Subaru owners in Columbus, OH

[Renee M Coupe]

Hi. I am currently in search of a Subaru. (Want a WRX wagon, but out of my price range right now).

Are there many Subaru enthusiasts in Columbus? I have seen a few nice Subies around, but most are in stock form.

Can anyone recommend a good repair shop? Or do you take your car to the dealer if you can't do the work yourself?

Thanks in advance.

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[Orion]

Yes, there's many of us!

Calling us enthusiasts is a severe understatement!

I do my own work mostly, but for regular service I'd take it to a dealer. For aftermarket stuff there's www.quantum-racing.com in Marysville for parts and installation and www.jocomotorsports.com for parts as well but they don't have a storefront.

[WRX02WRB]

Welcome

As the big "O" said there are many of us here in the Central Ohio area

[CheezeWeezle]

^^^As my fellow post whore buddy said;
Yep...there's a bunch of us here...We've been getting together quite frequently recently too for install/repair days. Most of us try to do as much of the work to our cars as possible. If you don't have tools there are other around the city more than welcome to help.

Welcome aboard!

[mbeach]

I can see this thread getting huge already...
I'd say that there's probably 20-25 of us on here.
Welcome

EDIT: In addition to the HPDE 2-4 April, there were some thoughts of a Hocking Hills drive @the second week of April. That might be a good opportunity to check out some local cars and their owners.

[Renee M Coupe]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I know a couple people with Subies, but they are new owners and use them as the reliable car (rather than the project/fun car).

Am I welcome in a BMW?? I am one of the good ones, I swear.

I am also into photography. Here is a link the the last autocross at Cooper stadium last year. These are mostly of VWs and BMWs. Love the VW 3 wheel action.

http://community.webshots.com/album/97975225tdNNsu

[mbeach]

There were a few of us either participating or spectating at the Cooper Stadium event last year. I was shooting pictures too.

I'm a former BMWCCA member myself. I even wear the hat to the GTGs on occasion.

If you want to talk VWs, Kelly is your man. Kelly is also Wende's man. Both are Subaru owners/drivers/enthusiasts.

[LB2.5rs]

Welcome! I'm the young one of the group... Nice pics btw! I'm thinking of trying my hand at auto-x this year. But yea we have alot a lil gtg's. Like we had one last weekend, and the weekend before that.

Luke

[Orion]

Originally posted by Renee M Coupe
Thanks for the warm welcome.

I know a couple people with Subies, but they are new owners and use them as the reliable car (rather than the project/fun car).

Am I welcome in a BMW?? I am one of the good ones, I swear.

I am also into photography. Here is a link the the last autocross at Cooper stadium last year. These are mostly of VWs and BMWs. Love the VW 3 wheel action.

http://community.webshots.com/album/97975225tdNNsu

I'm an SCCA regular. You'll see me at every event and then some.(except for Mother's Day)

[axoid]

Originally posted by Renee M Coupe
Thanks for the warm welcome.

I know a couple people with Subies, but they are new owners and use them as the reliable car (rather than the project/fun car).

Am I welcome in a BMW?? I am one of the good ones, I swear.

I am also into photography. Here is a link the the last autocross at Cooper stadium last year. These are mostly of VWs and BMWs. Love the VW 3 wheel action.

http://community.webshots.com/album/97975225tdNNsu

Nice pics. You got a couple of Ealy's Mustang

[Renee M Coupe]

EDIT: In addition to the HPDE 2-4 April, there were some thoughts of a Hocking Hills drive @the second week of April. That might be a good opportunity to check out some local cars and their owners.

Great. I will be at the Autocross the first weekend in April, but will be out of town the second weekend.

We did a group BMW drive to Hocking Hills last fall. Have you checked out Big Pine Rd? Crazy! Lots of hills, sharp curves, ... When we drove through Circleville some of the locals started yelling at some of the guys. "Slow down" "Nice BMW your partent bought you" etc. (They were not even driving fast through town). Rather funny!

Mbeach,
What did you drive before? I heard that a good number of BMW owners are opting for a WRX or STi rather than driving 2 cars (M car and another car for the winter).

I am currently searching for a nice wagon as a daily driver. (Need a wagon because of my dog).

Something like this would be nice.

[itWoRX]

[quote][i] Have you checked out Big Pine Rd? Crazy! Lots of hills, sharp curves, ...

Indeed we have....we drove 29 Subies all the way across Big Pine last summer....

[Mrs.COS]

That was an awesome day.
Its nice to have a nother woman among us.
There is also a yahoo Group for us Central ohio Subies

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/CentralOhioSubarus/

I would like to say there is about 30+ Subie owners in our group. Some of us AutoX some do track days, some just want pretty cars ( wende, kelly )
Good luck in the car search.

[mbeach]

Originally posted by Renee M Coupe
We did a group BMW drive to Hocking Hills last fall.

A friend of mine was on that drive... He said that even the *fast* group was a tad slow.
We did it again a few weeks later, Scooby style -much more satisfying...

Originally posted by Renee M Coupe
Mbeach,
What did you drive before? I heard that a good number of BMW owners are opting for a WRX or STi rather than driving 2 cars (M car and another car for the winter).
[/b]

I drove an E36 M3. Not horrible in the winter thanks to traction control and all-season tires.

[itWoRX]

[quote]Originally posted by mbeach
[b]A friend of mine was on that drive... He said that even the *fast* group was a tad slow.
We did it again a few weeks later, Scooby style -much more satisfying...

