wagonista's '96 BG7 [goodbye, old friend.]

[Wagonista]

1996 BG7 Legacy Outback. EJ22 5MT

- Purchased in CA July 2007 with 191,000mi on the clock. It has something like 136k on it as of fall of 2014.

Exterior:
- Aerotech knockoff (ebay) front grille
- JDM rain deflectors
- Ganador Aero mirrors (removed) Power / Folding mirrors [outbacks do not have them standard]
- Shaved pinstriping
- Removed fog covers
- DIY mudflaps do not want.
- Tinted 5% rear, 35.5% front
- OEM wing
- OEM sideskirts Need a new passenger side one...

Lighting/Electronics:
- Hyper yellow fog lights
- DIY red gauges
- LED dome lights and license plate lights
- Clarion DXZ585USB head unit

Interior:
- Greddy counterweight shift knob
- eBay pedal covers
- Door cards and armrest covered in black microfiber suede
- Razo 300mm rear view mirror
- 2003 WRX bucket seats
- DIY red hazard switch

Engine/drivetrain:
- Butchered stock intake
- SPT oil filler cap... Won in a raffle at a very large Subaru meet. Bling!
- 1995 Impreza L transmission 1999 2.5RS 4.111 transmission
- Kartboy front shifter bushings
- Group N Transmission mount
- GrimmSpeed lightweight crank pulley
- ACT Streetlite flywheel
- Exedy organic clutch

Suspension / etc:
- 2003 WRX 16x6.5 +53 225/60/16 // JDM Legacy GTB 17x7 // XXR 530 18x8.75 +35 235/40/18 // 2013 WRX 17x8 +53
- 2004 STi struts & springs KYB AGX Adjustable struts, STi springs
- Rear strut bar
- Drilled/Slotted rotors with ceramic pads

Pictures:

At stock when I got it:
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/p1010015.jpg

From a couple years ago:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/03/DSC_0183-1.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/summer-2009/dsc_0478_2.jpg

Then for a while it was like:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/03/20130706_160043_zpsdc9e8742-1.jpg

[DLC]

The RMIC Classifieds section on NASIOC has a lot of traffic, so you might see if you can find some WRX/STI takeoffs for struts/springs. There have been many writeups on here about that sort of swap. Much cheaper than new OE parts also...

[caoutback]

Best bet would be t find Sybir, he's got SIC lowered Outback and has used MANY different setups suspension wise (Look through his members rides page). I personally am going to go with KYB GR2's and a set of WhiteLine Control springs when I get to lowering my 98 LOB. Nice ride and good luck with it. Is yours a stick or auto? I'd highly recommend an e bay intake to help with the upper rpm umph.

[Wagonista]

Yeah, I love sybir's car.

I've been watching the RMIC classifieds on and off for a WRX or STI partout. I'd love to get my hands on suspension and seats from one. For suspension, do I need to get parts from a wagon or will sedan parts work the same?

Yeah, it's a 5 speed manual. My first car with a stick and I can't go back to automatic, i love it.

Where are you from caoutback? I used to live in sonoma county.

[IwannaRally]

i like your grill i am planning on getting one does anyone know if it would fit a sedan?

[WinterKnoll]

Yup, the grille would work with a sedan too, but I'm not sure which ones, some have the "short" style grille and some have "tall", the short will work in a tall style legacy (despite the fact that there will be a small gap underneath), but not the other way around. I don't know whether this is a tall or short grille.

[Wagonista]

The grille is a short style. It leaves a gap, but it's not really noticeable.

[Tadashisan]

you shoul get rid of those ugly fog light protectors...since they dont do anyhing. i like it though, looks like mine...but clean lol

[caoutback]

Yeah, it's a 5 speed manual. My first car with a stick and I can't go back to automatic, i love it.

Where are you from caoutback? I used to live in sonoma county.
I live in Amador County :neutral: . Mine is a 5 speed also and won't buy anything (unless super special) that isn't a stick (auto's blow IMHO). DEFINITELY do yourself a favor and do the e bay intake from an RS, biggest and best mod I've done so far to help get over the falling on face loss of grunt in the upper rpms (above 3k if I remember). My ride with all the goodies (and even with just the intake) REALLY likes to pull to red line :twisted: .

[Wagonista]

Yeah, it's a 5 speed manual. My first car with a stick and I can't go back to automatic, i love it.

Where are you from caoutback? I used to live in sonoma county.
I live in Amador County :neutral: . Mine is a 5 speed also and won't buy anything (unless super special) that isn't a stick (auto's blow IMHO). DEFINITELY do yourself a favor and do the e bay intake from an RS, biggest and best mod I've done so far to help get over the falling on face loss of grunt in the upper rpms (above 3k if I remember). My ride with all the goodies (and even with just the intake) REALLY likes to pull to red line :twisted: .

Yeah I was looking at the writeup on those and really wanna get one. I cut a huge hole in the intake box when I did the silencer delete, and the acceleration increase and boxor rumble were unbelievable just from that. I'd love to see what one of those intakes would do. :grin:


you shoul get rid of those ugly fog light protectors...since they dont do anyhing. i like it though, looks like mine...but clean lol

I dunno, I kinda like the fog covers. They give it a sort of rally style that I like.

[Wagonista]

I got a new SLR, so here's a nifty picture:

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/dsc_0420.jpg

In july, say goodbye to that front plate. Utah's passing a law. :grin:

[Reason]

Is it me, or does that plate say California?

[Wagonista]

It does, I moved here pretty recently.

[Reason]

Cool, it must be a huge change.

So nice wagon, are you trying to make a sybir clone?? ;-)

[Wagonista]

Yeah, the culture shock was pretty big.
Haha I do want to copy a bit. I'm not actually a huge fan of the black things around his headlights, although I do want projectors.

I did have one idea that was fairly original for my wagon, though. I've seen outback bumpers where the black plastic part around the fog lights and lower grille were part of the bumper rather than an insert. I want to find one of those for cheap, color match the main body of it, and then paint the black area the same color as the dark blue of the rest of the car, kind of like that last manipulated picture.

What do you think?

[Reason]

Yea that should look good.

[Wagonista]

So about three weeks ago I bought a set of WRX rims. The day after that, I got sick for a week. The next week I had my wisdom teeth out. Now after barely recovering from that I've got the flu. :insert nasioc unamused face:

I have the rims, I have the paint, and I would have the time if I wasn't running a fever... :|

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/040708_19351.jpg

I'll be painting them bronze btw. (They're not actually on the car if you couldn't tell. The tires are past the wear indicators.)

[4n70n1n0]

Yeah, the culture shock was pretty big.
Haha I do want to copy a bit. I'm not actually a huge fan of the black things around his headlights, although I do want projectors.


How about some black housing projectors

Check ebay - They have some.
- - - Sorry I can't get the link right now

[Wagonista]

Like on Legacy's car? Oh hell yes. :grin:

Edit: Just saw the ones you were talking about. Wow. I must have them. :shock: I'm in between jobs right now so I'm a bit stripped of cash... I might be able to afford those though.

[Wagonista]

Bump, for...

Bronze WRX stockers. Complete with bald tires!

Edit: There are a lot of images on this page, there are near-identical ones below. :)

[valentip90]

wheel color looks great. it would look even greater on a drop.

[Wagonista]

Three updates: JDM Rain guards, Ganador Aero mirrors, and new rubbers.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/Legacy-SEP08/dsc_0552.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/Legacy-SEP08/dsc_0554.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/Legacy-SEP08/dsc_0558.jpg

The mirrors are fantastic as far as noise goes. The deflectors reduce the amount of turbulence in the cabin with the windows down, and with the windows up, they completely abolish the annoying wind noise above 45mph. (A lot of subarus seem to get this, but not everyone is affected it seems.)

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/Legacy-SEP08/dsc_0561.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/Legacy-SEP08/dsc_0579.jpg

[sybir]

Looks really nice, man :)
Let me know if you off the mirrors....heh.

[Wagonista]

Taken into consideration, sybir. I drive through sac town a few times a year when I drive out to visit my brother, so maybe we could arrange a trade.

[xXGTBspecXx]

Hmmmmm now why is your car just sitting way too high??? LOWER IT!! can i have your trailer hitch??

[Wagonista]

I would pay money to have someone take that trailer hitch. It's a piece of 6 or 8 gauge steel welded to my frame and a towball bolted to it.

And I'm still deciding whether to get rally/gravel suspension or lower it. One or the other is coming within a few months. My suspension has been totally shot since I bought the thing.

