front lawn. Despite cautious driving from Dalhousie to Birdsville the trusty Forester went well and I can only say Subarus are excellent cars.
Interestingly one Subaru was an, about 2017 auto model, straight out of the box with NO mods at all. Even still had the plastic underbody protection. Despite doing a bit of sand leveling it only had to be helped up a few dunes, as it was. The driver, who shall remain nameless, had a very, to me as I was following him, disconcerting habit of stopping/pausing just over the crest of a sandhill. He did not use his radio much so that added to my surprise of finding a car just as I summited the dune. Apparently he was always unsure of which way the track went so stopped to look. The other two were my MY03 and a 1992 Brumby, also not modified except for a Weber carburettor.
The only damage sustained was to my old faithful MY03 when I hit a very solid and loud "bump" along the Mt Dare to Dalhousie Springs track. This was revealed to be a disintegrated driver`s side front top strut mount bearing. An assortment of balls floating around in a disintegrated race was revealed when I was doing my oil and water checks the next morning. Luckily we had a satellite `phone and could order a pair of replacements from Jarvis Subaru in Adelaide to be sent to collect upon arrival in Birdsville.
No option but to continue so I nursed the Forester over the sand dunes all the way to Birdsville. Having driven up "Big Red" in the past I thought it may be a tad foolhardy to try a repeat with a dodgy strut so didn`t.
Made Birdsville safely although the broken strut did make a few disconcerting noises along the way. New strut mounts eventually arrived by express post via Brisbane and the broken one was replaced.
This delay cost a couple of us the original plan of spending time exploring the Northern Flinders but that can wait for a future run.
We saw lots of sand, very few Desert Peas and little wildlife. except for birds. Some rain in northern SA and SW QLD closed the track south so we spent about 6 days in beautiful downtown Birdsville but well worth the effort and the many kgs of red topsoil for my front lawn. Despite cautious driving from Dalhousie to Birdsville the trusty Forester went well and I can only say Subarus are excellent cars.
