Show us your Subie

[Lucky Phil]

I have seen some comments about those who have had a Subie in the past or still have one.  So here is your opportunity to show us your old or current Subie.

I will start off the show.  Here is my WRX that I bought in new in 1998.  I read the Wheels review and went out and bought it.  Could not even get a test drive as they were all sold, so no demo's.  This one was in Burwin Automobiles showroom.  An order that fell through I think.  Kept it 10 years.  Wish I still had it.

And here is one that belonged to my mother in law.  She recently stopped driving at age 92 so she gave her Subie to my wife to get around in (Mrs Lucky Phil does not like modern cars that beep and do all sorts of things to protect the driver so she loves this old girl).  This Subie was probably in the 1st batch of Imprezas to arrive in Australia.  My in laws bought it in June 1993 and it has just clocked up 115,000 klms.  I have had all the bits sorted. CV axle, air con, tyres and muffler.  It runs so sweet now.  Odd thing is as it is in the drive way all the time, it has become the daily driver for us.   Really easy to take to the shops etc.  We have to move it to get the other cars out.

ll.

[Niko]

ha ha, great topic......I loved my Soobies.... In my working life many moons ago, I had the first covert Sooby certainly in Victoria, probably Australia    

Then some time after that had been sold off I  got another one.   I think I had three altogether.  

My boss nearly had a heart attack when the first Sooby for the fleet arrived.

No way could you do covert shit in that thing, he said. ....

Soobies proved to be tough as nails and needed less maintenance and down time than most other cars in the fleet. (and went like a cut cat)    

We used them for the driver training component  our unit and for other specialist squads.  

 

First in the fleet...  Original work horse...small spoiler on the tail..

Years later I found my old green one in a Sooby workshop in the Southern Suburbs.  

I went in and asked the manager if I could have a look at the car, told him I thought it used to be mine>. (well not mine personally but..)

Sure enough I found the little tell tale changes I had made to the car while I had it, that no one else would pick.

It was a buzz to be reunited with the old war horse, that I spent anything from 8 hours to 24 hours in at times.

Unfortunately the new owner had stuck intercoolers and all sorts of things that make it fart when you change gear etc.....

Little would he know what that car had been through....

a 

 

I loved driving them so much I ended up buying my own.   and like you LP wish I had a garage big enough where I could have stored it.   Still love them..

 

 

   

[LeeM]

Never owned one, but I was interested in buying modified car with over 300hp and suspension mods 😲 Made the 911 seem pretty slow. Jeez it was quick, and theres no way in a fit my 911 would stay with it in the hills. Would love to own an earlier one

[Niko]

16 minutes ago, LeeM said:

Never owned one, but I was interested in buying modified car with over 300hp and suspension mods 😲 Made the 911 seem pretty slow. Jeez it was quick, and theres no way in a fit my 911 would stay with it in the hills. Would love to own an earlier one

They lost the plot on the design after 2000 I reckon.

[red clubbie]

Had a 22B for a number of years.

In 1999 I also bought a MY 2000 WRX brand new and only sold it last year. 

 

Cheers,

Geoff.

[1q2w3e4r]

22b!  None better than that! 

[DJM]

I leased a new 2004 Liberty GT wagon and it was a jet.  A guy I worked with had a modified XR8, his pride and joy.  I took him for a blast in pouring rain.  He shit himself as I charged into a roundabout and blasted through without any trouble and  he was astounded at the performance and grip.  Also had that amazing Merodian sound system.  Years later I saw him in a Liberty GT and he was all over the Subaru forums 😂

i traded up to a later GT sedan with the 2.5T but it was not the same.  The 2.0T car revved like mad and felt faster.  The 2.5 was more of a lower revving cruiser, disappointing.  Then they released the horrible slab sided new model which just felt crap so that was the end of the line for Subies.

I did a track day at Calder in about 2006 and a mate also took me round in his WRX track car, early car, ‘93 I think and a bit ratty but had something like 220kW at the wheels and man I thought that thing was amazing.  Pretty quick back then.

[smit2100]

2 hours ago, red clubbie said:

Had a 22B for a number of years.

In 1999 I also bought a MY 2000 WRX brand new and only sold it last year. 

 

Cheers,

Geoff.