The problem with where I live, is that my mother's toyota avalon bottoms out everywhere she goes. as you can see from the pics, I live in the rockies. The combined snow and the far from flat roads are why I bought an outback. If I was as low as some of the other legacies here, my bumpers would be gone after a few days or weeks. I'll have to take some pics of the roads here, they're plain ridiculous. I have the only car in the family that doesn't bottom out constantly.

That said, I still LOVE lowered legacies. (and strangely, raised imprezas. Impreza + Forester struts = win) If I move back to CA, it's getting a drop. If I stay in utah, it's probably turning into a rally car or a WRX/STI wannabe. Probably the latter due to cost concerns. I'll likely just mount up some WRX takeoffs.

[xXGTBspecXx]

take that trailer hitch off and ship it to me then lol. cutting wheel and black paint to cover up where it once was. it shouldnt be welded on it should be held on with 4-6 bolts

[Wagonista]

Naughty bits acquired...

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/092408_13091.jpg

:twisted:

[Wagonista]

Slow and low, that is the tempo:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/OCTOBER2008/dsc_0345.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/OCTOBER2008/dsc_0350.jpg

2004 STi struts & springs. No rubbing!

[AussieDan]

Looking good!

[nosbocaj]

Great stance! Outback's look really cool lowered. I love the Ganador's too. I need to find a pair for myself.

[subba]

looks great, now all you need is more rim, less Tyre :D

[99SUS SFD]

Looks good. Any fitment issue with the STi parts, or were they bolt on?

[Wagonista]

Thanks guys. They bolted right up without a problem at all. (the problems came when taking the old ones off)

[Ryan]

Looks real nice!

[sybir]

Good man, looks awesome :D

[Bhatman]

That grill gives it a mean look. Where did you get it?

[BE-Fresh]

Niiiice! Low 'n slow ftmfW!!!

[subydrift]

Where in Utah are you located? I live in Kearns but am mostly up around the U. I drive a 97' Outback.

Yours looks really good though! Very clean! I was planning on swapping Forester suspension under mine but that looks so good with the STI suspension I may have to change my plans!!!

Keep the mods and the pics comin!

[Wagonista]

Hey subydrift, I think I may have seen your car before. The red with those rims looks so familiar. I live in the Pleasant Grove area, work in American Fork, and go to school at UVU in orem.

[99SUS SFD]

So all you bought were the stock STi struts and springs with the top hats?

[Wagonista]

Yes sir, the whole assemblies. The bolt patterns matched perfectly.

[THA Roux]

Woah!
nice drop man :cool:

But I was wondering... what does the clearance looks like now...

and what is your tire size?


I'm thinking about doing the same on my BG... but with the winters here in Quebec.... it would be a pain it the ass to be the too low!

thanks!

[phat56pat]

wish i would have kept my sti suspension! grrrrrrr looks good

[Wagonista]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

Since my last update, I've made some mudflaps and fitted a rear strut bar. I ordered a new head unit, also.

The wagon will be painted this summer. :smile: There's a class at my university called "Paint Your Own Car," And it's exactly what it sounds like. I was going to take it this semester but it's from 5PM-9PM so I decided against it because it conflicts with my sanity, so I'll take it as a single summer semester class as something to do/summer project.

Currently, I'm stuck on different shades of gunmetal. I'm open to suggestions of what would look good. It'll likely be monotone but may end up 240sx style with a different color roof.

i LOVE the color contrast of your rims to your car...

:smt060

[Wagonista]

Figured I'd post a bunch of the minor updates I've done to my vehicle...

In the past couple months, I've done the following:
- Rear strut bar
- LED lit the interior dome lights and the license plate lights, bought LED tail bulbs, however they were too big in diameter because I bought the set with the most LEDs on them. :-(
- DIY trashflaps. (see thread in DIY section)
- Installed a new head unit
- Put the stock OB rims on for the winter
- Put on a 300mm RAZO rear view mirror courtesy of my brother for christmas

Have a couple of other minor things planned, such as more suede in the interior, and some custom dashboard work. I may be acquiring some OZ Superleggeras very soon also. :grin: Then some major work this summer, including a whole new coat of paint and possibly an interior swap if I can source something good. She'll be one of the few monotone BG5s in the states! The only problem is choosing from the multitude of variations in shade and grade of gunmetal paint. So many different options for it, flake, metallic, pearl, etc... And then the sheen underneath shades of gunmetal vary so much also, from blue to olive to silver to reddish.

And now for picture time!

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/800pxforumimages/dsc_0909.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/800pxforumimages/dsc_0915.jpg

Annnnd, the wagon's new best friend... Care to guess which one is taller? :smt016
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/800pxforumimages/dsc_0919.jpg

No exterior shots today because of salty doom and outback wheels.

[KAG]

Nominated you for ROTM :smt023

Looks real good dude, keep it up.

[)2edline]

What does something like the new rear view do? My friend with a heavily modified EP3 Civic has one and I never got the point.

[Wagonista]

Thanks KAG! *e-five!*

The mirror is all the better to see you with... It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it's HUGE. You can see out of all three of the windows in the hatch/cargo area. Helps to eliminate blind spots. Really helps for when someone is chilling right on your rear quarter on the freeway. :)

[fwa2500]

looking awesome like i said on AIM :grin: one of these days ill have to take a road trip out west.....

[Huffer]

I have a 280mm mirror... it works well but only in cars that have narrow C pillars, otherwise you only get to see the rear pillar clogging up your rear view (like in a 03+ Accord).

However, if you have kids the CONVEX 250mm+ mirrors allow you to see them in the backseat.

Car looks great man, I am eventually planning to hit my car with RB5 gunmetal paint.

[henryq89]

sweet looking car man ...im stealing ur shift knob lol :smt026

[Okin DaVanh]

The mirror is all the better to see you with... It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it's HUGE. You can see out of all three of the windows in the hatch/cargo area. Helps to eliminate blind spots. Really helps for when someone is chilling right on your rear quarter on the freeway. :)



I have a Brookstone one. Good for keeping an eye on your passengers too :grin:

[Wagonista]

I have a 280mm mirror... it works well but only in cars that have narrow C pillars, otherwise you only get to see the rear pillar clogging up your rear view (like in a 03+ Accord).

However, if you have kids the CONVEX 250mm+ mirrors allow you to see them in the backseat.

Car looks great man, I am eventually planning to hit my car with RB5 gunmetal paint.

Nice choice, can't wait to see how yours turns out.

[peugoby]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

Hey I didn't realize before doing this months competition that your OB is a 5 speed. Thats badass! :twisted: People can say what they want, but the 2.2 is where its at :twisted:
A 2.2 in your BG makes your OB the rarest car in this months competition
Cant wait for the possibility of Supperleggeras and new paint; good stuff.

PS I keep Altoids in the same location

[Wagonista]

Well the superleggeras got sold to somebody else but one of them, as it turns out, was damaged beyond repair. Luckily, as weather gets warmer, lots of wheels and tires start getting flopped around for cheap here in the RMIC.

Having a 5-speed is pretty fun. With 202,000mi on the clock now, she's in need of an STi 6-speed... :twisted: The synchros on my car absolutely suck and 2.2L in this big heavy wagon isn't exactly peppy. Heheh.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/wintermode/dsc_1048.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/dsc_0068_800.jpg

Oh how I do love this car, though... :)

Got a couple pretty unique projects for the outback that I'm working on, I just need some warm weather and to sell my mirrors to fund the most important one...

PS: Somebody buy my ganadors. they're for sale in the classifieds section. They have some chips and a scrape on one of them from some jerkwad who didn't leave a note, but I'll give them a fresh coat of the OEM black-matching paint before I ship them if you happen to purchase them.

EDIT: How could I forget? Here's a bonus video of my ghettozaust that'll be replaced shortly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHvYLP2C ... 4&page=139 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHvYLP2CQu4&eurl=http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35764&page=139)

[sybir]

Superleggeras are nice wheels, but they bend like there's no tomorrow.....it's probably for the best. It's not just RMIC, the classifieds everywhere are a clearing-house right now......I've been grabbing sets of $$$$$$$$$$$ wheels for embarassing prices.

Wagon's coming along awesome, man. Keep up the good work.

[Wagonista]

^^^^ You're right. Every week there are more wheels for the taking.

