Brothers and Sisters,

We gather today to honor a departed friend.

"Buru" was a black 2002 Outback Sport, but more than that, he was a friend and trusted companion. I will miss him.
He was a young subaru: taken untimeley from this cruel world with nary 42,000 miles on him. Not many miles, you might say, but good ones. Miles that would have been the envy of any other all-wheel-drive vehicle... miles that lead us back and fourth across the Sierra, the Coast Ranges, the Klamaths, and the great deserts of the south.
Among my cherished memories of ol' Buru, several stand out: the crazy decent of Silver Canyon Rd, the adventures on the Carizzo Plain, and, of course, the wonderfull opertunity I had to lead a pack of I-clubbers over Ice Cream Grade and Felton Empire Rd at one of the early Santa Cruze I-Club meets...'yall rock.

He died today doing what he loved best: bombing down a twisting dirt road at quasi-reasonable speeds. No autopsy has been performed yet, but the cause of death is clearly deceleration-trauma (or, alternately, farm-truck poisoning.) The collision was head-on: neither vehicle survived.

Sadly, I was far from my friend when he died. I had leant him to my brother for a two week road trip across mountains and deserts: he totaled him half way through the first day. We can only now guess at the roads that might have been taken...

Let us reflect that Buru lead a good life by subaru standards: he was never relegated to dull commuting, and was allowed to romp any play in the dirt as any AWD wants. If perhaps he left this world too soon, at least he was never put out to pasture.

A moment of silence now please, for our departed friend...






















Thank you.

 

you ghoul...

There are some pictures, but Josh used a film camera, so it will likely be a while before I see them.

Everyone who's seen it says it's totaled, though.

 

Thanks yall.

mexicanpizza has it right: Buru did it's last job best; it protected my brother. It was a pretty bad head on crash, and the front of the car was severely compressed, but the airbags worked and both the occupants got out with only bruises (although Josh's knee is burised pretty well.)

I'll let Josh live. He's a great bro, and I trust his driving skills as well as or better than my own: he just drew the bad card. If it had been me at the wheel, the same thing would have happened

As I said to Josh: if I get a dozen subarus and he wrecks 'em all, he's still my brother, and I love him better than any piece of steel and plastic.

IBlue,
Thanks for the memories, that was a great run. When I get a replacement, we'll have to do it again. (STi, here I come...)

Later, good folk.
Mike

 

Well, perhaps I spoke too soon.

Josh is now recovering from surgery in which two titanium screws were driven into his knee. The "bad bruise", it turns out, was actually a small but fairly critical fracture. Poor guy.

Therefore: Any of 'yall out there who fancy nice single-malt Scotch Whiskeys should raise a toast of your favorite to "Josh's Knee" at precicely 9pm tonight (assuming you don't have to drive anywhere...) The toast is to be "Aye, yer a gimpy-arsed bashtid now, aint ya? Well 'eres to yer speedy 'ealth." (You should turn to face Pasadena when you toast, that's where he is.)

I spoke to the guy at the towing yard the other day in a confrence call with the Insurance guy. Mr Insurance asked if, in the man's profesional opinion, the car was repairable. The man laughed.
I take it it's totaled.

I've made some inquiries about the posibility of going down to pull off some of the after-marked stuff on Buru. I had skid plates and a rear sway bar: that's probably worth the trip down. If I go, I'll take some digital pictures and make them available to the ghoul squad. (I tease...)

So..
Unless I pony up for the new STi, I may be looking for a used 02 WRX. I just can't get past the fugly front end of the new 04s.
Anyway, if anyone has a lead on a good used Subie, perhaps modded, feel free to speak up. (Although it will be at least a little while before I have any insurance mony to throw around. These things take time.)

Thanks good Suberians, (Subaroonians? Subarites?)
Mike.