Hmm  22b.  You'd like one of those  in your garage now. I was  poor graduate engineer and didn't like getting pulled over the cops in a 5 litre Calais or   a worked 253 v8 Vh sle with simmons b45's extractors ( got pinned on queens rd in Melbourne  on a friday arvo in traffc from an epa officer to present the car for a snuff test.  So graduated up to a wrx.  Wanted the my 99 but didn't see value in the extra 5-6k and settled on a 18 month old  my98.  ( should of got a my99  much better rear spoiler).    Very enjoyable car to drive and the beginning of a boost junk addiction.   Had if for about 8 years and some slight tinkering  when I got bored with it during that period ( shortshifter mod  and  rally sport  3 inch exhaust.  ( very loud).  Offloaded it after pulled over by the cops at midnight one night with no one on the road and I had my front spotters ( driving lights₩ on.  Police said thats illegal ( on a clear night) and main reason for pulling me cover  but they also asked mne to of pop the bonnet and blow in the bag.  But they let me off. Shortly after that my 3 year daughter after being strapped in to a child seats say's Daddy daddy this car too noisy.  So graduated to boost his better with 2 snails rather that 1 and a wrx is a tin potted  billy cart compared to these Euro marks ( yet to be pulled over  in one)   My brother picked up a 2 door my 2000 Sti a few years back for stupid cheap money.  Slightly tweaked and drove it and was fairly quick in a small rev band but handed they keys back and said great bang for buck

Best wrx story revolves  around a perth workshop in the wild west during the mining boom.  Workshop in Perth called rev limit motorsport that I used to get my car serviced at. Sat  in the front office  waiting for my car on a Friday arvo and  hear the boxer engines of some loud my 2000 and bugeyes rock up.  Young guys working fly in fly out come in the office  drop off orange  envelopes with about 13k cash in them and tell the owner I,m heading to the airport for a 4 week swing. Can you make it go faster, mod the suspension etc  like there other mates car  ( want it fastwr but) and I'll  be back to pick it up on this date on my way home from the airport after my swing. Taxi then picks them up to go to  airport.   I asked the owner wtf and he said yeah get a bit of that and its a pain the arse in one respect.  No details on exactly want they want and he didnt hold too many  parts in stock  and had to order them from over east and often cars weren't ready within the month and they would get all peed off as they didn't have there cars when they were on R&R.  

Reckon 2 door sti's pre bugeye are the 996 gt3 equivalent in a p car,  but can't  say on  a 996 gt3 price today  can be estimated by  multiplying  the intial purchase price say 5 years ago on a 2 door sti  ( wholesale pricing) by 5 and that's what you pay today for a good one.

 

 

 

[LeeM]

24 minutes ago, smit2100 said:

 

Reckon 2 door sti's pre bugeye are the 996 gt3 equivalent in a p car.

 Bloke across the road from me has a two door locked up in a shed, uses a modded MY99 as a daily, and his missus has a 2017 model I think. Both devout Subie owners

[Gavn]

Started with an 84 wagon, moved onto an l series that I dropped a suby rx turbo engine & drivetrain into, then an '02 2L sti (with the pink highlights  ) then '04 2.5L outback, then tribecca...all great cars in their own way (although the tribecca squeeked & rattled plenty & was a disappointment after the outback).   The last three years is the only period we haven't had a suby in the house but have just rectified this (seems I've just bought an early 80's wagon).  The 02 sti was sold to move into my first 911....kind of wish I'd kept it as a daily, the 2l engine was great & it's funny how small the rims, spoiler & car look now considering they were considered fairly outrageous at the time.  

[Jim45]

Nice thread!

Had a 2004 Liberty GT Premium / Coilovers / AVO down pipe - KIDO tuned to suit / WRX wheels / Replica STi front lip /  Why did I sell it.....to help fund the 996 of course!

Should have kept as it never missed a beat. As mentioned above the 2.0 litre engine was beautiful. 

Saw it  a few years later and had been slammed and abused....:(

[Dalai]

Have owned this 04 Forester XT Luxury for the last 8 years or so. Face only a mother would love but is great up in the snow, throw bikes in the back or even sleeping in the back when out climbing and I can't be bothered pitching the tent.

Was looking at these or early 2000's WRX hatch, but the longer boot and insurance 1/2 of the Rex with similar power had me sold on the Forester. Fun car for what it is and super sure footed in the wet and snow.

 

[Niko]

14 hours ago, DJM said:

I leased a new 2004 Liberty GT wagon and it was a jet.  A guy I worked with had a modified XR8, his pride and joy.  I took him for a blast in pouring rain.  He shit himself as I charged into a roundabout and blasted through without any trouble and  he was astounded at the performance and grip.  Also had that amazing Merodian sound system.  Years later I saw him in a Liberty GT and he was all over the Subaru forums 😂

i traded up to a later GT sedan with the 2.5T but it was not the same.  The 2.0T car revved like mad and felt faster.  The 2.5 was more of a lower revving cruiser, disappointing.  Then they released the horrible slab sided new model which just felt crap so that was the end of the line for Subies.

