Stock front skid plate, 1998 BK

[ShadowGT]

You know.. I crawled under my wife's truck to grab something that fell out and I noticed she had a skid plate. Then I got to thinking.. every car I've owned had so some sort of skid plate protecting the headers, oil pan from debris.

My Legacy? None, nada. Didn't this car have some sort of plastic or aluminum plate under the engine from the subframe forward to protect the oil pan at least? This would have been nice considering 3 months into owning this car I hit a cinderblock on the road and it tore off my stock header, ripped my radiator hose, punctured my muffler and caused all sorts of mayhem under the car. I was under there for 2 weeks fixing all that.

Sure a plastic plate probably wouldn't have done much.. but damn.. my UEL headers are right there in the open and so is my oil pan. I took my car to get an oil change and the tech under the car said to somebody else "this car does't have a brush plate" so I guess no skid plate, like he was alarmed.. like I should have had one? Like in 1998?

Yeah I can buy a rally shield from Primitive Racing.. but I was curious about did this car even have a stocker to begin with?

(My wife's truck is a Hyundai. I mean Hyundai had the forethought to put a protective plate under there, yeah it's plastic but anything to slow down and blunt incoming debris)

[Huffer]

On most factory issue Legacies, there was a plastic skid plate that was usually clipped on - if you look at BE-BH onwards models they SHOULD have a plastic skid plate.

Pretty much all the newer WRX's and Imprezas have them - you could repurpose one to the BD. I have considered doing the same but haven't found one for extremely cheap.

[Okin DaVanh]

Wicked Innovations (Local and Reason knows him) used to make them for our cars. Don't know how "$ cheap $" they are, but they were being made out of some quality metal.

Here you go:
http://www.wickedinnovation.net/pages/W ... lates.html (http://www.wickedinnovation.net/pages/WI-Subaru-Skid-Plates.html)

[ShadowGT]

Wicked Innovations (Local and Reason knows him) used to make them for our cars. Don't know how "$ cheap $" they are, but they were being made out of some quality metal.

Here you go:
http://www.wickedinnovation.net/pages/W ... lates.html (http://www.wickedinnovation.net/pages/WI-Subaru-Skid-Plates.html)

Oh that's awesome!

When I got this car it was such a mystery to me. I mean I knew it was a basket case and the previous owner gave up trying to rebuild it and I had this box of parts in the back that came with the car. Two years later I never thought.. there was a skid plate there of some sort.

[Baddog]

Primitive racing also makes them for around 200.

[rougeben83]

I have a primitive on my car, its good stuff. The stock one from the 2nd gen outbacks are metal but they only cover the oil pan. The baja had a "skidplate" that was wraparound but made of plastic... most cars have something similar, its really more of a splashguard/aero purpose than to actually shield anything.

[Wiscon_Mark]

My Wife's Grand Cherokee has a skidplate....but it's also a Jeep.

I only had some small plastic guards on the bottom, nothing like that primitive racing plate. None of the stock ones are very good.

Does the primitive racing one have the cutouts for oil changes?

[Baddog]

I believe it does. If not I think they can put them in.

http://www.get-primitive.com/

Go to skidplates > Legacy and Outback skid plates > then to the bottom of the page.

"Extras and add-ons: add a 4" oil filter access hole for $15; or delete all access holes for $15 (reduces mud or gravel working its way on top of the plate) "

[Dead91silvia]

I have NEVER seen a ANY Legacy with a "skid plate" (USDM that is). Even my customers 05 XT outback. They are all plastic. They have a rear diff plate you can get from the dealer and they are kinda cheap (under $100)...

[harrymaneuvers]

OEM subaru legacy skid plate... they are mainly found on postal vehicles or Australian cars...

I have seen a few of them pop up over the years... I bet if you reached out the the legacy JDM parts seller in NZ, he would probably be able to find one.


https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/10/P5241559JPG-1.jpg

[jjay03]

I would just like to have a plastic under tray to keep salt and road debris off the bottom of my engine and header. Maybe I should try to make one somehow unless there is a factory or aftermarket one that will fit.

[Huffer]

^^ You could try fitting one from a later model WRX or STi... or LGT.