scoobydo2.0's Low'n'Slow LGT Wagon

[scoobydo2.0]

My name is Rick, and I've driven a car from every popular Japanese car company except Honda. I've owned a track prepped Miata, a 1G Eclipse that I welded the center diff to run as RWD and drifted it till I blew it up, I currently have an NA 91 MR2 that I'm prepping to drop a V6 into, and I still have a 1GB Plymouth Laser RS AWD that I've owned since I was 19. This will be my 3rd Subie I've owned, but my 1st NA boxer. I have to admit having driven an 02 Bugeye with a PE1820 and the necessary supporting mods running at 26lbs of boost, to my current 04 Peanut WRX that running on BC coilovers, has 25MM sways front and rear, upgraded brakes, beefy trans, 16G Deadbolt modded turbo with all the proper accompaniments... I gotta say this car leaves me underwhelmed, but I'm getting used to not being in the left lane. You might recognize the car in the pics below, it was in the For Sale section here as well as NASIOC. I scooped it up because I've always wanted a wagon, and I convinced my now wife that this was more practical to drive to and from work than my WRX (I still own the 04 WRX, it just gets a nice rest from driving 70 miles round trip everyday to work).



The previous owner of this car is Old Skool, he's been in the Subie game for a long time, his name is Matt and goes by Shik on NASIOC. He's a great guy and I think I spent over an hour talking cars with him when I called on the LGT. We got through the pleasantries and set a time and date for me to make the 8 hr drive from Detroit to Central Pennsylvania. The car was exactly as it was described, they only thing that I didn't realize was that the fog lights were painted to look like JDM fogs But I digress, I knew going into this that it would be a bit of a resto project but would eventually be a fun and reliable daily driver that I can pack easily for trips, golfing, or as a support vehicle on track days.

Scroll down below to the list I put together of the things I have planned for this ole gurl

[Muse]

Congrats on buying this car. I was lusting after it, myself. Glad to see it's a true Subie fan that got it, not just some kid who needed a first car or something.

[foohfooh]

Congrats rick. Lotsa cool bits and pieces on it.

[scoobydo2.0]

Thanks guys, it's nice to have come upon a forum that's not pretentious like a few others I frequent. I have some cool plans for this Leggy, so be sure to check back from time to time.

[scoobydo2.0]

UPGRADE WISH LIST:

General engine maintenance:

- Denso Platinum TT Plugs
- NGK Plug Wires
- OBX Coil Pack
- PCV
- WIX fuel filter
- K&N filter element

Brakes:
- WRX calipers (front & rear)... eventually Subaru 4 pots, but only once the car is fast enough
- H6 rear setup
- Steel braided lines
- Master Cylinder brace
- Find out why the ABS light is on

Suspension:
- KYB AGX's with 05 STi springs
- 1/4" Homemade Saggy Butt spacers for the rear
- Godspeed Lateral links
- Whiteline Endlinks (front & rear)
- 25MM Tribeca FSB
- 18MM Outback RSB, eventually working up to a Whiteline 22MM adj

Exterior:
- Wiring the JDM City lights to come on with the ignition
- 4500K HID H1 bulbs Lo beam
- Nokya Amber 55W Hi beam
- JDM Fog lights
- Wiring fender marker lights to flash with turn signal
- Roof basket
- Skid plate (custom)
- Light bar with Hella Driving lights (winter mode)
- Hella Supertones ***these are life savers and should be standard on all cars***
- RallyArmor Urethane flaps
- Paint the GT-B rims STi gold, mount snow tires on them
- XXR 527's or 530's, 17x8.25 +35 with 215/40/17 or 225/40/17
- Fix the rust on the quarters
- Fender flares, maybe...
- Honda rear wiper mod
- Antenna delete

Interior:
- 02 WRX front seats
- 04 WRX Head unit with 6 disc changer
- new speakers
- Short shifter
- Redline shift boot
- WRX leather handle Parking Brake handle
- Reupholster door cards and headliner with microsuede (charcoal grey)
- Heated Seat mod using aftermarket heating pads with OEM switches and harness
- Rear cargo floor mat
- STi 5 spd Delrin shift knob
- Replace some of the door switches that are broke and some of the missing interior trunk panels

Performance:
- UEL Borla rep header w/ custom mid pipe
- WRX exhaust modded to fit, delete cats
- Uncle Scotty trans cocktail
- EGR delete
- Catch can
- Torque Solutions Pitch Stop
- More to come...