Excuse the rest of the thread... My old imagehost has issues every so often. I need to make the move over to photobucket permanently now.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/02/snowcross_7-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/02/snowcross_6-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/02/snowcross_3-1.jpg

2009 Miller Motorsports park "Snowcross" series round 2.

[Navi271]

dude that looks like a ton of fun! the front end of your car looks pretty awesome with that grill
so how'd you do? did you place?

[Wagonista]

I was one of the slowest cars there that day and one of the slower ones in the NA AWD class, but my score puts me exactly one point behind my buddy with a 2.2L GF8 impreza, so I'm pretty happy with that. He's got the lighter car. It was the most fun I've EVER had though, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend $60

[Wagonista]

Updates: I have a wing that needs to be painted and then I need to drill holes in my hatch, I finally sold those ganador mirrors and have the stock effing gigantic SUV mirrors back on the car. I'd be buying some bronze rota grids right now, but my transmission is about to self-destruct.

A week or two ago fourth gear started popping out when cruising down hill. Now it cannot hold 4th between the rpm range of 3500-4000, it just pops out unless you're accelerating. The second you let off the gas even the tiniest degree it rejects 4th like a bad transplant, grinding its way out. Likely a really bad synchro.

Then first started acting up, when the car is in first but the clutch is depressed completely, the car will randomly start limping forward and try to stall out. When it does this you have to press VERY hard on the clutch and pull very hard to get it out of first without stalling. It grabs first like there is no tomorrow. From what I can tell the clutch cable is all old and stretched out and it isn't engaging enough.

Now I'm noticing today that there is a metal scraping noise coming from the front of the trans/back of the engine whenever the motor is spinning past idle, even in neutral/clutch all the way in. ****.

This will lead to one of two outcomes: the end of my beloved wagon, and I go buy a salvage titled 04-07 2.5RS or WRX or a salvage titled LGT from an insurance auction, or B: I'll find a replacement transmission and keep my high-milage subie alive. (I'll hit 204,000mi by the end of the day.)

[STL97outback]

Do you have any how to on the Wing? I just picked one up.

SOmeone on another thread said I need to go to dealer and get an install kit. Is that true?

[Wagonista]

I got mine from a junk yard. I talked to a subie tech and he said all it comes with is a paper template for where to drill. I'm gonna trace it out carefully and make a template.

[Wagonista]

Got the windows tinted: 5% rears, legal limit fronts (35% or something)

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/summer-2009/tint.jpg

The wing is painted and ready to go on, I just need to find the rest of the hardware necessary (3 nuts) and get to drilling.

Haven't been doing much to the car because the transmission is royally effed. 4th gear is completely GONE now. I'll be replacing it sometime in the near future.

[Navi271]

diggin the tint fo sho. have fun drilling into the hatch, that's pretty scary to do!
sucks about the transmission, so do you just not drive at high speeds anymore without that 4th gear??

[fwa2500]

the tint looks awesome :D once i have a new job its one of the first things im doing.

[Huffer]

The bronze looks great on the tinted car. Nice!

[KAG]

mmmm....deep sapphire pearl and tints, great combo! :smt023

...but of course, I'm biased...

[Wagonista]

Thanks guys. I drive at normal speeds, I just rev 3rd higher and skip straight to 5th. Just need to wait for my brother to come visit so I can drop the tranny... It's not something I have any experience in, but he's done a ton of them. We're thinking about just doing a whole engine swap.

[Wagonista]

I guess I never mentioned that 4 weeks ago the wagon's transmission finally bit the dust. These past few weeks have felt like years without my car. I've got a new clutch and flywheel that should be delivered tomorrow and I have a replacement transmission lined up that I just need to go pay for and pick up. I was waiting for my brother to come here to help me, but at this point with work, I have so much free time that I am just going to take my time and start dismantling the thing on my own.

Here's a silly youtube video I shot moments after it broke. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHn_5885mHc&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2Ftehhali&feature=player_profilepage)

Having no car is a nightmare, and the cost of repair is nightmare-inducing. $600 dollars with no labor... Eff that! :-(

Working backwards, shortly before it finally went, I cursed it by buying a fun mod (http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/summer-2009/dsc_0027.jpg) rather than a necessary repair.

In the meantime before you get the transmission swap log, have a mean looking picture of the machine.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

[1996Battlewagon]

Working backwards, shortly before it finally went, I cursed it by buying a fun mod (http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/summer-2009/dsc_0027.jpg) rather than a necessary repair.

I know how you feel. I've got all these small little mods that I have the money and time for and small fun mods that I have and just haven't installed/finished yet because I don't want to do anything until I put my long block in.

Sucks about your trans going out on you; it's a rare sight to see a Legacy 5mt going out instead of a 4EAT. Are you keeping the EJ22?

[Wagonista]

Yeah, I've currently got the wagon up on jackstands and am in the middle of dropping the old tranny.

Here's a silly youtube video I shot moments after it broke. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHn_5885mHc&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2Ftehhali&feature=player_profilepage)


ugh.. i know that feeling... the "fuck feeling"


+ you look like eric foreman :smt005

[Wagonista]

:lol: Must be the angle from that video.

Anyways, SHE RUNS! Six weeks and one day after breaking down.

Here's my RMIC thread that kind of documents the process as well as the minor problems I'm experiencing post-op:
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=1802039 (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1802039)

Feels pretty nice to have mobility again.

[Navi271]

great work!!! i have no idea about the turning signals tho either. Why would there be ANY turning signal wiring going around there is beyond me..
bushings suck, plain and simple. too bad they're not simple to replace!

[xXGTBspecXx]

congrats on the replacement. when my trans went up in the wrx (took all the teeth off 3rd gear) i just took the trans out ,cracked it open ,cleaned the chunks of metal out and put it back together. drove the car another 5 months without 3rd gear. then it caught fire and buirned to the ground..... i give subaru an A+ on trans weight the thing weighs only like 90lbs.. very light weight.

[Airgne]

i need a pic of your dash.

[Wagonista]

Posted one up in the ROTM thread if that's okay. :smile:

As far as updates go, I finally have everything in working order... *knock on wood* Reverse lights and turn signals fixed. It was a melted sensor on the tranny. Other than if all goes well I will attend an auto-x this Saturday. I'm hoping I can actually handle auto-x, seeing as tracking the wagon trashed it last time.

Here's a few recent pictures:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/03/DSC_0183-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/10/DSC_0206-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/10/DSC_0221-1.jpg

PS: I picked up some 17" JDM GT-B wheels (http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/autumnal/whatdowehavehere1.jpg). The tires are sized for a GC8 impreza so they leave way too much wheel gap for me right now. I also have some ceramic pads and drilled/slotted rotors on their way. I'll update the thread accordingly with those.

Oh, one more thing, I was nominated for ROTM this month! Vote for me if you are so inclined!

[hallowpoint]

those wheels should look so good. iv been trying to locate a set. great work so far keep it up you got my vote

[Matt S.]

PS: I picked up some 17" JDM GT-B wheels

By far the best wheel I've ever seen on a 2nd gen wagon, stock or aftermarket. Nice choice.

And let me know if you are coming to PA anytime soon, I would love to steal your rain/wind visors :razz:

[Wagonista]

Installed a decklid wing.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/autumnal/dsc_0123.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/autumnal/dsc_0125.jpg

:grin:

I also auto-x'ed it today. That was fun. Also received my drilled / slotted rotors in the mail so those will go on pretty quickly.

[hallowpoint]

that looks great, defiantly changes the look of the rear end.

[96BGLeg]

MAn Were did u get a hold of the rear wing ive been trying to find one and dont know were to look
Love the OutBack

[jockstar]

seeing as how you were talking about it, what is a good rally/gravel set up. Cause i do a lot of gravel road driving and its hella fun!

[anothernord]

I really like this car, so I'm bumping this thread and demanding pictures with the GT-B wheels.

[fwa2500]

he wont be on here for a while and unfortunately, i cant find the photos he sent me of the wheels on the car :( ill post them if i can find them

[Wagonista]

Yeah, sorry, that might be a while. I'm currently on quite a long stint in southeast asia.

[Heitz]

Why did you sell your side mirrors?

[Tylerhartman]

Nice car.. I have like the same car minus 5MT i have an Automatic.. I'm looking to do a brake job soon where did you get your slotted rotors? If you don't mind me asking.

[fwa2500]

alex is still out of the country but should be back later on in the year. you should stop by TiC (TurninConcepts) in fairfield, they can help you out

[Yamazaki]

BG4? Isn't this a BG9?
The only BG4s are the 2WD TX and 2WD Brighton....

