money

[Uberoo]

I'm just kinda curious here, if money was no object how many of you would still wheel subarus?Now when I say no object I don't mean buy one of those 150K tube buggies,I mean instead of the $100-5000 we spend on our subarus, spend 10-30K on something.

 

 

I used to always make the excuse that a subaru was very cheap,cheap to buy,cheap to build,cheap to fuel,and cheap to fix.Coming from not alot of money that was perfect for me.Then I started figuring out something,while subarus are cheap,they are also capable. After I put a t case in my hatch I found that it would go where ever I pointed it, and often with less trouble than a bigger vehicle. My ex-hatch had a EJ22,5 speed DR, nissan t case,4.11 gears, and 31" (mismatched) tires.Other than that I was mostly satisfied.It mostly went where it was pointed unless the crap tires that I found for cheap/free couldn't propel it enough, that and good old driver error .For the most part once it got to that stage I never found myself wanting more than just a few tweaks.Once it was modified like that not once did I ever think it needed more power, or lower gears, or bigger tires,etc.Sure it needed "better" tires,but bigger no.For a grand total of $1150 I built a nice and functional vehicle that had no problems going where the big trucks went.

 

So my question is this: if you had 20K to buy and build a vehicle would you build a subaru and keep the rest for things like gas,parts,more vehicles,etc or would you start with something else and modify that-atoyot,heep,suzuki,etc...

[Vegablade]

Well in my current situation, if 20K fell out of the sky I would have a couple options.

 

1. Dump it all in my Tacoma and have a pretty sweet trail rig.  Armor all around (Front/Rear Plate bumpers), Skids, Gears, Air Lockers front/rear, New Suspension/Lift.  You know your typical lifted truck stuff.  Im sure it would do well offroad and be pretty strong.

 

2. Now i know some people say boo to this but I would straight axle my wagon.  Tube frame, Solid Axles front/rear, Ej22, D/R, Transfer case, Gears, Lockers, the whole package.  Just like my truck, only a smaller platform for our tight trails.  As long as you took care of it, it would last forever and wheel great.

 

3. Same as above but for my BRAT.

 

4. Drop a Subaru on a suburban frame (boring).

 

In all honesty I would probably choose option number 2.  I am not so much into Subarus because they are decent offroad but more because I like the platform.  Lots of storage area, Haul 4 people relatively comfortably, and its just different and I enjoy meeting people who want to talk about it.  Also for some of our areas the small the rig the better.  I would just tow this monstrosity to the trail using my truck anyway and then not worry about damaging or breaking it.

 

Also I would stick with a Subaru because they have a great following and have helped my meet some of my best friends.  Even if it wouldn't be a Subaru much.

Edited August 19, 2013 by Vegablade

[nipper]

Well im my heart of hearts I would have a Jeep, BUT ... I do Subarus because they fit my needs. I have an elderly mother who no longer drives, and I could never ever see her being able to get into anything SUV/Pickup/Jeep like, I have yet gotten a subaru stuck, and I find them comfortable, rugged, and (well till the new outback) easy on the eyes.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

...my question is this: if you had 20K to buy and build a vehicle would you build a subaru and keep the rest for things like gas,parts,more vehicles,etc or would you start with something else and modify that-atoyot,heep,suzuki,etc...

 

In my Case, I've Always dreamt about a 4" Lifted EA81 Subaru Hatchback, with a Carburated + Disty EJ22 + EJ Dual Range Transmission... (LADM Specs - Click Here for more info) ...I don't need a Huge Monster Beast to take my Family on a Weekend Mountain Travel Adventure, so That will be Enough for Me.

 

Gotta Love the Small Size of a Hatchback, Plus the EJ Drivetrain, rolling Huge Tires...   

[Scott in Bellingham]

money or no money I would have something small, Ive had a Jeep CJ5,  Jeep Cherokee,Toyota Pickup,

fullsize pickup , Many Subaru wheelers,  Quad, 3-Wheeler, Small rail dune buggy, I like the feel and

nimbleness  and the ride of the Subaru , the best bang for the buck is probably a Jeep Cherokee, If some one

gave $20K  Id pickup a mid 70s Toyota Land Cruiser with a hard shell and fix it up, well that's not going to happen

I think Ill just up grade a Subaru with a stronger rear axle and stronger front A-arms and call it good

Edited August 20, 2013 by Scott in Bellingham

[turbosubarubrat]

i have a friend down the streat from me that has a datsun pickup thats hes built really nice and very well everything has been made custom buy him for it since he has his own differential shop. it has a ford 351 motor in it which has been converted to propane which makes the motor run great since the octane is about 120 compared to the 87 or so of gas plus propane is cheap comepared to the price of gas i think he said he spent 5k or more on the motor. it has custom differentials on it the front one cost about 10k to make and the rear is about 3k take into consideration these have custom gearing, axels, caseing, ect. and that these have all the bells and whistles as people like to say. then he has the custom suspension setup which is off a 1ton truck plus his lift kit and bigger tires. he also made a custom tube bed along with a exo-skeliton, front and rear winch bumpers, and a bunch of other suff. i bet if you go to build it its 30k or over. he says if he kills it in the mud pit dont even bother pressing if i remember right the clutch since the differentials have such low gearinging just turn the ignition over and it keeps going.

