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AppleBit
Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Posts: 1516 Location: Minneapolis, MN
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Rick MacLaren Guest
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2001 6:00 am Post subject: |
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Mark,
I was looking at buying a new car and the WRX was considered for a minute. Also, I have colleagues who have VERY nice WRX's.
I hear what you're saying. They are nice cars. But there's a lot of 'WRX Mania' out there thanks to Subaru's superb marketing. Some are thinking it's a supercar, and some even think it's a Porsche engine because the engine style is Boxer! Dumb yeah, but overenthusiastic. Though the car has been tested elsewhere, it has not been tested in North America. And I agree with your major claim - the car hauls ass. But lemme be an asshole for a minute (heh heh) and amuse myself and you - maybe you'll only agree with some of it, and maybe it's a bit harsh, but I'm not crazy about it. A sense of history urges me to reply:
Fast? Yes I agree
Supercar? No
Handling? Yes
Porsche-like handling? No
Technologically competent? Yes
Technologically innovative? No
Ahead of it's time? No
Mechanics who can service it? At your local Subaru dealer, yes...anywhere else? No.
Rust prepared for Canadian winters? Unknown
Handling for Canadian winters? Excellent
Ugly? Quite
Gonna get good looking anytime soon? No
Will the driver be ashamed to be caught having sex in it? Yes
Paint? I prefer the color and texture of a Canadian cheddar cheese.
Sound? Like a Honda sneezing into a hanky.
Ever look in the engine bay? Ever work on one? Good luck! And what will the local mechanic do? You'll have the same problems servicing that car that you do with a Porsche, but without the years of experience.
I just prefer the feel and behaviour and low to the ground prowl and finish and gentle door closings and attention to detail that Porsche gives. Plus, Porsche has more years under their belt making performance cars than Subaru - and remember, Subaru is doing to their car, in 2001, what Porsche did to the 924 Carrera GT 20 years earlier. They copied things well.
I was SO turned off by the marketing of this product that I doubt I'll be interested. I see the 227 HP claim as kind of fraudulent - the 4 wheel drive parasitic loss leaves you with 168 hp. I've been in the cars, and I don't like the following:
- the doors close like a cheap car;
- the flared fenders make the car look like it's been cut and pasted;
- it looks like a swollen Escort;
- the choice of blue only cloth interior is limiting, and for $25,000 USD I'd want my choice;
- too "boy racer";
- Silver looks great, but other colors look cheap, especially blue - cheap looking paint finish;
- high insurance costs; Gonna get higher as accidents inevitably add up in North America;
- the road feel is far too cushy;
But for $25K, would I buy it? Well, if I had kids, and didn't mind them puking on cloth, then a rice-burning cheap car is ideal, so...YES! I think it's great value for the dollar. But I don't have kids, and right now I'd prefer to put out more dollars for a car I really want.
Consider finally what happened to the Cossie: Wrapped around trees, costly to insure, rusted, getaway cars.
Merkur: Great for Europe, failed in North America. Poor support outside of dealers.
Opel: See Merkur. Poor support outside of dealers.
If I want four wheel performance for the dollar, I'll get an Audi Quattro. Maybe I'm one of those guys who wants a little more for the assurances offered by Audi and Porsche.
Ricky's fortune telling prediction of the week: Three out of every four WRX's you see on the street in 2 years time will have:
- Tinted banner across the windshield that reads "WRX" or "REX" or equivalent
- Cheezo tailpipe tin can tips hanging off them like Honda preludes
- dingle balls
- door-level dings from shopping mall mishaps where Mom has her passenger door mauled by a shopping cart.
- seat puke (see children above)
- blowing smoke from guys driving the living shit out of them
- lower than desirable resale value
- Canadian and Northern US models will be sighted in ditches even this winter, upside down, like the ill-fated SUV's, caused by overconfident drivers smucking them into posts after trying that limpet-like all-wheel-drive handling on the Don Valley Parkway during an ice storm.
