OT -- Misc. Ramblings
 

Hi All,

Now That the 10th Anniv. SVX Meet is over. I have some time to collect my thoughts ( They keep falling out of my head like my marbles. I have to check for loose screws).

Anyway, this club has comraderie, verve, and enthusiasm.

1) I want to generate those feelings among the Outback set. My Outback wagon is a terrific car. It is no SVX. But the SVX cant carry half the junk that the Outback does nor go where the Outback can. I have tried on various Outback club web sites to generate enthusiasm. But it's like trying to catch a wisp of smoke. Outback owners seem to be like mini-van, or Ford Taurus owners. They are proud of their cars but not enthusiastic.
To generate some love for their cars, I think SOA needs to step in. I would like to see SOA hold some kind of east coast Outback gathering. I envision it as sort of a cross between a picnic/cookout and a kind of automotive off road obstacle course similar to , but not as rigorous as the off road instruction schools that Land Rover conducts. Subaru promotes the image of an active lifestyle and sponsors many gruops. They could have some people from those groups giving instruction on bike riding, canoeing, kyacking, skiing, skating, etc. They could also have automotive driving & technical instruction. Plus they could have a picnic for the couch potatoes like me. Sort of a covered dish outing sponsored by SOA. Families with kids would love it.


2) After our tour of SIA, I got to thinking about another forgotten car similar in concept to the SVX. That car is the Isuzu Impulse. It was also styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro (pronounced G-OR-JET-O JEW-G-R-O). I do not know if an Impulse club even exists, but it would be nice to think that they have a club like ours and feel the same way about their cars as we do. I'm going to find their web site, invite them to take a look at what we have done and maybe they can accomplish something similar or even better. Afterall, the 'I' in SIA stands for ISUZU.

I agree that the Outback owners don't have the bond that the SVX owners seem to have, possibly because of there being so many more of them. I think the oddity of the SVX is a lot of what brings the SVX owners together.
I’ve had many different cars I felt a strong bond with, some of which had clubs (GTO’s, Firebirds, Fiero’s), but none of them seam to have what we have with the “SVX Network”
The groups that come the closest that I’ve been associated with were the Fiero’s and the Subaru XT’s(both of which are some-what odd themselves), and really the older Subaru’s in general (GL’s, Brat’s, RX’s, XT’s) have a large Following, and they have a big meet once a year (1 on the west coast & 1 on the East coast), which has all kinds of Subaru’s, Outbacks and SVXes included.
I believe this East Coast meet is the 3rd week of Sept in NC. I think there is a thread about it on the “Ultimate Subaru Message Board”
http://pub1.ezboard.com/bultimatesub...ageboards.html
Something you might want to look into,

Why people aren't into Outbacks
 

I've always noticed the same thing about Outbacks but you have to keep in mind what and where these vehicles are being marketed. The traditional Subie buyer was and still is perfectly happy with the Legacy Wagon and old Impreza wagon. It is the SUV-types that tend to gravitate towards the Outback versions. Yes there is some positive things with the Outback (an extra inch of ground clearence is great for the country folk) but overall it doens't handle as well as a Legacy Wagon, takes longer to stop and aside from the 3.0 H-6 is slower accelerating then a normal wagon. Same thing goes with the Forester. What I'm getting at is the majority of these buyers don't know crap about cars, don't really care to know about cars, they just bought it cause it has SUV looks w/o many of the bad things about an SUV. If Ford or Toyota made a viable alternative that had cool commercials they'd gravitate toward there.

You can't fault Subaru for the marketing ploy though. I mean when was the last time you saw a normal legacy commercial? They make a ton more money per car by selling their pricier models. Ford makes nearly $8000 ($7750 more than they do on the base Focus) for the Excursion.

Impulse power...
 

Larry,
I came very close....twice....to buying an Impulse. The original Impulse that is, not the Storm-looking thing that came later. It had one thing in common with the SVX; it came almost directly from a show car...."Ace of Clubs/Spades/Base"...something or other. The first one I saw on a lot locally was painted "Matterhorn Silver". Knowing my connection to that mountain, Jean had to pry me out of it. :D I saw a red one around here last year, and the driver said he had had 76k basically trouble-free miles on it at the time. Wedge styling looks more dated than our timeless babies, but the Impulse still looks good to my eyes. Anyway....