[idosubaru]

mostly about time for me, don't have time to learn another platform. i'd like to learn others, but don't know that it would sway me to like them. i have a fantastic truck but don't like driving trucks, doubt i'd go that route. i'd likely change little except maybe newer Subaru, not wrecked or needing work, and lean towards the options, gadgets, and look/color i wanted.

[monstaru]

I think it is funny that this is the Offroad forum, and people that don't offroad answer questions.

[ivans imports]

Well I'm 10000$ into thiss years race season and break or get beat every race a chevey is looken perty good right now. But yes i whould still wheel a subaru but whould be a justy with a 4 inch lift and quwad tires or those triangle tracks made for sideby sides. The capabilatys of a 4x4 that weighs noting are very good and easy to get out of bad situations

[ferp420]

if some one droped 20k in my lap for a wheeler i would get a tow rig trailer and a side by side witch is about what i would compare wheelin a subaru to but with no dooh i hope to use my scout expo camper to flat tow my loyale that is if i ever get the scout back up and running with its new 6.5 turbo diesel i swaped in after blowing the 392 sky high sure i could wheel the scout its fun almost unstopable but wheres the fun in that the suby is a chalange to wheel cheeper to repair and its different and it has heat and ac and windows but the side by side is a small buggie and is tough and light and it would fit on the trailer with the dirtbikes and quads

[nipper]

I think it is funny that this is the Offroad forum, and people that don't offroad answer questions.

Be careful of painting with a broad brush, as some of us DO off-road our soobies

[ezapar]

If you off road a stock 97 outback, you aren't really wheeling.  truth.

 

 this:   

 

For a grand total of $1150 I built a nice and functional vehicle that had no problems going where the big trucks went

  

 

 

It can be argued that a super well built Subaru can go where a locked solid axle rig can go.  I would say this.  Maybe, but probably not.  And the solid axle rig can do it slowly and gently when needed, rather than having to mash the pedal and hope for the best.  

[Gloyale]

 

I

 

It can be argued that a super well built Subaru can go where a locked solid axle rig can go.  I would say this.  Maybe, but probably not.  And the solid axle rig can do it slowly and gently when needed, rather than having to mash the pedal and hope for the best.  

 

A really well built subaru can go places a locked solid axle rig can't.  Mudruts, snow, tight trees.....there are lots of places the light, fully Independent suspension is better than heavy straight axle setup.  T-case it and it can be done even slower and gently.  Although I manage just fine without one still.

 

Rockcrawling defintaly goes to the solid axle rigs.....maybe.  Put those same Jeeps and Yota's on the same size tires we run.....and it's pathetic....they couldn't go anywhere.  Wackin' axles against rocks I straddle.

 

Jeeps gotta have 35's to go were I go with 29's

 

And simply buying those 35's would cost more than my whole Subaru. 

 

I'll keep the roo.

[ferox]

I think it is funny that this is the Offroad forum, and people that don't offroad answer questions.

 

That would be me, but I am going to build up my Hatch with a 4" lift, EJ22, bumpers, winch, rack, gate, etc,...  If I had a bunch of money I would do the same thing only better.  I have always thought it would be cool to put all the running gear from a 4WD hatch under a 70s VW Scirocco, so if money was no object I might screw around with that idea also.  I just like the compactness of the hatch and the driveability and mpgs of a smaller rig.  It may not be able to get to every place that a bigger rig can, but it will get where I want to go, and it's just the vehicle I want to drive.

[Uberoo]

 

If you off road a stock 97 outback, you aren't really wheeling.  truth.

 

 this:   

  

 

 

It can be argued that a super well built Subaru can go where a locked solid axle rig can go.  I would say this.  Maybe, but probably not.  And the solid axle rig can do it slowly and gently when needed, rather than having to mash the pedal and hope for the best.  

pretty much all of the pics of my car from EC are going slow,with a T case and the 4.11 gears it crawls.Once I learned not to touch the clutch it walked right up everything,by then though the clutch was in bad shape,but it was in bad shape before.before EC I found that my clutch didn't like subaru low 2nd gear,4x4 high on the nissan box at WOT in mud..

[AKghandi]

For me it would be a wagon with and gen1 rx7 rear axle, tcase and toyota trans ej22t locked in the back lsd in the front beef up front suspension some 30"mud tires a winch snokel roof rack and 10grand in my pocket. It doesnt need to go everywhere but it would be a bad rump roast rig that would go anywhere i need it to. Plus it would be pretty damn quick.

