LegacyGT97's 1997 GT (Update: December 23rd 2010)

[LegacyGT97]

Year: 1997
Model: Legacy GT 2.5L

I haven't really done much of anything to my Legacy so far other then clean in up a bit and install a new CD player, 6.5" speakers, and a 12" MTX Sub and a Pioneer Amp.
I have plans for it when I actually start to set aside money, basically every penny I have made since I bought the car has been going towards my trip to Europe and for saving for the future.


Mod list:

Interior
-Ampro 350 Alarm (Oldy, but a goody!)
-Sony WX-GT77UI Double Din
-12" MTX Sub in a ported Bassworks box

Exterior:
2" Stubby Antenna
L7 Grill
SL-I.Net Tag
DIY Home Depot Lip

Engine:
DIY Engine Shroud

Suspension:
(Nothing Yet)

Here's my baby!
*Note: I took these pictures when I first purchased my car. Since then I have removed the crack/aged pin stripping and took off the silly chrome trim around the wheel wells.*
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/17340_484008110159_704135159_111546-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/17340_484008120159_704135159_111546-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/17340_484005540159_704135159_111546-1.jpg

[parkcityboyx]

thats a good looking car

[LegacyGT97]

A few more pictures I just took..

The Good:
Taken last week, before pin strip removal
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/IMG_0029-1.jpg

Just took this, pin stripping removed. Looks 100% better!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/IMG_0078-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/IMG_0080-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/IMG_0079-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/IMG_0081-1.jpg

The Bad:
Anyone know how to fix this? (Lip has a nice chunk out of it, and the bumper has a good ding in it. Took it to a local body shop and they wanted to replace the entire bumper and skirt for $958! Don't really have that amount of cash to drop on a fix that should be relatively easy.)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/IMG_0077-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/IMG_0082-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/03/IMG_0084-1.jpg

[subie/legacy]

thats funny I just removed my pin striping too.
anyways car looks very nice, can't wait to see how this GT turns out

[LegacyGT97]

Just a few updates...

Installed a new 2" stubby antenna on today. Doesn't look half bad!
What do you guys think?
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/04/IMG_00971-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/04/IMG_0096-1.jpg

And I painted my side skirts today using rocketlegacy (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=18006)'s DIY. Really easy to do, only took a couple of hours. did 3 coats on each skirt. Love the way it looks!!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/04/IMG_00981-1.jpg

And I got a some Legacy bling off ebay..
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/04/IMG_0099-1.jpg

Did 2.5GT DIY: Radiator Shroud (BD) (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=12634) looks pretty good for 20 minutes worth of work.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/04/IMG_00871-1.jpg

[hapatimmy]

how did you do that stubby antenna? That's really interesting.

[LegacyGT97]

how did you do that stubby antenna? That's really interesting.

I might do a DIY on this either tomorrow or next week on my days off.

Basically my old automatic antenna was done for, didn't work at all.
And since I didn't want an antenna that extended 4 feet up I decided to figure out a way to mount a stubby.

I took the whole antenna out and extended it out fully by hand. I placed the antenna end into a vice and yanked on it till the whole antenna popped out. I pulled the plastic teeth thingy out fully and replaced the remaining base of the antenna back into my car.

Then I took the stubby antenna and the supplied bolts and after about an hour figured out how to attach it.
The silver piece that holds the black rubber base in and found a nut that would fit into it and that screwed into the bolt that was inside of the antenna. then tightened it really good and then screwed the whole thing onto the remaining base of the old antenna.

It might sound a little confusing but if I could go back and do it again it would probably take me all of about 15 minutes.
Ill post up a DIY for sure.

*The quality of the radio reception did not decrease at all. But this is only what happened for me, it might differ for other people.

[hapatimmy]

uhh haha ya that was a little confusing. But definitely encouraging. Looking forward to that DIY!

[LegacyGT97]

Just got my new L7 Grill from Steinbruchsoldat (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=8763) on Saturday. Got it on today, here is some pictures.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/04/100427123800-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/04/100427123900-1.jpg

[WESTcoast]

I cant for your diy as well, my attenna sadly broke off (bought it like that) I always wanted a stubby attenna as i didnt want it to look like i had a CB radio in my car lol!


to fix your piece missing in your lip, i would get some bondo and fill it in, let it harden, and repair your whole lip, it will look brand new!

