Topic: Has the Forester's time with us come to an end?

[johngenx]

Guess I'm lucky with this as I can't remember any trips coworkers took that I was envious of.

Also since most of our trips involves living in a tent, they are usually pretty cheap.

My wife's friends all go to Mexico over Christmas and spring break, etc.  We went one Christmas, liked it, but didn't have much motivation to do it again.  Interesting to do it once, but not our cup-of-tea.

In November, we had "five star" accommodations in Mt Robson Park - no tent!  We spent four days up at Berg Lake and didn't see another human.  One of the best fall "vacations" we've had - the missus was very happy as there was no snow - so no trail breaking.



The view from the porch...

[quadzilla]

Guess I'm lucky with this as I can't remember any trips coworkers took that I was envious of.

Also since most of our trips involves living in a tent, they are usually pretty cheap.

My wife's friends all go to Mexico over Christmas and spring break, etc.  We went one Christmas, liked it, but didn't have much motivation to do it again.  Interesting to do it once, but not our cup-of-tea.

In November, we had "five star" accommodations in Mt Robson Park - no tent!  We spent four days up at Berg Lake and didn't see another human.  One of the best fall "vacations" we've had - the missus was very happy as there was no snow - so no trail breaking.

The view from the porch...

That place looks amazing. Shame that Ontario doesn't do anything like that even though we have some amazing parks.

Ontario...Sure we will build you nice yurts but we will also close them for almost half the year so nobody can use them.

A long time ago I remember looking over somebody's shoulder as they flipped through their vacation photos at a resort. I swore she printed the same picture 24 times.



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[CanuckS2K]

There is a line between being frugal and mean.  I think you might be just a tiny bit across it.

If it were my one and only kid I'just shrug my shoulders, bite the bullet and buy a nearly new Forester with a warranty and collision insurance.

I agree
I bet her skis and equipment are worth more
I would not feel comfortable letting my daughter drive around in a $3g car that I didn't know

I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable letting my daughter drive around in a 3K CUV I did know

I paid $2900 for my loaded 2002 Pathfinder LE 2.5 years ago.  My daughter isn't driving age yet, but if she was, I would feel totally safe and comfortable with her driving it full time.  (That is as long as she could afford the steep fuel bill). 

[CanuckS2K]

Reading stuff like this makes me happy to have grown up poor.

Dad came to Canada first. Literally had to clean out everything and hock their stuff to afford the plane tickets and the piggybank to get rolling. I think it was $2000 in his pocket. My mom and I were remaining in China at the time. She sold my stroller (I was 2) for food money.

Obviously things are considerably better now but I do remember this feeling growing up of always being the poor kid. Some things stick.

I do put a significant effort, IMHO, into underspending my wealth and income. I'm afraid of ever losing the habit and the mindset....wealth is fleeting. It can all disappear in an instant.

I recall some years ago a thread where we ended up discussing spousal loans. I mentioned that I was making a $100k or 150k loan to my wife to take advantage of the tax differential. Someone asked me why, if I had "so much" cash floating around, was I driving a TL at the time? Well here is the context to the answer

PS: 150k isn't .

Great story and thanks for sharing.  I grew up a little different than you.  My parent's weren't immigrants so they didn't have to travel to another Country to seek out a new future.  But my Dad wasn't educated in the sense of schooling, he never made it past grade 9.  Heck, he never even lived with his Parents from the age of 4.  Instead of being educated, he used hard work and determination to achieve what he wanted to and to support our family.  Because of this, our family was never poor or without things that we needed.  We always lived in a nice house and my Dad always had nice cars (lots of Lincolns back in the day).  BUT, my Dad paid the price physically by working very hard and long hours. 

