Family of 'Roos

Yesterday was just another prime example of why you can't just have ONE Subaru in the family.  Myself and two friends drove to my fiance's apartment to help her move out.  I would've normally just taken my Impreza, but we needed a bit more space, so I traded with my mom for the day.  She's got a 2013 Outback, so we folded down the seats and hauled a bunch of boxes back home with it while she borrowed my Impreza.

My family has always been pretty close-knit to begin with, and I kind of have to thank mom for getting our family hooked on All Wheel Drive.  In 2003, we were still a Toyota family.  Dad had a Celica, I had a 4 Runner, and she had just gotten a 2003 Toyota Matrix.  This little AWD beast earned the nickname "Lil Tank" for it's impressive performance in the snow despite it's small size.  It didn't get the best gas mileage, but it really made us appreciate AWD.  We would always borrow mom's car on snow days.  As a teacher, she didn't have to go into work on snow days, so we'd take the Lil Tank out and dominate the snow.

We've all got Subarus now, so we don't really need to borrow each others cars for driving through snow, but it is still nice to be able to retain the confidence you get from an AWD vehicle and get your pick of shape and size.

I like to think that both my parents own Subaru's because they support me at my job, but it also shows how we're all on the same page.  There are values and ideas that tie us together and it's no wonder that the Pleiades constellation represents unity.

Blank Canvas

This is my 2012 Impreza 2.0i 5-Door.  It's a Base Model with a CVT and it's my first Subaru.  A year ago you'd be able to tell it was a normal Impreza, but flash forward to all the work I've done to it today, and it's a VERY different story!  Here's a list of what all has been done to it so far!

• K&N Drop-in Filter
• Grille Wings Repainted
• Carbon Fiber Interior Accents
• '05 WRX Rims & Swaybar
• '11 WRX Rims
• Pioneer AppRadio
• Window Tint
• SPT Catback Exhaust
• BRZ Modified Exhaust

Items that have a strikeout through them have been replaced by other modifications.

I've had a lot of fun working on this car.  Doing my own maintenance on it has made this quite the hands-on learning experience as I familiarize myself with the car.  I'm also surrounded by folks that work on these vehicles, be it at the dealership or at local NSOC events that I frequent.   Gaining knowledge about these vehicles from them has been a lot of fun and, as I learn more, I think of more things to do with this car.  As a Base Model, it's pretty much a clean slate for me to work with.  Some of my ideas turn out to be pretty lofty, but because the news of the new WRX seems to indicate there won't be a 5-Door version offered, I'm even more driven to continue making this car uniquely mine!

It's already pretty unique for a N/A "econobox" to move this direction, so I'm quite proud of the fact that I'm doing things that generally haven't been attempted with this car.

Items still to come on my Impreza are RallyArmor UE mudflaps as well as side skirts from an Impreza Sport.  Then after those... who knows!

Welcome!

One of my co-workers is always joking "Quick!  Blog about it!" and I'm tired of correcting him that I don't have a Subaru blog.  Well, today that changes.  This is "All We'll Drive", where I'll share pictures, stories, and other goodies about these fantastic cars that I'm head-over-heels about.  

First, a bit of how I got into Subaru.  Gotta blame it all on a good friend of mine giving me a ride to a restaurant in his '02 WRX.  I was pretty naive and didn't know much about Subarus back then, so it was an eye opening experience.  The rumble of the 2.0 liter turbocharged boxer, the grip it had when he whipped it around corners, and all the while having plenty of room for our junk in the hatchback.  Fun with function... it just made sense to me.  I knew what my next car would be at that point.

In 2012 I finally got my own Subaru: a '12 Impreza 2.0i 5-Door.  I couldn't afford a WRX at the time, but I don't really regret that issue.  It's been plenty of fun to drive and I've got all sorts of crazy plans for it, some of which I've already done!  Pretty much since I got my Impreza, I've been an active member of the Nebraska Subaru Owners Club in attending and planning events.  There are so many great people associated with these cars that have made it easy for me to really get hooked into this "car culture" around them.  As a result, some of my friends took notice of my enthusiasm for these cars and, after I "sold" them on it, they went back to the dealership where I had bought mine to pursue their own.

Late in the summer of 2012, I was up at the dealership where I had purchased my Impreza getting an oil change and was just talking with the salesmen up there.  They all knew me, knew I had sent them customers, and there was an opening for a sales position there.  I applied for it, got the job, and have been selling Subarus with them since September of that year.  Now all the folks I had told about these vehicles have been coming to me for their new and used Subarus and I couldn't be more proud to get them hooked just as I was.  One of my best friends was my very first sale in a 2013 Legacy.  My second was to my mother for her new 2013 Outback.  Eventually even my dad turned to the Subaru side with a 2014 Forester.  Friends and Family have been extremely supportive and I get the pleasure of working with them pretty much every month since I started working as a salesman.

Somewhere between selling cars and doing events with the NSOC, I still manage time for other hobbies and things.  I play music gigs around town with various bands, I organize outdoor laser tag games with friends and colleagues, and I go on adventures with my Fiance... most of which all involve my Impreza driving me around somewhere.  It's a bulldog in the snow, it's averaging 33mpg, and there's a reason I've just fallen in love with these cars in general.  

For me, my family, and my friends, it's All We'll Drive.