Subaru Forester PPP

Item Features Subaru Forester PPP:

Seller notes:

Used : An item that has been previously used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.

“Fantastic condition. A few stone chips as you might expect, and two or three of the usual car park dings.”

Year:	2005	Transmission:	Manual
Manufacturer:	Subaru	Fuel:	Petrol
Model:	Forester	Power:	260
Type:	XTen Prodrive	Seats:	5
Doors:	Five	Drive Side:	Right-hand drive
Colour:	Black	Safety Features:	4-Wheel Drive, Alarm, Driver Airbag, Immobiliser, Passenger Airbag, Rear seat belts, Xenon headlights
Metallic Paint:	Yes	Exterior:	Alloy Wheels, Catalytic Converter, Rear Spoiler, Tow Bar, Tuning
Mileage:	54,900	Interior/Comfort Options:	Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Electric heated seats, Leather Seats, Power-assisted Steering (PAS), Power Locks, Power Windows, Sunroof, Tilt Steering Wheel
Engine Size:	3	In-Car Audio:	AM/FM Stereo, CD Multichanger, CD Player, Navigation System, Premium Sound System
MOT Expiry:	03/2016	Independent Vehicle Inspection:	Yes

vehicle description:

My Subaru Forester Prodrive. Owned by me for over 6 years. As you doubtless see, the mileage is extremely low for a 55 plate car. I am now retired, but my working life meant that I was overseas for over 50% of the time, therefore the car was only used for half of the year.
Other than a Lancia Coupe I had back in the 80s, this is the only car I have ever had  that truly made me smile. I am a motorcyclist at heart and so my impressions of things like acceleration are always coloured by a motorcyclists perception, and if you ask any motorcyclist, he or she will tell you that in performance terms, its very difficult for a car to compete with a bike (outwith the real exotica of course).
I cant explain what it is about this car that clicked so well with me. My better half reckoned its a real man"s car, but I didn"t get that at all. I think its just the combination of conservative styling, a quality interior (that nuggets in the motoring press call cheap because it isn"t made of soft touch materials. They should try long term ownership....that soon shows which cars have the better interiors), and the better performing 4WD systems. All I can say is not once have I ever wished that I had bought a RAV4 or a Honda CRV or a Freelander instead. In the things that are important to me (durability, reliability and performance), none of the other cars mentioned come close to Subaru.
Anyway, Black Bertie as he became known, is a very rare beast indeed. While not in the performance category of the STI (which sell for well north of ten thousand), the ProDrive Performance Pack model on sale here has a number of significant upgrades over the standard beast. There is a decent power hike of around 30bhp which is nice, (and understated by Prodrive, as the first owner had this one dyno"d at 276bhp) but its the mid range climb in torque that is the really impressive thing. Bertie can really stomp away from low down. Its a huge grin factor, and something that back in the day, embarrassed many an early Porsche Boxster owner. It could also be good fun on a motorway with an aggressive Range Rover driver looming large in the mirror expecting to power away from the little Subaru..........it never happened yet. My respect for this car is very high indeed. As you would expect, in the wet, the all wheel drive makes this car absolute master of the road. The grip is unbelievable.
Being a pukka PPP car, it has the necessary certificate to authenticate what it is. The expected PPP elements are all present and correct......18 Oz Prodrive Alloys, the Prodrive exhaust, and the tweeks to the engine management system, and the tailgate spoiler and the multifunction Momo steering wheel.. During my ownership. Bertie has never ever let me down. At the MOT this year, I had new front discs and pads fitted, along with a bi-xenon automatic levelling device. The alloy arm on the original unit had fractured, and so a new unit was fitted.
I terms of servicing, my family have always dealt with a local garage (Murray Automotive), and they have carried out the MOT work and servicing of the car every year. This arrangement meant that I could specify certain things, and so the car has known no oil other than Mobil 1. Parts have always been original Subaru (a perfect example being the timing belt change. I could have had a pattern timing belt for £30, but I chose instead to fit a genuine unit which cost £150.........ouch. I still have the receipt!).
Everything works. The heated seats both work (wish I could say the same of my diesel Forester). Central locking, 6 CD changer, electric windows and so forth are all in full working order. There isn"t any of the scandalous removal of bulbs to hide a system that has malfunctioned. The car is an absolute joy. The only downside (and why I got a diesel Forester) is fuel consumption. It isn"t crazily high, but since retirement, we bought a wee Eriba caravan, and diesel seemed the logical way to go. That diesel fuel economy comes at a price though..........the diesel car has most of the Prodrive"s engineering integrity, but isn"t anything like as characterful or engaging, and in terms of handling, it wallows around in a way the Prodrive never does. Its a bit of a soft unfocused lump in comparison.
As you can see, I am open to offers, but this doesnt mean I am open to low ball offers. I know this car very well, and I know how good it really is. It"s the only car I have ever owned where I have been left notes on the windscreen four or five times from people wishing me to call them if I wanted to sell. At that time, I had no intention of selling, but now I do.
I am not in the game of wasting your time or mine. I haver described the car as honestly as possible, and George Murray (of Murray Automotive) has kindly given me permission to say that as the mechanic who has cared for the car these past six years, he is happy to vouch for the car to any prospective buyer...........and no, George isn"t my brother, cousin or best mate......he is my mechanic of choice.
So who am I? I am a 61 year old rotating equipment engineer who has recently retired from a major oil company. My loves are my partner, my westies, my local football team, and motorcycles. I made a promise to my partner that I would get rid of a car, and several of my bikes. I have a couple of restoration project bikes (both fairly straight forward) that I will be listing in the next few days, along with a couple of best in class machines. I just need to get round to taking the photographs.
Oh, by the way, we are a smoke free home, but we do have pets, and Molly and Rosie (the westies) have enjoyed many a trip to the park in the back of Black Bertie.
I think that"s about it. I have both keys, the V5, and the books for the car (including service history). There is nothing to hide (I don"t understand why people hide number plates......maybe someone can explain). I am happy to supply more photos on request, as well as answer any questions. You can call or text me on 07887479847, or message me here on Ebay..
The car goes nowhere until the funds are in my hands or cleared into my bank account. There will be no exceptions to this. I am 61.........that makes me mildly elderly, it does not make me thick.
By the way, if you make me an offer, I won"t make you wait 48 hours for an answer, I will respond as soon as possible. Respect is a two way street. Apologies for the quality of the photos. The camera is decent, my picture taking isn"t.
Oh, and by way of declaration, the car hasn"t been in any accidents or had any respray work. The paintwork is original, and as the mechanic pointed out, the fact that it still sports its original dealership number plates, and all of the glass is coded to the same year, are all indicators of the car being completely original. Hope that helps. I also have the original receipt for the PPP work. That came in at a whisker under five grand.
No Paypal thanks very much, and equally, I will not ask for an immediate deposit. If you get your kicks out of screwing up ebay listings, then nothing I can say or do is going to stop you........ perhaps we all have to await the arrival of a boyfriend or girlfriend into your life.

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