[Wagonista]

I'm back! And she still runs. Needs some deep cleaning and minor maintenance though. While I was gone the family moved and we no longer have a garage, so the clearcoat on the wing faded and so did the front two door cards and arm rest. Also all of my black trim is white. :unamused: Will be taking care of that when I readjust to the climate and time zone.


BG4? Isn't this a BG9?
The only BG4s are the 2WD TX and 2WD Brighton....

According to the VIN number it is a BG4.

[Yamazaki]

According to the VIN number it is a BG4.
Ah okay, now I understand. It's a BG9. The VIN isn't a model code. Look at the "applied model" that under the VIN on your ID plate. THAT'S the model code.
Not VIN. What does the Applied Model Code say? Here: viewtopic.php?f=41&t=17332 (http://www.sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=17332)

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/04/readme_appliedgif-1.jpg

The VIN is different for different markets. The Applied Model Code is universal. Which is why they say to look at that on the back of catalogues (click thumbnail):
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/09/th_Legacy040-1.jpg (http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp350/yamazakisubaru/car%20parts%20accessories/parts%20catalogs/Legacy/Legacy040.jpg)

A 2.5L NA 2nd gen Legacy (or Outback) wagon will always be BG9.

[Wagonista]

You learn something new every day. It's a BG7. (it's a 2.2L model)

As to why I got rid of the mirrors? I didn't really care for them. They were hard to aim since they were meant for right hand drive and they had very small view fields. I like the folding mirrors because they give a wide field of vision.

[Shiv]

That is one mean looking Outback! :twisted: Those Ganadors look great too :grin:

[Reuben]

Welcome back!!! We need to have a good skype session mate.

[anothernord]

Still waiting for pictures with the new shoes... :razz:

[fwa2500]

wooo! im still down for coming out next week btw if you are still interested


We need to have a good skype session mate.
yes we do.

[nikolaus.conrad]

Cool Outback!! You guys on the west coast have some very nice Scoobs :cool:

[Wagonista]

Picked up and installed some side skirts last week:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/05/P1070595-1.jpg

[Thomistopheles]

This car is everything I want to do with mine, lol. Luckily mine's red, so it won't be a total clone :lol:

[nikolaus.conrad]

Looks awesome! You just need GT front and rear bumpers now. How did you install them?

[Wagonista]

Zip ties and lots of 3M trim adhesive.

[r3v_v3ng3]

Use some self tapping screw from the fender well area and the bottom

[Wagonista]

Picked up and installed a GrimmSpeed lightweight crank pulley today.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/548374_10151010716627188_1180541407_n.jpg

No pics of it in the car yet. It was dark when I finished and my engine bay is filthy.

It is awesome! The engine revs quicker, the idle is SOOO much smoother, the A/C runs great without sapping power, more low-end torque, it starts from a stop much more nicely... Great mod for sure.

[Wagonista]

After driving with the crank pulley a lot, I love it. Noticeably more low-end power. I wish I had done an aluminum flywheel when I had the tranny out.

I'm in the process of restoring / modding some of the interior. While I was gone my parents who stored the car for me had it outside the whole time, no sun shade or anything... So the suede armrest and front two door cards faded a lot. Just recovered the armrest, will do the front door cards next, then on to the headliner. Then dying the carpet black. In the mean time I also did this:

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/2012/cf.png

Not sure if I really like it or not. I do like the way it shines in direct sunlight. I originally had the center console (http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/2012/p1070638.jpg) done but it was too wrinkly. So I peeled it off. I may try again with that, if I have enough of the vinyl wrap left.

I also noticed that after sitting for two years my gas mileage has gone down a lot. It was running 16-18 MPG when I got back... A lot down from the 22-24 it was getting. The aluminium crank pulley put it back up to about 18-20. Time for another seafoam I suppose.

[Reuben]

looking good, looking good. The carbon is very period specific STi :p (the 97-98 STi's were full of fake carbon, and a bit of the real stuff)

[Wagonista]

Ah, my favorite season is back again. If I can find the time between work and school I'll definitely be hitting up the local canyons a lot more over the next few weeks.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/2012/p1070928.jpg

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/2012/p1070885.jpg

Although yesterday I had the front windows re-tinted (they had peeled very baadly) I've got a whole bunch of stuff that I've already purchased and paid for to do to the wagon, I just need to find the time. A lot of my spare time has been spent slowly working on one of my buddies' WRX. Once his car is back on the road this week, he should help me out with my projects. That includes:
- Black suede headliner, and a re-wrap of my front door cards which faded while the car was being stored... With nothing to protect it from the sun.
- New shift knuckle
- Rear "saggy butt" spacers
- Prodrive springs
- A much needed claybar and buff. As you can see, my paint is a bit hazy and just doesn't have that deep shine to it any more. Storage out in the elements will do that...

I came VERY close to buying an 05 OBXT a week or two ago, the only thing that stopped me was the discovery that the engine was in need of replacement. :smt017 It was sooo smooth and the acceleration and quality of the interior was incredibly impressive though. The only outward symptom was a rough idle. Anyways, I was so impressed with the car that I want one quite badly now. So a lot of my work on this wagon may just be getting it into better condition in order to sell it. I don't know how much I'd be able to get for it with 218,000 miles on it though. The budget clutch/tranny I bought for it a while back is absolutely terrible as well. First-third grind and I will never buy a chinese ebay clutch again. I may have a free tranny lined up though. If that happens then I'll be swapping that in with a new clutch, and most likely a lighter weight flywheel.

[chrish8r]

I need to redo my tint as well too.....I did a quick job on it and It turned out pretty bad. Claybar is a good idea too. I just need to find time to do that as well. haha

[Wagonista]

So much to do... so little time! New tint was worth it... I got much higher quality film this time, and the guys who did it did a fantastic job. Also forgot that I need to flush the coolant, replace the coolant temp sensor, and the spark plugs... Also all waiting to go in. I also have enough motul gear oil for it... but I may not put that in and just get the whole new tranny.

[USDM96SLI]

Say where did you find the rain visors? they add a very certain "badass" look

[Wagonista]

Say where did you find the rain visors? they add a very certain "badass" look

There was a member here stationed in japan who sold them to me. I think it was back in 07 or 08.

[fwa2500]

i absolutely love autumn....

and free tranny ftw, as long as its not in thailand ;) would the tans include all the linkages and such to delete the slop in the shifter you had when i visited?

[Subieekid99]

Hey man im down in St. George, if you ever sell your car I would love to have those rain guards and side skirts. Also, what are you going to do with your wrx wheels?

[Wagonista]

Yup... I will definitely grab a 97+ linkage so that I can do a short shifter as well. That's another thing that I've got to install... I actually bought a brand new shift knuckle from the dealer about a week after I got back to the US. They updated them later on with polyurethane bushings. So regardless of which tranny goes in, I will be installing that. Should not only eliminate the slop but make it perform a little better.

I'll be getting rid of the WRX wheels when the tires are finished in a few months. I'm all the way up in Utah County though.

[Subieekid99]

Alrighty! If you decide to get rid of them sooner let me know! Im making visits up to salt lake every weekend I'm sure I could stop by and buy em! Same with the rain deflectors and side skirts!

[Wagonista]

Those are staying on the car until I part with it. :)

[Reuben]

Oooo, I see you also have the folding wing mirrors on now, I totally forgot you got those. Noooiiiiccceeeee.

[Wagonista]

Hmmm... I guess I'll post spoilers. Especially to get feedback on the color scheme:

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/2012/wheels.jpg

[98legwag]

Giggity. Wheel specs?

[Wagonista]

18x8.75 +35

[r3v_v3ng3]

Looks like xxr 530's. Its hard for me to picture how it'll look like without the tires but I think it'll look good

[1996Battlewagon]

Keep those things white. That looks awesome!!! What tires are you going to go with?

[Wagonista]

You are correct... XXR 530s. I'm still figuring out tire size. I'd love to stay with my large diameter (currently running 16x6.6 +53 225/60/16) and go with a 45 sidewall... But I'd likely need to stretch it. So I may go with a wide tire width and 40 sidewalls. Time will tell.

[Reuben]

I'm not normally a fan of 18's... but...

Oooooooooooooo, those look purdy!!!

