Perdue's 1998 Legacy GT-L - General Update 8/15/12

[Perdue]

Currently:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMG_0817-1.jpg

Mod List:
Interior
Alpine CDA-105

Exterior:
JDM Projectors with Painted Shrouds
Redout Vinyl in rear
Thule Roof Rack
Painted USDM Grill
35% Tint

Motor
Weapon R Intake (stock airbox)
Custom Borla Catback
Speedy Racer Borla Replica Headers

Suspension/Brakes/Wheels/Tires:
KYB GR2's
Rear Swaybar
Rear Diff Brace
Stainless Brake Lines
Mastercraft Glacer Grip II 205/50-16 on Black Stockers (winter)

Waiting to Install:
Painted USDM Fog Lights
Alpine 3522
Alpine MRP-M450
Kicker Comp 12
Tsudo Catback

Originally:
Almost a year ago, I sold my second Subaru (1998 Outback) to my dad...he needed it more than I did anyway. I've missed the car since and have been scanning every known source for a "somewhat local" Subaru that I could pick up on a budget. I've let a few go by over the past months, mostly because they were automatics, but also because I've been partial to a wagon. I found another 1998 Outback with a 5 speed and rebuilt everything for $3k on craigslist. The guy was literally 2 miles away. I went to buy it this week, and he decided to keep it instead. :smt017

Anyways, I got on craigslist looking around and spotted a 1998 Legacy GT Limited for $2000. The guy said it had a "noise in the motor" and needed some other TLC as well. I called and he had raised his price to $3000 because he had put a used motor in the car...I got him down to $2500 and the girlfriend and I went to pick it up today. The car runs and drives like a dream, but it definitely needs a lot of TLC...my first though is that it would make a great track car, but I'm looking more along the lines of a budget driver.

Known issues:
Shift Linkage Bushings are gone/shot
Reverse Lights aren't working
Speed Sensor isn't registering (this was tested with two clusters and the sensor was replaced...time to chase wires)
Dented driver's side fender
Leaky fuel filler neck
Broken FM Power Antenna
ROUGH paint
Really Foggy Lights

Engine:
Unknown Catback Exhaust
WeaponR Intake

Suspension/Wheels/Tires:
Unknown Springs
KYB GR2 Struts
Unknown Rear Swaybar
Front Strut Tower Bar
Stock Snowflakes with Snow Tires

Interior:
Silver Painted Trim (Which is chipping EVERYWHERE)
Blue Vinyl Door Inserts?!
Pioneer CD Player (Lord Help Me...)

Tomorrow I plan to get it registered and mostly legal. It needs the reverse lights fixed before it gets inspected, but it will be on the road otherwise. The loose shifter bushings make driving the car a little...sketchy, especially when down-shifting, but it's ok. Here are some crappy cell phone pics from when we got home...it was getting to be dusk, so i didn't take much time. My question is, does anyone know what springs these are? I did my best to get a picture in the low light...I'm not sure if they are low enough for my liking, but they ride comfortably.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMAG0005-2.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMAG0135-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMAG0137-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMAG0138-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMAG0139-1.jpg

[dplacencia]

She will need some work. It will be a fun project car.... Good luck with it...

[grayguy]

Those look like stock springs

[Perdue]

I just don't recall mine having the gold and red decals on them...they look like some kind of lion or something

[Wiscon_Mark]

Those problems aren't too big of deal - the car looks like it's in really good shape aside from the small faults.

And you've got your self another silver BD!

[Navi271]

Those marks on the springs are just the factory paint dots. They put them on there to determine what kind of springs you have since all the factory springs are black. From what I've researched, I've seen that no one is exactly sure what dots mean which spring. Except 2 purple dots = sti. They could be stock wrx springs, but all aftermarket springs are usually colorful and should have writing on them, not paint dots.

Sure it's a little rough around the edges, but looks pretty solid. Nice find.

[Perdue]

That would make sense...It sits lower than normal, but just not as low as my H&R's did...granted, they aren't nearly as rough as the H&R's either. They'll last through the Winter at least. Right now my plans are for some JDM projectors and fogs, JDM tails, redo the interior, a Corbeau FX1 Pro, and a rustoleum paintjob.

[Huffer]

Wahey, welcome back. Still miss your old L man!

