Before Toyota... and the benefit of having a TRUCK was needed... I was in love with my SUBARU!
Actually, I owned three... The economy (25 mpg) in the 70's was amazing... and so well built, too. No problems except for CVJ boots being weak and
replacing a few of those!
Here is my first 4WD Subaru, a 1977.5 model ('78, but sold before legally could be called a '78) on the road just south of Calamajue Canyon... on the
Baja 1000 course pre-running for the Nov. '79 1000.
I just made it through the Gonzaga road from Puertecitos (the old, really bad road)... and my exhaust is still back there, somewhere... The little
1600cc motor sure is noisy without a muffler!
Subaru offered a 'safari' kit that included the white wheels, pushbar, skid plate, side 4WD decal stripes... I added a pair of KC lights.
Here's a bit earlier that day, in the canyon...
[Edited on 2-21-2009 by David K]
DENNIS - 2-21-2009 at 10:31 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Before Toyota... and the benefit of having a TRUCK was needed... I was in love with my SUBARU!
I can see the contented look on its grill.woody with a view - 2-21-2009 at 10:50 AM
guezhunteight!Udo - 2-21-2009 at 10:51 AM
I had the same year Subaru, and it was a GREAT car. It did make several trips to San Felipe, Gonzaga bay, and as far south as the beaches west of El
Rosario. We have owned several Subarus since, and the last one was a 2004 Outback edition, which was traded-in on a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser...the best
Baja vehicle to date (and that includes three Jeeps, (a CJ-5, a CJ-7 and a CJ-2, Ken).
[Edited on 2-21-2009 by udowinkler]Mexitron - 2-21-2009 at 11:54 AM
We're considering a 2009 Forester but the clearance isn't good enough to really get on bad roads...David K - 2-21-2009 at 01:19 PM
There is no low range either... simple All Wheel Drivebajaguy - 2-21-2009 at 01:56 PM
I have an excellent condition 1986 Subaru BRAT that is for sale. Has a 4sp manual transmission and the dual range (Hi and Lo) 4WD. If anyone is
interested, please u2u.
Sorry for the Hi-Jack, David Paulclark - 2-21-2009 at 02:33 PM
2.0 turbo Subaru -- The best way to explore BajaPaulclark - 2-21-2009 at 02:46 PM
picture - maybe?
WOW!
woody with a view - 2-21-2009 at 03:26 PM
picture envy, if there is such a thing!!!!!!Mango - 2-21-2009 at 05:02 PM
Heres a picture of my '06 Subaru Forester just north of Gonzaga a few years back.
Ground clearance really has not been an issue for me. It's no jeep, but has much better ground clearance than any other car and even many stock
trucks or SUV's.
It does great on sand and on the road. When you get a really rocky road you just need to slow way down, put it in low on the automatic. As David K
pointed out, it does not have a transfer case and thus no super low gear for extended crawling.
I don't think of it as a off road vehicle. It's uni body and not really made to take endless pounding and crawl through rock gardens like traditional
off road vehicles.
I think of it as a car that does wonders on really bad roads. If there is a bad section of the road I can get past it and not be forced to turn
around like I would if I was in a regular car.
It handles great, sips gas, and is very reliable. I really like the narrowness of it. Thats good on Highway 1 and good weaving down a rocky road to
the beach.Barry A. - 2-21-2009 at 08:25 PM
My son has a 2005 Subaru "Baja", which essentially is an "outback", and is not nearly as competant as the Forrester. And yet, he drives that thing
to the most radical of places, including Gonzaga Bay-----------I am constantly amazed at where he drives it to-------GREAT VEHICLE-------and this guys
"other" vehicle is an old Toy FJ-40
I am constantly thinking he will DESTROY the poor Subaru, but never does.
Barrybajadogs - 2-21-2009 at 10:06 PM
I have an 06 Subaru Outback. It floats over soft sand and mud. If my Ram blew up, I would not hesitate taking the Outback. No Baja miles because of
insurance, plenty of Anza Borrego miles.
Subaru still make a great car.Paula - 2-21-2009 at 10:35 PM
I had a 2001 Forrester stick shift, and I loved it. We do a fair amount of off-road driving, and it made it through some amazing bad roads in Baja
and Montana, and still had that nice solid feeling after 5 years. Clearance was never an issue, but but I must say when we did the road from Rancho
Canipole to La Purissima in the pick-up I was glad we had the clearance and gears, and that Don was doing the driving, not me, and we had the truck,
not my car.
Because we had nearly 100,000 miles on that car and Subaru parts are hard to find down here, we sold it and bought a Honda CR-V. I like the Honda
too, and it has never let us down, but I think the Subaru was a slightly better car, and I think it would outlast the HondaSteve&Debby - 2-22-2009 at 09:22 PM
Subaru is fine for graded dirt roads,but if you want to get off the graded roads and get in the rough stuff ,get a JEEP!!!!David K - 2-22-2009 at 10:45 PM
What got me to post the photo of my 4WD Subaru from 1979, was the discussion about reliable/ trouble free vehicles... in another thread.
I owned a Jeep... really loved it... but it spent more time being repaired than in Baja... there is a limit to my love! Toyota and Subaru have NEVER
disappointed me in Baja!
Admittedly, the new breed of Subaru is AWD not 4WD... and no low range or extra ground cover... and so they are for graded or sandy/ snowy roads... I
am disappointed in them for not offering the all terrain models anymore!
