Newsflash

[thumper_svx]

Breaking News!

Long time Subaru SVX advocate and fan, known simply as “thumper_svx” has resurfaced again once again driving another SVX. He has been recently spotted as far afield as Colorado, driving a red 1996 SVX.

Having originally purchased his first SVX in April of 1997, he then published an article on his own Earthlink website (still found online here) which despite the shoddy camerwork and a picture of trash shoved in his passenger footwell is often blamed for at least two otherwise normal people purchasing SVX's of their own. These two people known in the community as Halistan and Cozykat were not immediately available for comment.

Some years ago, this man had owned a 1996 SVX which he subsequently sold under pressure from his wife to purchase a sedan. One of his last posts in the SVX community regarding the sale of this car may be found here.

Despite having said in his post that he was never going to purchase an SVX again, that their practicality was suspect and that he just felt that it was time to move on, recent sightings of him in this red SVX have driven some to wonder about his sanity. He has described his current mindset as “chuffed”, and despite this seemingly positive comment questions about his state of mind persist. He was also reported to have muttered, "I think I have a problem..."

When asked directly about the purchase of a new SVX, he stated “I really have to get going. I'm eating dinner, and this crow I'm eating is rather salty without ketchup.”

We will of course bring you more news on this breaking story as it occurs...

[thumper_svx]

So... more.

Yes, as intimated above I am now an SVX owner again. I know, I have said before I was done with the SVX, returned and then done it again. This time I have purchased another 1996 SVX LSi that I got just outside of Denver, picked up Saturday and drove her home.

This decision wasn't made in a void... much of the reason I got rid of my old 96 was because of my (now ex) wife "encouraging" me to purchase a family car. Well, she's gone... I have a family car (the Bimmer) and now I want another SVX. So I cashed in a few investments and flew out to Denver on Saturday morning and arrived back in St. Louis yesterday afternoon.

I must admit it's damned nice to be back. Sure the SVX seems small compared to my 5'er but it's still a damned practical car all things considered. My girlfriend commented that the back seat was actually more comfortable than in her Jag X-Type. Go figure.

So details? Well, the car's been meticulously maintained. The previous owner purchased it back in 2000 for his wife and she drove it up until last year when she needed a larger vehicle and purchased an Outback. There were 142K miles on the clock when I picked her up, and despite a few cosmetic issues on the outside she's in fantastic shape.

She has a 4.44 transmission and rear diff internals from a Forester, a Kenwood DNX5120 in dire need of a firmware update and Infinity speakers all around. This means I have nav, bluetooth and XM radio as well as all the usual goodies. The interior... almost flawless. There's a little wear and tear here and there but the leather is gorgeous, the escaine is clean and there are very few audible rattles. I can't believe I was able to get my hands on such a great example of an SVX.

Now there are some down sides. The tires are a set of Blizzaks that I was concerned weren't going to get me home due to wear, but ended up working really well. They're pretty much down to the wear bars, so when I started driving through melt water over the weekend I started to slide a little. Yeah, first thing I'm replacing! Also, when I stopped at a hotel in Topeka, KS for the night the sunroof wouldn't close (had it cracked) without some manual assistance. But that's IT! Oh, and the Kenwood tended to crash occasionally necessitating a reboot... but apparently that's fixed with a firmware update

Also during all this had a chance for a little mini-meet with Shelfy at a nice little coffee shop in Golden, CO. We hung out for a bit and chatted all things Subaru... I'll let him post the pictures he took and perhaps I'll post mine tomorrow when I get a chance.

So now what? Well, this car's going to become a mostly daily driver for me... repairs allowing. I might get rid of the Bimmer because it's a little overkill for my needs these days and is a PITA to work on. The SVX I mostly purchased because I know these things so well that I can maintain it and hopefully keep it running as wonderfully as it is right now... or better.

Dunno if I'm going to make it to Reading or the 20th anniversary meet... either is possible. For now though, it's great to be back in the saddle driving a car I have a real passion for. Here's to hoping this one's a keeper! Besides, I don't plan to get married again... no more having someone make that decision for me!

I'll be around... say hi

[92 SVX]

Hey welcome back, dont think I had my svx last time you had one but those pic's are really nice.

[pearlm30]

Good to see you back, is it like 4 or 5years??? I haven't been on the network as often as I should. Congrats on your new 96

[thumper_svx]

Originally Posted by pearlm30

Good to see you back, is it like 4 or 5years??? I haven't been on the network as often as I should. Congrats on your new 96

LOL... I think it's been 4. Last time I hung with you, you had just gotten my old 95 as a parts car. I never did get a chance to swing back by, and sort of dropped off the face of the Earth for a bit while my marriage disintegrated.

And thanks... it's good to be back

[immortal_suby]

welcome back!