Next question, how the hell are you going to fit those tyres in the guards? Coil overs and rolling I assume? I was also going to say a /45/R18 ANYTHING will be way too big for the car, but then I remembered it's an outback, lols... I'd still advise a 40 profile though. Something like a 225 or 235/40/R18. End of the day, there's only one man you can talk to when you reach this point. His holyness of wheel fitment; Sybir.

[Wagonista]

Fenders will definitely need a roll. I was never a fan of 18s either, but after some steady coaxing I am giving in. especially since I am dialed in for large-diameter tires.
I have test fitted the same size with 225/40/R18 but they were tiny compared to my current setup. (Not to mention a huge stretch.) I am currently leaning towards 235 or 245/40s. With 245s I'd probably rub without some major fender work though.

It's hard to see in the dark with a cellphone picture (and terrible angle) but these are 225/40/18s. These are, for all intents and purposes, a 9" wide wheel so the 225s are a streeeetch. They also left lots of wheel gap. I think with any 40 sidewall I'll be pretty safe.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/11/IMAG0220-1.jpg

[Reuben]

Ew yuck, that's far too much tyre stretch with the 225's, you're going to have to go wider.




Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm grip.....

[r3v_v3ng3]

looks like you painted the wheels

[Wagonista]

looks like you painted the wheels

The girl I bought them from had painted them white. The black ones above are just a test fit of the same size/offset.

[Wagonista]

Ugh... Having some issues.

So the other day a buddy's girlfiend hit a curb while driving and talking on her cell phone. He put out a note on facebook asking if anyone wanted to get rid of 16" OEM wheels. The tires on my WRX wheels were getting pretty bald, the paint was finally failing, and I have 3 sets of rims. So I helped him out and sold him my 16"s.

As a temporary thing,I threw the GTB wheels on for the first time (http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv291/wagonmobster/Legacy/suspension/IMAG0290.jpg). The sidewalls, if you click the link to see, were way too small. My RPMS were much higher on the freeway, there is a bubble on one of the tires, and the tread pattern and temperature rating did NOT do too well in the snow storm the other day. Nearly got into an accident with that. So, in order to get myself through the winter, snagged some practically new tires off of the local classifieds for very cheap and had them mounted this morning.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/IMAG0293-1.jpg

They look weird on my wagon.

But that isn't the problem.

One rubs (http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv291/wagonmobster/Legacy/suspension/P1070983.jpg), the other doesn't (http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv291/wagonmobster/Legacy/suspension/P1070986.jpg). :smt013

Now I only did this to help someone out, and then last myself through winter before replacing my old worn out struts, getting an alignment, applying cerakote to my 18"s, and getting new tires. I wanted to save my money through the winter to do that. :| Because all of those things are expensive. Now it looks like I've wasted all that money on tires and mounting/balancing only to have to do my suspension immediately. It rubs bad enough that I don't want to drive it in the meantime.

faq'ing car.

[fwa2500]

i swear cars throw temper tantrums.........

on the up side, i love how the 17s look with the two-tome :D

[Wagonista]

Package got here today...
http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/befc60084b1b11e2867a22000a9f1266_7.jpg
Excuse the instagramness of it.
Will be thrown on tomorrow along with some saggy butt spacers and prodrive springs, as well as some eibach camber bolts curtosy of a friend. Can't wait to get this thing on the road again. Been driving a ford exploder. It's awful. https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/grumpy_catgif-1.jpg

[1996Battlewagon]

KYB AGXs huh. From your research, how dissimilar are they to the GR2s we know and absolutely love? Those are adjustable right?

[Wagonista]

Yup. GR2s have a set dampening rate, these have 4 settings for the fronts and 8 settings for the rear. So you can basically make them work and have a smooth ride with just about any spring. On the AGX scale the GR2 have the "2" dampening rate, so you can double the stiffness if that's your thing.

[fwa2500]

saw your posts on facebook, i am jelly of your new struts :P my STi struts are clunking something fierce :(

[Wagonista]

They are so pretty. I ended up not using the prodrive springs at all, the front struts are way lower while the rears are about the same height. I also stuck in saggy butt spacers in the back... I'm excited to see the new stance. Hopefully it will sit angled slightly downward.

[Wagonista]

UM EXCUSE ME WUT R U DOIN

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/P1080019_zps6f04c5f8-1.jpg

I may need to go back and put those prodrive springs on the front struts.

[Wagonista]

MOAR!!!1

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/P1080027_zpsc6f07f8b-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/P1080028_zps173e1444-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/P1080036_zps101634a3-1.jpg

I desperately need some higher-riding springs for the rear.

[1996Battlewagon]

Damn! Good freaking job sir.

[Wagonista]

Still have some things to tweak as the weather warms up. I'm now running 1.5 degrees of negative camber (not pictured) and with a proper fender pull it should ride quite nicely without ever rubbing. I think I may just keep the rear as low as it is and lower the front with the Prodrive p1 springs. It's amazing going from very oldschool 60 sidewalls to 40s. The ride is so choppy in comparison. Handles nicely though, this car feels like a go-kart. Now all I need are some thicker swaybars and solid endlinks. Oh, and power, lots of power. It accelerates like a freight train. :|
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/02/P1080043_zpsd37df549-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/02/P1080052_zps20b46b32-1.jpg

Also, 2222222222
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/02/P1080061_zps3085a741-1.jpg

[Wagonista]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/03/IMAG0583_zps9cf45e57-1.jpg

Got rear ended...

[DarkPhoenix]

Sorry to hear dude. It doesn't look too bad. What is a truck that hit you?

[Navi271]

That sucks! But on the other hand, that looks like one of the easiest repairs ever. Buy used hatch from junkyard, swap, done!

I'm assuming that it was a very low speed impact and you're just fine.

[foohfooh]

dat suuuuuuucks dood

[Huffer]

That looks like a pretty even and lucky impact.

If there's no major damage, get a used hatch, swap the lock mechanism, buy the Honda Pilot rear wiper, and some JDM tails. Paint to match, boom.

[Wagonista]

Yup! That's the plan. It was a huge truck just rolled into me while we were at an intersection. Received a check for $970 today. The bumper was pushed down about 1cm, I'll see what I can do to fix that. Really lucky way to get hit. I'll be paying off some of my debt now.

[Thomistopheles]

The title had me worried. SL-i has had a bad streak of wagons getting nailed in the back and being totaled. Looks like it should be a nice easy fix!

[Dead91silvia]

Here are a few for ya! All JDM goodness! :smt023 Only drawback is the plate bolt holes are off, but not that big of a deal.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUBARU-LEGACY-L ... 4d0a4f3263 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUBARU-LEGACY-LIBERTY-B4-1996-Back-Door-Assembly-7415800-/330885444195?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d0a4f3263)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUBARU-LEGACY-1 ... 4ac2b05cba (http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUBARU-LEGACY-1996-Back-Door-Assembly-6415800-/321093917882?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4ac2b05cba)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUBARU-LEGACY-1 ... 4ac20c398e (http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUBARU-LEGACY-1996-Back-Door-Assembly-3651580-/321083160974?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4ac20c398e)

[Wagonista]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/03/20130706_160043_zpsdc9e8742-1.jpg

:smile:

[Thomistopheles]

Congrats!

:lol: @ the giant unamused face on the rear quarter glass

[98legwag]

Congrats!

[Muse]

Congrats!

[Wagonista]

Thanks guys! The back seats + cargo area were completely filled with balloons.

So a few updates. I haven't really gotten to spend much money on the wagon lately with engagement + marriage + going back to school and all that other stuff that people do in life.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG0868_zpsfd896188-1.jpg
Drove all over California during our honeymoon. Took like four pictures. Should've taken more. :( Here's a picture in Long Beach. So cheap to stay there, but so sketchy outside of the tourist area.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG0938_zps8699cbd9-1.jpg
Bought the wife an adventure wagon! Low mileage and one owner on this one. These things ride so nice and smooth. Not much to it, it's an 05 with a four speed automatic with sport and tipptronic. But it sure is nice inside! Love the interior. Can't wait to take this thing on road trips. Likely won't do much with this one. She really likes bronze wheels though.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG1005_zps54f302ed-1.jpg
Added some more 3M 1080 carbon vinyl. Playing with a Singer style here with an alternately colored tach. Didn't decide to go with this one, because I don't like the black window for the indicator lights. I'd like to do some aluminium trim rings eventually.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG1009_zpscd70cb1c-1.jpg
The finished product. Painted the needles red. I have noticed three variations of the gauge cluster for USDM models. White needles with black face, which I had, red needles on black face (early run GTs?) and red needles on gray face (all late run models?) I like the red needles, but I may go back to white.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG0990_zps1a7dee61-1.jpg
Shattered ANOTHER foglight, the opposite side this time. Taped over them rally style until I can replace it/them. I have had a hard time sourcing a fog at the junk yard, so I may go the Hella 500 route.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG1013_zps298c0faf-1.jpg
Did I mention the roof basket? The lady got that for me for my birthday. :)

[86bratman]

looking good, sucks about the fog lights. Good news is though that you can use 00-04 outback fog lights with some minor modifications to the mounting brackets.

