Yeah... I've been meaning to update this thread for a while. I've kind of dreaded writing this post, because it's really the last thing that's left. The Eulogy.
After nearly nine years of daily driving the wagon, I finally parted ways with it.
This car was a huge part of my life. I'm still pretty shocked that I sold it, but it was just time. I've had more memories with it than with any other thing. Countless Thursday night meets, so many friends that I've made because of it, so many people who bought Subarus themselves because of it. I met my wife because of this car! We fell in love going for long drives and having long talks in it.
65,000 miles, two transmissions, countless memories, eight years, one track day, a few autocrosses, high school, college, marriage, commuting to work, first house, first baby, all with this car. I didn't quite make my goal of hitting 300K miles on the car, but I think it'll get there with the new owner.
She was so clean when I first got her, but the years in the salt and sun of Utah weren't kind, nor was the neglect that slowly crept in due to "life happening" - getting married just made it so I didn't have the time to take care of her like I used to. The suspension was really needing to be overhauled, and it was getting to the point where it was too low, too stiff, too loud, and just no fun to commute in awful traffic in.
I sold it to another enthusiast, a postal worker, the first guy who showed up to look at it. It'll be his family car. After listing it for sale, I had 26 people in line to look at it within 24 hours of listing it -- a real shock to me for a rough old modified car with a quarter million miles on it. I friended him on Facebook, so I still see it. And I've been tagged in a few 'spotted' posts on the local groups since then as well. It's odd, I feel kind of jealous. It's a similar feeling to seeing an ex with someone else.
As for its replacement? As boring as you can get, an automatic 06 Outback 2.5i in Atlantic Blue Pearl with really dirty beige cloth interior. It was a real steal of a deal and was tremendously undervalued, so I'm set on flipping it this summer to get a 540i Touring wagon or an 07 XT Limited in black. It's also allowing me to focus on restoring my Celica - a car I've wanted for over ten years, long before I got into Subarus.
But really, nothing will ever replace the old wagon. It's sorely missed, and despite being a horrible commuter in the end, I really miss the way it drove, and all the dozens of little things I did to make it mine.
Goodbye, old friend.
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