Why Japanese Engineering is Superior

[AutobahnSHO]

As Some of you may know, I owned a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan, until recently, when the front end got messed up.
http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=19071.0

Before we moved from Maryland to Georgia, I bought a REESE brand hitch (that's an important point,) and put it on.
-This involved removing the rear bumper cover and bumper, drilling two holes in the frame that the bumper slides into, sliding some carriage bolts down through the frame, then replacing the bumper, fastening the hitch, then replacing the bumper cover. Took me 2-3hrs (I'm a klutz, the bumper bolts were rusty,) driving home for the evening sans bumper cover, then returning to the shop and another 2hrs the next day.

Since my Subaru came with a hitch but no roof rack and my old roof bike rack didn't work right without a "$mall car kit," I bought a hitch-mount bike rack which worked on both vehicles.

Then we got the (2004) Sienna this month. Couldn't take the family to go riding bikes this morning!
I found a REESE brand hitch last week on ebay for $50 and picked it up today. It even came with the ball-mount which goes into the receiver and pins!
-I had to remove one muffler hanger to make space to bolt it up on one side, then bolt the other side, then put the muffler back. Six bolts, which all went into PRE-THREADED HOLES in the frame.
-Time Spent? Less than one hour, including putting tools away and washing my hands.  

Now sure, the Sienna hitch is the "dealer OEM" but still, why could they put 6 threads into the frame and Dodge couldn't?
Is it the 5-year gap? The thoughtfulness that since the van is the leading tow capacity (in its class,) the 'Yota just DESERVED a hitch? Could it be that the Japanese are Greedier?-

Oh well- it's a minivan Designed for Americans, built In America. This American is happy...

[Eye of the Tiger]

I had to drill hole in my Focus to install the hitch.
Rodeo came with a hitch from the factory.
Another win for Japan!

[jadewolf123]

I drilled the hitch for my pathfinder. Loss for the Nipponese.

[AutobahnSHO]

LOLs

I was kinda kidding anyway.
(But how old was the pathfinder??)

[jadewolf123]

LOLs

I was kinda kidding anyway.
(But how old was the pathfinder??)

It was a 93 XE

[the Teuton]

I believe my oldie came with a hole to mount a hitch.  That was 1993, for alll 1,000 pounds worth of towing.

[AutobahnSHO]

I believe my oldie came with a hole to mount a hitch.  That was 1993, for alll 1,000 pounds worth of towing.

SAWEEET.
I need to look up how much my subie is good for. The Sienna pulls 3500. 

[the Teuton]

SAWEEET.
I need to look up how much my subie is good for. The Sienna pulls 3500. 

Yours is good for no more than 1,500 lbs.  Guaranteed.  It's basically the same car platform with a little bigger motor.

[AutobahnSHO]

Yours is good for no more than 1,500 lbs.  Guaranteed.  It's basically the same car platform with a little bigger motor.

I have the 2.2L w/ 4spd AT. No turbo. (Fun =  , wallet=  )
I think they changed engines a year or two later??

[AutobahnSHO]

Oh and I pulled a Ford Taurus a couple miles in city traffic w/ a 1983 Civic hatchback and a towrope ONCE.

The Civic did NOT like that....

[the Teuton]

I have the 2.2L w/ 4spd AT. No turbo. (Fun =  , wallet=  )
I think they changed engines a year or two later??

The 2.2 is the best motor Subaru ever made.  Feel fortunate you didn't get an Outback or a GT with the DOHC engine in it.  It had a tendency to blow head gaskets.

[CALL_911]

The 2.2 is the best motor Subaru ever made.  Feel fortunate you didn't get an Outback or a GT with the DOHC engine in it.  It had a tendency to blow head gaskets.

The 2.2 is so facking sllllloooooowwwww

I'm partial to the EJ205.

[S204STi]

The 2.2 is the best motor Subaru ever made.  Feel fortunate you didn't get an Outback or a GT with the DOHC engine in it.  It had a tendency to blow head gaskets.