My Sister and I never had anything handed to us though.  I purchased my first car at the age of 15 (one month before I turned 16) and it cost $4400 at the time.  I paid for it myself.   My Parent's did actually pay for my first two years of University, the next two were on me.  Being an adult now, I'm extremely appreciative that my Parents taught me to work for things that I wanted rather than just expect them.......and I'm 1000% blessed that I inherited my Dad's work ethic.  I'll never claim to be the most educated person out there, but just like my Dad, it's my hard work ethic that has gotten me to where I currently am.  This, if anything, is something that I want to pass down to my kids. 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

As for the Forester...can you "buy it" from yourself and use it in Arthur Dent's Charity Beater Challenge?  Maybe fix the brakes, but fack the rest and then beat the tarsands out of it on the way.  Within legal limits, of course...don't want to read AD's articles to find out one JG was kicked out for pulling AWD donuts on the Lethbridge bar parking lot...before any beer is even spilled.

That's a great idea.  Go do a beater rally in it, then junk it.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

We had a long chat about this today, and I think we've come up with a plan that we both like.   

Despite the leaking HGs, the engine on the Forester still runs strong.  The trans shifts like new despite it's high mileage.  The AWD works perfectly, and hell, even the LSD still engages nicely.

The kid loves the Forester and she really want to keep it.  So, we're going to do our best to make as many fixes as possible.  The key is that I'll buy the parts, but she wants to do the work with my help - this way she can learn how to do a lot of DIY jobs.  We're going to leave the headgaskets - that's too big a job for us at home and no way I'm spending that kinda dough on the car.

If you're doing the timing belts, you're halfway to a headgasket change.  Just do the gaskets.

[johngenx]

If you're doing the timing belts, you're halfway to a headgasket change.  Just do the gaskets.

Was thinking about that, but going through the records, the belts were done at 320K - later than I thought.  They're good for another 50K or so, so that it off the list - making the parts list less $$.

[blur911]

Reading stuff like this makes me happy to have grown up poor.

Dad came to Canada first. Literally had to clean out everything and hock their stuff to afford the plane tickets and the piggybank to get rolling. I think it was $2000 in his pocket. My mom and I were remaining in China at the time. She sold my stroller (I was 2) for food money.

Obviously things are considerably better now but I do remember this feeling growing up of always being the poor kid. Some things stick.

I do put a significant effort, IMHO, into underspending my wealth and income. I'm afraid of ever losing the habit and the mindset....wealth is fleeting. It can all disappear in an instant.

I recall some years ago a thread where we ended up discussing spousal loans. I mentioned that I was making a $100k or 150k loan to my wife to take advantage of the tax differential. Someone asked me why, if I had "so much" cash floating around, was I driving a TL at the time? Well here is the context to the answer

PS: 150k isn't .

Great story and thanks for sharing.  I grew up a little different than you.  My parent's weren't immigrants so they didn't have to travel to another Country to seek out a new future.  But my Dad wasn't educated in the sense of schooling, he never made it past grade 9.  Heck, he never even lived with his Parents from the age of 4.  Instead of being educated, he used hard work and determination to achieve what he wanted to and to support our family.  Because of this, our family was never poor or without things that we needed.  We always lived in a nice house and my Dad always had nice cars (lots of Lincolns back in the day).  BUT, my Dad paid the price physically by working very hard and long hours. 

Wow Shane, that is almost exactly my father's story, except for the Lincolns, he liked big Chryslers.
Must be a New Brunswick thing. 

[Arthur Dent]

As for the Forester...can you "buy it" from yourself and use it in Arthur Dent's Charity Beater Challenge?  Maybe fix the brakes, but fack the rest and then beat the tarsands out of it on the way.  Within legal limits, of course...don't want to read AD's articles to find out one JG was kicked out for pulling AWD donuts on the Lethbridge bar parking lot...before any beer is even spilled.

That's a great idea.  Go do a beater rally in it, then junk it.

The route has been announced for this year - and it includes mountain gravel roads! Perfect for the Subaru! I think a "fair market value" assessment could be worked out too.

https://www.facebook.com/greatbeaterchallenge/posts/1633792880261425

[johngenx]

LOL - The Forester has been down those roads before!  We could ride in the backseat it knows the way so well...