[monstaru]

Be careful of painting with a broad brush, as some of us DO off-road our soobies

There is becoming an untruth on this board and the Subaru community that taking your car on non-improved gravel roADS IS "OFFROADING".

nO, nO ITS NOT ...

aND REALLY, those folks have very little input that is valid in this kind of question.

 

And I am not careful about my words for a reason.Because I say things to prove points.semantics aside, MOST people THINK they offroad.Most people DON't offroad.

Hardcore to the bone.

Now, Piss off.

cheers

[Uberoo]

There is becoming an untruth on this board and the Subaru community that taking your car on non-improved gravel roADS IS "OFFROADING".

nO, nO ITS NOT ...

aND REALLY, those folks have very little input that is valid in this kind of question.

 

And I am not careful about my words for a reason.Because I say things to prove points.semantics aside, MOST people THINK they offroad.Most people DON't offroad.

Hardcore to the bone.

Now, Piss off.

cheers

I drove over a curb once at the mall, does that count? 

 

I consider this to be offroad:

Edited August 20, 2013 by Uberoo

[turbosubarubrat]

There is becoming an untruth on this board and the Subaru community that taking your car on non-improved gravel roADS IS "OFFROADING".

nO, nO ITS NOT ...

aND REALLY, those folks have very little input that is valid in this kind of question.

 

And I am not careful about my words for a reason.Because I say things to prove points.semantics aside, MOST people THINK they offroad.Most people DON't offroad.

Hardcore to the bone.

Now, Piss off.

cheers

if peolple actually think that then i go offroading everyday ever day going down my drive way or any gravel road on our farm. i would qualify some of the non gravel roads and the fields on  our farm offroading during the rainy season because you have to put the tractors into 4 wheel drive otherwise they get stuck in deap mud.

[nipper]

There is becoming an untruth on this board and the Subaru community that taking your car on non-improved gravel roADS IS "OFFROADING".

nO, nO ITS NOT ...

aND REALLY, those folks have very little input that is valid in this kind of question.

 

And I am not careful about my words for a reason.Because I say things to prove points.semantics aside, MOST people THINK they offroad.Most people DON't offroad.

Hardcore to the bone.

Now, Piss off.

cheers

 

 

Since this thread has gotten into a pissing contest and not constructive, i'm out of here. The attitude really is not called for.

[NorthCoast]

 

I fail to see where this has become a pissing match or where there was any attitude. Am I missing something?

 

All I got out of Monstaru's post was an extremely true statement with a little funny at the end.

 

Don't get me wrong, gravel roads are fun but that's not off road.  This is off road.

 

 

or this...

 

 

 

Back to the original question... I would probably go with a 'yota.  Don't know what year or exactly how I would set it up yet. I really like my aunt and uncle zuk crawler though.

 

[ivans imports]

The buggy gose were side by sides fall over on there sides and have not found anything that will stop it yet exept MPI nos lol but crazy cappable can do a 90 degre side hill at speed And if the front dosent hitt the front it will climb it Even will plane axross water if you hit it fast enuff. Have been out with many offroaders strait axle means slow axle cappable and strong but not as fast The buggy is capabble of extreme offroad speeds 100 + kms over any terain but HANG ON for dear life and never lift ever !

[ferox]

I think there is a distinction between off-roading and wheeling.  I have off-roaded my Jeep to get to extreme camping spots, but not my Subaru because it doesn't have the clearance yet.  I have never wheeled anything.  Nothing against it, looks like fun.  I don't consider anything that does not require greater-than-stock clearance and off-road tires to be offroad.  Unless you need to make strategic obstacle avoidance maneuvers or at least have some pucker-factor it's hardly off-road.  I would say wheeling involves a spotter and offroading doesn't necessarily.  I think Uberoo is talking more extreme wheeling.  Digression over, back to the money question.

[Subaru_dude]

I had a '96 Outback with EJ22 5spd and King springs, and it did everything I wanted it too. I followed a lifted Jeep with 33s until he got stuck, and when I pulled him out I cruised right through the mud where he got stuck. Mind you he was in TWO WHEEL DRIVE the entire time. I wouldn't be able to go the places he could in four wheel drive. NO FREAKIN WAY. The approach and deproach angle he had were preposterous compared to my Outback. It was the first time I ever went wheeling with a legit rig, the other time I went wheeling was with a stock '88 Bronco with nearly bald mud tires. Had to pull him out a couple times too, but once again when it came to steep hills that low range and approach/deproach angles made the uneven stuff look easy. 

 

I wouldn't want a Subie to wheel, I felt bad treating my Outback that way. People loved to see it plowing mud and clawing up steep hills, but I'd rather beat on a Jeep. If money was no object, I would wheel THIS:

 

[Uberoo]

I was meaning more a typical 4x4 build with 10-40K invested not so much money is no object kinda of builds.As for the jeep truck,If I wanted strong durable, capable  truck I would get a dodge power wagon for 1/2 the cost and it already has similar specs.lockers front and rear,5.7 hemi,winch...