Yea, I tried not to "speed" too much.....but didn;t slow much for the curves....that and I had an entire camp set complete with home stereo and speakers in the back of the wagon......Jesse still burnt brakes up keeping up......



:

[WRX02WRB]

Originally posted by itWoRX
...didnt slow much for the curves..

to say the least ... your the only one that knew all the curves ....come to my roads next time and see whos brakes are smoking

Originally posted by itWoRX
......Jesse still burnt brakes up keeping up......

i got new brakes to burn up this time

[Renee M Coupe]

Thanks CougarGirl. Sounds like a good diverse group. Always enjoy meeting other girls into cars, there are not very many out there!

Big Pine was fun! A road I would not take very fast until I know it well.

[wendemac]

Hi Renee & welcome!

The hubby & I both have Subies, they are fun cars to drive. He was converted from VW as you've heard but he's just a car kind of guy period. Good luck on your search.

Hope to see ya around

Wende

[nhalterman]

Welcome!

Yes, stop over to Central Ohio Subarus and register to get e-mails on all our events. We have 44 registered users.

Nathan

[Renee M Coupe]

Nathan,
Thanks! I just signed up. It would be great to meet up with some of you. What better way to learn about these cars! (When I buy a car, I keep it for years. I want to make a informed decision).

Hi Wende!
What VWs have you owned?
I have owned a VR6 Corrado and A2 GLI 16V. (Not a fan of the current models).

[wendemac]

Originally posted by Renee M Coupe
Nathan,
Thanks! I just signed up. It would be great to meet up with some of you. What better way to learn about these cars! (When I buy a car, I keep it for years. I want to make a informed decision).

Hi Wende!
What VWs have you owned?
I have owned a VR6 Corrado and A2 GLI 16V. (Not a fan of the current models).

Corrado's are cool.
We've been through a couple an A2 Jetta (Kelly restored), A3 Jetta and the last VW was a A3 GTI VRG. We had an Audi80 that we unloaded back in Dec 03 (our beater car for shopping,errands trip to the groomer/vet etc).. So we've been through quite a few. We recently test drove an R32 and Kelly loved the way if looked and the seats fit and held ya incredibly well but he wasn't impressed with the HP. He recently bought and STI & is very happy

[ellisnc]

Guys do me a favor and don't drive like crazy people down country roads that you have no idea what's around the outside of the corner... I've done it before out in Oregon where it is truely rural i.e. no houses on the road and 30 miles from any town, but here you can't do that sort of thing because it really isn't that rural. I won't do it anywhere I go anymore.

I don't want to be your dad, but if you're frying breaks driving down a winding road, you're going too fast and nothing good can become of it. Track days aren't all that expensive if you don't get caught up in trying to get all the latest speed parts for the car. If you do one, you will lose the urge to drive fast on the street because you'll know how high the actual limits of the car are when you can fully commit to a corner. There's no way you can get the same feeling on the street. If you do a 2 day event you will lose the urge to drive at anything other than the speed limit or flat out because you'll be unsatisfied with any middle ground and hopefully realize it's voluntary taxation. Ask Nate H. how fast we drove home from Mid Ohio last year. Yep, 65-70 mph down I-71.

<Nate steps off soapbox>

[Orion]

Originally posted by ellisnc
Guys do me a favor and don't drive like crazy people down country roads that you have no idea what's around the outside of the corner... I've done it before out in Oregon where it is truely rural i.e. no houses on the road and 30 miles from any town, but here you can't do that sort of thing because it really isn't that rural. I won't do it anywhere I go anymore.

I don't want to be your dad, but if you're frying breaks driving down a winding road, you're going too fast and nothing good can become of it. Track days aren't all that expensive if you don't get caught up in trying to get all the latest speed parts for the car. If you do one, you will lose the urge to drive fast on the street because you'll know how high the actual limits of the car are when you can fully commit to a corner. There's no way you can get the same feeling on the street. If you do a 2 day event you will lose the urge to drive at anything other than the speed limit or flat out because you'll be unsatisfied with any middle ground and hopefully realize it's voluntary taxation. Ask Nate H. how fast we drove home from Mid Ohio last year. Yep, 65-70 mph down I-71.

<Nate steps off soapbox>

word.

[02R6]

Originally posted by Renee M Coupe
Can anyone recommend a good repair shop? Or do you take your car to the dealer if you can't do the work yourself?

I do all my installs and maintenance myself. But, for body repair (if that's what you mean), I highly recommend Columbus Fair Auto Auction/Columbus Fair Auto Repair - they're one in the same. They did some custom work on my decklid that came out very well.

Originally posted by ellisnc
Track days aren't all that expensive if you don't get caught up in trying to get all the latest speed parts for the car. If you do one, you will lose the urge to drive fast on the street because you'll know how high the actual limits of the car are when you can fully commit to a corner. There's no way you can get the same feeling on the street. If you do a 2 day event you will lose the urge to drive at anything other than the speed limit or flat out because you'll be unsatisfied with any middle ground and hopefully realize it's voluntary taxation.

I felt the same way about riding motorcycles on the street after I started racing them on the track.

[mykrrrr]

Originally posted by Renee M Coupe
[BI am currently searching for a nice wagon as a daily driver. (Need a wagon because of my dog).

Something like this would be nice.

[/b]

Hey...that's my car!!!

I know a few peeps in COLS, go down several times a year and even considered moving down there last year...does that count as a pseudo-local.

-mykr.