[scoobydo2.0]

So this is what she looked like when my brother and buddy drove from Detroit to Central PA. It took roughly 8 hours of driving to get there, and just for those of you who haven't driven through Ohio on the turnpike... It's boring and the only scenery are the Rest Stops. We stopped at a Friendly's before the start of the return leg. We don't have them in Michigan anymore, so we had to stop. I also took this opportunity to take a photo of my new ride.



The next morning I gave it a bath since I killed a half million bugs driving back, and the headlights were in desperate need of a polishing. I also through a NASIOC sticker on the windshield since I had it laying around.





The headlights cleaned up nice, and I'll be installing HID's from DDM (4500K with 55W ballasts) and Nokya amber 55W bulbs for the hi-beams. I also need to look into the wiring because the PO installed them not using the original JDM pigtail and I want to have my lo-beams stay on when I switch to the hi-beams.

[scoobydo2.0]

Later that week I cruised out to my buddy Jeff's place, 31 Motorsports, to show him the car and see what kind of goodies I could pick up from him. He parts out Subaru's and rebuilds them and also does full on rally car builds, and he also runs an 08 STi in RallyAmerica (he's the one standing on top of the car).

This is what it looks like when it's not upside down.


He has a 98 Outback in his yard that was rolled that he said I could pick away at if I wanted since he already made his money off of it, so while I was there I scored a rear cargo floor liner from that very Outback and some WRX calipers and rotors. We also discussed me cutting the rear quarters out of the Outback to fix the rotting one on my LGT wagon.

[peugoby]

Nice progress & great starting point. That car already has a lot of the proper mods including those beautiful GT-B wheels. Great pickup - Can't wait to see what you have planned for it!

[scoobydo2.0]

Thanks man, the GT-B wheels, JDM headlights and taillights, fender markers and the rain visor made it worth picking up. I'm hoping to get a set of snow tires for the GT-B rims and put a set of XXR's or Rota's (17X8 in +35, +38 offset) for the summer time.

[scoobydo2.0]

So I went out to 31 Motorsports and scooped up a set of KYB AGX's w/ Tein S tech springs (I know, I know, they are probably the worst springs to use but they were free with the shocks and gave me the stance I wanted), and I installed my UEL header with a cobbled together 2.5" exhaust from a used STi exhaust and some other bits laying around.

This how she's sitting right now...


I made my own .25" saggy butt spacers out of a cutting board I had sitting in the garage that I used to make a template to mount 3KGT VR4 calipers to my DSM, and voila, perfect stance





Glad I had the top hats from my BC's sitting on the work bench to test fit... Like a glove!!


Pardon the fact that she's dirty, but I love the way it sits... Too bad the ride is harsh



You can sort of see the STi exhaust tucked under there, I'm gonna extend the tip when I have some time. It sounds way quiet and the UEL header isn't as profound as I'd like it to be but it's much better than the rotted and leaky stock exhaust

[scoobydo2.0]

Couldn't get this strut tower brace to fit the WRX, not sure why, so into the LGT it went after a little customizing. Nothing like a little wrinkle black to cover up the scratches from get banged around in the parts bin.





I still need to trim the strut tower covers, but I'd say it's a nice subtle finish.

[Muse]

I've got pretty much the same strut bar. I honestly didn't expect it to do anything, with the long slots for the adjustability, and I still think it's not as good as a better designed one, but after I changed my rear struts this summer, I'd taken it off, and it was a noticeable difference with it off.

[scoobydo2.0]

It's definitely not the smoking gun in improving handling, but it does make a difference. The rear feels like a wet noodle even with the brace.. I think the addition of a lower brace, subframe lock down bolts, and stiffer rear sway will totally tighten things up back there.

[Muse]

Yeah. and on this particular one, the price is right. a cheap rear strut bar is an amazing bang-for-your-buck mod for these wagons.

[ctbrighton]

Youre gonna want hyper yellow highbeams, not amber.

[scoobydo2.0]

Time to get serious with this thread... Fix these broken links and start posting pics for the next chapter of this Laggin Wagon

[scoobydo2.0]

So, I just bought a house... The WRX will be put away for a while so I can make sure my finances are properly situated and the LGT will start it's DD duty with a fresh Gates T-Belt and h2o pump, staying NA for the time being, but with a roof basket and front light bar with 4 Hella 500's mounted to it ;P