2004 Subaru Forester XT - new run around

[ciaranthemurph]

My previous daily was/is a fantastic car, an e36 M3 Evolution converted touring http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a.... It is however, a bit too nice to be using every day, especially with the terrible roads around Glasgow where I live. It's fantastic out on the open road and when going for a run up the west coast, but I did feel guilty about running it around town carrying out mundane tasks etc:





So I decided to try and get something less valuable (to me) to be running around and going to the skip in. I did look at a4 quattro diesels, but at the price I was looking at spending, they were of the same age as my Mrs' one which we had just got rid of as it was starting to have lots of small niggles, so I decided to change my search.

I decided on something 4wd for the winter traction when I travel up north to visit friends and family. I looked at Shoguns and was quite keen on getting a SWB model, but when I went on the MoT website to check histories I was finding that most of them seemed to be requiring large amounts of work to get through each MOT (possibly just the ones I had been looking at).

I'd always fancied a Forester, being from the generation that followed Colin McRae's every move in Top Gear Motorsport and followed Tony Mason on his Rally Reports when the RAC Rally used to be shown on BBC, I always had a soft spot for Subarus. I had test driven a Turbo 2000 with Prodrive pack back in 2004, but I ended up not getting it. I also remember reading the long term reports in Evo of their Forester Turbo-S and they seemed to praise it highly for what it was. A quick check on the DVLA website, and cars in the budget I was looking at seemed to have very few advisories against them when they had been going for MOTs and most places you read about them state how reliable they are.

I started the hunt! I thought an original Turbo-S (SF series if I remember correctly) might be getting a little long in the tooth. I then started looking at the SG variant. I wanted to get an earlier one so as to avoid paying a large amount of road tax each year and for the fact that the facelisft SG is not the prettiest of cars (not that any Forester will ever be considered 'beautiful').

Many of the Forester turbos that came up were right down in the south of the country and seemed to be very complicated to using public transport. When one Sunday I found RO04NFF on Autotrader situated in Aberdeen. It was competitively priced, in the right colour and had a manual gearbox and full leather without the miles being too ridiculous.

After speaking to the owner, I was confident enough to purchase a one way rail fare (a detail I didn't share with the seller) from Glasgow to Dyce at silly o'clock in the morning. Waiting in a cold and wet Aberdeen for the connecting train:



I arrived with an hour to spare in Dyce, so I decided to walk to the sellers place of work, forgoing the available bus. It appeared that as soon as I had left the shelter of the station that I'd picked the windiest and wettest day in January to decide to do this. But as I'd already said 'No thanks, I'm walking' to the bus driver who had opened the door when I walked past at the train station, I was unable to lose face and carried on:



Just a short 50 minutes later and I was met with this fantastic sight:



Test drive done and it more or less seemed to be fine. It's no show winner and it's been used as intended with plenty of 'character' on each panel, but inside was clean and tidy and the owner seemed to have actual regret that he was having to sell it, culminating in him giving it a tap on the bonnet after the deal was done and monies were exchanged.

The drive back to Glasgow was uneventful, apart from me trying to figure out what all of the buttons did. This being my first Japanese car and one of only two non-German cars, not many things fell exactly to hand. I was impressed though, it pulled well, made a nice noise (when viewing I noticed there was a hole in the back box you could put your fist into) and was incredibly comfortable. It was ticking all the boxes for what I was going to use it for.

I ordered up some parts to service it and did an oil and filter change using some of this:



I cleaned it for the first time a week later and discovered it was actually metallic:



But being black and winter in Scotland, it doesn't stay particularly clean (about 40 miles later):



Anyway, that more or less takes us up to date with the Forester. I've done over a 1000 miles in it now and it's a great thing. The heated seats are very good, it's not too bad on fuel (approximately 31-32 mpg on a steady motorway and a-road cruise at 70 mph) and it's very comfortable on the potholed mess that Glasgow City Council call the road network around here.

Plans include trying to source a new back box for it and to attend to a vocal wheel bearing. Other than that, it will continue to be used for daily shedding duties.

[MDMA .]

looking good, enjoy. I have the STI one, great car.

looks a little low on the back end ? might just be the angle. rear shocks known to go on these. Pedders do a good replacement set for the XT.

[jonesof63]

Great choice ! I've had Subarus for 31 years, we currently have five across the family/ business, they're just really good all round cars, far more reliable than most and amazing off the beaten track and in snow. You will find http://www.subaruforester.org a useful resource. I hope it serves you well.