[ktm525]

Wait. Are they driving Hwy 22 from Coleman to Highway 40 or taking the 940 trunk road from Coleman to Highway 40?

[X-Traction]

How about a first generation XL-7? And you can borrow it for those really bad roads.

[Arthur Dent]

Wait. Are they driving Hwy 22 from Coleman to Highway 40 or taking the 940 trunk road from Coleman to Highway 40?

Not sure - its a gravel road for that part.

https://www.mapquest.com/embed/directions/list/1/ca/ab/lethbridge/to/ca/ab/coleman/to/canada/ab/ranchland-no-66/t0l/10477-forestry-trunk-rd-49.854172,-114.397719/to/canada/ab/kananaskis/t0l/16000-forestry-trunk-rd-50.336904,-114.624347/to/canada/ab/kananaskis/t0l/22317-bighorn-hwy-50.885674,-115.139883/to/canada/ab/kananaskis/t0l/6133-highway-68-51.041133,-114.743857/to/canada/ab/rocky-view-county/t0l/263023-highway-40-51.226341,-114.661092/to/canada/ab/bighorn-no-8/t0l/28951-highway-40-51.444185,-115.035729/to/canada/ab/water-valley/t0m/5155-highway-579-51.503909,-114.613311/to/ca/ab/airdrie?center=50.57745610365957,-113.95946050000002&zoom=6&maptype=undefined

[johngenx]

After spending a couple of weeks in early June spinning wrenches on the old gal, she's in pretty road-worthy shape.  Even better than getting 'er back up to snuff was the experience of doing it as a team.  We spent <$700 on parts and except for the weeping driver's side head gasket (oil only and external only) this thing feels like there's lots of life left.  With all new brakes and rear struts, the braking is excellent and the ride is good - great at highways speed and cruises easily over Edmonton's pock-marked roads.

While we had it up on jack stands, I got under and had a really good check on stuff.  The rear brake dust shields are rusted badly, and they're stupidly expensive and not that easy to change, so we left them.  The suspension and steering bits are all in pretty good shape - some of the front bushings will need doing some time, but serviceable for now.  The steering rack, to my shock, is not leaking - a common issue.  The trans is dry and the rear diff too.  The LSD still engages, the ABS works well, and the AWD works as well as the day we bought it.

The V-rated summer Bridgestones are barely worn.  The winter WS-70s are in good shape - at least one winter left.

#1 (and only) daughter plans on driving to Vancouver next month, and I'd not hesitate for a second to head out in this car.  Even with the HG leaking, it's only using 1L of oil every 8K, and the engine has great compression.  The battery is new.

One issue I haven't solved is the broken rear hatch latch.  OMG, that thing is hard to access.  The hatch is broken in the closed position (thankfully) but it means working inside the "trunk" and it's super awkward.  Ugh, might get the kid to tackle this one on her own.  She told me "I can get my skis in through the back door, so no pressure on that one!"

So, after replacing the serpentine belt and a LOT of brake parts and those pesky rear struts (not too hard, but Subaru made it more complicated than necessary the bast-ards) my confidence in the war-horse going at least one more year is pretty high.

The kid is more optimistic and ambitious than I am.  FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DAD, SHE CAN DO IT!!

[Noto]

I love reading your stories with your daughter.

[johngenx]

I wish I'd taken pics of the process, but the kid wasn't having any pics of her up to armpits in car parts.  But, here's one from after we got the driver's rear brake apart.  Gotta laugh at all the rust dust!

[johngenx]

The passenger side with some new parts...  (notice the hammer... the sledge is out of frame)

[Noto]

Man, new parts look prettier on rusted out vehicles...

[5 Wheel Drive]

Nice work!

[84im]

The passenger side with some new parts...  (notice the hammer... the sledge is out of frame)

A hammer is one of my favourite tools when working on my vehicles.