Lifted, Rally Prepped, or Just Plain Dirty Subarus?? Mud Pit & Gravel Stage Inside!!

[Benhart21]

Originally Posted by Daddy_Digital

THAT bad huh? I tend to think the Grabbers would be best for someone who lives on a farm or where there are no paved roads. i do mostly street driving but on occasion go on the dirt.

For me, they really were that bad. I ran them every day for a couple years and part of what really annoyed me was that even with rotating them frequently, checking pressures, and factory spec alignments, they wore very unevenly with the inside shoulder almost showing cords while the outsides were to the wear bars after 20k. I tried ice racing with them and the best way to describe that was frantically trying to keep the front wheels pointed in the proper direction while feathering the throttle, and that was only marginally successful. I think the only reason I was as comfortable as I was on them was driving my RX-7 and Camaro year-round for over a decade without issue.

I'm sure some of my hatred comes from getting older and realizing I was willing to make compromises I now find to be very dumb, but if you want to put them on your DD, prepare to be disappointed. Unless it's for an occasional use toy or something, they will wear on you quickly(see what I did there?).

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[Daddy_Digital]

I tend to think if i run the grabbers, ill be just as bad as someone with a lifted truck and doesnt go off roading. Grabbers may not be what i am looking for then. Looks like the geolanders would be the right fit. Good on tarmac, go on dirt.Thanks to all who replied.

[Timis from Greece]

OMG! That is the best thread of all! it makes me gonna buy an Impreza and lifted!
(im gonna sell my Fozzy 2.5XT Prodrive and my small Justy-sirion and get a wagon impreza and lifted!!!)

[Vaughn Performance]

Originally Posted by Timis from Greece

OMG! That is the best thread of all!

Agreed!

Originally Posted by Timis from Greece

(im gonna sell my Fozzy 2.5XT Prodrive and my small Justy-sirion and get a wagon impreza and lifted!!!)

No No No! Don't sell the Foz! Just prep it for off road. They make for a excellent off road vehicle!













One of my favorites, Foz search and rescue vehicle. Lot's of awesome ideas for Foz owners who wanna go off road on this one


The Impreza's make for good Rally/RallyX cars but out of the box I think the Foz is really better off road. I know yours is the Prodrive, but what you do there then is sell off the Prodrive bits to someone here in the states to fund your off road Foz project!

-Anthony

[Timis from Greece]

Anthony... I wish I was in US. In Greece, our government's brilliant ideas regarding taxes on cars, insurance and gasoline have made me wanna sell my 2.5XT Prodrive.
Mine has 260hp and 40.9kgr of torque. meaning faster than more of cars on Greek roads.
However, because it is 2500cc I have to pay every year:
- 880euro (thats about 1100 usd) for Road taxes
- 500euro (thats about 640 usd) for insurance
- price of gasoline (100octane) 1.9euro per litre (thats about 9,24 usd per us gallon)

My intention is to sell the Fozy (which I love to much!) and my Justy (1ltr engine) and buy a 2001-2002 Impreza (bugeye) with the "euro-japanese" engine of 1.6ltr with a Greek patent turbocharger which gives about 150hp and about 22kgr of torque.
Thinking of putting an 1" lift kit on it as a subsditute to a 2.0ltr Forester.

[chrisGT]

Get the impreza, and then put a 2.5l turbo driveline in it, they'll never know!! hah
And wow, that is rather expensive. Except insurance, that may actually be cheaper than it is here. I pay about that for a 98 LGT, which has half that hp and an automatic transmission.

[Vaughn Performance]

@Timis

Ah I see. That a shame they tack on that additional tax for displacement. I'm with chris, get the Impreza and swap a 2.5ltr in haha

Greece looks like a beautiful place to live though, so that hopefully helps balance it! Piraeus is the a port city right? You ever watch the Acropolis rally there?

-Anthony

[Timis from Greece]

Originally Posted by Vaughn Performance

@Timis

Ah I see. That a shame they tack on that additional tax for displacement. I'm with chris, get the Impreza and swap a 2.5ltr in haha

Greece looks like a beautiful place to live though, so that hopefully helps balance it! Piraeus is the a port city right? You ever watch the Acropolis rally there?

-Anthony

Im not saying this because Im Greek, but IMO I leave in the most beautiful country in the world, but .... with the worst politicians ever!

For Your Info: Just Stupid Greek Tax system...

Cars/bikes registered up to 31st Oct. 2010
Up to 300cc: 22 euro
301-785cc: 55 Euro
786-1071cc: 120 euro
1072-1357cc: 135 euro
1358-1548cc: 240 euro (e.g. VW Golf 1.4tsi)
1549-1738cc: 265 euro
1739-1928cc: 300 euro
1929-2357cc: 660 euro (e.g. Subaru Forester 2.0)
2358-3000cc: 880 euro (my 2.5XT)
3001-4000cc: 1,100 euro
4001cc and over 1,320 euro

Cars/bikes registered after 1st Nov. 2010. fees are base on CO2 emissions:
0-100 g./Km. EUR 0
101-120 gr./Km. 0.9 euro x gr
121-140 gr./Km 1.1 euro x gr
141-160 gr./Km. 1.7 euro x gr
161-180 gr./Km. 2.25 euro x gr
181-200 gr./Km. 2.55 euro x gr
201-250 gr./Km. 2.8 euro x gr
More than 250 gr./Km. 3.4 euro x gr

Even if a swap the engine, every 2 years we get through inspection so, the will see the 2,5 engine on my 1,6 impreza... you cannot miss it!

