radu416's 2000 Outback

[radu416]

So this is my MR1 thread for my 2000 Outback wagon, it's base, manual, slow, and I love it.
Although I started this post 2 years into my ownership, I wanted to present things in a chronological order. 6 months after making this post the idea has gone out the window, so I'm going to give you a short summary and jump to present day. I may dump my archive of old photos in here someday...
Purhcased in May 2014, in Ontario, Canada with 162k km. Involved in an accident in July 2014 as someone did a U-turn in front of me, insurance wanted to scrap my car, I fought them and had it repaired, pooprly, by a local hack-mechanic to get it back. Blew through two transmissions so far, one in Oct 2015, another in January 2016. Currently it's serving as daily to get to university to finish up my last semester.
UPDATE: The car is now in retirement, serving as a roadtrip and Sunday drive vehicle. Waiting for me to sort out my life so I can move to a place with a proper garage and take my time with an engine swap.

Recent photo (July 2017)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/07/dZZPKhC-1.jpg

Current Mod List

Engine:
Stock for now, just maintenance, lots of work but no mods
STi Head Gaskets (No more Graphite single-layer crap)
K&N Re-usable Air Filter (Barely a mod)


Drivetrain and Suspension:
Subframe spacer delete with all required mods
JDM GT-B Bilstein struts and springs
TY755VC3AA transmission from junkyard MY03 Forester (RIP)
TY754VC6CA transmission from junkyard MY05 Impreza RS with 4.111 final drive (Yay for junkyard warranty)
Some stock-spec Exedy clutch
COBB 5MT Shifter Bushings
COBB Double Adjustable Short-throw shifter
Male type front axles to match transmission
Whiteline Front Endlinks
Whiteline Rear Endlinks
Whiteline 20mm adjustable rear sway bar
MOOG Tie Rods
MOOG Ball Joint (Yes, just one for now)
STi Genome front strut brace
Cusco Rear strut brace (used to be rkrenicki's -> maximum SL-i street cred)
Replacement rear arms with bushings (old ones were seized and couldn’t be aligned)
Motul Gear 300 75W-90 in rear diff

Wheels, Tires, Brakes:
USDM MY06-07 WRX 4-2 pot calipers with Kartboy adapters
Hawk HPS Pads
Centric Rotors
Stoptech braided brake lines
ATE TYP 200 DOT 4 brake fluid
Winter Setup
2000-01 Impreza 2.5RS 16X7"+53 Wheels wrapped in 225/60R16 Continental ExtremeWinterContact
Summer setup
JDM LGT/WRX 17x7"+55 wheels wrapped in 225/45R17 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
Notable mentions / Head nod
1997-2004 Legacy GT 16x6.5"+55 Wheels on 225/60/R16 on old TOYO tires (1 newer than the rest, thanks previous owner :cry: )

Interior:
JDM Black Face Meter from a MT Car
JDM Momo steering wheel (Not sure what year/model it's out of)
Cobb shifter knob
2003 WRX heated front seats (Pass has swapped rails)
2004 BH centre console (3 cup holders now!)
2003-4? Visor (Girlfriend wanted one with a mirror)
Kenwood Single DIN Head Unit with USB
Code reader that lives in the glovebox
Huskyliner floor mats
Leather door cards from a Legacy GT Limited
2003-4 Legacy GT black leather back seats
OEM Tweeters
Mightycarmods Yellow hat mirror doodle
Replaced window gussets

Exterior:
Rallyarmour Basic Mud Flaps
JDM Tailights and centre piece
Custom bent hood and rad support courtesy of a previous encounter with a RAV4
Some eBay yellow film on fog lights
Clear corner headlight (Baked and removed the orange bit)

Things I have but are not on the car yet.
Some scoopless JDM hood (Currently in my kitchen)
The other MOOG Ball Joint
JDM L7 / LT Grille from above hood (Had a Lancaster6 thingy in it)
H6 Auto Climate Control
JDM Wing
Rear subframe poly bushings
Spare set of lights awaiting some HID retrofitting

[Muse]

Sounds like a fun ride. Definitely looking forward to some more pictures.

[radu416]

Recent photo I took while on some local back-roads
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/12/UtoZvlz-1.jpg

[radu416]

Made a friend on campus by parking next to each other for one semester. He drives the cleanest BD I've ever seen. A 1999 Legacy 2.5 GT. Second owner, driven by an old lady and garage kept all of its life. It's mint! We recently met over winter break and got some bad quality pictures at a spot he likes.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/12/a7N9XKa-1.jpg

[radu416]