Sounds like the speedo is going to to be the most problematic issue. Reverse lights - check the reverse switch/sensor on the tranny. If the engine has recently been replaced make sure the electrical connections are solid. The reverse switch is only a few bucks if it's still the switch.

Hope the car works out great for you!

[Perdue]

I worked on the car some today. Got the fuel filler pipe replaced. Those 13 year old screws and hoses were a PITA, but I honestly enjoyed it...good to be back. Filled the tank up and no leaks, thus far.

I am going to look at the speed sensor and reverse switch on Monday as well. One of my high beams is burnt out, and the fogs aren't working. I'll replace all those bulbs and try to polish them out as well...might even clear and paint them. This is all pending the weather, of course. It sucks not having a garage anymore.

[mshriver]

Nice find.. you should check out wvsubarus if your not already on there http://wvsubarus.forumotion.com/

[Perdue]

I got some time to work on the car today and nothing seemed to go right. No one had a reverse switch in stock, so I'm waiting on that. I'm also going to go to the dealership and get the coupling/bushings that I need to replace in the shift linkage, and maybe even order a short shifter and knob...which means I also need to replace the boot. I ran new wires between the speed sensor and cluster, but it didn't fix anything. I'm aggravated. I'm going to borrow the cluster out of the outback I sold to dad and see if it works in my car. If that doesn't work, I'm not sure what will. The speed sensor is new and there is no break in wiring between the sensor and cluster (unless one of the connectors is bad), so if a new cluster doesn't fix it, who knows?

I also got some Plasti-Dip to spray my interior trim bits with, but didn't bother after the rest of my day. I'll try again Wednesday or Thursday...maybe I can even get some fabric and adhesive to redo the door cards then too.

Edit: Oh...I also found out that my fogs are severely dirty and discolored from the inside...I assume they have leaked for a long time. Now I'm in search of another pair (cheap), or maybe I'll order some JDM fogs to go with the JDM projectors I ordered the other night.

[Perdue]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMAG0150-2.jpg

Picked this up tonight off of Craigslist for $140. Just a 12" Kicker Comp with ported box and two Alpine Amps. The Mono Amp has way too much power for the single Comp, but I'm going to try and run it with the gain turned down. My living room is covered in parts and wiring from the JDM Projectors and my fog lights that I took apart to clean. The lenses have all been sanded and polished and the shrouds painted. The fog lights aren't salvageable to do anything other than fill the holes in my bumper. The mud and moisture in them has rusted and corroded the wiring and contacts to teh point that I can do nothing with them. I'm using Hella XB 55w bulbs for low beams and Hella Xtreme Yellow 55w bulbs for the high beams. I'm thinking I'll be ok without fogs for now, but anything is better than these stock housings. I also want to get a stereo into the car soon, but it's going to take time to strip my stereo stuff out of the truck and transfer it, and I still need to source some decent components.

I'm also looking at seats and considering paint colors for after I do the body work and all this spring. I have some rust starting over the rear wheels that is barely noticeable, so I want to take care of it while I can. I also plan on JDM side moldings, shaving all emblems, some sort of grille, and possibly going wingless. Paints on the table right now are Rustoleum Smoke Gray or possibly some sort of dark green. Still not sure about wheels this spring, but I'm debating between H&R springs and KYB GR2's vs coilovers right now.

[Perdue]

Installed my JDM projectors today. Shroud was painted flat black and the blinker/marker reflector was redone with metallic tape. I tried to mask the chrome itself, but it was too weak and peeled off of the shroud's surface. Left the Amber markers in...I like the look. Bulbs are Hella XB and Hella YellowStar. I'm waiting to get some new bolts to put the fog lights back in.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMAG0153-2.jpg

[xoSubieLegacyxo]

like the projectors.

[GTDrifter]

Nice Lego
and by the looks of your old headlights the projectors were a safer option

[Perdue]

Now with 100% more rawr!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMAG0156-1.jpg

[TGX4776]

lol nice

[xoSubieLegacyxo]

RUUUUUN IT'Z GODZIRRA!!!!! :mad: :mad: haha

[Perdue]

Finally got my roof rack on and adjusted correctly, redout done to the tails, and my SLi plate on today. I washed her up and finally took some pictures with my real camera. I'm falling in love with this car, more so than any subaru I've had in the past. The 5 speed is fun and I've already got a couple mods I only dreamed of with the first BD. I love this car...it just needs lowered and the wheels need repainted. I got another set of stock snowflakes that I'm probably going to strip as well, but repaint them gold or gunmetal. They will get some Yokohama S-Drive's for summer, and I'll replace these tires with WS-70's next winter (these still have at least the season left in them).

