My name’s Nathan, based in Vic, and I’m a long-time Liberty die-hard. I was first introduced to Club Liberty around 2009 or 2010 when a mate took me on a couple of club cruises—one through Reefton Spur and Black Spur—which was an absolute blast and really left an impression. I officially became a member in 2014, but this is actually my first-ever post.
Firstly, a big thank you to everyone here. Over the years, I’ve found myself digging through threads, learning from the wealth of knowledge this forum has to offer. Whether it was tracking down a stubborn issue, chasing performance improvements, or just understanding what had gone wrong (which, let’s be honest, has been more than a few times), this place has been invaluable.
I’ve owned Subarus—mainly Liberties—since 2008, including a Tuned by STI wagon and a six-cylinder 3.0L Liberty. I currently have two Liberty Tuned by STIs—both sedans—which has ended up being my personal preference. I’ve gone deep down the modifying rabbit hole: E85, sleeved blocks, forged internals—you name it.
My original Tuned by STI was fully built and running beautifully… right up until a hailstorm said otherwise. Fortunately, I was able to buy it back from the insurer for pocket change—silver linings. In 2021, I picked up another stock 2008 TB STI Liberty (randomly owned by my mum’s accountant, of all people) with the plan to transplant all the gear across. But, as it goes, life threw a few curveballs and the project stayed in the “gunna” pile.
Now, I’m about to sell the stock 2008 Tuned by STI as I’ve got my eye on a WRX TS Spec B—still flying the Subaru flag, of course! Honestly, it feels like the spiritual successor to the 2008 Liberty Tuned by STI that Subaru never built.
I’ve added a couple of photos of a few of the cars I’ve had over the years for anyone interested.
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Hoping to tag along to another club cruise again on day—just don’t judge me too harshly if I rock up in the WRX. The heart’s still Lib, even if the badge isn’t.
Cheers,
Nath