I did a mean thing today. :)

[Obi..]

I had to, choices were limited for overall outcome.


More later. Corax, don't tell, see if they can guess. :ban:

[4x4mike]

Did you trade your 4Runner in for a VW TDI Wagon?

[Seanz0rz]

Kick a baby in the face and laugh?

[Obi..]

Mike's luke warm.

[Obi..]

Sean's got a better idea though. :D

[Crinale]

put a prius drive train in your 4Runner?

[YotaFun]

He was talking about possibly getting a TRD edition Tacoma, I think thats what he probably got...

[Obi..]

@Kevin, LOL. :)

@Avy, think along those lines, but way more White Collar.

Thing drives nice. Lot's of interior space. All wheel drive.

*You all are gonna disown me here.*

[fenrisx]

*You all are gonna disown me here.*


I think that happened years ago... they might just ban you now.

[DHC6twinotter]

Thing drives nice. Lot's of interior space. All wheel drive.

*You all are gonna disown me here.*


I bet you bought a Sienna with AWD. :hillbill:







Or maybe a Highlander or Venza. Or maybe something not even a Toyota like a Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, or Ford Explorer.

[fenrisx]

Or maybe an AWD Chevy Astro


Fixed.

http://www.ragingbuffalo.com/uploads/_a/N2/_aN2-HijVvb96Sg8NVT7-A/Chevy_Astro_Mini_Van_AWD_LE.jpg

[Obi..]

Well, first thing is I sold my Runner.

































Then I did something even worse, I got this.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--Vq6ACOFXdA/UKb-QZdG2GI/AAAAAAAACKY/vue-gUhhwp4/s800/IMG_1527.JPG

[kafene]

I take it you're married... any kids? 8)

[YotaFun]

can't see a hood scoop, guessing its naturally aspirated?

[troyboy162]

Nice! You sold a small SUV and took a loan out on another small SUV!

[Obi..]

can't see a hood scoop, guessing its naturally aspirated?


Yeah, no need for turbo here. Nice addition but I didn't buy this for it to be a fast toy.



Nice! You sold a small SUV and took a loan out on another small SUV!


LOL, pretty much. With the accident in the Buick resulting in damage to my spinal column slash discs and the permanent nerve damage I simply cannot shift a stick anymore. We went through a lot of thought here. I did not want to do this. I actually wanted to just go 3.4+Auto Swap but in the end spending a little bit more on something new, with a warranty, etc made more sense. The local dealership and Subaru stepped up big time also. I'm set on things with the new car for a while and can get parts at a great rate.

Going from 16/17mpg to 26/31 with less than 80 miles on the odometer doesn't hurt either. :clap:

[Obi..]

Biggest Benefit=It's so nice to get done driving and be able to get out without my back hurting. ~It also has heated seats and lumbar. :)

[Good Times]

ain't nothin wrong w/ a subi forester. they've got some great vehicles in their line up.

how's the road handling on that puppy?

[Obi..]

Lance, it's great for the most part. Ask me in two moths though since I still am in the break-in process so I haven't really "played" with it yet. The best part is my back doesn't ache after driving in traffic for 2-3 hours going to and from work (after also doing 5-6 in the company car). Do the math, that's about 55 hours a week I drive now. It's quiet and smooth, both the wife and I brought this up at the same moment. I loved my Runner, I loved building it up, but it was time for a change. Not having to drive a stiffer suspension and throaty exhaust rig is a nice change and I can still see a bit above all the cars around me. Overall I like all but the fact it looks like an old pontoon boat from the side while looking at the front fender. I want the under-spoiler and fog lights ASAP.

[Obi..]

FWIW The Hoonage factor did go into the shopping though. I based it on a bunch of simple math applied to some of the vehicles I've built/owned in my life, the Pursuit Packaged Buick Estate Wagon being the fastest/most powerful.

1980 USGP Edition Toyota Celica: 96/2330 = .041 "fun factor".
1985 Buick Somerset Regal on Koni's: 125hp/2586lbs = .048 "fun factor".
1991 Chevrolet S-10 Longbed Gov't Service Packaged: 180hp/~4500lbs = .04 "fun factor".
1995 4Runner A340 to R150 Swap+Mods: ~150-170hp/4500lbs w/ armor/etc = .035 "fun factor".
1995 Buick Estate Wagon Pursuit Packaged: 260hp(base) bumped out to 293hp/4500lbs = .065 "fun factor".

2013 Forester 2.5X Premium w/ the new FB25 block: 170hp/3300lbs = .051 "fun factor".

So conceivably, out of the box, it's more powerful then my truck and coupe were, still more power than the 4Runner with less weight to carry, and just under the Pursuit Packaged Wagon it's replacing.

Whether or not that means I'll actually use that power is pointless, I got this as a family car and gas sipper compared to the rest of the stuff I've owned.

;) I'll still try it out once it's broken in.

[paddlenbike]

I had to do my past cars too, in increasing order of fun.

29.9 lbs per HP - 1981 Honda Accord 75 hp / 2240 lbs
29.3 lbs per HP - 1987 Toyota 4x4 pickup 116 hp / 3400 lbs
24.1 lbs per HP - 1994 Toyota 4x4 V6 pickup 150 hp / 3625 lbs
20.9 lbs per HP - 2000 4Runner V6 183 hp / 3830 lbs
17.8 lbs per HP - 2012 Acura TSX 201 hp / 3585 lbs
15.0 lbs per HP - 1995 Volvo 850 Turbo 222 hp / 3340 lbs
13.9 lbs per HP - 2000 4Runner SC'd 275 hp / 3830 lbs

8.4 lbs per HP - 1988 Supra Turbo 430 hp / 3650 lbs :love:

[Crinale]

looks like a fun car Shane, and you still have no excuse for missing next years Pismo Jambo... those subie's can drive on the sand just fine! (just ask the Aussies) If you haven't already check out offroadsubarus.com ;)
</badinfluence>
:thumbup:

[Obi..]