The 2.2 is so facking sllllloooooowwwww

I'm partial to the EJ205.

My old Legacy is beyond 200k with the original head gaskets.  My Outback is at 90k and I'm just counting down the time till the head gasket blows and I have to replace it.  I may just replace it anyway as a preventative measure...

[S204STi]

Oh and yes, yet another thread is hijacked by the Subaru mafia.

[AutobahnSHO]

Oh and yes, yet another thread is hijacked by the Subaru mafia.

The OP approves. 

                                      

[CALL_911]

My old Legacy is beyond 200k with the original head gaskets.  My Outback is at 90k and I'm just counting down the time till the head gasket blows and I have to replace it.  I may just replace it anyway as a preventative measure...

My current Legacy is around 141k with no major repairs or hassles. It's as reliable as death and taxes, but it's slow.

[Rupert]

I have a Subaru in my driveway right now. A Legacy.

[the Teuton]

The 2.2 is so facking sllllloooooowwwww

I'm partial to the EJ205.

I meant NA...  

The EJ207 is better...and we unfortunately never got it here.  It's the current JDM STI motor.

You can make your own EJ20K or makeshift EJ22K from a 22b using the DOHC EJ25 heads and the closed-deck block from an EJ22T Legacy Sport from the early-1990s.  That would put down as assload of power, possibly more than any of the partially closed-deck motors from the WRX.

These things are apparently all interchangeable, and all of the bolts line up!

[Rich]

I have a Subaru in my driveway right now. A Legacy.

Lesbians visiting?

[mzziaz]

Enough with this spamaruposting.

Anyway, my Laguna came with a hitch preinstalled, sooo French engineering ownz both that Nipponese and U. S of  A. stuff. 

[AutobahnSHO]

Enough with this spamaruposting.

Anyway, my Laguna came with a hitch preinstalled, sooo French engineering ownz both that Nipponese and U. S of  A. stuff. 

Ha but is yours one of those lame black balls?  :-)

Ours have a "receiver" and you can stick what ever you want into the square hole. Like this:




I'll get a picture of the van hitch later..

[mzziaz]

Of course it has the black ball of death, as I prefer to call it. It has saved my rear bumper several times already. 

[sportyaccordy]

The new GT-R has a threaded rear support.

[the Teuton]

AutobahnSHO, that's sexy.  Your Subaru makes me swoon.

[AutobahnSHO]

AutobahnSHO, that's sexy.  Your Subaru makes me swoon.

ha
You wanna buy it in May if I'm sent to Germany?

[r0tor]

Of course it has the black ball of death, as I prefer to call it. It has saved my rear bumper several times already. 

there are several rx-8 owners that when visiting NYC they install the OEM front and rear tow hooks... something about when the car in front or behind them bums into them during parallel parking, that car receives a hole in the bumper from a hardened steel object 

[S204STi]

there are several rx-8 owners that when visiting NYC they install the OEM front and rear tow hooks... something about when the car in front or behind them bums into them during parallel parking, that car receives a hole in the bumper from a hardened steel object 

haha  nice

[J86]

there are several rx-8 owners that when visiting NYC they install the OEM front and rear tow hooks... something about when the car in front or behind them bums into them during parallel parking, that car receives a hole in the bumper from a hardened steel object 

I ususally leave the ball on my trailer hitch for that reason.  Gives me a little protection.

[heelntoe]

this might sound a little crazy, but since that hardened steel object is directly connected to your frame, wouldn't it do more damage than merely bruising up the bumper cover in case of a minor impact?

[r0tor]

this might sound a little crazy, but since that hardened steel object is directly connected to your frame, wouldn't it do more damage than merely bruising up the bumper cover in case of a minor impact?

i did say "hole" in the offending bumper and yes, that would be the point to those to ignorant to learn to park using visual senses only....