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#1
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svx and snow
I hope everybody here had a safe and happy xmas. Yesterday I took my pearl out in the snow for the first time and OMG . It was so much fun it drove better than my dodge diesel 4x4 I had. It blew me away. Sadly someone saw me in it and offered me 3 times what I payed for and I couldn't refuse . So after the new year ill be looking for a 4 door diesel truck so I can pull a trailer to get me another svx .
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MSM |
#2
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Re: svx and snow
Wow - just wow!
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. Earl .... ... .... ><SVX(*> Subaru Ambassador [COLOR=”silver”]1992 Tri Color L[/COLOR] ~45K (06/91) #2430 1992 Dark Teal LS-L ~184K (05/91) #0739 1992 Claret LS-L ~196K (05/91) #0831 1992 Pearl LS-L ~103K (06/91) #1680 1992 Pearl LS-L ~151K (06/91) #2229 1992 Dark Teal LS ~150K (07/91) #3098 (parts car) 1992 White LS-L ~139K (08/92) #6913 1993 25th AE ~98K (02/93) #164 1993 25th AE ~58K (02/93) #176 1993 25th AE ~107K (02/93) #215 1993 25th AE ~162K (02/93) #223 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~124K (1/94) #2408 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~144K (10/93) #1484 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~68K (10/93) #1525 1994 Barcelona Red LSi ~46K (02/94) #2624 1994 Pearl LSi ~41K (12/93) #1961 1995 Bordeaux Pearl LSi ~70K (02/95) #855 1996 Polo Green LSi ~95K (03/96) #872 1997 Bordeaux Pearl LSi ~55K (08/96) #097 2003 Brilliant Red LS1 Convertible ~29K (04/03) #8951 1999 Magnetic Red LS1 Coupe ~33K (04/99) #6420 My Email | Old Locker | New Locker | Picture of 15 of the 19 |
#3
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Re: svx and snow
If you spend a little extra you can get one that moves under it's own power. Then you won't need to buy that diesel truck?
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Jon 1997 SVX LSi Bordeaux Pearl 1995 SVX L AWD Polo Green - 277k miles 1986 Pontiac Fiero 3.4L Twin Dual Cam V6 |
#4
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Re: svx and snow
I had my SVX out in the snow for the first time 2 days ago. Even on the summer-ish "high performance all-season" tires it was impressively grippy. Mind you, this is coming from a person who has had two previous Subies shod with full-on winter tires, including an STi; let's just say it takes a pretty good amount of grip to impress me!
Sadly, nobody offered me 3x what I paid for it. It's snowing again today, perhaps I'll go for another spin...
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1995 Caterham 7 Twincam 2002 Porsche 911 targa -- now with FSI 4.0L power! 2007 BMW 328i Cabriolet 2012 Tacoma 4wd v6 Access Cab 2013 Mercedes E350 4Matic Wagon 2005 STi - totaled after 10 great years 1994 SVX LSi 5spd - sold but not forgotten 2000 Legacy GT 5spd sedan - gone after 150K miles of bliss |
#5
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Re: svx and snow
I'm having a blast these days with daily snow and temps moving around 0 celcuis. I'm shod with used studless Hankooks which is fairly fun when wanting to have fun but, not so fun when just driving on the road wanting to be safe and sound at higher than average speed.
The car is very heavy but quite controllable in low speed drifts.
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I got my girl, I got my glass, I got my car and I'm ready to f... |
#6
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Re: svx and snow
i guess the real question is, how much did the OP buy his for
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1994 SVX LSi JDM Tailbar and Grill, Clear Corners, 15min-mod, Nevin Blue RSB, G-FORCE SPORT COMP-2 Tires, Phenolic Spacers (Manifold & Throttle Body), SS Brake Lines, Maniac Electric Motors 160A Alternator 2008 Legacy 3.0R |
#7
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Re: svx and snow
I paid 650.00 for it just under a year ago . Other than oil changes and a fuel filter the only big money I put in to it was a valve cover gasket kit ( 135.00) . Sold it for 2100 clams . Not to shabby . It would be great to get another good runner but kids are getting big and I miss my truck . So I figure buy truck so I can go on road trip to pick up another . Sounds like a good plan to me .
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MSM |
#8
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Re: svx and snow
Yesterday day we got snow 3" .. I was coming home from work. This big a#% Jeep Grand Cherokee pull out of a highway exit ramp that has a speed hill . He sat there spinning his rear tires. Either the fool doesn't want to waste gas in 4 wheel drive, doesn't know how to put it in 4 wheel drive or them Jeeps are terrible in slick snow conditions. So I passed him.
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When I was in school I sucked in sports. Then I found out I can buy trophies and now I am great at everything. |
#9
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Re: svx and snow
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The reason I stopped using my SVX for a dd was because there was not enough room in it, not enough doors and no space in the boot [trunk] for hauling big stuff. Now I have been using estates of one kind or another since then, currently using a JDM Forester Turbo. [Note to self: self, update signature] If any of you have seen the uTube video on traction where a Legacy is able to pull uphill on a set of slippy rollers? Well, the reason we can perform these traction tricks with the SVX [similar drivetrain to the Legacy] is because the automatic gearbox has full time all wheel control. Even an Impreza with a six speed box and centre diff controls will not have the same control finesse at slow speed on gripless surfaces. This is because although the diffs in the "Preza are electronically altered front to rear the reality is that these diffs [on manual transmissions] are mechanical in nature on each axle and can not be infinitely variable for each individual wheel. However the automatic gearbox has much more variable traction control per wheel. Another good reason to be an SVX owner. Joe
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Black Betty [Bam a Lam!] '93 UK spec, still languishing Betty Jersey Girl Silver '92 UK [Channel Isles] 40K Jersey Girl @ Mersea Candy Purple Honda Blackbird Plum Dangerous White X2 RVR Mitsubishi 1800GDI. Vantastic 40,000 miles Jersey Girl |
#10
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Re: svx and snow
Unfortunately, the FWD-only SVX's are rather poor in snow in my experience- this is my third winter with a '94 LS. I was kind of surprised, having owned a number of early '80s FWD Subaru GL's and finding them to be unstoppable.