8.4 lbs per HP - 1988 Supra Turbo 430 hp / 3650 lbs :love:


;) You did the math backwards though. Hoonage Factor uses implied rocket science in that as you increase the fun you inevitably reach the .1 . As in G-Forces. :D Acceleration=G's. your Supra factors to .12 .

In other words...
http://c671444.r44.cf2.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/g-tenniesBall.jpg

[Obi..]

*Side note, I hereby patent the use of "Hoonage Factor" as a means of describing offroad power to weight ratios and vehicular prowess. ;)

[paddlenbike]

^^ I was just doing the old school power to weight ratio calculation. I was surprised to see that the 4Runner has a better power to weight ratio than a Subaru Legacy GT 2.5 Turbo, our new Acura and my old intercooled turbocharged inline-5 cylinder 850 Turbo (which was quite a fast car). That makes me happy.

I did the URD fuel upgrades about two months ago and it never occurred to me that I could take out the deck plate. I did a couple of days ago, and all I can say is "yeeeeehaaawww." :)

[4x4mike]

Well, first thing is I sold my Runner.

Then I did something even worse, I got this.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--Vq6ACOFXdA/UKb-QZdG2GI/AAAAAAAACKY/vue-gUhhwp4/s800/IMG_1527.JPG


Here is ours.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vnyIj8eNO-w/TU4kbXEw8WI/AAAAAAAAjpc/oV-v0nLeDXA/s800/DSC_0191.JPG

Bought it with 12,000 miles it's probably got 90,000 miles on it now. Great little car and has given us no problems. My wife drives it and it puts up with her lead foot and curb jumping. Somewhere the sunroof stopped working but the warranty covered that, she doesn't use it so it wasn't a big deal. I just wanted it fixed before the warranty ran out and we'd have to pay out of pocket.

It's fun to drive and is stable doing 100 mph with 2 bikes on the roof.

[Obi..]

That looks like a very, very nicely kept SG XT! Where's the link to the rest of the pics? Wife and I actually wanted to go that route and go w/ a forest green or gold, we even had names picked out already.

"Forest", of course, we all get that joke. Bond Gurl, for the gold. In the end low miles, new, factory warranty, and extended warranty all on top of a killer price most won't see made the decision for us to get Horace. Horace being the poet, the name a spin on calling it Horse instead. A'la "High-Ho Silver, away!" since this buy had to have a silver lining after all we've been through the past two years.

I almost got the blue, but there's absolutely no blue w/ black interiors left, even if I was to go to XT on up. With the run down there's simply not enough left stateside now. Who wants a grey interior and has a 3 year old? :screwy:

No, we were not going to consider early release 2014's. That stupid Prius/Impreza wing window thing w/ the door panel mounted mirrors and lame assed pissed off Sumo Wrestler look of the 2014 doesn't do it for us.

[4x4mike]

It's your standard '05 FXT Premium. Black leather and black carpet. Some of the interior plastic is dark grey. It's a fun little car with a lot of get up and go as well as a nice factory stereo.

We had to buy it as we (I) totaled my ,then, girlfriends Honda Civic. It's an '05 we bought in '06. It had 12,000 miles on it, 2 years of the factory warranty left and was in perfect condition with the exception of a bird turd etching on the roof. It's got 90K on it now and the extended warranty we bought we bought the car is done.

All I've done is maintenance,K&N, led's, HID's in the fogs and 2 car seats. We have a full Yakima rack and basket but it sits in the attic after my wife decided to remove it and her bike with the roof of the garage/house.

[Obi..]

I'm kind of sad right now, seeing I just pulled ahead on the votes here (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/general-discussions/127848-t4rotm-november-2012-a-5.html#post1228437) is bittersweet. I love the new ride, I miss the old one.

[Crinale]

you'll be back... The call of a 4x4 is too much to ignore for too long ;)

[Obi..]

So quick update, got 4300-ish on the new car, no complaints overall except that I miss people actually allowing room while driving, armor and a lift kit do that. Not much else to complain about.

On to another topic though, shortly after buying this we found out the wife was "late". :D I kept the news on the down-low amongst the online friends group mostly b/c this is as much a high-risk pregnancy as Lil'one was. She's 18 weeks now and we're going in for an amniocentesis to make sure all is good and well. Finding out if it's a boy or girl will be a side benefit. This was not a planned deal, I'm just a stud I guess. (Put off getting "fixed" when I got sick this year, oops.)

I'm still @ the same job a little over a year now, still making #'s and just got through a new product release that needs tweaking as well as keeping my options open. I'll chime in with more review on the Car as well as other stuff going on as soon as the news lands.

***Yes, I still lurk! :D *** and rumor is the 4Runner went to someone down near Fresno pretty much in the Foothills, so it's well within it's stomping grounds and is hopefully being used and loved as I intended it to be.

The pic below's from this past President's Day Weekend trip up to Bear Valley to play in the snow, we just missed the big storm that came in afterwards and it was over 60 degrees and bluebird all day so I decided to "see" just what the whole "AWD" fuss was about. Managed to not get myself stuck, ;) go figure.

[Good Times]

Good to see you're doing a-okay! Congrats on the surprise! :D

[4x4mike]

Congrats on the new addition. See, a wagon was always in your future. Good to hear all is well.

[Obi..]

Thanks Guys, wait until I find out something else possibly this week, so far I'm a stoked man right now hoping to be even happier by mid-week.

[Crinale]

congrats Shane!