"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
05/14/2014 at 13:00 • Filed to: TWBV
6
6|
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
05/14/2014 at 13:00 • Filed to: TWBV | 6
| 6 |
This week on: The World By Vehicle
The Subaru Forester; a not wagon not SUV vehicle for the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Its Generally regarded as a good car, a good tuning base for sleepers and a quirky and loved member of the already interesting Subaru Family, especially the SF and SG generations. People have been turning these into time attack machines, stance wagons and STI killers for a decade plus...but what about actually taking them back to the woods? Are they and good as an overland expedition vehicle?
photography by Chazz Layne
Well, one man wants to find out. Over at Expedition Portal, Chazz Layne has been turning a 2003 Forester into a capable, rugged and cheap overland vehicle to explore the more traveled, but still challenging, overland routes on a budget.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is focused on the basics - Suspension upgrades, tires and engine prep. Starting with a blown motor and having to do a swap and fixes himself this self proclaimed non-mechanic is able to get it back to life in in from to tackle the trail. And that starts me thinking about why he may not be crazy at all, after all whats the most important thing you need in an overland vehicle; reliability and easy of repair. Thinking about it, he might actually be onto to something. No its not as capable as a land cruiser or land rover defender, but its going to be easier to repair on the side of the road and be just as reliable otherwise. Point for you Chazz
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Is all about armor. Because the Forrester isn't particularly suited to, well, the forest, it needs its soft and costly bits protected for uses its designers never intended it to be used for. So on goes the armor and you know what? It works. I can't say I'm surprised, I owned a 2005 XT manual for a few years and found them to be !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! machine so long as you had little regard for mechanical sympathy...and that's okay! with the EJ251 and 4EAT the Subaru has the right combo of low down torque, and mechanical bulletproofing that a little abuse wont hurt it too bad.
What do you think, does the Little Foz have what it takes?
The World By Vehicle is a series created mostly to vent my passion for exploration, overland travel and all things vehicle related travel. Follow allow with the tag TWBV or !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
E30Joe drives a Subaru
> HammerheadFistpunch
05/14/2014 at 10:47 |
|
King springs, big tires, and a skid plate and it's as capable as ever.
cabarne4
> HammerheadFistpunch
05/14/2014 at 13:06 |
|
Holy shit, perfect timing. I literally just read up on parts 1 and 2 of his build last night. Seriously considering a Fozzy for my next car. There's only a handful of fun paved roads in the area, but an unbelievable network of dirt and gravel going everywhere... Hopefully I can sell the Speed6 and pick up an '03 or '04 2.5L 5 speed.
|
HammerheadFistpunch
> cabarne4
05/14/2014 at 13:46 |
|
the only trouble with the 5 mt is that you don't get the torque multiplication of the torque converter so you have to be a bit clutch abusive on more challenging terrain.
|
cabarne4
> HammerheadFistpunch
05/14/2014 at 14:21 |
|
Yeah, I know plenty of off roaders who swear by automatics for their crawling abilities... Trouble is, I literally have no idea how to drive automatic.
Sounds weird, I know... And I know how to drive one in theory, but I genuinely freak out when it shifts on its own, and pretty much get violent with it when it chooses the wrong gears. Plus all the accidental slamming the brakes with my left foot, or absent-mindedly trying to change gears on a PRNDL...
|
HammerheadFistpunch
> cabarne4
05/14/2014 at 14:32 |
|
i know that feel, my land cruiser is my first auto...ever. My wife hates driving it because she dead stabs at the floor looking for a clutch. Autos are generally better for off road, but the manual is more fun.
|
cabarne4
> HammerheadFistpunch
05/14/2014 at 14:45 |
|
Your wife is a keeper! ;)
And, regardless of off-road performance, whatever I get will also be my daily driver. So, I'd rather have the "more fun" aspect, and have to work a little bit harder the couple of weekends I hit the rough stuff.