[Wagonista]

This poor car. I finally found a new tailgate for her, correct color, even has a wing. Just needs all the skater boy decals peeled off and some tint. I just need to find the time to install it. With working full-time and going to school full-time, I hardly have any time to work on this beast, let alone even clean the thing. :( Our apartment is only about a mile or two from our college, and my new job is only about a mile away as well. So the wagon hardly gets driven any more. When we go out, we drive the '05. I miss having time to go on drives.

Aside from the hatch, I need to tweak the gauge cluster trim, check out the wiring on the headlights, fix the ride height, properly roll the fenders, refinish the wheels... the list goes on.

A few weeks ago when I had a week between jobs, I was working on pulling an EJ22T closed-deck block from the junk yard, but I never managed to finish. I wonder if it's even still there.

[Wagonista]

Installed the new hatch!

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/11/IMAG1164_zps9e7664b3-1.jpg

I'm glad I waited. This is the first one I found that didn't have any damage... And it also just so happened to be my color, with a factory wing.

Still need to remove all those awful decals and get it tinted. And debadge it. Transferred over the wiring and my lock core. Works almost flawlessly! Just need to lubricate the hinges a little, and transfer over the old door handle mechanism. The one on this one is really rusty and the return spring is totally rusted. Also need to give it a good buff and a thick coat of wax. The spoiler's clear coat is just barely beginning to go. So... I guess I have a pretty good laundry list for the hatch area still. Anyways, I'm actually happy with the car for once. Makes me want to put some more effort into it.

Edit: Oh yeah, needs a new rear wiper arm too. This one is rusted pretty badly. Will probably just grab a Honda Pilot arm for the cleaner look.

[65pontiac]

Your car is so clean. Looks great with no pin stripe.

Why did your tint peel? Were your windows rubbing?

My driver side window rubs really bad at the top and thats how mine started to peel. I trimmed it around the weather strip. Looks like crap though

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[Navi271]

w00t! Awesome score on the hatch, even though there are many little things you want to do with it to make it perfect.

[fwa2500]

woo! looking good! i definitely have to recommend the honda wiper, looks better AND works better than the stock one. i need to get a new one myself, but first i need to get a working wiper motor.....

[Wagonista]

@65pontiac: the tint peeled on the bottom left corner on a particularly bitter cold day. I think that the original shop that did my tint didn't remove my door cards to do it, so the bottom tint edges didn't have very good adherence.

@Andres: I have a working spare from my new hatch if you want it! It came free with the assembly. If you pay for shipping, you can have it.

[fwa2500]

sweet, ill shoot you a message on fb, thanks dude!

[demarioii]

your wagon look so amazing! very jealous

[TheGr8Ox]

Very clean! Dig it, also got rear ended, still looking for a hatch

[Wagonista]

Winter mode: ...partially activated.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2013/12/P1080411_zps9d041cf4-1.jpg

Still need a new ABS sensor, new wiper blades on the front, and to take off the basket.

I put on a Honda Pilot wiper, and in the process sheared off the bolt... So I'll need a new wiper actuator. For some reason, the wiper didn't come with the bolt cover, either.

This is wheel set No. 6. I'm not used to having 16"s any more, but I like the look of these. Having sidewalls is super nice too. I think I'm gonna downsize to 17"s.

[Wagonista]

So I got rid of the 18s.
Never again doing oversized, low-offset wheels on a Subaru. At least not on an old one like this. I might on a fourth gen Outback, but not on something like this. Also never doing white wheels again.

Instead, I have acquired these:

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Django/Subaru/2014/2013wrxwheels.jpg

I may or may not have to use a 3-5mm spacer to make them work. That is yet to be determined. Who knows, I may even just throw them on the 05. But I like the OEM look and 17x8 size.

Of course, the main priority right now is to make the car work. Just like on the last transmission, the 4th gear synchros are shot, 4th gear is slowly disappearing, the clutch is deteriorating quickly... And oh yeah, the shift knuckle bushings are still gone. So I'm on the prowl for ANOTHER new tranny. Will likely use an Exedy OEM spec clutch. I may or may not switch to an ACT Streetlite flywheel.

So... Looking for parts. I may buy an entire parts car if necessary. There doesn't seem to be too much of a shortage of them lately. Will be tearing the thing apart as soon as I find what I need. The ebay clutch and flywheel I have been running has been simply awful.

[Navi271]

Cars are fun aren't they? lol, That sucks about the transmission troubles, again...
How many miles were on this newer one?

Why did you get rid of your 18's? They looked really nice on your car, but I can come up with a few assumptions as to why you didn't like them on this car. I'm just wondering though.

[Wagonista]

I absolutely HATED the way they rode. 40 sidewalls are just terrible. The wider track and wider tires made it more prone to understeer, and I rubbed a lot with my suspension setup. The lower offset also puts stress on the wheel bearings which are meant for high offset wheels.

[peugoby]

The car looks great! Congrats on your marriage! Do you still have the GTB wheels? Would you consider selling them? I've been looking for a set for a while
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/IMAG0293-1.jpg

[Wagonista]

Thanks!! DLC has 'em now. Good luck finding a set!

Ugh... So many car problems right now. So not only is my transmission and clutch crapping out, but the wife's outback got wrecked last night. Looks to be totalled. :(

[Muse]

Oh, dude, that blows...

[Reuben]

Thanks!! DLC has 'em now. Good luck finding a set!

Ugh... So many car problems right now. So not only is my transmission and clutch crapping out, but the wife's outback got wrecked last night. Looks to be totalled. :(

AW STINK CUZ.

So what's the news?

[Wagonista]

That's a great question.

The wifebaru is back! Sort of. (It somehow was not totaled.) We picked it up from the body shop yesterday. The paint and body work is stunning. Like nothing ever happened. However, it has exactly zero power steering. Will need to take that back to the shop. I also noticed that despite it being only 9 years old and fairly low mileage, it already has some discount remanufactured power steering pump. Also power steering fluid all over the block around it. But that's not what this thread is about, is it?

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/04/P1080434_zpse8e53a70-1.jpg

This is also not what this thread is about. But it is worth noting that for some reason I now have far too many granola wagons in my life. This one will be getting a new thread with a full disclosure soon. It's definitely a fixer-upper.

As for the faithful old BG? Well, she's still sitting on the WRX 16's on snow tires, and it's warming up. I'm trying not to drive her too much so as not to destroy a perfectly good set of snow tires. The day that the $700 BE9 was kind of just dropped into my life, I was at the tire shop trying to test fit those WRX 17x8s. They do not work with the ridiculous negative camber in the back. I also hate the AGXs. As it turns out, the part numbers I used were for GF8 struts. So naturally, the rear spring perch, and well, the whole strut is way too short in the back, resulting in major sag even with spacers. So the old STi takeoffs are going to be rebuilt and put back to work, along with some prodrive P1 springs in the front to give her a little good old school rake. Hopefully with that setup, the wide WRX wheels will fit with 235s that will both clear the struts and not rub on the fenders like those low-offset 18s did.

Money has been pretty tight lately though, so the BG will wait for now. I have at least sourced a cheap 2.5RS 5-speed and a matching VLSD to go with it. Need to go wrench it out of the donor car.

[tarnrevick]

Hello. I think it may have been asked already, but some time ago... Do you have any idea where to get the side window deflectors for 1990 legacy wagon and 1997 outback? Those things are soooo hard to find... Awesome wagon by the way. And great post, and congratulations on the great things you have shared with us, and I wish you and yours all the best!

[Wagonista]

Hello. I think it may have been asked already, but some time ago... Do you have any idea where to get the side window deflectors for 1990 legacy wagon and 1997 outback? Those things are soooo hard to find... Awesome wagon by the way. And great post, and congratulations on the great things you have shared with us, and I wish you and yours all the best!