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#11
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Re: svx and snow
Not that surprising Dave.
As a FWD car the SVX is nose heavy, will understeer, has low ground clearance and very wide boots that sit up on snow rather than dig in. As soon as the long nose starts to lift the front of the car the front driven axle loses traction, the wheels spin. In an AWD car this will cause the back axle to get more weight and the transmission will divert power to the back, restoring momentum. And making it fun to handle if the snow is not too deep. The AWD SVX is the one to have really. I think Subaru only made them FWD as a cost cutting exercise when the original AWD model failed to reach the sales targets they expected. In more normal dry or wet conditions though I suspect the FWD cars compensate by being faster and lighter than the AWD model, which will have more weight to haul and more transmission power losses. Joe
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Black Betty [Bam a Lam!] '93 UK spec, still languishing Betty Jersey Girl Silver '92 UK [Channel Isles] 40K Jersey Girl @ Mersea Candy Purple Honda Blackbird Plum Dangerous White X2 RVR Mitsubishi 1800GDI. Vantastic 40,000 miles Jersey Girl |
#12
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Re: svx and snow
Quote:
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1992 Dark Teal LS-L w/ 165k+ miles (traded ) Mods: Power Slot front rotors, polyurethane sway bar bushings, window scratcher fix, SPD hood struts, Outlaw Engineering phenolic spacers, Bontrager Works 22mm rear sway bar, R-134a conversion, 93 Legacy SS 5 speed swap, Ceika coilovers, ARP head studs 2001 Black Toyota Sequoia (hauler/daily) 1992 Blue Toyota Cressida (drift car) 1992 Red Toyota MR2 (weekend/track day car) |
#13
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Re: svx and snow
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You will still have great traction. It just won't be as "smart" as that offered by the automatic gearbox. If you ever check out that video I mentioned you will note it is the automatic that Subaru uses for the demonstration. Joe
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Black Betty [Bam a Lam!] '93 UK spec, still languishing Betty Jersey Girl Silver '92 UK [Channel Isles] 40K Jersey Girl @ Mersea Candy Purple Honda Blackbird Plum Dangerous White X2 RVR Mitsubishi 1800GDI. Vantastic 40,000 miles Jersey Girl |
#14
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Re: svx and snow
I agree with Joe on this. That is why the FWD was only produced two years and they dropped it at the end of production.
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. Earl .... ... .... ><SVX(*> Subaru Ambassador [COLOR=”silver”]1992 Tri Color L[/COLOR] ~45K (06/91) #2430 1992 Dark Teal LS-L ~184K (05/91) #0739 1992 Claret LS-L ~196K (05/91) #0831 1992 Pearl LS-L ~103K (06/91) #1680 1992 Pearl LS-L ~151K (06/91) #2229 1992 Dark Teal LS ~150K (07/91) #3098 (parts car) 1992 White LS-L ~139K (08/92) #6913 1993 25th AE ~98K (02/93) #164 1993 25th AE ~58K (02/93) #176 1993 25th AE ~107K (02/93) #215 1993 25th AE ~162K (02/93) #223 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~124K (1/94) #2408 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~144K (10/93) #1484 1994 Laguna Blue Pearl LSi ~68K (10/93) #1525 1994 Barcelona Red LSi ~46K (02/94) #2624 1994 Pearl LSi ~41K (12/93) #1961 1995 Bordeaux Pearl LSi ~70K (02/95) #855 1996 Polo Green LSi ~95K (03/96) #872 1997 Bordeaux Pearl LSi ~55K (08/96) #097 2003 Brilliant Red LS1 Convertible ~29K (04/03) #8951 1999 Magnetic Red LS1 Coupe ~33K (04/99) #6420 My Email | Old Locker | New Locker | Picture of 15 of the 19 |
#15
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Re: svx and snow
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Experientially: my STi is ridiculously good in snow, limited only by wide tires and low ground clearance, both of which can be addressed, and prodiguous torque, which makes it ssoooooo hard to resist getting stupid. Objectively: Smart as it may be, the SVX's automatic still just controls the front/rear split. The STi has LSDs on both axles, and a lot more sensors and CPU cycles go into managing its center diff compared to the SVX. Yes it's performance oriented, but part of that orientation is rally based -- traction on loose surfaces. I'm not saying the SVX is bad in snow, not by any means. But neither is it better than an STi. Based on my short experience in the SVX I'd say much of the difference I felt was due to the difference in power and tire width. The SVX feels more manageable, the STi more tossable. They both feel like they'd climb a snow-covered wall.
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1995 Caterham 7 Twincam 2002 Porsche 911 targa -- now with FSI 4.0L power! 2007 BMW 328i Cabriolet 2012 Tacoma 4wd v6 Access Cab 2013 Mercedes E350 4Matic Wagon 2005 STi - totaled after 10 great years 1994 SVX LSi 5spd - sold but not forgotten 2000 Legacy GT 5spd sedan - gone after 150K miles of bliss |
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