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/11/IMG_0779-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/11/IMG_0781-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/11/IMG_0783-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/11/IMG_0784-1.jpg

And here's a video of the hazard lights on with the redout vinyl. It does pretty well, IMO. Doesn't block TOO much light, but it seems pretty red to me.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v483/ ... EO0009.mp4 (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v483/perdue82385/?action=view&current=VIDEO0009.mp4)

[TGX4776]

i have been thinking of doing this as well

[Perdue]

The red out? It was only like $8 shipped for the vinyl for a BD...if I had paid more attention and planned better, I could have kept some for gauges later on. I got mine from metrorestyling.com. I would recommend using a hair dryer or heat gun, or just doing it on a warm day in the sun. My driver's side was in the shade and has a wrinkle in it, as well as a few small bubbles. The passenger's side was in the sun and it was much easier to do. I like it.

[Huffer]

Looking great John! You should hit that front plate with a clearcoat to avoid damage in the winter. :)

[TGX4776]

The red out? It was only like $8 shipped for the vinyl for a BD...if I had paid more attention and planned better, I could have kept some for gauges later on. I got mine from metrorestyling.com. I would recommend using a hair dryer or heat gun, or just doing it on a warm day in the sun. My driver's side was in the shade and has a wrinkle in it, as well as a few small bubbles. The passenger's side was in the sun and it was much easier to do. I like it.


what size did you get?

[Perdue]

12x24 and it was more than enough. Grab your girl's hair dryer and it will make it a lot easier to form.

[Perdue]

Painted wheels, Painted USDM Grill, and Headunit (No picture). The paint is Rustoleum Semi-Gloss Black.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/11/IMAG0181-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/11/IMAG0183-1.jpg

[rocketlegacy]

Moving right along. how simple was the wheel painting. i need to do that soon.

[geckoboy86]

Looks good. I am thinking about painting my RSs. I'm kinda missing my car with gold rims.

[Perdue]

It was pretty easy and straight forward. I just ran masking tape around the edge and then taped the envelopes down to protect the tire. The mesh wheels are a pain, but its doable. Just hit the sides of the spokes with paint first to make sure they are covered, and then lay the coat as usual.

What gold paint did you use on the wheels that I bought from you, gecko? When I redo them I would like to use the same color.

[geckoboy86]

I didn't paint those. STiRally8 did. I did paint my Hella Horns gold and I found the gold metallic from Lowes looks close.

[Perdue]

Finally got some spare time over the past couple of days. I got the windows tinted, and my Borla Reps are waiting to be wrapped and installed...unfortunately, we won't have any warm weather anytime soon so that I can spray them. I decided to wash the car and take a few pictures with some new pieces of equipment today.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/IMG_0817-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/12/IMG_0819-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/12/IMG_0822-1.jpg

[Dead91silvia]

Nice! Like the plate! haha!!!

One thing though, not a big deal, but I dont think your car is a factory Limited. I looks like its a dealer limited. Only reason I say that is in 98 Limited's never came with 5 speeds and Limited's had all Gold badges. And the Limited was only like leather, intermittent wipers, and wood grain. Nice car ether way.... :smt023

[Perdue]

I figured it wouldn't hurt to update this some. I have been busy with work and the kids, plus moving, so I haven't paid my thread much attention. Modifications have slowed down, partially due to us getting a new house, but mostly due to the fact that stuff keeps breaking. That's the joy of having a 15 year old car that was abused by it's previous owners, but I love the car and wouldn't change it.