I got them from a member of this forum who was parting out his car. I don't know of anywhere where you can just order them. You can try eBay, that would likely be your best bet.

[Cooper197]

Hello. I think it may have been asked already, but some time ago... Do you have any idea where to get the side window deflectors for 1990 legacy wagon and 1997 outback? Those things are soooo hard to find... Awesome wagon by the way. And great post, and congratulations on the great things you have shared with us, and I wish you and yours all the best!

There are two piece ones you can get off Amazon brand new for like $55 that are made for 3rd gens, but happen to fit 2nd gen's quite well. Would probably fit the '90 as well. I have them on mine and really like them, if I recall RocketLegacy has a link in his build...

[Wagonista]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/06/IMAG1567_zps6e9027ef-1.jpg

Finally getting some work put in on this beast. Mostly out of necessity, partially because I just have the time.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/06/IMAG1565_zpsf9050f43-1.jpg

You can actually see how much backspacing I was missing by running the KYB AGXs over the STi takeoffs.

I in no way condone use of AGXs on Legacies. KYB lists the same part number for use on both the Impreza and the Legacy, but really, the part number is GF8 specific. Backspacing is off, the whole strut is too short and the spring perch is also too short.

So, tomorrow night I'll try to get those pesky bolts off of the bottoms of the STi struts and clean out the old grease. After that, I ought to be able to fit the 17x8s, albeit closely.

[Wagonista]

Did quite a bit of work to the wagon today:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/06/IMAG1582_zps290549bd-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/06/IMAG1583_zpseceb9c52-1.jpg

Tore the STi rear struts open, cleaned out the waxy old grease. Re-greased with synthetic red grease. Not too difficult, but the synthetic grease is hard to work with. I opted out of drilling and tapping for a grease fitting. Maybe if they develop a clunk again.

Of course, I think most of my clunks have been coming from the fact that my rear left upper sway bar endlink bushing (what a mouthful) is almost non-existent. The endlink can be jostled all around. Seeing as the polyurethane bushings alone are quite expensive (and like I'd just replace one rather than all of them) looks like the next mod will be a full solid endlink kit. Of course that's going to have to come after the new clutch kit and transmission... (money pit much?)

After that... swapped the springs and tophats back over from the AGXs. Did I mention that those AGXs rusted like crazy? I have no idea why. They were brand new, only had them on 18 months. Reinstalled the struts, sustained some nasty sunburns and felt like I was going to have a heatstroke in the hundred degree heat. I REALLY need to get a place with a garage. Got the car all put back together and... voila! My car no longer has gasser stance / saggy butt syndrome any more. For the first time since it was stock.

Here's a picture after the suspension had settled a bit:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/06/IMAG1595_zpsf998bf2a-1.jpg

Those snow tires... They need to go. Which reminds me: The STi struts DO give a ton more backspacing. Probably about 10mm more. Meaning: Those WRX wheels fit now. Time to get some tires.

[Muse]

I like how the WRX wheels are practically the same color as the lower half.

[foohfooh]

Word.

[wentz912]

do you still need a transmission and what not?

[Wagonista]

Yeah, still need to do that. I have one lined up from a buddy. I'll be putting a low mileage 2.5RS transmission and matching VLSD in.

[Wagonista]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/06/IMAG1646_zpsfe7afbc0-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/06/IMAG1643_zpsd43b3e81-1.jpg

SO MUCH GRIIIPPP And finally have a full range of motion for my suspension travel again.

Excuse the washed out cell phone pictures. I'll get some proper ones after the car is washed.

[fwa2500]

That looks freaking awesome. I love how the wheels match the two-tone, and they are just the right size with the right amount of tyre.....mmmmmmmm......

[Muse]

Ooooh, straight up-and-down sidewalls... Seeexy.

[98legwag]

Very nice. Is there any rubbing? Or did you have the fenders rolled previously?

[Wagonista]

No rubbing. The rears were rolled with a rubber mallet when I had the XXRs.

Here's another pic, still from my cell phone but not all washed out at least. It's hard to capture, (at least on a phone camera, need a new battery for the SLR and left the point-and-shoot in the Crown wagon at JDM Legends) but I love the way these wheels catch the sunlight.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/07/IMAG1649_zpsff66f669-1.jpg

I'm guessing these will be like the 02-03 WRX wheels were in the late 2000s... On every other Subaru but the WRX. Already seeing them a lot on Foresters and GD WRXs.

[Wagonista]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/07/P1080460_zps7cbcd659-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/07/P1080453_zps559c56e3-1.jpg

Very excited to be exploring in this thing again. Found a new quiet place to drive. The canyons are always PACKED during the weekends, but this place was not. Feels good to be driving around without worrying about burning up my snow tires. Once I tweak a few more things and overhaul the drivetrain, this thing is going to be so solid. much excite.

[Wagonista]

Leaving this here for reference (mostly for myself)

3.545 / 2.111 / 1.448 / 1.088 / 0.871 / 4.111FD - Stock 96 Outback
3.545 / 1.947 / 1.366 / 0.972 / 0.780 / 4.111FD - 94 EJ18 Impreza
3.545 / 2.111 / 1.448 / 1.088 / 0.780 / 4.111FD - 2.5RS

For those that are curious, obviously the first one is what came in the car that I destroyed, the second is the transmission of questionable origins and mileage that's currently in the car, the third one is what will be going in shortly. Will also be putting in the matching R160.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/07/gearratios_zpsed72f455png-1.jpg

[Suba_Steve]

I like seeing the variances. Good information there, and those wheels look perfect on your car!

[Former Owl]

I really like the choices you made! Plenty of form and function. Nothing is distracting from the overall look! Although I did notice Han Solo and Ol' Ben in one of the shots.

[Wagonista]

Thanks for the kind comments!

Started my new job. Time, energy and money are now less of an issue. Purchased the most expensive part of my new drivetrain setup on the way to work today: ACT XACT Streetlite flywheel. It's about 11 pounds. Just shaving a little bit of rotating mass.

[Wagonista]

Began surgery on the wagon yesterday. Thought I might be able to get it done in one day, but had a few hiccups.

Amassed all of my parts: a 99 2.5RS 4.111 Five-speed with only 120k on it, a new shift knuckle, a new oil separator plate, a new shift fork, and all the shift fork clips. And then the ACT Streetlite and an Exedy OEM 2.5RS clutch kit. Oh yeah, and 4 quarts of Subaru Extra-S. Liquid gold.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/09/IMAG1794_zps3bc434d0-1.jpg

Of course, ten minutes into things, something already went wrong: One of my wheel lugs cross threaded on its way off and took some of the stud with it.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/09/IMAG1796_zps059419c9-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/09/IMAG1798_zps364f9d0a-1.jpg

Those lug nuts were pretty damn expensive, so I'll see if I can salvage the nut with a thread chaser or tap. Will need to put in a new stud. May do a few, or all of the fronts. A number of them have rough threads.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/09/IMAG1801_zpsf6509185-1.jpg

That's a leaf katydid that was chilling with me under the wagon.

I got quite a bit done, removed the exhaust, driveshaft, and all the other misc items you have to get rid of on a tranny job. Removed the front struts, as I'll be putting the STi bits back on with the Prodrive springs I've had lying around all this time. Drained all the fluids, got the tranny off, replaced the oil separator, and installed the new flywheel and clutch. Ran out of light before I was able to get the new transmission on. That will come tomorrow night. Taking today off today to give it a rest. I also relocated the pivot for the shift fork and polished it up. (There are two spots for it, a low one and a high one. The high one is for the hydro clutch fork, the low one is for a cable fork.) Got the new shift fork installed, swapped over my newer boot, installed the new throwout bearing. I would love to change out the shift linkage while I'm in there, and update it to the newer style so I can install a short shifter. Couldn't source the right linkage, though.

Still to do on this job:

Swap over the shift knuckle (hooray for no more shifter that flops around like it's in neutral while in a gear!)
Swap over the vehicle speed sensor
Possibly swap over the other wiring
Possibly swap over the trans crossmember. (NOT reusing the Group N mount though. That thing is annoying.)
Pop in the new transmission
Put everything else back on the car
Replace Stud(s)
Get new lug nuts, or fix the damaged one
Refill engine and gear oil
Put the Prodrive springs and STi tophats back on the STi struts, reinstall them, see if I can get the camber alignment right.
Bed in the new clutch
Drive it.

