My Legacy: A Crap Collection Thread

[J-T]

So in light of some recent and somewhat heroic collection threads this one is a bit of a damp squib (particularly as I took precicely NO pics on the way) and the car's a bit too new but never mind..

 

Mr Kinkersaab of this parish posted an advert for a rather appealing looking subaru. Now I don't have any strict need for said vehicle, already having 3 cars in the household but I've always liked the look of these and I was hoping the better half could be conviced of liberating our Rav 4 in favour of this. Only problem being it was 350 miles away.

 

Which is how I ended up on a train for the 1st time in years on Friday morning heading from Warrington all the way to Aberdeen. I had convinced a mate to come with me so that a weekend could be made of it and we could call in on another mate near Glasgow on the way back. I didn't take any pics because it was exactly as I remember train travel...bloody dull. There was minor panic when we were informed there would be an hour's delay at Preston due to a 'suspicious package' , but by the time we got there all suspicion must have been removed as there was no delay. There was a quick changeover in Edinburgh and then around another 2 hours travel and then I arrived in sunny Stonehaven.

 

Kinkersaab had kindly agreed to meet me at the station which was where the deal was done with me driving off in the subaru and he in his fine looking xantia not before showing me to the nearest petrol station for the most important shot of the day:

 

 

 

After checking all was well, Mr KS bid me goodbye and I was alone with the beast. Well, if you don't count my mate. So, first impressions...it's fuggin filthy, in and out, but looks dead straight and ripe for a good cleaning sesh. Initially it felt a bit odd to drive - it's the 'Outback' model so sits a bit higher than a normal legacy and you can feel this sat in the driving seat but it doesn't feel particularly wallowy. I gave it some right foot expecting a lot and errr, well not much happened. So I gave it rather a lot of right foot and....ah that's better, yes for a large old thing it can't half shift, it just needs telling in no uncertain terms that that's what you want so the autobox kicks down enough. It's the 6 cylinder boxer engine but sounds much more refined than the usual burbling impreza noise, to the point where I kept having to check it was still running when it was stationery.  When I first collected it there were no warning lights lit up but Mr Kinkersaab had warned the ABS/Traction lights came and went as they saw fit and as warned, on they came after a few miles. I'm almost proud to say that since then I've had pretty much every combination of warning lights available flashing at me from none at all to ABS, Traction control, EML, Sport (whatever this is) and Cruise all at once. I think currently we're just on EML and traction. Still, there was nowt wrong with how it was driving and it wasn't in limp mode so I pressed on.

 

And it does indeed drive well, although it's clear it's led a pretty hard life as many an elderly subaru has, giving it some idenitfying character. There's a definite hum/vibration when making a slight left turn (motorway bend for example), slight clonk from the front over large bumps and a vibration through the wheel at about 80mph. It brakes in a straight line but there's quite a lot of pedal travel, although when it does bite, they're quite powerful. Infact I had a tremendous demonstration of this when a truly *excellent merc driver flew off the slip road on to the M6 straight into lane 3...where I was. Cheers mate!

 

Despit this, it was soon back chez J-T, have an obligatory driveway shot.

 

 

Eric the cat's just giving it a thorough under-engine inspection for me there, cheers kitty. After a more thorough poke around, the following will need attending to fairly quickly...

 

 

 

Rear brakes are shot

 

 

 

Rear tyres are shot

 

 

The current selection of health warnings (which may be withdrawn, illuminated or explode with little or no notice)

 

Still, it's a lovely place to be, it was mega cheap and somewhere in there is a nice car that I'm sure is just pretending not to be. Have an interior shot.

 

 

 

I have also now beeen reliably informed that under no circumstances will the Rav 4 be leaving our custody to make way for Mr. Scooby do. So I now have a large, rather broken, rather thirsty vehicle that I have no strict use for and fairly limited ability to fix in addition to an alfa romeo that I hardly ever get time to use. Therefore, all is well

 

Now has anybody got a code reader?

 

P.S. I do feel I have to point out - I was warned of the tyres and brakes beforehand!!

[vulgalour]

Pleasantly surprised by that interior, I have to say, I was expecting a sea of dismal grey flimsy box plastics.

[Stanky]

Should you ever consider parting with this, please let me know!

 

(obv after you've fixed everything and serviced it, and ideally with 12 months MOT and 4 brand new, branded tyres, for less than you've just paid)

 

 

but seriously, I'm saving all my pocket money for one of these.

[Forty-two]

Cracking car. If straightening it out is not too expensive, the cost of running the flat six could be though! Hope it works out as they are lovely to drive and stick to the road rather well if you find occasion to push on.

[the judge]

Nice motor. I've a rather basic but okay code reader in Widnes that will read your EML lamp,and will switch it off

[Honey Badger]

Cracking car, these are definitely on my bucket list.

 

 

I'll be joining the orderly cue when you come to sell it as well

[RichL]

Jealous. I have had the pleasure of driving a H6 Outback, albeit the previous generation but the mechanicals are similar I think. So smooth and quiet the only indication of what the engine was doing was by looking at the rev counter.

 

Didn't go far in it, and never had enough road to give the throttle a good shove. Probably a good thing...

[J-T]

I've been on cleaning this thing all day and am now crippled. My god, it's big! And I swear to god someone has driven it through a hedge. Anyways, it came up quite well considering. So here it is after some hot G3 action. As ever, the pictures flatter.

 

 

 

the judge

Posted Today, 04:51 AM

Nice motor. I've a rather basic but okay code reader in Widnes that will read your EML lamp,and will switch it off

 

 

Cheers buddy, but tax has run out now unfortunately so it's not very mobile for the time being. Has anyone used these bluetooth code readers with an app? Are they any good?