I did a track day at Calder in about 2006 and a mate also took me round in his WRX track car, early car, ‘93 I think and a bit ratty but had something like 220kW at the wheels and man I thought that thing was amazing.  Pretty quick back then.

I also had a couple of the turbo Liberty Wagons for work cars.    

On one I had,  I gave it a reasonable amount of stick on a job I was on.  

I won't reveal what speed I got it too, but to say I was surprised is an understatement.  

The Wagon had a rattle in the sunroof, and went back to the dealership we were getting our cars from, for repair.  

I happened to mention the speed that the wagon had achieved to the mechanic at the dealership.    

He replied that, that was impossible as all the Turbo Liberty's coming into the country had been governed to a certain speed.  

When I went back a week or so later to pick the car up, the mechanic approached me and apologised.  

Apparently the wagons (and only the wagons) had slipped into the country without being governed.

It was only one model and from memory it would have been around 2004 ish....

Unfortunately once I let the cat out of the bag Subaru Aust ensured it never happened to any more coming over.  

Great cars ..... 

[LeeM]

 My neighbours cars. Wanna try the silver one, but I'd have to let him drive the 911. Ain't gunna happen! 

[DJM]

5 hours ago, Niko said:

Apparently the wagons (and only the wagons) had slipped into the country without being governed.

Didn’t know that.  But I agree......🤔😁

 

[Airhead]

Sorry. Did I misread that? 

[jakroo]

No you didn't airhead. They're one and the same to me. Both are low in energy and unsatisfying to consume. Plenty of people duped along the way and maintain the facade to save face.

Just one man's opinion of course 🤪

 

[firstone]

Come on, tell us what ya really think. 😂

[Dalai]

Said by an Evo owner...Drinking the same Colaid, just in a different labelled bottle... 

[jakroo]

1 hour ago, Dalai said:

Said by an Evo owner...Drinking the same Coolaid, just in a different labelled bottle... 

Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru STI are very different animals.  The WRX crowd simply want to go fast, do ram raids and puke in your lap.  The STI crowd are closer to the Evo world who think they're grown up but are still thugs who have spent money on an overweight 2.5l behemoth, try to date fake chicks and puke in your front garden. 

The Evo owner is a refined gentleman, a thinking man if you will, who is comfortable with his lot in life and knows that he has made the wise choice.  2l of pent up fury on tap, straight out of the box, with no need for a 36 speaker sub woofer stereo, no need for the LED nonsense nor a fully sick bro zorst.

Just saying 😜

[LeeM]

1 hour ago, jakroo said:

Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru STI are very different animals.  The WRX crowd simply want to go fast, do ram raids and puke in your lap.  The STI crowd are closer to the Evo world who think they're grown up but are still thugs who have spent money on an overweight 2.5l behemoth, try to date fake chicks and puke in your front garden

 😂😂 I have no idea whether this is true or not, but its bloody funny to read 😁👏👏👏

  I once got passed by an Evo in the hills. Crazy, death wish move, but man it left me for dead when I tried to catch him in the old 911. 

[3legs]

Tell them the real reason you couldn't keep up with the Evo, Lee.

It was because of all the bloody pushbike riders getting in the way.🤬

[LeeM]

7 hours ago, 3legs said:

Tell them the real reason you couldn't keep up with the Evo, Lee.

It was because of all the bloody pushbike riders getting in the way.🤬

 No comment 🤔😉

[spiller]

My old Man bought an ‘00 WRX when they were new after much convincing from myself and my older brother, great car it was. Always lusted after the 99/00 STis. I owned an 01 bug eye STi for a couple of years which was a fantastic car, although a little slow in stock form. Also had an Evo 5 which was a rocket but felt like a tin can compared to the bug eye.

Just lately I’ve had my eye on a GC8 STi (the 2 doors are out of the stratosphere however the 4 door is still reasonable). I think I’m past the boosted phase though and sticking to my high revving N/A Hondas if we are talking non porsche. To me they have the most in common with Porsche as far as the Japanese cars go. 

 

 

 

 

 

On 29/02/2020 at 17:32, red clubbie said:

Had a 22B for a number of years.

In 1999 I also bought a MY 2000 WRX brand new and only sold it last year. 

 

Cheers,

Geoff.

Can I ask why you sold the 22B but held onto the WRX? I lament not buying one when they were 60-80K!!!

[red clubbie]

I sold the 22B through circumstances that happened at the time.

Through an intermediary, a Hong Kong collector bought the 22B for a very good price, which I couldn't refuse.

The car went to Hong Kong.

The sale helped me part finance into a  996.2 GT3,  which I have since sold.

I found it really difficult to sell the WRX having had it since new, but after many years Ownership, I sold it to buy my 928S.

Cheers,

Geoff.