FS: The rarest SVX item in the world

[JeffN]

HI guys, LTNS. I have for sale what has to be the most rare SVX item-a carton side from an SVX replacement engine. I bought this years ago for crazy $ on Evilbay. For those who thought that they had everything SVX, let me know what you want to pay for it. Makes a great gift, too!

[ensteele]

PMed you.

[Mike621]

Hey Earl, adding another item to the SVX Museum?

Jeff, nice to see you dropping by again.

[JeffN]

Good to be back in touch-been obsessed with rodding up the Forester this past year...if only the svx had that kind of oomph.

[lhopp77]

Originally Posted by JeffN

Good to be back in touch-been obsessed with rodding up the Forester this past year...if only the svx had that kind of oomph.

Well for me, I will take classy smooth power over stodgy "oomph" any day.

Lee

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by JeffN

Good to be back in touch-been obsessed with rodding up the Forester this past year...if only the svx had that kind of oomph.

Your Forester has 4.44 final drive, tell me if I am wrong.

The SVX does have the same kind of "oooomph" if you change the final drive to 4.44.

Think about it; 230 hp, 310Nm of torque, similar weight, similar tire footprint, far better CD ratio.

In what way is the XT better than these figures?

Joe

[svxistentialist]

I have just checked a Car and Driver road test of the XT.

With standard boost of 11.5 lbs the XT 2.5 delivers max hp of 210 and max torque of 235 ftlbs at 3600 rpm, equivalent to 319 Nm.

The SVX gives 230 hp as standard, and 310 Nm at 4800 rpm.

So the SVX has a 20 horsepower advantage, while the XT turbo has a bit extra in torque with 9 Nm more, but at a useful 1200 rpm lower down the range.

I could see them neck and neck to 80 or 90, after which the 4.44 SVX will walk away into the sunset.

Joe

[JeffN]

Google more results-

svx+370#XT

XT w/stick 0-60=5.3 Car&Driver 2004 (newer ones a tad slower)
SVX 0-60=6.9-7.2

And with the blower, I changed the pipes to and from it and hit 260crank hp and with a reflash of the ecu, it about 275 now-Mustang GT territory. XT in this stage 3 tune hit 0-6 under 5 secs...

The svx is a luxo GT and a much better driver and handler (Xts can be made to STi specs though). XTs in stage 3 get 17-22mpg, still 10-20% better than our svx's ever did(owned them for 14 years).

And the SVX build quality is Jaguaresque while the XT id Nissanesque(maybe not Toyotaesque tho).

No doubt which one I'd rather show up at the club with tho...

[shelfy]

i gotta say the FXT is the fastest car i've ever owned. noticeably quicker than the LGT.

[svxistentialist]

It would be more meaningful to compare the XT auto in standard trim to an SVX auto with the same 4.44 final drive, that's the point I was making.

As with all turbos if you tweak up the boost and a few other easy adjustments you can make cheap extra hp. This is not so easy with the SVX as you know.

Plus if you compare a stick shift to an auto, then the SVX will look lame, naturally.

But I'm a fan of the Forester, my brother has a jdm 2.0 turbo, I think it makes around 260 hp [they use a bigger turbo in Japan], is manual, and it's a real sleeper. Plus it is way more practical than the SVX any way you look at it.

The SVX is a better drive, though.

Joe

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by shelfy

i gotta say the FXT is the fastest car i've ever owned. noticeably quicker than the LGT.

I forgot you had one Ken.

What hp was the LGT? I had a twin turbo Japanese Legacy auto, it was pretty fast. It made about 270 hp and had 4.11 final drive as opposed to the Forester having 4.44.

I found the Legacy wagon to be about the same as the Forester 2.0T off the mark, but the Legacy TT really lifted her skirts at 100, where the Forester would be losing due to barn door aerodynamics.

Joe

[shelfy]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

I forgot you had one Ken.

What hp was the LGT? I had a twin turbo Japanese Legacy auto, it was pretty fast. It made about 270 hp and had 4.11 final drive as opposed to the Forester having 4.44.

I found the Legacy wagon to be about the same as the Forester 2.0T off the mark, but the Legacy TT really lifted her skirts at 100, where the Forester would be losing due to barn door aerodynamics.

Joe

the LGT had 250hp under the old U.S. ratings and 243hp in the new standards. while the FXT was advertised as only having 210hp under the old ratings, i remember reading it was actually closer to 235hp as to not upset all the kids and their WRXs. the FXT has 224hp under the new standards as does the WRX.

and since my FXT was pre-owned, i think it also does not have stock exhaust. at least it doesn't sound stock.

[svxistentialist]

Sounds good.

I think the Forester XT has a double advantage over the SVX, being a turbo; a) it naturally has a much much lower final drive, so it must feel faster off the mark, and b) with forced induction it develops max torque lower down the rev range.

This alone will make it feel like it has more shove.

Then if you add in the fact you can get the Forester in manual, it's a no-contest really, the Forester wins easily in the speed-power stakes.

As I like Foresters big-time I have only one real criticism. The wheels and tyres they use are big, heavy and agricultural. Naturally it is a big heavy-duty semi off-road vehicle, so the wheels are made tough. With the wheels being so heavy it will never feel like a sports car, because the suspension is always fighting the heavy wheels.

I often wondered if the handling would improve if you were to fit a set of light road wheels and tires to it, as opposed to buying heavy 4x4 wheels and tires for it? It should improve the braking and it probably would improve the handling.

Maybe this is exactly what Subaru do with the Sti, as they are not going to be used off-road much?

Joe

[crazyhorse]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

Sounds good.

I think the Forester XT has a double advantage over the SVX, being a turbo; a) it naturally has a much much lower final drive, so it must feel faster off the mark, and b) with forced induction it develops max torque lower down the rev range.

This alone will make it feel like it has more shove.

Then if you add in the fact you can get the Forester in manual, it's a no-contest really, the Forester wins easily in the speed-power stakes.

As I like Foresters big-time I have only one real criticism. The wheels and tyres they use are big, heavy and agricultural. Naturally it is a big heavy-duty semi off-road vehicle, so the wheels are made tough. With the wheels being so heavy it will never feel like a sports car, because the suspension is always fighting the heavy wheels.

I often wondered if the handling would improve if you were to fit a set of light road wheels and tires to it, as opposed to buying heavy 4x4 wheels and tires for it? It should improve the braking and it probably would improve the handling.

Maybe this is exactly what Subaru do with the Sti, as they are not going to be used off-road much?

Joe

Several years ago Motor Trend did a comparo of hot-rodded Benz M-class SUV's.
The verdict: With the stability control off, the modified SUV's wre squirrley at best with Lo-Pro tires. The worst, IIRC the AMG, was downright dangerous! These beasts were all lowered, on 35, and 40 series tires.

The Moral: Mod your SUV at your own risk!

[svxistentialist]

The Forester does not compare to these. Of all SUV type vehicles the Forester is nearest to a road car because the design using the flat 4 has a very low centre of gravity, and is less likely to do a roll in extremis.

The only mod I am suggesting is a lighter weight wheel and tire combination.

Joe