[LegacyGT97]

I cant for your diy as well, my attenna sadly broke off (bought it like that) I always wanted a stubby attenna as i didnt want it to look like i had a CB radio in my car lol!


to fix your piece missing in your lip, i would get some bondo and fill it in, let it harden, and repair your whole lip, it will look brand new!

Stubby DIY antenna is up!

I am going to do the Home Depot Lip and see how it looks, if it doesn't cover it up I will just do like you said and bondo it.
I'm going to bondo the bumper as well where there is a chunk missing, then sand and repaint it.

[Reason]

Pin stripe ftl, it looks a lot better. I like the head unit, that is one of 3 I'm thinking of getting.

[LegacyGT97]

Pin stripe ftl, it looks a lot better. I like the head unit, that is one of 3 I'm thinking of getting.

Yeah I am really happy with the look of it after it was de-pinstriped and the silly chrome trim over the wheel wells removed.

Its a great head unit! allows you to control the Ipod without having to even touch the Ipod at all. you can browse between albums, playlists, genre.. etc..
Only thing I wish it had was a touch screen and built in GPS.. but it doesn't :-(

[LegacyGT97]

Finally went to Home Depot and bought some garage door seal and did my lip.
(Sorry for the bad quality pic, silly phone)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/05/100504185100-1.jpg

[LegacyGT97]

So my Home depot lip didn't even last a week before it somehow got one side ripped off. I am going to look for something a little more rigid. Any suggestions? I'm thinking something plastic.

[LegacyGT97]

Update!
Used Reasons Headlight Restore DIY (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=16293) today and my headlights turned out amazing!!
Check it out!
Before:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/08/40209_10150251179530160_704135159_141292-1.jpg

After:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/08/40448_10150251215485160_704135159_141306-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/08/35966_10150251232270160_704135159_141313-1.jpg

I plan on doing them again maybe next week.

[LegacyGT97]

Update!

About a month and a half ago my car got broken into. They smashed the rear passenger window on the drivers side. The only thing they ended up taking was a $10 pair of sunglasses. So I was without my legacy for 4 days while it sat at my parents house. A new window plus tint for both new and old passenger window set me back $300 (Cheap actually)

Then about 3 weeks ago my car began over heating, we replaced the thermostat in hopes that it was just not opening up as much as it should. That lasted about a week before it started over heating again. Turns out the head gasket/head was cracked and coolant was seeping into the intake and being forced back through the system and out my overflow reservoir. So I phoned around and found a 2.5L out of a 99' Legacy, with 115,000 Km, for $700. So my dad and me spent 3 days ripping my old engine out and swapping parts across and finally dropping it back in.

Here are some pictures of the procedure:

New Motor:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/68140_10150364818750160_704135159_164410-1.jpg

Old Motor Coming Out:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/164809_10150369072470160_704135159_16516-1.jpg

Old Motor Out:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/69725_10150369073180160_704135159_165168-1.jpg

Old Motor Stripped Down:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/165119_10150369073605160_704135159_16516-1.jpg

Empty Engine Bay:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/162832_10150369073840160_704135159_16516-1.jpg

New Motor With Some Parts Back On:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/165517_10150369073460160_704135159_16516-1.jpg

New Motor Going In:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/156937_10150369960580160_704135159_16531-1.jpg

New Motor In:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/164725_10150369961115160_704135159_16531-1.jpg

She Lives!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/12/164161_10150370780640160_704135159_16547-1.jpg

[Huffer]

I hope you replaced the HG's on the new motor?

As for your bumper - buy a used JDM bumper + beam from ebay, have it repainted, install and get a nice new look, better foglights and lose some weight at the same time. win/win.

[LegacyGT97]

Couldn't pull enough money to get new head bolts sadly :(
My new motor only has 115,000 Km so I should be good for another 75,000 Km before I get to the "danger zone."

Definitely looking for a cheap JDM bumper, and then JDM fogs as well. With those two additions it would change the entire look of the car.

My dad is taking my car to the shop where he works Christmas to quickly tighten up the exhaust manifold bolts as I have a slight exhaust leak right now and he only hand tightened them with a ratchet the other night.
New motor seems to get up and go real good though!

Only other thing is I have a check engine like for a "Map Sensor". What is that? I tried to leave the negative terminal on the battery off for 4 hours and the code still didn't clear. any suggestions?

[LegacyGT97]

Turns out my MAF sensor was fine, It was 2 vacuum hoses that I accidentally put on improperly that threw the code.
Now she really runs good!