Why so offended

[3eyedwagon]

If what someone has works for them; there really is no arguement. I think there is an obvious natural progression of how much you modify your Subaru, and it's all dependant on what you want/need, and how far you intend to take it.

 

I've wheeled my wagon in a wide variety of configurations, and I look at each step as the next natural progression.

 

1: In stock configuration it was good. It did things that I never would have expected it to do. It was like a little Jeep that maneuvered great, went down the road great, handled alot of things well, and naturally had it's limitations.

 

2: The next natural progression was better tires, and as we all know; it resulted in better performance.

 

3: The next natural progression after that was a welded differential. This was a NIGHT and DAY difference. Even though the car was still stock, it was amazing how much better it performed off road. Obviously the on-road manners were already beginning to suffer with the bigger tires, and now a welded diff. However, for my wants, and needs; it was a good compromise.

 

4: The next natural progression to me was to build a lift for it. The first Subaru I had ridden in was a 4" lifted Hatch, and it was phenomenal. So, apart my car came, and on went a home made lift. With 4" of lift, the car still performed great. Other than the mechanical failures caused by stressing 26 year old parts; it performed better than I could have ever dreamed. Once I got used to it; I liked it more than I ever had before. It drove great on the highway, it wheeled way better than it ever could have stock, and it looks pretty cool. My favorite part is that I can take it to places that before I would have been concerned about scraping the door, or banging up the underbody, and it clears all those places without concern. Is it perfect? Hell no! But I'd like to think it's alot better suited for my wants.

 

The end result for me was that that car was a little too nice to really be thrown to the wolves like I want to do, and it just isn't enough to make me happy. So, I'm on to the next natural progression. Build something better, bigger, and that I won't be worried about caving a door in on.

 

If the next natural progression isn't your style; I can totally understand, and if what you have meets your wants/needs don't change it to keep up with the status quo. If people don't like what you're up to; they can go _____ themselves! From the airborn pics I've seen you definitely do your own style of Subaru driving, and you don't have crap to prove to anyone. But, I think some of what your confusing for people's defensiveness towards your comments may actually be misdirected or misrepresented passion. Once you've gone through the natural progression of lifting a dual range car, it really seems kinda silly to wheel one stock. I had a killer little dual range hatch that was phenomenal in alot of situations, but, every time I looked at it all I could think of doing to it was lifting it, and beating it to death. So down the road it went. It just couldn't compare to my lifted wagon. So, anyways. If you don't like the lifted ones, that's great. I admire you for wheeling yours stock. That's a hell of alot better than the bolt on kit pavement pounders I see alot of, at least in my eyes. But, I think you need to see both sides of the picture before totally discounting lifts. They aren't necessary, but, they are undeniably better if offroading is really what you want to do.

Edited April 26, 2009 by 3eyedwagon

[TeamCF]

^ Yup.

 

For instance. With the type of trips I'm doing now in mine. I actually ditched the welded diff and went back to open.

I'm doing alot of long backroad trips so comfort, and long term reliability wins out over the advantage of the welded diff. I no longer need all that traction so why wear things out faster?

Carrying extra fuel, camping gear, and powerful radios wins out over extra traction and a need for spare parts.

 

That's been my kind of "backwards" progression. Found I like the long scenic overland trips a bit better than the hardcore trails.

 

We all build 'em to our needs/wants. and we all don't have the same needs/wants.

 

 

Yeah Zap. That's a bit more space between the ball and the exhaust than mine.