------------------------------------
In our subject... yes, I have watched twice the Acropolis, one in 1996 when in Subaru where Eriksson and McRay and one in 2001. It very impresive rally. The scenery is perfect. Roads are very tough and dirt.
I still remember a Greek Car Magazine in 1990 where they were invited by Prodrive to be co-drivers for one small route with young Colin McRay in the bucket-seat... (finaly he got 4th with the Legacy at this race!)

[Vaughn Performance]

Jeez ya, that's a shame with the tax system like that. Well, what can ya do though I suppose haha. From what I recall, I think there's a lot of places in Europe that use a similar tax vs displacement system. Thus part of the reason (aside from crowded streets) why small cars are so popular I think. I bet you don't see many V8 powered vehicles out there haha. I think lots of places in Asia also use a similiar system, I know Japan does. Well though the Japanese don't like to be referred to as Asian's lol.

Anyway, awesome that you got see Acropolis rally way back when! 90's rallying one of my favorite decades for the sport!

-Anthony

[Timis from Greece]

Im dealing with NYK Line who carry almost all Japanese cars to Europe and they are realy not wanted to be refered as Asian!

V8...haha oufcourse we have a lot but they prefer Euro models like Porsches, Ferraris and some expensive/luxurius US models.

IMO 1980-2000 was the best year for rallys.

To be back on the subject... Dirt/mud/rocks... you'll better come to Greece for that...
(dont get me wrong... we have highways and nice "snake" roads (with lots of "s" for enjoying driving!)

However, I always say that for Greek roads the perfect car is a Forester and.... a lifted Impreza!
Greek Countryside Roads:

[Timis from Greece]

Back on the subject..... dirty subarus... (dirt/rocky roads for firebrigade vehicles)

[burkart]

great FXT Timis!

have you maxed it out on the autobahn??

[sdp lgt]

Here is my rally prepped 2.5RS

[sdp lgt]

And not rally prepared at all -- that hasn't stopped me from taking my legacy out in the dirt! (actually have won class in local rallycross in the legacy)

[Daddy_Digital]

^^ that is awdsome

[Timis from Greece]

Originally Posted by burkart

great FXT Timis!

have you maxed it out on the autobahn??

Oufcourse I did...


Factory tires were 215/55/17... I got 225/55/17. So, tachymeter's deviation is not so much... Using the Navi, I got 227km/h actual speed (thats 141miles/hour). 0-100km/h accelaration (0-60mph) counted at 5.4sec.

The good thing with Fozzys is that you jsut change tires and go from street style (faster than lot of cars on Greek roads), to mud/dirt/rock with the Geolandars and then to snow roads with the Verdesteins winter-tires.

[Thomistopheles]

Tires gave me a 0.15" lift, now I can post in this thread!

[dritgert]

I like that picture of the maxed out on the autobahn...looking good

[dritgert]

Vaughn Performance - that picture you posted of the blue subie is pretty badass

[Vaughn Performance]

Originally Posted by dritgert

Vaughn Performance - that picture you posted of the blue subie is pretty badass

Of the blue Foz, or my wagon? At any rate I agree, both are badass

[burkart]

Originally Posted by Timis from Greece

Oufcourse I did...


Factory tires were 215/55/17... I got 225/55/17. So, tachymeter's deviation is not so much... Using the Navi, I got 227km/h actual speed (thats 141miles/hour). 0-100km/h accelaration (0-60mph) counted at 5.4sec.

very cool.

[Eriksport]

I havnt changed my studless snows since 2009 when I first lifted my 02 Wagon. Rotate every oil change or so (4-5K miles) and have had totally even wear all around, and it still carves the corners fairly well (except MUCH more tire noise).









and one from the early days of rallyX for Otto and I, before some brake/suspension upgrades:

[nhvelo]

[Hondaslayer]

Originally Posted by Benhart21

I had the Grabbers on my Baja for a couple years. I can not think of anything good to say about those tires. They were loud, wore to the point of being unusable in 20k miles, and had terrible grip in wet and snowy conditions. I used them offroad many times and they offered zero benefits over any other tires I could have had at the time. When I say offroad, I'm not talking about dirt fire access roads, but rocky trails where many lifted 4x4s were surprised to see a Baja. I would have gotten more enjoyment burning the cash than I did from spending it on those rubber hoops of disappointment and disdain.

Sounds like your car needed an alignment, or somebody that knows how to do an alignment.

I have had 3 sets of Grabbers now (one set is currently pushing 40k and has plenty of life left) and have had zero issues. I liked them so much I went out and bought a set of 5 for my Westfalia. The only "issue" I have had with mine is that the right front on my wifes car seems to have a magnet in it as that corner keeps picking up nails (seriously, she has had sooo many patches it's not even funny, Les Schwab knows her by name at this point)

[tommyson01]

Originally Posted by Eriksport

Nice shot!