Threads like this are what has kept me interested in this board for so many years.
The Brandywine Motorsports Club hosted a road rally/picnic this afternoon. I was quietly using this as a target for having the Subaru ready. Having a target helped with motivation. We had a great time, met good people, enjoyed good food, and finished 4th-ish which earned us a couple of mugs. The parts car didn't skip a beat.
This was the first road rally for my wife and I and we enjoyed it. I can see more in our future. There was no time/speed component - just a set of instructions with mileage and 20 observational questions. It was a super easy way to get a taste for it. We got all of the questions correct but my odometer was about 3 10ths of a mile off at the end. In all fairness, the route was all on roads I've been driving for nearly 40 years. I was able to answer ~1/3 of the questions while reading through the route instructions in the parking lot.
I'm looking forward to more of this.
I removed this abomination and installed a stock muffler. I figure I gave up at least eleventy-seven horsepower but it is much more pleasant to drive now. I will admit that driving it with the loud exhaust encouraged me to drive faster. Turns out that there's at least a little bit of that 16 year old moron I once was left in there.
I used the car as my daily driver all week, putting 480 miles on it from Sunday to today. It didn't skip a beat. I gotta decide what my plans are, but for the immediate future I'm going to keep daily driving it. I'd like to Autocross it if I can squeeze another one(s) into my schedule this year. I'd also like to find another road rally or two.
Update: No update.
The Subaru has been serving as a reliable daily for a little over two months and 4,000 miles. Other than lubing the selector for inside/outside air, I have done nothing to the car but drive it. It has consumed/leaked less than 1/2 quart of oil in that time. It's a pretty enjoyable little daily. It's light and nimble but doesn't feel out of place in traffic. I find that I'm taking more back road routes home from work because I enjoy driving it. I also find myself seeking out any dirt/gravel roads I can find. Fuel mileage is decent at 28-29 mpg on cheap (a relative term) 87 octane. Hopefully it continues to deliver - I'm thinking that I'd like to continue using it as a daily beater at least through the winter.
My Dad and I fixed & flipped at least 15 cars over a 4 year period. The Maple tree "frame machine" is still in the yard. This is the exact kind of project I need for my 15yo son to drive next year, thanks for putting the idea back on my radar.
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