Edited by jonesof63 on Tuesday 1st March 12:38

[yellowstreak]

You will find it a very capable car with a brilliant AWD system. If you're replacing the back box take a look at the H&S option. I've fitted them to both an XT and an STI forester and they are good. The XT will reach around 270 bhp with an exhaust system, filter and remap, but its pretty good performance as standard.

[jonesof63]

Have you had chance to try it in the snow yet OP ?

[cirian75]

I've always liked the look of them, what is the real world MPG like?

[Ved]

Congratulations! Just picked over 140k in mine and it's still going strong. ARBs, 17" wheels and a new stereo will transform it. I had to put on STI rear lateral links as the ARB kept snapping them.

DM me if you need any advice.

[Ved]

yellowstreak said:

You will find it a very capable car with a brilliant AWD system. If you're replacing the back box take a look at the H&S option. I've fitted them to both an XT and an STI forester and they are good. The XT will reach around 270 bhp with an exhaust system, filter and remap, but its pretty good performance as standard.

This is the 2.0 like mine so you're looking around 235bhp tops with those modifications. Still quite a difference though.

Main mod is changing the gearbox oil right away for some shockproof stuff or the Smurfsblood mixture. Drop Opie Oils a message but I'll try and find what I bought as that'll prolong the whole thing as mine had crunching from 3rd to 4th at high revs before I changed it. Smooth as silk now

[CaptainSlow]

Nice one. PM me when the rear shocks start leaking.

[74merc]

If it is a little low at the back, you can get 'saggy butt spacers'. They're about 10mm thick.

[ciaranthemurph]

MDMA . said:

looking good, enjoy. I have the STI one, great car.

looks a little low on the back end ? might just be the angle. rear shocks known to go on these. Pedders do a good replacement set for the XT.

It's very possible, as it's on 116k (or thereabouts). Are the Peddlers conversions reliable, I think I remember someone breaking their Forester and stating that the Pedders kit had failed. Ideally I'd like to raise it slightly if anything, but I can't find any off the shelf kits for carrying out that.

jonesof63 said:

Great choice ! I've had Subarus for 31 years, we currently have five across the family/ business, they're just really good all round cars, far more reliable than most and amazing off the beaten track and in snow. You will find http://www.subaruforester.org a useful resource. I hope it serves you well.

They do seem to be very useful vehicles and I'm enjoying my time with the Forester thus far. I signed up to forester.org when I started searching for one. Seems like a useful place. I haven't had a chance to try it out in the snow yet, although I'm heading north for the weekend, so fingers crossed for the white stuff. I'm unsure as to how the Goodyear Wranglers will perform, as they aren't really a winter tyre.

yellowstreak said:

You will find it a very capable car with a brilliant AWD system. If you're replacing the back box take a look at the H&S option. I've fitted them to both an XT and an STI forester and they are good. The XT will reach around 270 bhp with an exhaust system, filter and remap, but its pretty good performance as standard.

As mentioned by another PHer, it's only the 2.0 turbo (EJ205) fitted to my car, but it goes well enough for what it is. While trying to source a new exhaust due to the rusty back box, I would favour a stainless steel one, but I don't think I'll do too much more to the car other than regular servicing.

cirian75 said:

I've always liked the look of them, what is the real world MPG like?

When I first drove it home from Aberdeen it was about 28 mpg, which included about an hour of city stop/start driving spilt at either end of the journey and 150 miles of motorway cruising at 70. When just on a run on the motorway and A-roads (such as the A9 to Inverness), it has managed about 31-32 mpg, which is more than I was expecting, so I was very happy with it. I've not really used a full tank around town, so it would be difficult for me to accurately say how much fuel it uses then, 'lots more' would be the short answer.

Ved said:

Congratulations! Just picked over 140k in mine and it's still going strong. ARBs, 17" wheels and a new stereo will transform it. I had to put on STI rear lateral links as the ARB kept snapping them..

Main mod is changing the gearbox oil right away for some shockproof stuff or the Smurfsblood mixture. Drop Opie Oils a message but I'll try and find what I bought as that'll prolong the whole thing as mine had crunching from 3rd to 4th at high revs before I changed it. Smooth as silk now

Thanks for that, it would be much appreciated if you had the type of oil for the gearbox as I plan to change it in the near future.

I'm not 100% sure, but would this model have come with a rear LSD? I know that the earlier Turbo-S did, but I was under the impression that these SG cars did not. However, in the manual it states that if you have an LSD you have a warning light on the dashboard for high oil temp in the differential and my car has this. I was wanting to change the oil in the differentials, so would like to get the right stuff.