I just solved the mystery of my transmission, that’s been in the back of my mind for nearly a year. I recently noticed an error in the speedometer with stock sized tires.
My original transmission TY754VCACA failed and was replaced in Oct 2015 with a MY03 Forester TY755VC3AA that I purchased from a junkyard.
2086
I ruined that transmission (didn't use a clutch alignment tool when putting the engine back together after the headgasket repair) and exchanged the tranny for a MY05 Forester tranny that I currently have. I'm using the speedometer gear that came with the transmission. I took a picture of the tag on the gearbox, but didn't think much of it at the time.
During spring/summer/fall I drove on some 235/45R17 tires that came with my JDM 17" wheels, and although they were undersized, the speedometer didn't indicate a significant error.
Now I'm back on winter tires in the stock size, 225/60R16 and I'm noticing an error in the speedometer. I'm moving faster than indicated.
Turns out that the junkyard didn't give a MY05 Forester transmission. I just ran the tag on the transmission, and TY754VC6CA according to this chart (http://www.rallispec.com/downloads/Transmission%20ID%20Chart_Public.pdf) is from a US Impreza RS Prodrive MY05. I don't know that a RS Prodrive is, but the MY05 Impreza RS ran 205/55R16 tires. This means that for me speedometer to be correct I'd need to run impreza sized tires, and the stock Outback tires are oversized for the speedometer gear currently in my gearbox.
To quantify this, the current tires result in a 6.8% error in speed.

[98legwag]

I hope the Forester trans is the same final drive as your rear diff.

[radu416]

I hope the Forester trans is the same final drive as your rear diff.

Yes, they're all 4.11 final drive. They are compatible with the stock diff, which until recently I didn't know was a vLSD

[radu416]

I’ve began collecting/hoarding the parts I need to lower my outback properly. The latest addition is a set of Powerflex rear subframe bushings. I picked them up in lightly used condition from a buddy that’s moved on from his H6 Outback. I’m glad to have acquired these as I’ve read that it takes a long time to get them, and I got them for a fair price.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/01/4u4zRGYjpg2-1.jpg
After gathering some more information on the parts I need to swap over from a Legacy on top of the parts I need for my future plans, I have decided that it’s time to start looking for a parts car. There’s a GT wagon in my neighbourhood that hasn’t moved in over a year. Hopefully I’ll have an update soon.

[radu416]

I've returned after a long time with some updates. In my last post, I mentioned I was on the hunt for a donor car.
Although I wanted the wagon that's been sitting for at least a year a block from where I live, I ended up with this 2003 Legacy L. Due to my current circumstances I needed a parts car that runs and drives as it's stored at a friend’s place and occasionally it needs to move so that the parking lot can be washed.

It's auto, 350k km, and it's got a leaky head gasket. The body panels that can be unbolted are in great shape. It's got the worst quarter panels I've ever seen. So why did I buy this? Well, I wanted to have the cars side by side when converting the Outback's suspension into a Legacy. Also, I'm not sure if I'll convert the body (doors, fenders, front bumper, etc), but if I do I have good panels ready. Overall the car cost less than the sum of the parts I needed to convert the suspension, so I'm happy with that. I also got an auto driveshaft so that will come in handy when I do the 6-speed swap. I still need a driveshaft and a transmission cross-member, but that won't be a problem to find. I'm still waiting to figure out my future living situation, so in the meantime, the parts car is just sitting.

[radu416]

I ventured out of my way one morning, killing time in between classes and I went to a junkyard I've never been to before. To my pleasant surprise, they had just gotten in a 2003-04 Legacy GT wagon with black leather interior. I had been searching for this for a looooong time. I came back the next day with tools and pulled the back seat. I was even able to pull my car next to it and do the swap in the yard. Now my base Outback has leather door cards and leather backseat, with bugeye WRX cloth seats.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/FBUrD0Ujpg1-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/M6DNVSnjpg1-1.jpg

I am very happy with how it's transformed the interior of my car, but I am a little unhappy with the mixed look of the cloth front seats and leather back. I've been looking at other Subaru leather seats in black and the 2005-2009 Legacy GT ones seemed to be better bolstered than the 2000-2004 and Baja ones. I had a disappointing afternoon when a friend of mine was parting out a 2006 LGT sedan and those leather seats didn't fit. So, for now, I'm going to have to live with this interior. Eventually, I'd like to get the leather seats from the premium 2006/7 WRX. A friend of mine has that car and he said he was offered $1000 for his interior and turned it down, so if/when a set becomes available, I doubt I'll be able to afford it.

[radu416]

I FINALLY had my 4/2 pot calipers powder coated and rebuilt. I’ve had them for over a year, but I’ve been doing nothing with them. They came from a wrecked WRX that caught fire. I was pretty lucky finding them as the wrecked car arrived while I was at a junkyard looking for rear door seals. They were rebuilt with OEM seals and brand-new bleeders. I kept the pistons. They came out looking great. I also picked up a bunch of other parts for the brake convertsion. Kartboy rear adapters, StopTech braided lines, HAWK HPS Pads, and Centric Rotors, and some ATE TYP 200 DOT 4 fluid.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/MWZ9NC9-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/x1wQ8Bz-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/nykb751-1.jpg

