Older SUV, what's most reliable

[moorey]

You can't spell beautiful without AU.

Or Faulty.
Or Laughing stock.

 

[Lazmo]

That lazy straight six can do no wrong in my mind.

For sure. Smooth, grunty, and get up and go if you boot it, and goes actually forever.

I’ve had 5 Fairmonts in a row... EB2, EF2, AU2, BA2 and middle riding daughter still drives BF2... all with 300 plus on them. I’m not a car guy, obviously... but they did the job, with all the trinkets of the era. The BA2 was the best though, unbelievable car.

 

[Cardy George]

I had the pleasure of learning how to drive a manual in a XE Falcon wagon, with three-on-the-tree and no power steering. Had to learn to ride the clutch coz you couldn't turn the steering if the car was stationary. The 250ci six had enough poke despite the lack of ratios, but wasn't anywhere near as soothing as the 253ci in the Kingswood.

 

[The Dude]

Proton Jumbuck, only 1 star ANCAP safety rating. So don’t crash too hard.

Trumps the Ford Mustang and Mini Moke with 2-stars-a-piece - at least only one of these has 400kW (when modified for a P-plater)

 

[Dales Cannon]

I had the pleasure of learning how to drive a manual in a XE Falcon wagon, with three-on-the-tree and no power steering. Had to learn to ride the clutch coz you couldn't turn the steering if the car was stationary. The 250ci six had enough poke despite the lack of ratios, but wasn't anywhere near as soothing as the 253ci in the Kingswood.

If you jump an XF wagon the front tyres can panel beat the tops of the front guards. Then it needs a wheel alignment.

 

[mark22]

Plenty fuggin' bright enough to oncoming drivers, not so much for the driver of the Falcon.

Ummm the lights on mine were heaps better than most cars I've had since. I mean how can the headlights on some new cars be so poor these days with all the previous technology.

 

[Cardy George]

Ummm the lights on mine were heaps better than most cars I've had since. I mean how can the headlights on some new cars be so poor these days with all the previous technology.

Thin wires because they're cheap

 

[beeb]

Ummm the lights on mine were heaps better than most cars I've had since. I mean how can the headlights on some new cars be so poor these days with all the previous technology.

A lot of them fogged pretty badly over the long term, I'm sure if yours had been garaged or wasn't that old (or you were just lucky) they would've been fine.

Realistically most cars these days don't leave the city, so headlights are mainly there to ensure other drivers don't drive into you. It's stagerring the amount of people you see driving on the freeway without headlights on these days (well, nights). There's one stretch on the Calder hwy leaving Melbourne where there's no overhead lighting - it's quite funny watching the morons frantically fumbling to find their lights when then go into it.

*Not saying I agree with car having shit headlights nowadays, just noting most people wouldn't even think to check before buying a car, or care once they own it.

 

[mark22]

A lot of them fogged pretty badly over the long term, I'm sure if yours had been garaged or wasn't that old (or you were just lucky) they would've been fine.

Realistically most cars these days don't leave the city, so headlights are mainly there to ensure other drivers don't drive into you. It's stagerring the amount of people you see driving on the freeway without headlights on these days (well, nights). There's one stretch on the Calder hwy leaving Melbourne where there's no overhead lighting - it's quite funny watching the morons frantically fumbling to find their lights when then go into it.

*Not saying I agree with car having shit headlights nowadays, just noting most people wouldn't even think to check before buying a car, or care once they own it.

Yep garaged but did 300k

 

[The Duckmeister]

Subaru outback are a good option, but trying to fine one that hasn't had the guts flogged out of it by some P plater will be the challenge, as I believe the parts and repairs are quite costly.

parts are on par i beleive, but repairs are probably exxy due to subaru's habit of hiding stuff behind other stuff and cramming stuff into spaces meant for smaller stuff.

I rated the outback wifey had, mid 2000s H6 model. would definitely buy again, and would definitely get the 6 over the 4 again too. i dont think they're that much zoomier, but they dont work as hard and my understanding on talking to others is that they're more robust.

Subes can be expensive to service because the flat engine layout restricts access to some areas, making them harder to work on; I've been told the H6 needs to be pulled out just to change spark plugs, the fitting is that tight! Parts can be expensive, but like anything, more affordable options can be found if you look hard enough.