CaptainSlow said:

Nice one. PM me when the rear shocks start leaking.

Thanks, do you have some spare?

74merc said:

If it is a little low at the back, you can get 'saggy butt spacers'. They're about 10mm thick.

Thanks, at the age and mileage of the car, I'd imagine that it would need a refresh of the rear end before too long.

I've been clearing my garden over the last week, so the Forester has been pressed into skip run duties, which it is handling with ease:



8x5 Shed gone in four bites:



'Coping' well with carrying stones:



Sticker arrived and fitted:



Just generally earning it's keep:



I've found a little rust in the rear arch that I'll have to get attended to. My friends does body work, so hopefully he'll be able to sort it at some point over the summer.

At the moment, life is good with the Forester!

[MDMA .]

0.8l for the rear diff and 3.5l for the gear box. highly recommend TRX SYNTH from Millers - 75w90. not the cheapest but replaced the gear box / diff oil in my Legacy with it and it is super smooth.

[bakerstreet]

Good looking car OP.

I also quite fancy one of these as a daily driver, but I'd only want one with decent exhaust fitted so you could enjoy the flat four burble. I'd also want a decent double din stereo, as the standard ones aren't known to be the best.

I'm guessing this car wasn't bought for genuine shed money.

[Ved]

Mine came with a custom exhaust, not very noisy, but I found a Prodrive one on the owners club so snapped it up.

Here's a few videos of the fitting with no exhaust (part1), Prodrive with the centre pipe resonator (part2) and finally the Prodrive with the centre pipe resonator removed. Perfectly fine on the motorway even with the centre resonator removed from the mid pipe. I particularly like the little pop on overrun, although it's impossible to hear it when driving.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeg1B99GVZ7...

Edited by Ved on Friday 4th March 15:30

Edited by Ved on Friday 4th March 15:31

[ciaranthemurph]

MDMA . said:

0.8l for the rear diff and 3.5l for the gear box. highly recommend TRX SYNTH from Millers - 75w90. not the cheapest but replaced the gear box / diff oil in my Legacy with it and it is super smooth.

Thanks for that, next chance I get, I'll be changing the oil.

bakerstreet said:

Good looking car OP.

I also quite fancy one of these as a daily driver, but I'd only want one with decent exhaust fitted so you could enjoy the flat four burble. I'd also want a decent double din stereo, as the standard ones aren't known to be the best.

I'm guessing this car wasn't bought for genuine shed money.

I think a new stereo will be one of the future upgrades, the current one makes some terrible noises when you put a cd in it, radio works well enough though.

Ved said:

Mine came with a custom exhaust, not very noisy, but I found a Prodrive one on the owners club so snapped it up.

Here's a few videos of the fitting with no exhaust (part1), Prodrive with the centre pipe resonator (part2) and finally the Prodrive with the centre pipe resonator removed. Perfectly fine on the motorway even with the centre resonator removed from the mid pipe. I particularly like the little pop on overrun, although it's impossible to hear it when driving.

Ideally I'd like to get a genuine Prodrive back box to replace my rusty one, but it's looking more and more likely that it will be a H&S one that I will be getting.

Went up north to visit family at the weekend, took the Forester:



Went to the local brewery to pick up some beer:



Out for a walk and spotted this beaut:



Further research show's that it's only out of MOT by a month or so, hopefully it'll be back on the road soon!

There was a touch of snow on the run back down to Glasgow, but nothing was lying. Running around the countryside single track roads was done with no problem at all. There was no worry about driving along broken pot-holed B-Roads that are common up there, which is a completely different story when in the M3.

Only problem I had was finding that the two local filling stations near to where we were staying didn't stock Super Unleaded. Had to just put £10 of normal flavour in to get through to Inverness to fill up with 97 on the return journey. Managed 300 miles on the tank on the drive up which works out at about 29.7 mpg over the course of a few days. This was done over a mixture of motorway, A and B roads, so I am happy with that.

It did require a wash after the weekend though:



Would anyone be able to shed any further light on whether or not this car would be fitted with a rear LSD?

[bakerstreet]

The more I look at your photos the more tempted I am! My other option is a Discovery 2, which has been my dream car since I was 11 years old (tragic I know). I am in no doubt that the Forester would be more reliable though .

I think the XT would really benefit from some lowering springs and maybe some bigger alloys. I think wheels from other Subarus fit.

[MDMA .]

see below from foresterorg.

Its a sealed viscous unit so the gear oil doesn't affect the operation of the lsd (it has its own separate fluid that doesn't get changed).