When I started work on the brake conversion, I ran into some problems. Despite soaking stuff in penetrating oil, the Ontario winter salt made everything very rusty and although I used a flare-nut wrench on the brake lines, some broke off. I picked up some copper-nickel brake line, the correct fittings, and a double-flaring tool. I smartened up and picked up a butane torch and was able to save the rest of the lines. I had to cut and flare the main hard line on the rear driver side, and fabricate the middle hard line on both rears as I broke one, and the stoptech lines were slightly shorter and the OEM lines so I couldn’t use the saved hard line. Fronts worked fine with a little heat. I did boil my brake fluid pretty bad so it took a long time to flush everything properly.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/PPgzKqi-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/vgFMTxR-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/gY7KA4u-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/O6jJF6f-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/mgvpEiN-1.jpg

[radu416]

I forgot to metion that I installed an adjustable 20mm rear sway bar from Whiteline. P/N BSR12XZ. It's set to its harder setting. The rear endlinks were also replaced with whiteline ones.
This was a great improvement over my 14mm stock RSB and worn-out endlinks.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/VasvU2y-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/pPrkmjc-1.jpg

[radu416]

Pic dump of old photos of the car's history since I bought it (May 2014)
First detail, a week afte I got it
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/ZISGAmN-1.jpg
Dog approved
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/t5mRDsy-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/h29x2lN-1.jpg


Accident with a RAV4. She pulled an illegal U-turn and I was in her blind spot. (July 2014)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/atcFaHfjpg1-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/ToVl8hNjpg1-1.jpg

Repaired (August 2014)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/axXF0FJjpg1-1.jpg

Attempting to swap hoods (September 2014)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/uEqNEW2-1.jpg

Frozen wasteland of Kanukistan (Feb 2015)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/u8FibnH-1.jpg

Bumper swap and headlight polish (July 2015)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/PbFZGy5-1.jpg

Head Gasket Time (Nov 2015)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/PL5DYul-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/j9ZvgxD-1.jpg

BFM Spaghetti and install (Early 2016)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/Y5tCUBB-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/eIIiRsq-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/vC6qAv4-1.jpg

Rally Pedigree (Summer 2016)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/ljga3Q4-1.jpg

On JDM Bilsteins (Summer 2016)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/TH1ilSu-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/0fvtqnv-1.jpg

Summer to winter wheel/tire swap (Dec 2016)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/07/DsJkSsE-1.jpg

[Somac]

Great Outback! Lots of tasteful mods. Looks like it's come a long way. I look forward to more!

[radu416]

I did a thing! Update time...
A big step in the power-supporting category. I finally de-outback-ified the Outback, properly. Man was it a pain…
I’m not going to get into why I did this, but I’m happy with the outcome. To most people, this looks like a lot of work for nothing. I got a lot of “just throw coilovers on it and call it a day”.

I had a donor car, 2003 L auto, that I bought in 2017 for $500 and a set of JDM GT-B Bilsteins that have been living in my kitchen for nearly 18 months. Got the donor car and the Outback side-by-side at a friend’s garage.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/cWCDjbU-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/PhRDxXs-1.jpg

Pretty in-depth and complete set of instructions in this thread (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?6999-Lowering-my-Outbacks-the-hard-%2528Right%2529-way). Some photos of what makes differentiates the outback from a legacy, besides the obvious strut and spring assembly.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/Kz11qqD-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/9Sh2S17-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/umWd1nC-1.jpg

I did run into some problems with the shifter assembly. I was discussing the progress with two separate guys that have done this conversion, but they had both done it on automatic H6 cars.
I ended up using the shifter assembly out of a 2006/7 Impreza because that was available to me. The stock shifter assembly didn’t work once the Legacy transmission cross-member was installed.
I also ran into a freak problem where the steering joint I bought from Subaru was an Outback one but was labeled a Legacy one. This was annoying and delayed the project a bit.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/zUWO6Ot-1.jpg
Another hiccup was the (lack of) clearance between the tire and the front struts’ spring perch. On my 17s with 225/55R17 tires, there was firm contact with the spring perch, enough that it BURNED RUBBER driving up and down the street for 5 minutes.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/AMyXxVZ-1.jpg
I’m happy with the ride height, although I did like the way it sat with the outback sized tires.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/m3pBLbV-1.jpg
I’m currently running 225/45R17 sized tires. Just waiting for an alignment now.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2018/05/o16ou7K-1.jpg

[radu416]

Well... My Subie is dead :smt022
I'll spare you the carnage, but it gave its life to save mine. I was rear-ended on a highway while stopped. A Ford Escape hit me at highway speeds and completely destroyed the car. After impact, I rotated and hit the car in front with the passenger side, and then I shot forward into a wall. Every side had damage except for the driver door. I am very lucky to walk away from it. The firefighters were amazed that not only I was alive, but that I got out of the car in one piece. I was not at fault and I got a payout, but nowhere near enough to what it'd take to replace it.

I miss this car so much. It was my first car and I had finally dialed in the suspension, I was ready to take it off the road for winters and focus on making it fast. I wasn't anywhere near done with it, I even had parts in the mail for it.
I managed to save some parts off it, so some of it will live on in my next outback. I still have a lot of BH specific parts so I'll be back into a BH at some point in the future.

Goodbye old friend. Thank you for the good times. I'm sorry...

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2019/09/gFfvfRZ-1.jpg