I think the 931 properly updated for 20 years of abuse and upgraded to make it a fair fight, under the right road conditions (e.g., highway) can totally smoke a WRX.
_________________
[ This Message was edited by: Rick MacLaren on 2001-09-02 06:27 ] |
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larso Guest
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Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2001 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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Hey the doors in my 931 sounded like tin but had the weight of lead.
larso |
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Rick MacLaren Guest
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Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2001 6:19 am Post subject: |
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Lars: I believe that your doors sounded that way. Maybe if you removed the tool pouch, hash pipe and glue bottle, there wouldn't be so much rattling!
Heh heh...
Seriously, mine will close with a gentle tap, but on the Subaru, I have to whack it shut, and I don't mind doing that at all! I wonder how easily the Subaru WRX door will close if you use your foot? Gotta try that! Heh.
Rick
_________________
1980 Porsche 931 C2H5OH/H2O injected 15 PSI
1979 Porsche 924
[ This Message was edited by: Rick MacLaren on 2001-09-02 06:31 ] |
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AppleBit
Joined: 16 Nov 2002 Posts: 1516 Location: Minneapolis, MN
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larso Guest
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2001 5:26 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
On 2001-09-02 06:19, Rick MacLaren wrote:
Lars: I believe that your doors sounded that way. Maybe if you removed the tool pouch, hash pipe and glue bottle, there wouldn't be so much rattling!
Heh heh...
Seriously, mine will close with a gentle tap, but on the Subaru, I have to whack it shut, and I don't mind doing that at all! I wonder how easily the Subaru WRX door will close if you use your foot? Gotta try that! Heh.
Rick
_________________
1980 Porsche 931 C2H5OH/H2O injected 15 PSI
1979 Porsche 924
[ This Message was edited by: Rick MacLaren on 2001-09-02 06:31 ]
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Yeah rick, but your missing something, every 924 I have seen has had torn off hinges, and broken door stays. Honestly I would rather have a door that works and lasts for 5 years than one that makes me lazy, but I have to get welded on so it won't fall off. Porsche engineers did not know what they were doing when they made the door hinges on the 924. |
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Mark CSC Guest
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2001 1:22 am Post subject: |
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Jon
You're right it doesn't roll at all! Looks good.
Richard
I actually agree with what you wrote execpt that they sound bad. I'll find a file for you to listen to.
Mark |
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Rick MacLaren Guest
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Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2001 1:37 am Post subject: |
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...the 931/924 doors are 20 years old...
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larso Guest
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Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2001 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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Rick, not that the doors on a sports car are important (but it looks really bad when ur driving someone up on a business trip or taking a date out), but I have had lotsa 20 year old cars that don't have this problem
or at least my family has, tauruses volvos hondas. |
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Rick MacLaren Guest
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Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2001 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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I hear ya Lars.
On my '79, I let some open-mouthed, wind-sucking moron body man #### with my passenger side door. He did a weld here, cut into the body there, and messed all over with it. The door NEVER closed right after his filthy hands got on it. Why did he do this? Because he didn't believe me when I said the door on the 944 was the same as that for the 924. Like I said: Moron.
On my '80, the door has never been touched. It opens and closes 'sweet'. If you leave it be, and lubricate it, and just treat it well, it'll work forever. Every Porsche that's been well handled will behave this way, you just have to take care of it.
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dwak Guest
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2001 11:31 am Post subject: |
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Here's one from the 'that's nothing dept'. I opened the door of my '89 Jeep at my breakfast club restaurant and the door fell right off. My '80's has been rewelded, my '78's is on by the upper hinge only but my other 2 are like staight from the factory.
They are hard to weld nicely because of the light metal, are a heavy usage item and really awkward to take apart. Those huge philips screws are an ass pain or are you supposed to knock the pins out?
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Rick MacLaren Guest
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2001 1:12 am Post subject: |
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Hey Dwak where are you in Eastern Ontario?
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larso Guest
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Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2001 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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Eastern Ontario...sigh...that's like saying "we're going right right?"
ONTARIO IS EAST, ALL OF IT
from Westside,
larso
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