It's been a year less a day since I drove this particular 1997 home to Stratford from Mike's driveway.I'd long ago decided if I was going to get one as a retirement toy it'd have to be a Canadian 1996/97. The 'Blackberry Dreamship' was in excellent condition with the exception of a few minor fixes. My plan and goal was to return the LSI to original condition.
I got right to it - with the aid of hours of research. Took off the K&N cone filter and put the original airbox back - that solved the engine stutters. ordered from Japan the OEM front corner lights to replace the original ones which had been unsuccessfully cleared by hacking off the lens covers for those Smallcar kits.
Replaced the AC condenser rad which had a big rock hole in it - now blows cold air again as intended.
Replaced every grain-of-wheat indicator and illumination bulb in the dashboard, door and ceiling switches. Moved the 1997 10 CD Kenwood changer from the trunk to the floor behind the passenger seat. Got the Radio Harness connectors from David in Texas, and transferred the pins from a Subaru OEM underseat subwoofer for a seamless removable plug&play re-install and two months ago removed the original Cassette radio to re-route & tidy up the cables for the CD changer control pod - now velcroed to the side of the console by the seatbelt buckle. Replaced all 4 speakers with tri-ax units.Sounds great with that extra bass oomph.
Oh yeah, like every car I've owned I removed the carpets and seats and trims looking for any accident damage evidence - there was none - clean a a whistle except for all the white dog fur - but I did find the missing front mirror and rear washer plastic caps, and a few carpet and trim clips that had fallen down. Also a few screws. Came with two sets of wheels and after this winter I came to love the look of the silver FastWheels so I had the graphite black summer rims stripped and powder-coated in the same dull silver.
Replaced all 3 O2 sensors from Rock Auto and that has cured the engine light that would come on every 50-100 kms.
Repaired all the miniscule roadrash and shallow scratches with Dr Colorchip and you can't detect them anymore. As far as I'm concerned it does not need a re-paint as it positively gleams after a good waxing and buffing.
The car won an award at the Toronto Subaru Club Hypermeet last August and since then attracts lots of attention at all the summer Show & Shine meets I go to in my area.
Car rides smooth, quiet and steady in all waethers and once, just the once, I 'accidentally' reached 210 KM per hour passing a hay truck on a long flat straight two-lane blacktop country road.
The extraordinarily clean interior is surprisingly spacious with all controls within arm's reach. The seats are a Barcelounger dream, comfy and supportive for hours.
Addressing the points Mike made in his article, I am a short feller - 5'6" with short legs - and have the seat at it's uppermost height with 2" between the roof and my bald noggin so I can see over the hood. adjusted the steering wheel so I can see the turn signal indicators. Yes, the car os one of the lowest cars on the road at 50" but I like that feeling I'm slipping through the airstream ljke a bar of wet soap.
The biggest body protrusion is the rear wiper and I suspect the spoiler is there to help disguise it's placement. Even the power antenna fender nipple is a streamlined pod. i have a disable switch in the trunk as I do not need the power antenna to pull in FM radio stations because of the one in the backlight.
Yeah, the Manual button on the gearshift is kinda redundant.
I have experienced the loud thump from the sunroof panel but it only happens when a large transport truck passes you in the oncoming lane on a sideways wind kind of situation. It lifts from the pressure wave and thumps back down.
Having addressed the dismal cupholders situation with a small twocup caddy Velcro ed to the console in front of the parking brake handle, I would never risk spilling anything in the pristine interior or pass anything though the windows other than my passport at the border. I also park the car well away from others and walk in to the coffee shop.
Every Subaru Dealership I've had the car at (for parts sometimes and oil filters) are too young to know the car as well as I do, having downloaded and printed the complete Service Manuals and how-tos from the two SVX Owners sites.
In the past year have put 7500 problem-free kilometers on the odo with a few long distance trips to Manitoulin Island and over to Winnipeg. I daily drive the car in good weather every chance I get and it gets more use than my 2006 OBXT.
The design is so sleek and seamless I marvel every day at it's sublime beauty. How many cars can you name that are essentially Car Show Concepts built for average consumers?
I'm a happy lucky feller to have scored the Blackberry Dreamship.
The only quibble I have with the SVX is the lack of a glass sunroof...but I'm working on having a glass panel inserted into a spare moon roof panel I have.