I guess it takes a certain amount of querkiness to help people form a bond for a car; especially to form a group/club. Perhaps the Outback is seen by most of its owners as just an appliance.
Brat and Justy owners however...:D Don

PS....Thanks for pronouncing Guy....Gue....THAT WONDERFUL ITALIAN STYLIST's name for me. (I will have to listen to an endless cassette of the correct pronunciation of his name while I sleep, to ever remember it correctly!) :(

PS II Check out the new Autoweek everyone! A full article on the new Alfa that we have seen clips of before. Styling by Italdesign/Guy...Gue....well anyway....it is one BEAUTIFUL machine!

Larry, I was/am looking at getting the 02 VDC Sedan. Let me know where the Outback fans are hiding. So I can create the hype there too.

Lwin

Impulse and Subaru fans
 

Larry
I agree with your thoughts on the other Subaru products. After it's all said and done, ours and others enthusiasm for the various Subaru products is what is going to drive what they build to some degree. I think we surprised 'em all with our group. I wonder if the lack of a co-hesive Outback group doesn't have anything to do with the old impression of Subaru buyers as 'quirkie', no insult intended.
Didn't the Impulse have a Lotus suspension option? I seem to remember seeing some sort of green/gold "Lotus" badging.
Beautiful car.

BTW: Tell the Naviguesser that cat #7 has joined my pride of cats, a 2 lb. female Tuxedo kitten, a salvage job, the only girl of the bunch.
sorry, I digress.

thanks for the pronouce
 

I've NEVER been able to come close. Now at least it's close.

....'course I'll be sure to forget it when I leave for the day....

For those of you who have not heard me sing Italian opera (is there any other kind ?), thank your lucky stars.

The correct pronunciation of "The Ital Design Guy's " name is:

GEE-OR-JETTTTT-TOE (like your big toe)
JEW-GEE-AHHHHHH-ROW (like a row boat).

It's a movie star sounding name that rolls melodiously off the tongue.

(Don't go there, Ron, I warn you).

Talk to John Hoffman (SVXCESS). He has one.
The name of the OUtback site I use is Outback Headqurters. It's usually pretty dead. I'll get the site address for you at home tonight.

I bought an Impulse in 1986, complete with Lotus tuned suspension. Great car but the front disks warped! Interesting that my interests are stimulated by the same designer.

Believe the car's name was the Ace of Spades. If you take the spade card symbol, split it on a vertical axis - then turn it on it's side - one gets the profile of the car (that took a few beers). That accounts for the rounded rear end.

Good to hear you SPEAKING in Italian tongues, Larry, & NOT singing, although your last name seems to contradict the point.

Ah-ha!: another semi-interesting point. On my short list for a belated mid-life crisis cheapie sleeper was also the '88 Impulse TURBO! with the Lotus tuned suspension. It's funny how some us have gravitated towards the same orphaned appliances. Obviously the sign of superior intelligence, discriminating tastes, & a very thin wallet.

Will work for tranny fluid - Ron.

"Will work for tranny fluid - Ron."


Ron - Don't drink that !!! :eek:

Thanks Deadeye, I knew it was the Ace of something! :)

I was not aware that it was styled by Mr.

JEW-GEE-AHHHHHH-ROW

....also. Cool! Like that new Alfa, I must be addicted to the output of his drafting pen! :D Don

I too am "drawn" to Jew-Gee-Ahh-row's designs. I've been a fan of the De Lorean for years. Ahhh.........someday my split window SVX will have a stainless steel cousin to share the driveway with. Now, if I could only win the lottery.......:)


Dave

Re: Impulse power...
 

Am I the only one who owned both an Impulse JR (the original) AND an SVX, at the same time? I found out about the SVX when researching the designer of the Impulse. I still miss that car. I think of it as training wheels for my SVX.