Will be very worth it... It'll be like having a whole new car. The thing has been awful to drive. I have been doing a 30-45 minute commute with sometimes-awful stop and go traffic. 4th gear stopped working a while ago, and the constant misalignment of the synchros from skipping from 3rd to 5th and back has caused 3rd to start popping out, and a LOT of grinding. Hopefully, will have the thing running like a champ before the fall colors are in full bloom up the canyons.

[Wagonista]

Transmission is in. Will bolt up the last few remaining items tonight, put in the new stud, and it should be good to go. Need to go get some spring compressors, the Prodrive springs are too stiff to bolt up with the ghetto method. That or my tiny air compressor isn't strong enough to do it.

[Wagonista]

Only took a week, but I finally got the car running again on Saturday!
Had a few hiccups, like the clutch cable bracket not fitting on a phase II transmission case (belt grinder made short work of it) and one of the bolts that mount said bracket to the transmission case completely rounding off (had to squeeze an angle grinder down to the transmission through the engine bay to grind it off). I also had only a few hours to work on it each night.

First impressions:
- It started right up and drove the first time! The only thing I forgot was the pitch stop.
- Man, the car is super quiet without the weird (phase I?) solid steel pitch stop, and without the Group N transmission mount. I need to go grab a normal plastic pitch stop. I am so tired of NVH.
- The power delivery is super smooth with the lightweight flywheel. Also, no CEL from running both a flywheel and billet crank pulley.
It takes almost zero throttle to launch the car now.
- Running the A/C makes zero difference on how the car runs now. It used to make it idle higher and drained engine power like crazy.
-So glad to have the STi struts back on. The prodrive springs don't appear to be any lower, but they have a lot more preload, and a whole extra coil.
-Understeer appears to be greatly reduced.

[Hinyo]

Wow great impressions. Sorry you had to swap the tranny again. Well the dont call it a project car if you dont have a project to work on. Hopefully this fix wil last a bit longer. The wrx wheels look good. any other plans for her?

[Wagonista]

Yeah, the car seriously drives like a dream. Need to go back and re-adjust the clutch cable, but it is the least broken it has been in the past 3ish years.

At this point? Not much. It's a relatively fun-to-drive, practical, great all-around car. Haven't had ABS in nearing two years, so I'd like to source another junkyard ABS sensor. I also saw an actual non-shattered-intact fog light at the junkyard the other day. I'll probably go snag that too. I'll probably also throw on the side skirts I have laying around, and mend the broken rain guard. Other than that? I just want to drive it. I'm probably going to minimize hard-use as much as possible from this point on. I don't plan on going any lower, it's just not worth it to me with the long wheelbase and steep driveways here. I'm really over slammed cars at this point too. I like where it sits now. It's functional. It looks pretty good. It's still fairly practical.

In the long run, my main goal for this car is to hit 300,000 miles. I'd also like to repaint the car at some point. The clear coat is starting to go. That would be after I buy a house and a garage though.

[Muse]

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/07/gearratios_zpsed72f455png-1.jpg
What program did you use for this? I'd like to figure out my ideal shift points.

Also, are they ideal for power or for economy?

[Wagonista]

http://www.teammfactory.com/gear-calculator
Shift points should be for power. There are other calculators out there, which if you have a dyno chart that tells you your power at different RPMs will be a lot more accurate.

[Wagonista]

It never ends.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/10/IMAG1857_zps8592862c-1.jpg

Got rear-ended... AGAIN.

The good news is, I walked out of a store today and noticed that my car does actually have the slight suspension rake I was going for. So here's an actual picture of the car's current suspension setup. (04 STi struts/tophats, front Prodrive P1 springs, rear STi springs, saggy butt spacers)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/10/IMAG1860_zpsf1291003-1.jpg

When the insurance pays out, I'll probably just replace the bumper and keep the hatch. I'll see if the dent can be pulled out for cheap.

[fwa2500]

Oh ffs. You get rear ended again and Reuben blows up again. It has not been a good week....

[Wagonista]

Oh ffs. You get rear ended again and Reuben blows up again. It has not been a good week....

You spoke too soon... THE SUBARU GODS ARE NOT PLEASED WITH US.

[Reuben]

Blew up both cars btw, Blighters headgasket went proper the night before I killed Beast...

Yeah, shitty week :( And damn muppet drivers!

[Wagonista]

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5879184 ... phRfkw!2e0 (https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5879184,-111.9055619,3a,30y,117.44h,77.03t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1siwlFOOIaYS1Hthg7phRfkw!2e0)

AWWW YISSS

[Muse]

Sexy-looking car. Looks like yours, but it can't be. That guy's face is all blurry, and yours isn't.

[Wagonista]

No real updates (I haven't even replaced the rear bumper!), but I did spend a lot of money on giving the wagons a new home.

339

[KNaph]

Congrats on the new place! Must be an exciting change for you!

[Wagonista]

Thanks! Lots more changes here. I have two new babies, now. One human, and one is a 40-year-old Toyota.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2017/02/Screen20Shot202015062520at207595920AM_zp-1.jpg

[foohfooh]

Re - upping this thread. Bump for updates. Homie had ganadors on an outback. Re examing photos now. Rad.

[fwa2500]

Well, there are updates but I'll let Alex post them.

[Wagonista]

Yeah... I've been meaning to update this thread for a while. I've kind of dreaded writing this post, because it's really the last thing that's left. The Eulogy.

After nearly nine years of daily driving the wagon, I finally parted ways with it.

This car was a huge part of my life. I'm still pretty shocked that I sold it, but it was just time. I've had more memories with it than with any other thing. Countless Thursday night meets, so many friends that I've made because of it, so many people who bought Subarus themselves because of it. I met my wife because of this car! We fell in love going for long drives and having long talks in it.

65,000 miles, two transmissions, countless memories, eight years, one track day, a few autocrosses, high school, college, marriage, commuting to work, first house, first baby, all with this car. I didn't quite make my goal of hitting 300K miles on the car, but I think it'll get there with the new owner.

She was so clean when I first got her, but the years in the salt and sun of Utah weren't kind, nor was the neglect that slowly crept in due to "life happening" - getting married just made it so I didn't have the time to take care of her like I used to. The suspension was really needing to be overhauled, and it was getting to the point where it was too low, too stiff, too loud, and just no fun to commute in awful traffic in.

I sold it to another enthusiast, a postal worker, the first guy who showed up to look at it. It'll be his family car. After listing it for sale, I had 26 people in line to look at it within 24 hours of listing it -- a real shock to me for a rough old modified car with a quarter million miles on it. I friended him on Facebook, so I still see it. And I've been tagged in a few 'spotted' posts on the local groups since then as well. It's odd, I feel kind of jealous. It's a similar feeling to seeing an ex with someone else.

As for its replacement? As boring as you can get, an automatic 06 Outback 2.5i in Atlantic Blue Pearl with really dirty beige cloth interior. It was a real steal of a deal and was tremendously undervalued, so I'm set on flipping it this summer to get a 540i Touring wagon or an 07 XT Limited in black. It's also allowing me to focus on restoring my Celica - a car I've wanted for over ten years, long before I got into Subarus.

But really, nothing will ever replace the old wagon. It's sorely missed, and despite being a horrible commuter in the end, I really miss the way it drove, and all the dozens of little things I did to make it mine.

Goodbye, old friend.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2016/05/12728714_100180073705896_425652711_n-1.jpg

[Go Mifune]

Sorry to hear it but a very good eulogy.

[peugoby]

Great eulogy, I hope she lives on and treats the new owner as well as it did for you. She was a pretty wagon with a great story to share. You'll love the 540iT if you go that route. I dearly miss my old E39 540i 6mt sport. A truly great drivers car. I also nearly bought a late model 4th gen Outback Limited, but it was a rare '09 3.0. Both are great choices.

Happy roads to you ahead.

[Wagonista]

Feeling nostalgic for this car lately. It's still putting around from time to time, mostly as a winter car and occasional family car for the guy I sold it to. I'm facebook friends with him and have kept my eye on it. Every so often he'll post a picture, like his kids watching a movie in it at the drive in.

I replaced the 06 beigemobile with an 07 Limited, black on black. It was a really nice commuter until it developed a catastrophic oil leak. I sold it for not much less than I bought it for, but kind of regret not just having a shop fix it for me. I was too busy dealing with an engine swap on my project car to want to worry about a second possibly unreliable car. I'm down to one Subaru now, the wife's 05.

Either way, it makes me happy to know that it's still out there.

Maybe I'll own it again someday.

Maybe not.