Hey! Look at me, I'm a newb

[hove102]

Kings are nice, but not really necessary unless your suspension is shagged and it needs replacing anyway. I fitted raiseds as block and spacer lifts are illegal in NZ. If body lifts were legal I'd fit standard height front raised rear (to compensate for loaded vehicle) and then blocks to lift more. At the moment my Foz has a saggy arse when loaded as the front Kings don't compress a lot.

Makes sense...I spent some time in Oz and I know the regulations over there are pretty crazy when it comes to modding your vehicle, so I'm sure you guys across the Tasman have the same, if not worse regulations.  I can't believe how much certification there is for modifications compared to the states!

 

A lot of guys put the Baja springs (not sure if you guys got that vehicle in NZ) on their OBWs and it gives you another inch or so of clearance, so I'll probably just do those and a set of KYBs or Bilsteins when the time comes, and maybe spacers for a little more lift.  Thanks for the input!

[hove102]

Also, I drove this OBW today:

 

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?dealerId=75839&zip=92705&endYear=2016&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&location=Huntington%2BBeach%2BCA&startYear=1981&dealerName=Ocean%2BImports&searchRadius=100&listingId=398093766&Log=0

It was tired as hell, and definitely had been ridden hard and put away wet by its previous owner.  However, I figured I would drive it, and let me say that you guys are all right about these cars...even with 204K on the clock and an engine that was doing some really odd things at idle (really violent vibration/shaking?), it still pulled pretty hard and the chassis felt way more solid than a car with 204K should feel.  I pitched it into a couple corners and I was surprised at how well it just stuck, even with bad tires.  I'm definitely sold on the OBW, especially the Gen 2, and I'm sure there's the right one out there.  You were right about the automatics being less peppy...even though I haven't driven a stick yet, I could tell that it was hunting for gears and took a bit to respond to my input.

[lstevens76]

Also, I drove this OBW today:

 

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?dealerId=75839&zip=92705&endYear=2016&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&location=Huntington%2BBeach%2BCA&startYear=1981&dealerName=Ocean%2BImports&searchRadius=100&listingId=398093766&Log=0

 

It was tired as hell, and definitely had been ridden hard and put away wet by its previous owner. However, I figured I would drive it, and let me say that you guys are all right about these cars...even with 204K on the clock and an engine that was doing some really odd things at idle (really violent vibration/shaking?), it still pulled pretty hard and the chassis felt way more solid than a car with 204K should feel. I pitched it into a couple corners and I was surprised at how well it just stuck, even with bad tires. I'm definitely sold on the OBW, especially the Gen 2, and I'm sure there's the right one out there. You were right about the automatics being less peppy...even though I haven't driven a stick yet, I could tell that it was hunting for gears and took a bit to respond to my input.

That's not normal for an auto. Mine doesn't hunt for gears. It can sometimes be a little slow to react when I put my foot in, but when it does it grabs tight and solid.

[hove102]

That's not normal for an auto. Mine doesn't hunt for gears. It can sometimes be a little slow to react when I put my foot in, but when it does it grabs tight and solid.

That's what I meant. Used the wrong terminology 

[Todd GT5]

Hello,

I bought it from a guy that bought it for his son that was going to move to town and then didn't.  He had bought it six months prior from a Subaru specialist in Bend Oregon called SubaGuru.  They do the HG's and any needed maintenance before sale kind of like are "certified used car".  The guy also tweaked on a few things like sealing up the tail lights better.  I was pretty lucky, it was all fixed up and ready to run!

 

Todd

[hove102]

Hello,

I bought it from a guy that bought it for his son that was going to move to town and then didn't.  He had bought it six months prior from a Subaru specialist in Bend Oregon called SubaGuru.  They do the HG's and any needed maintenance before sale kind of like are "certified used car".  The guy also tweaked on a few things like sealing up the tail lights better.  I was pretty lucky, it was all fixed up and ready to run!

 

Todd

I'm jealous! I'd love to find a car like that down here...hopefully one will appear at some point. I keep trying to think of what else could do everything one of these Outbacks could do but there's just nothing else like it. I understand why you guys all like them so much!

[hove102]

I'm doing some thinking about my preference for the 00-04 Subarus, and I'm wondering whether it's right to be scared of the EJ25D motor...there are a lot of Gen 1 OBWs out there, some of them with manuals (which is now my transmission preference), and I'm wondering whether I should consider them seriously as an option.  I know it was kind of already touched on, but do you guys think a 96-99 OBW with a stick is a solid investment?  If I found one with a documented HG and t-belt service, would it be worth the cash?

The time is getting closer to selling my Montero so I want to have a clear idea of what I'm looking for once I have cash in hand so I know which cars to pass on and which to pursue, and if I should expand or narrow my search.  You guys have given me a lot of help, and I hope y'all keep it coming!

Edited May 19, 2015 by hove102

[jmoss5723]

I'm doing some thinking about my preference for the 00-04 Subarus, and I'm wondering whether it's right to be scared of the EJ25D motor...there are a lot of Gen 1 OBWs out there, some of them with manuals (which is now my transmission preference), and I'm wondering whether I should consider them seriously as an option.  I know it was kind of already touched on, but do you guys think a 96-99 OBW with a stick is a solid investment?  If I found one with a documented HG and t-belt service, would it be worth the cash?

 

The time is getting closer to selling my Montero so I want to have a clear idea of what I'm looking for once I have cash in hand so I know which cars to pass on and which to pursue, and if I should expand or narrow my search.  You guys have given me a lot of help, and I hope y'all keep it coming!

I know I gave my two cents earlier, but I'd buy a gen1 OBW in a second if it had documented services of the HGs and TB. The limited trim in those models is pretty nice, too.

 

If you could even find one with a bad HG or blown engine, you could swap it, or do the HG service yourself. That could get you a pretty nice car for pretty little money.

[hove102]

I know I gave my two cents earlier, but I'd buy a gen1 OBW in a second if it had documented services of the HGs and TB. The limited trim in those models is pretty nice, too.

 

If you could even find one with a bad HG or blown engine, you could swap it, or do the HG service yourself. That could get you a pretty nice car for pretty little money.

I just wanted to have it reaffirmed for me.   I do like that most of the Gen 1s came with cloth seats and not a lot of other frivolities...generally I like things as simple as possible because it means there's less to go wrong.  I do like that Gen 1s seem to be a bit more plug and play when it comes to engine swaps as well, since it seems like dropping an EJ22 in is a common path people take.