I live in San Diego, California and am a current NON-Baja owner... I am (and have been) looking into getting a Baja for a while now but mostly on and on and off again basis.
My current car... (sniffle) and probably future Trade-in or sale
is a 2002 Titanium Grey Mazda Miata Special Edition 6 spd I love him to pieces... Oooor almost to pieces and it does show nowadays here are a few pictures of my little guy:
From all these pictures you can see that this little guy has quite a few road warrior scars.
I got him back in 2004 when he was just 2 years old (maybe 3) from a first owner who was a realtor who had driven him a good 58k in those two years... having been the owner of him for a little over 7 years now I am proud to say he only has 118k so I've rejuvenated him a bit. Gone thru tires like crazy though haha. First week of owning him had a blowout on the freeway, then had to have work done here and there, my car is tiny so sometimes people don't see me on the freeway and I've been side-swiped twice, first time the guy got caught, second time was durring traffic hours and the person weaved away and got away from me before I could even see their plates, hence the current side scrapes and dents on the passenger side. When I was laid off due to a company downsizing I needed a way to get my own business off the ground and become a mobile sign shop. Well... I didn't have the cash to get a truck at the time so I ended up installing a trailer hitch to my little guy and he's been towing a tiny little scooter trailer for about six months now. The trailer itself is under 500 lbs and the load on the trailer is under 100 lbs and I can easily still reach 80+ mph without noticing much of a difference (though I know I shouldn't so I drive about 70 when trailer is attached... which is still pretty naughty) again.. I love this guy buuuut, I have two young nephews who I love even more and feel terribly when I babysit them and cannot (legally) take them places in my car due to only having a two seater...
I saw my first Baja back in 2007 and I had a mixture of feelings such as: love, hate, interest, inspiration, desire, upset stomach, queasiness, and a headache. Prior to that date the Crucks I loved were the El Camino and SSR both of which happened to be Chevy... I had no idea there were other manufacturers who made Crucks so I made darn certain to memorize the make and model of that hideous little car which I knew deep down had sooo much potential and thus... for years this car has been in the back of my mind, the color combination that turned my stomach ever so haunting me to this very day and now I want one....
that is why I am here, I was doing research (and still am) and I want this Subaru soooo bad because
1. I cannot afford to get a new car
2. the MPG looks comparable to what I've been getting in my Miata
3. It's a foreign car and my favorite mechanic services specifically ONLY foreign auto sooo if I am forced to spend anywhere over 10k on a car that is used I should at least have a reliable mechanic I can rely on for services that I know will be required...
I have my eyes set on two Bajas each located over 300 miles away from me right now because it's soo darn hard to find the right color combination I like, buut I am in the decal, graphic business so I am even considering getting one of those regular two color Bajas that everyone seems to have and just wrap the darned thing in specialty vehicle wrap to try and lessen the eyesore.
It's a love hate relationship I have with the looks of the car... and since I am a poooooor person who cannot afford much I will have to sell or trade my Miata in order to be able to afford to get even an old 2003 Baja
but at this point it seems like the most practical thing to do.. I hate to sound like such a bummer but I really REALLY do want this car and that is what brought me here and that is why I want to be part of your community since I know down the line I will have stories to share. Sooo HI GUYS from Sunny San Diego, California!
. just kidding, nice ride but the baja is better.