JimC
Forum Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2023
- Messages
- 6
- Location
- COLLINGWOOD, Victoria
- Car Year
- 2006
- Car Model
- Forester X
- Transmission
- Manual
Hi All,
Having joined here in December last year, I've slowly being building my knowledge on Foresters, anticipating a purchase soon. Please be patient with me! My 80 Series Landcruiser which I've owned for 7 years was purchased to fulfil a lifelong goal to do a very remote desert crossing in central Australia, and I really enjoyed setting it up for long distance remote area travel and wrenching on it too, learning some mechanical basics. We did that with family and it was really special, and the 'Cruiser was exceedingly good out there. However, my needs and interests have evolved (devolved?!). My business now requires that I use my 'Cruiser 3 days/week in a big city (this was not anticipated) and it's like a fish out of water; enormous, cumbersome, very thirsty, doesn't fit in many places. Very very ordinary. Desert? Awesome. A Foz will be unquestionably superior 99% of travel I do from now on. I plan to camp and get to wild places on occasions to go running, cycling etc. And road trips and general hauling. I'm not interested in the whole extreme offroad thing.
I'm keen on an SG as (hopefully) the proceeds from sale of the 'Cruiser (anyone want one!? 'Tis a goodie
) will allow me to purchase a decent car and have a little change for a modest refresh and some basic accessories. So, I've been hanging for a car that has had the big items done in recent times (HGs, clutch/RMS and timing belt), and boy are they rare! (I can refresh suspension/brakes/tyres and other bits myself) So many cars now of this age are being sold without RWC and with leaks or general neglect. But I've found what could be a goodie, and contacted the specialist who did the HG and asked if he used a multi-layer gasket (a la WRX), my understanding being these are my reliable/durable than the composite gaskets. His response was that they use OEM parts for the car, and thats the composite gasket and it could provide a better seal when bonding imperfect surfaces on block and heads, even after they've been cleaned, sanded, machined, levelled, tested etc... thoughts please?
Subsequently I've worked myself into a bit of lather over the HG issues generally and am feeling a bit nervous about the whole EJ253 thing. The HGs on car in question were done 20,000km ago. My ambivalence is not helped by 7 years with a staggeringly robust and reliable Landcruiser. Help me bite the bullet! Thoughts, context welcome !
Having joined here in December last year, I've slowly being building my knowledge on Foresters, anticipating a purchase soon. Please be patient with me! My 80 Series Landcruiser which I've owned for 7 years was purchased to fulfil a lifelong goal to do a very remote desert crossing in central Australia, and I really enjoyed setting it up for long distance remote area travel and wrenching on it too, learning some mechanical basics. We did that with family and it was really special, and the 'Cruiser was exceedingly good out there. However, my needs and interests have evolved (devolved?!). My business now requires that I use my 'Cruiser 3 days/week in a big city (this was not anticipated) and it's like a fish out of water; enormous, cumbersome, very thirsty, doesn't fit in many places. Very very ordinary. Desert? Awesome. A Foz will be unquestionably superior 99% of travel I do from now on. I plan to camp and get to wild places on occasions to go running, cycling etc. And road trips and general hauling. I'm not interested in the whole extreme offroad thing.
I'm keen on an SG as (hopefully) the proceeds from sale of the 'Cruiser (anyone want one!? 'Tis a goodie
) will allow me to purchase a decent car and have a little change for a modest refresh and some basic accessories. So, I've been hanging for a car that has had the big items done in recent times (HGs, clutch/RMS and timing belt), and boy are they rare! (I can refresh suspension/brakes/tyres and other bits myself) So many cars now of this age are being sold without RWC and with leaks or general neglect. But I've found what could be a goodie, and contacted the specialist who did the HG and asked if he used a multi-layer gasket (a la WRX), my understanding being these are my reliable/durable than the composite gaskets. His response was that they use OEM parts for the car, and thats the composite gasket and it could provide a better seal when bonding imperfect surfaces on block and heads, even after they've been cleaned, sanded, machined, levelled, tested etc... thoughts please?Subsequently I've worked myself into a bit of lather over the HG issues generally and am feeling a bit nervous about the whole EJ253 thing. The HGs on car in question were done 20,000km ago. My ambivalence is not helped by 7 years with a staggeringly robust and reliable Landcruiser. Help me bite the bullet! Thoughts, context welcome !
