Why I Love Subaru

I love my Subaru for the cheerfulness it has given me in life, the safety it has proven in saving my friend Colin’s life in a 2002 WRX wagon, the versatility of transportation in snow and mud, the proven years of racing in the world rally championship, the tooling of building friendships worldwide, and the joy it has brought us with photography and nature.

My first Subaru, a 1999 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS was sold at the Dewey Griffin Subaru Dealership in Bellingham, Washington State in 1999 to a buyer from Missouri. It was by coincidence I purchased it back in February 2004 shortly after Petter Solberg won the World Rally Championship.

I have been living in the Pacific Northwest since 1999 and always admired the Subaru chassis and 4-wheel drive/AWD drive train. In 2002, my friend Matt introduced me to the World Rally Championship on Speed Vision and watched Solberg win the WRC in 2003. In 2006, we spectated our first WRC in Jyväskylä, Finland. I organized local Subaru meets/drives in the Seattle region during 2005-2010 for my passion for Subarus. My hobby soon became a lifestyle. Meeting other like minded Subaru enthusiasts was the most rewarding experience.

Why I Love my Subaru

The experience I have gained through my career in helicopter maintenance led me to becoming more dedicated and passionate about repairing; modifying and venturing Subarus and it has led me to establishing www.Subaru-Adventures.com. Since 2008, photography has been a natural companion for my career as well as my travels. It has been an accurate way of creating a journal with an artistic expression of life.

I was given the privilege in becoming a Subaru Ambassador in 2014. Since then, I established my website to share with others our Subaru trips and the builds from Chris Miller’s 992 Subaru Loyale and Gregg Huld’s 1984 Subaru GL 4×4. In the future, I hope to organize regional Subaru-Adventures with others and have more time to participate at Subaru events.

According to Subaru, the Subaru Love Promise is “a pledge to do right by the communities in which we all live and work”. Subaru Loves Pets, Subaru Loves the Earth, Subaru Loves Learning, Subaru Loves to Help, and Subaru Loves to Care.

The front-wheel drive 87’ Toyota Corolla has been the building blocks to driving. 2003 was a fantastic year for the Subaru World Rally Team with Petter Solberg winning the World Rally Championship. It was also the year being introduced to the WRC on SPEED TV from my friend. I remember watching the entire 2003 season from Rally Monte Carlo to Rally GB. The 04-05’ Subaru Impreza WRX Sti was the ultimate Subaru, but I settled with the 1999 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS due to its cheaper price tag. Film crews were limited during this early era and every opportunity was taken using a Sony Hi-8 camcorder. I remember once bailing a friend out through his family’s bedroom window before day light to capture a fresh covering of snow in a nearby parking lot. From a broken rear hub assembly, punctured tires, sliding into a berry post, to laying the Corolla in a ditch, I was fortunate. The most dramatic incident was in September 2003 while practicing the Scandinavian flick (also known as the pendulum turn). I was caught off guard maneuvering the Corolla on a square right gravel turn without using any hand brake technique. This resulted in the vehicle under steering to the left into a 6-foot ditch. Thankfully the ditch was soft enough to absorb the impact while my ‘co-driver’ and I were able to escape from the passenger window. After a tow truck recovery and change of wheel assembly, we were able to drive home. Nearly 16 years later, the rally adrenaline remains, and I continue to remind myself how short life is and how important it is to do what drives us responsibly. I never did become a rally driver or an airline pilot, but the World Rally Championship has since been the ultimate motorsport. After 16 years of absence with Toyota, they have returned in the WRC. Now it’s just a matter of time before Subaru will return.


 

 

 

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