On March 2, I blew my motor on the way to my girlfriend's house after work. Was cruising on the interstate when it just started knocking and blew within a mile, leaving me stranded in the middle of a horrible storm...apparently what I thought was piston slap was actually a rod.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/03/IMAG0245-1.jpg

I busted out a lot of overtime not only to cover another motor, but to cover the extra gas I was having to pay out by driving the truck everywhere. Finally, I got enough together to get a motor locally for $800 with 60k on the clock. It took a couple weeks, but I finally got the chance to swap it.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0271-1.jpg
I am pretty sure this was the problem...
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0272-1.jpg

The new motor is great...good and strong with the obvious piston slap (I'm sure it's piston slap this time...a very mild case). I recently went to put a new axle in thinking it would fix the noise/vibration from my front wheel, but it's worse now. I'm assuming my problem is either a wheel bearing, tie rod, or combination of both from driving on a bad axle for so long. Last night, I pulled the car into the garage to begin the teardown for the front suspension...I really wish i could afford springs while I was at it.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0309-1.jpg

[chrish8r]

Hope it gets fixxed up and rides smooth. Glad to see you still have and are enjoying it

[Perdue]

I forgot to mention that I installed my Speedy Racer Borla Reps...they fit like crap. Had to wrestle them onto the exhaust studs and after almost two hours of fighting with them, I figured out they rest against the oil pan. I doubt I can sell them, so I'll be pulling them back off and using the flanges for a custom header...thinking OBX-ish 4-1 headers.

[Perdue]

I've been messing with GIMP and experimenting with some paint ideas for when I do my $50 paintjob...I like these two, and the blue is something I would have never imagined I would have liked on a BD.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/03/ConceptFinal-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/08/blueconcept-1.jpg

It will probably be spring before I start working on paint...I want my seat, struts and springs, and tires first.

[chrish8r]

I have GIMP on my computer but cause one of my graphic design friends told me to but I have no Idea how to use it. haha

But I think that that blue looks really cool on the basis that it is different and it flows really well with the black/gray accents.

[Huffer]

I forgot to mention that I installed my Speedy Racer Borla Reps...they fit like crap. Had to wrestle them onto the exhaust studs and after almost two hours of fighting with them, I figured out they rest against the oil pan. I doubt I can sell them, so I'll be pulling them back off and using the flanges for a custom header...thinking OBX-ish 4-1 headers.

Did you try heating them up and bending them off the car?

I am so glad I have genuine Borla headers. Fitment is perfect. Shame they don't make them anymore, or that the replicas are such utter crap.

[Perdue]

If I do, they won't fit. I need to see how well it clears the oil filter and if its ok, I might get a 90 to extend the primary away from the oil pan. If not, I have a $120 set of header flanges

[1996Battlewagon]

The flat with black hood and green wheels is straight dope. Please do that!

[ags18]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/03/ConceptFinal-1.jpg


http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/47_503579111924_9087_n.jpg

Do it!

I loved my green wheels. It being my favorite color kinds of sways my opinion tho! :smt023

[Perdue]

I've been putting together a wishlist of things I want to do to the car...nothing too extreme, but enough to make a fun daily driver that's capable of a nice shakedown run or auto-x event. We will see how much I actually stick to this, but oh well.

Exterior:
Install my foglights with Hella Yellowstars
New Driver's Fender
RFRB Grill
Rust Repair (while I'm ahead)
Wingless
Debadged and Shaved Antenna
$100 repaint

Suspension/Brakes/Tires:
KYB GR-2's
H&R Springs
Whiteline Steel Endlinks
Reinforced Swaybar Mounts
FHI 4-Pots (Plan to get a used JDM set and rebuild them)
H6 Rear Brakes
25mm Spacers (So I can keep the snowflakes)
Yokohama S-Drive Tires

Interior:
Put my stereo stuff in...possibly a fiberglass sub box
Harness Bar (Either custom, or a modified WRX bar)
Version 6 STi Front Seats
Install my harness
Dyed Rear Seats, Headliner, and Carpet
STi Floor Mats
Interior Lights Changed to Red
Some sort of shift knob and boot, maybe carry the boot material to an armrest cover
Paint all the interior trim back to black...maybe do a CF wrap on it later

Go Parts:
Short Shifter
Custom Header and Cat Pipe
Install my Tsuedo Exhaust (Finally)
Lightened Flywheel
Exedy Clutch

It's not a horribly over the top build...no swap or anything, but I'm ok with that. My girlfriend and I are carpooling to work now, so in order for me to get to drive my car, it will have to remain comfortable, hence the V6 seats (instead of Corbeau Seats) and lack of coilovers.