It all depends upon what you really want. Do you want comfort and reliability or something that will turn heads but take more looking after and probably suffer in the comfort department as well. Think about it hard. You don't want to make a mistake when it comes to cars. They're not cheap that's for sure. It was bitterly cold outside today but that didn't stop me washing the car and fitting the new grill. The instructions sated that it would be easy to remove the old one. Was it bollocks! I ended up slicing my thumb getting it off. But it was worth it. I'm now the owner of a very unique (or at lest in this part of Japan) Impreza. Looks very smart I think. Yakumo
Looks Great, I much prefer trucks and tractors compared to cars, they are far more pleasurable to me to drive "Of Course That Doesnt Mean I Dont Want a Muscle Car Such As A 1960's Dodge Charger, Ford Falcon or GTO and Barracuda" , Currently working on restoring a 1972 Ford F250 and a 1948 Massey Harris
Looking good Yakumo. I've been trying to keep my car off the roads as much as possible, salt/gas. Roommates being a dork.
Everywhere seems to get snow apart from where I live I want some so I can go drifting without F*ing up my tires. Currently I'm doing it in mud which is great fun but a real mess. I spent more time cleaning the driveway of mud today from the car than actually washing the car. What is your mate drawing on your Mitsubishi? Looks like Anpanman :lol:
Well, they are getting appreciate more around here as well, but insurance would be difficult (i would probably have to rely on a tracker system). It's indeed easier to fix, less electronics... It's pratically all mechanic stuff. But it would definately need some modernization. New suspension and new brakes would be mandatory. Check the engine (this is easy, as it uses a 4.1 Chevrolet Opala SS engine) and transmission. Oh i know that. Cars around here are never cheap. I don't want to make a mistake for sure. You car is looking great! Congrats. And for the record, instructions always show how easy assembly is. I also had my share of injuries messing around on my VTS.
Thanks You're right about the instructions. I remember doing my disc break after a can made a big groove in it after getting caught between the break caliper and the actual disc. I'd watched Ed from Wheeler Dealers do it and it seemed very easy and he even said it was but boy, getting that new disc on was a right pain in the arse.
My old one? Oh you mean the EK Wagon? My wife uses that crap now. This Impreza is the same one I bought in 2007. Still looks new even though I gets used everyday. Looking after my gear is important to me.
I love old trucks. Back when they were bought to be used instead of driven around town to work and back. Except that one time a couple bikes and a toolbox get put in the bed. I wonder what modern pickups will look like when they're 40 years old.
Icy roads, bumped a curb. Super pissed. Now my wheel is slightly out of balance and I have a faint rhythmic throbbing at around 40mph. I hope my wheel bearing is alright.
That's bad news mate and worse still you are probably not doing it any good by driving on it. If it is the bearing it shouldn't be that expensive to buy a part but the cost of fitting it, well.... If you have the tools and are up for it you could do the job yourself. I've watched Edd on Wheeler Dealers do a few and it's not a hard job as long as you take care.
I originally wrote this on a different forum. I'd been having issues with one of the engine sensors so I took the car to the local Subaru dealer. Their customer service is amazing. They really take care of you. As I pulled up 3 staff members came out to say "Irashaimase" or Welcome in English. I get out of the car and they call me by name! I haven't been there in almost a year! We walk in to the showroom where they give my son a selection bag of sweets and the missus and I tea and coffee along with a plate of cookies. Yep, they really take care of you down there. Anyway, I had to go down to the dealer a 2nd time to actually get the car fixed since the parts weren't in stock the day before. So I took a little video and pics. Watch as I pull up to the shop, the automatic doors open. That wasn't my car, that was the staff coming out to greet me. You get a glimpse of the staff on the video. Here's the video - http://www.segagagadomain.com/sub-shop.htm I didn't want to put it on YouTube so I've uploaded it to my site's server. You can stream it or download it. A few pictures of inside. The STi / Rally info corner Complementary cupper with sweets and biscuits Some crappy 3 cylinder car. The new Legacy. It's actually very nice inside with some cool Carbon fiber panels. Probably fake carbon fiber come to think of it. I had a go in this. The newest Impreza STi WRX. Man, went from 60km/h to 120km/h in a matter of 2 seconds. Couldn't really gun it though because the Subaru rep was in the car with me. He didn't mind a quick blast and some twists here and there mind you. I really enjoyed the 20 minute drive and seriously considering this as my next car but at the moment at 34'000 pounds it's way out of my range so within 5 years a used one will be half that. That I can afford
Awesome post. When I worked at the Ford dealership, I was really surprised how well they took care of their customers. It was a lot more class than I would have expected a Ford building to be (remember, this is a USA dealer not a UK dealer - also right on the edge of a city where the only thing to the west is rural Kansas - we sold a lot of trucks to farmers, many repeat customers that hadn't bought a truck for 20 years). My favorite part was the popcorn machine that the ladies in the service office kept filled all day. We had an automatic drive-through service bay thing. You'd pull up, the door sensor would open the door for you, you drive in, park, step out of your car, and shake the advisor's hand because they were always ready for you if you were on-time. If you were here in the states, I would say "well, I'd be nice, too, if a guy pulls up in a shiny MINT STi." Every time I see an Impreza wagon on the street, I kick myself for not getting one. I'd even take a relatively bare one. I love my Mazda like a child, and will probably own it for a very long time, but...
You're Mazda is the Atenza right? Or is it the Alexia or what ever it's called? I drove a Atenza once (wagon type) and it sure was no slouch on the road.
No, it's a Protege/Familia (the compact, not the mid-size) (well, Protege5). Yeah, it handles very well. My father has the 3/Axela (successor to the Protege/Familia) and his car SUCKS in the snow. Maybe it's the transmission difference. (Not surprisingly, my parents' new Honda Element is a CHAMP this time of year. MVP. Greatest hits. Academy Award winning.) Say, speaking of snow, how does Japan handle the roads when it snows? Are they on top of it? Does it even snow enough (in accumulation) to take action? We have about 8 inches over here (4 a day for a couple days) and it seems like the city gets caught by surprise every time. It's like people forget what happened last year - the exact same thing - and then freak out. Hell, it seems everyone forgot the last time it snowed already. And that was 3 weeks ago. And then Minnesota laughs their asses-off at us.
We don't really get a lot of snow where i live so I couldn't say if they are on top of it or not. I can tell you that if it rains or even if there's a tinny tinny bit of snow on the side if the road everyone turns in to Mr. Plod. Yep, the shit drivers now become pain in the arse drives because they drive Soooooo sloooow.
The TV does. Even if there is normal "heavy" rain it's on the news. Probably because there's fuck all else to put on the news most days.
After a few weeks of waiting, my new 17" wheels arrived today with pretty comfortable Yokohama DNA Ecos tires. Total price with new shinny bolts = 94'000 yen (just over 700 pounds). I really like the silver and bronze / gold look. Here's a few pictures. Sorry about the quality but it was actually dark by the time I got home. The big problem is now you can see my weedy looking disc breaks. Need to upgrade those to some meaty efforts. Yakumo
Nice pics Yakumo. Those wheels are similar to what I have on my car (Enkei 18 inch). I have to say, I'm jealous of the dealership experience in Japan. My local Mitsubishi dealership is postively crap in comparison. The type of customer service you're getting at Subaru is on par with say a Porsche or Audi dealer here in the States! I need to move overseas!!
