Barry if & or when you put the snork on the Subie will it adjust the resale of saids same . When you do drastic mods as this there will be few that will want the rig . Also consider the wading depth of any electronic gear in the rig . Top breath is 1 thing but a small leak could leave you dead in the water , with more than wet carpet . 
Speewa, you are dead right on those points. It is easy to get carried away and build something that no-one else will value. Every lowered Statesman / ricer with huge stainless exhaust is a case in point.
The rationale of my build:
1/. My 'thing' is to build a small 'expedition' vehicle.
By definition, it is a compromise, but it will mostly be driven solo, so a LWB big oiler would just be overkill for me. Anyway, I regard it as a 'keeper' - looking at getting 10 years fun out of it, and I didn't buy new, so don't have depreciation to factor in.
2/. The 'mods' I am doing will be as reversible as possible. e.g. My rear carriers can be 'un-welded' from the rear hitch cross member, using one of those nifty high rev spinning wheel things ...
The CB in the dash can be removed and replaced with the original 'sunglasses pocket'.
3/. Consistent with 2/. I am thinking of getting a 2nd hand front right guard from a wreckers, as per your earlier post. AM looking at using a suction cup on the outside of the windscreen to mount the snorkel bracket - rather than screwing to the pillar, as I said.
4/. I don't really want to go 'swimming', primarily want to avoid 'hydro-locking' due to the really poor location of the air intake, just above the grill on the rhs. (Will fit thermo fan shut off switch, with buzzer
as well, so the fans don't 'speed boat' into the fan!)
5/. Other mods will be aluminium front bar, LSD rear diff and better low ratio gears.
Anyway, most of these mods could be reversed if I wanted to sell - I even still have the original springs.
However, I agree with your general principle, certainly wouldn't be doing this to a NEW Outback - the Gen 5 is cr@p to raise anyway, so mine is the last worth playing with!
