Mitsubishi Pajero Radiator Redo

June 8, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / 2 Comments

Well, if you’ve ever wondered what a 1992 Mitsubishi Pajero radiator looks like, behold. You may be wondering: why is Andy here with a Pajero radiator? Well, wonder no more. Here’s the scoop.

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Adding a Light Bar, Lights, and Armor to our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek

April 15, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Our goal with our Crosstrek was to add just a bit more capability to it. We want to hop in it and go pretty much anywhere we want (within reason). So after we added the 15×7 Reika Seeker wheels and 215/75/15 BFGoodrich KO2 tires, we added a light bar, lights, and armor to our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. You can see how we did this in our Subaru Crosstrek video above.

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Finding Our Long-Lost Suzuki Sidekick, The Teal Terror

February 16, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Before our JDM Pajeros or Delicas, before our Jeep Cherokee, we had a great little 1995 Suzuki Sidekick. We called it The Teal Terror. We sold the Teal Terror in 2016, and I always wondered what happened to it. Well, we recently found out. Check out our sister site, Subcompact Culture for the whole story.

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Early Morning Airport Vibes, Wanderlust, and Travel

January 31, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Since the pandemic, I haven’t flown a lot. I used to fly all the time, but thanks to the Covid-19 thing and a back injury that sidelined me in 2021 and part of 2022, most of my travel has been on four wheels. But last November, I had to fly to the ’22 SEMA Show…

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Will Maine Reverse Course on Delica Deregistration in 2023?

January 17, 2023 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

It’s been over a year and a half since we first heard about Maine pulling Delica owners’ registrations on legally registered and imported vans. This was a story Crankshaft Culture broke and I’ve been working on for months. We’ve talked with the SEMA Action Network, been interviewed for numerous news articles, and even written about…

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Is it Time to Stop Obsessing Over the Manual Transmission?

November 17, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 12 Comments

Today, Subaru debuted its 2024 Impreza. It’ll be available only as a hatchback. It’ll now be offered in sporting 2.5 RS trim again, and it also drops the manual transmission. That’s right—no more manual Impreza—it’s CVT or nothing. Subaru also recently debuted its 2024 Crosstrek, but hasn’t officially said no manual transmission. But does the…

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Our Mitsubishi Delica On TFLoffroad

November 14, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 2 Comments

We drove the Travel Tractor, aka our 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear, to the Denver area to pick up an Egoé Nest Supertramp camper setup. While we were there the crew from TFL invited us over to have a walkaround done on our Mitsubishi Delica on TFLoffroad, their 4×4/overland-centric channel.

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2022 Alcan 5000 Rally: The Video

October 3, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 1 Comment

Partnering with Subaru of America and Subaru Motorsports USA, we tackled the 2022 Alcan 5000 Rally in a new Subaru Outback Wilderness. There were good roads, bad roads, lots of bugs, 1,500 miles of dirt, and amazing camaraderie, scenery, and wildlife. We put together this video of some of the event’s highlights; we hope you enjoy.

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Ferrari-Powered Subaru WRX = Insane Rally Car Build

October 1, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / Leave a comment

I popped into Primitive Racing last week to pick up some mud flaps and skid plates for our new Crosstrek. The company’s owner, Blake Lind, was showing me around the shop when something in the corner caught my eye. There was a V8 nestled in the bay of a WRX stage rally car. I had…

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Crosstrek Wheels and Tires: Reika Vehicle Solutions and BFGoodrich

September 29, 2022 / Andy Lilienthal / 4 Comments

I’m a hopeless wheel and tire junkie. I absolutely love what a great set of wheels and tires can do to a car’s appearance. And, of course, we knew our Crosstrek would end up with a good set of rollers and shoes. Before making our selection, I did a bunch of research on which way…

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