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In the market for an EZ30 Lancaster/outback although a lot of owners seem to use 91 regularly. My understanding was always that Subarus need 95 or 98 (especially turbo models). Is an EZ30 that's had 91 used in it regularly be a deciding factor as to whether I consider buying the car or not? Cheers and TIA.

Hi there, I live in Nelson, take a tandem trailer with a 6.2m aluminium hardtop boat (total about 2 tonnes) to Havelock perhaps 5 times / year (it's 80km of winding, hilly road). I swap cars with my brother and use his 3.6l Commodore VE for boat towing (we share a family bach and boat) as my 1995 Legacy 250T would not have been up to the job. However my Legacy got a death sentence at the WOF last week (RIP ) so I'm in the market for a replacement. It would make sense to get a car that can tow the boat. I would like to get a 4th Gen Outback 3.0R (2004 - 2007 or so) and have spent some time trying to work out if it would be up the task of towing 2 tonnes. I've found plenty of information in this forum (thanks!) and elsewhere on towing with 3.0 Outbacks, but nothing definitive. - Tow rating for this car would be 1800kg braked (750kg unbraked). - Some suggest an additional trans oil cooler would be needed (some suggest it would be difficult to fit). I've read a few lists of good towing vehicles on horse float / boating sites and nobody has mentioned any Subaru for towing, not even once. They usually mention the standard big SUVs and also Falcon/Commodore etc. My gutfeel is that 2 tonnes is a little too much for an Outback based on kerb weight etc and the transmission / drivetrain would be worked a bit harder than it should be. So what does everyone think? My guess is if I said Hilux / Commodore everyone would say "yes", if I said 2.5 Legacy everyone would say "no' but if I said 3.0 Outback it's probably in that slightly worrying ground in between.

Hi Subagurus Inspired by Super Guitar Guy and Super Stereo Installer I thought I'd share some information in appreciation of the super time and work these guys and everyone else generously shares here, thank you. I've decided to do the double DIN and install one of the new Kenwood DNX9180DABS HU with Navi and add the dashcam. Currently collecting my bits, plans, work in progress. I figure if I can get all that kit running my Outback will be more capable than a new one, (no dashcam!) and a hell of a lot cheaper! Plan is to use the existing amp. I think they feed 80W (RMS?) per channel but that's not confirmed. Still knowing how they perform I am happy enough with the McIntosh amp and speakers. In the mean time I wanted to swap the Japanese banded PF-4062l head unit with an (ex NZ GT Legacy) PF-2551l for the standard NZ bands. Thought must be too easy! Wrong! Swapping the units, which have the same plugs (not necessarily the same wires though!) proved to make both the McIntosh display and the upper Nav screen (Still in Japanese) just flash and will not work.... Quickly turn off.... After much thought and studying most of the Internet and with a little help from Jeremy I figured that the 4062 will have, being a later unit, a lot of stuff that integrates with the Jap Nav gear, and that it all connects through the 20 pin J800 socket that has a heap of wires that I've not traced, but they connect to the Bus, what ever smarts are therein, no doubt the intermediate SWC smarts (not found how Subaru interface the control with the HU, but probably academic) and the Nav and who knows what else. The more common Subaru 20 pin plug J901 just has the power lights and antenna amp power - all essential to run the Head Unit. So....Legacy PF-2551l will run fine in a JDM Outback as an interim radio for me. Woot. (without steering wheel controls connected) when one simply does not plug in the back J800 plug - for anyone wanting to try that. Will keep me going for now. For the planned Double Din install I've bought a "junk" PF-4062l from Croooober for its sockets, especially the 20pin DIN wired female socket. My original thought was to use all the sockets as that would smooth the interconnection, now that expectation I've now pretty much shown to probably be wrong so arguably it was an expensive 20pin DIN, but then seems they're not otherwise available at any price.... Part of the cost! For anyone wanting to also do this conversion I figure a junked EF-1208l amp could also be used as a 20pin DIN socket part source for the HU end to run to the Mac amp being used in the car. That would have been cheaper for me, but committed now. There's currently a cheap one going to the first taker.... I bought some RCA leads which I'll splice into the newly imported DIN plug lead at HU end which I figure will be robust enough. Also will need to feed the amp on (I assume) with the +12V "Power on" to turn the amp on. Plan to find the Original Subaru GPS existing device and swap it with the new Kenwood one. Seems no point installing the digital antenna on the windscreen as I think (open to correction) there is no digital audio around to connect to in New Zealand, especially the Wellington region. Yet to resolve issues anticipated. The McIntosh kitted 'rus feature 4 speakers in each front door. The Kenwood has some rel sophisticated frequency smarts for feeding different speakers different frequencies, particularly to protect tweeters. But they don't go so far as 4 different speakers per front channel with intermediate single feeding amp channels(!). I don't know but expect there is a crossover network in each front door (anyone know?) which'll do the frequency distribution just fine. So that leaves me with the expected question of what cut off frequency to feed the sub woofer, and whether I trim any base of the four door channels. It might all just work without fiddling with any EQ. Not yet figured out what to do with the Nav unit, expect the Backing CAM works and is appreciated, all be it at a liney resolution. Be nice to have a 720p front and rear cameras with the front one thru a replacement 720p screen mounted between the vents, and the higher defn rear cam thru the Kenwood. Not figured that bit out. Comments welcomed.

Hi All, Its a been a few year since posting here but I've happily been through three more Subaru's since then. I now looking to update the family wagon from our '04 Legacy to a 3.6R premium '10 or '11 Outback but I don't want the leather seats that seems the option ticked by ever original buyer. So if anyone out there is keen to swap for their tidy non-leather seats then sing out. I haven't settled on a car to buy yet but am pretty sure what I want will come with black electric leather seats.