The EJ25 series engines prior to I think the 2007 update have a reputation for popping head gaskets, but there seems to be no consistent point at which they pop - my previous '98 model Outback went well north of 400,000 km before getting shitty, but I've heard of others going at little more than 100,000. My current one, a '99 model, has recently ticked over 300,000, and it's trucking along sweetly. A moderately mechanically adept person can do a lot of very in-depth work on a Sube, it's just not a quick process.

 

[link1896]

Subes can be expensive to service because the flat engine layout restricts access to some areas, making them harder to work on; I've been told the H6 needs to be pulled out just to change spark plugs, the fitting is that tight! Parts can be expensive, but like anything, more affordable options can be found if you look hard enough.

The EJ25 series engines prior to I think the 2007 update have a reputation for popping head gaskets, but there seems to be no consistent point at which they pop - my previous '98 model Outback went well north of 400,000 km before getting shitty, but I've heard of others going at little more than 100,000. My current one, a '99 model, has recently ticked over 300,000, and it's trucking along sweetly. A moderately mechanically adept person can do a lot of very in-depth work on a Sube, it's just not a quick process.

In a past life I’ve performed many Subaru timing belt and head gasket jobs on ej25’s.


Subaru gave no shits about the block surface finishes. They used a composite head gasket. Would fail anywhere from 100k km to never.

Quite literally the block deck finish was often so rough you could feel it with your fingers. Made worse was the open deck block design (no sand casting here, reusable moulds only for the cheap blocks) . The flycutter must have had a piece of broken rock in it.

They got their shit together 6 months before the ej25 was phased out. For that brief 6 month period they had impeccable block finish and they used the wrx multi layer steel gaskets.


A customer with a blown head gasket isn’t ready for a complete rebuild, the only way to refinish the block faces was complete disassembly, then it’s always new bearings, over sized pistons and rings, bored out. So the trick with shitty block finish was to keep using the crappy composite gasket (it did conform to the shitty finish well) or go bananas with permatex ultra cooper on the multi layer steel gaskets. I never had a MLS gasket fail. The head was located with hollow dowel pins. With ultra cooper, you needed a sledgehammer to brake the seal. The heads took a massive beating to come loose.


To get h6 plugs out, you use an engine crane, undo engine mounts and pull it to the side. Long life plugs were a must.

Subaru work is all about custom tooling. You needed a looooong crank pulley holding tool. The front timing pulley was on with 180nm, but needed a lot more then this to brake loose. I ended up building a tool that located into the crank pulley holes, to then heave ho. Some were a two man job, and the shock wave though the pipe on the breaker bar hurt like fuck when it let go.

So many ej25 blocks are skirting on the edge of failure from heat stress. Water pump m8 bolts with good thread engagement, spec was 12Nm. I’d have many fail at 8nm. I got good at helicoil/timesert with the block in, ac condenser in.

 

[Calvin27]

A moderately mechanically adept person can do a lot of very in-depth work on a Sube, it's just not a quick process.

Yeah but you kind of have to commit to taking the engine out which most folks won't be keen on doing whether it's lack of a hoist, time or mechanical confidence.

Subaru gave no shits about the block surface finishes.

It's kind of interesting, because this would have 100% been a cost cutting exercise. Everyone else only needs to machine one surface for a four, subby has to do two!

 

[link1896]

Yeah but you kind of have to commit to taking the engine out which most folks won't be keen on doing whether it's lack of a hoist, time or mechanical confidence.



It's kind of interesting, because this would have 100% been a cost cutting exercise. Everyone else only needs to machine one surface for a four, subby has to do two!

it's always about dollars.

50 mins was my record for pulling an ej25 out. I knew of guys in the USA who could do 3 head gasket repairs with engines out a day. those bottom block to trans axle bolts were a mofo.

 

[The Duckmeister]

Yeah but you kind of have to commit to taking the engine out which most folks won't be keen on doing whether it's lack of a hoist, time or mechanical confidence.

I did head gaskets, front oil seals, water pump and starter motor all without pulling engine out. Not a quick job (except the starter, that's about 15mins) but very possible.