fwa's '08 Legacy 3.0R Limited - A new beginning

[fwa2500]

I had been hoping I could make the stock caps work but they are *JUST* too small. I think I'm going to try to track down some Subaru stickers for the ones that came with the wheels and just go with that.

[98legwag]

That is a good idea. I am still trying to decide on what wheels I want. I may wait till next spring at this point and kill off the tires I currently have since they are feathered. The previous owner of my car apparently didn't believe in alignments. The tires have been feathered since I bought it.

[geckoboy86]

I finally got to your PM. Sorry for the late response.

[fwa2500]

On Saturday I blacked out the chrome strips on the tail lights, I definitely like the look but I have discovered I am complete crap at vinyl. I need to co back and re-do them for the 5th time...



Strut and spring upgrade has been a complete success. Now rolling on brand new KYBs with H&R sport springs. The swap was done on Sunday with the help from a couple friends and we also knocked out brake pad an oil changes on their cars.




Front gap before:



Front gap after:



Rear gap is just a hair lower than it was before but nowhere near as spongey, also now has saggy butt spacers resulting in a slight forward rake, just the way I like it.

On the alignment rack at TIC:



End result:



This feels SOOOOOOOO much better than the stock Bilsteins and still quite comfortable (better ride than the coilovers on the wagon were which were better than the STi stuff before that). I'm not spending any more for a little while, next up in a month or so will be figuring out something with the exhaust.

[98legwag]

Very nice. I think @geckoboy86 wants some Bilsteins....for the right price. Any particular reason you chose to go to the KYBs instead of keeping the Bilsteins? I am assuming you got the right top hats for the KYBs as well.

[98legwag]

Oh, there is someone on legacygt.com selling SPT mufflers.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthrea...rs-244177.html

Edit- I saw in your plans that you want an 07 Outback hood. The 05-07 hood is different and does not fit the 08-09.

[fwa2500]

The part numbers I'm finding for the scooped and flat hoods appear to be the same from 05-09, I don't see why the bulge one would be any different. The non-USDM facelift Outbacks also came with them while ours got those horrid chrome-trimmed things:



(I also really want a set of those headlights but they are quite hard to find as it turns out...)

[soba noodle]

I like how it sits now!

Re: Bilsteins.
I found them to be a bit harsh when you go over small road cracks at lower speeds. That was causing some interior squeaks, especially the vents under the windscreen always came to alive. Ohlins solved this for me, never had any squeaks since then, even at the firmest settings.

Re: headlights.
Seen some on Yahoo for something like JPY20,000-30,000 a few times (that's for a pair).

[fwa2500]

I found the US-spec Bilsteins to be way too soft, they felt horribly under-dampened to me and would wallow about after going over a bump. Not to mention the nose dives under braking and squat under acceleration. The KYB/H&R combo has cured all of that. I'm quite happy with how it feels now (though I would still like to get Kartboy end links and Tibeca front sway bar again at some point). As for the lights, every time I have looked on there and on Croooober it always seems they are selling just the left or right lights. The one time I saw a pair listed in the US they were asking something crazy like $1200 for them, no way I am paying that. I'll keep looking, but as with all the other planned mods I am in no rush and quite happy where the car is now

Speaking of that, I just ran out for a couple quick photos…









I need to invest in a new graduated ND filter, it will come in handy now that I have a black car.

[98legwag]

Such nice photos. And yeah, the USDM Bilsteins are equvilant to the JDM GT Rev C Bilsteins, not even any JDM Spec B Bilstiens. The US spec cars are much softer. With that said, I do like them. But I want the front to sit a touch lower. Maybe someday I will get JDM GT Pinks or try to track down some Eibach/Epic springs (discontinued) and get Konis.

[98legwag]

I am curious, any rubbing issues with the new wheels/tires and suspension set up?

[fwa2500]

None that I have noticed, it seems to be just about perfect. Fills out the guards nicely while also not having any clearance issues. I might be able to get away with 245s but these tyres should last for a couple more summers. I'm not a big fan of stretched tyres and the 235s ended up slightly more stretched than anticipated, but it really isn't bad. One of my friends is slightly lower with Konis and Swift springs on his Spec B also with no issues:

[98legwag]

OK. Thanks for the info.

[98legwag]

Hey man, I was going back over your thread and have a question. The Morimoto HID bulbs that did not fit with the caps, are they from the Morimoto Elite HID kit?

[fwa2500]

Yes, they are the ones from the Elite kit. If they were 1cm shorter it would have been perfect but it was not to be. Their new style bulbs have a plug directly on the base of the bulb, which is nice so you wouldn't have to pull the whole pigtail out of the cap when changing bulbs, but it makes it too long. Oh well, the standard HID bulbs fit fine and work great with the Morimoto ballasts and harness.

[98legwag]

OK, thanks. I am satisfied with my halogen bulbs (Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited) for now. But in the future who knows.

[soba noodle]

Correct me if I am wrong, no HID for USDM 3.0?

[98legwag]

Correct me if I am wrong, no HID for USDM 3.0?

That is correct. As far as I know most USDM Legacys never got HIDs. Finally the 2015s have HID headlights on the 3.6R.

[fwa2500]

Yep, it is one of the many ways that we got screwed by SoA. We also never got digital climate control until halfway through the third gen. Legacy cycle and even then it was an optional extra as far as I can work out. There was digital climate control in the first gens in JDM-land...I think the only good stuff we have gotten here that is special in any way are the closed deck EJ22 turbo engines in the first gen SS and the Baja family, everything else seems to be watered down and worse versions of what the rest of the world got.

[Reuben]

Yup, even my shitbox BF3 1.8 ti daily has digital climate control. Why did SOA hate you guys?

[98legwag]

At least all our BRZ/FRS/GT86s come with 17 inch wheels. In Japan the lower specs have 16 in alloys or 16 inch steelies.

[fwa2500]

Yup, even my shitbox BF3 1.8 ti daily has digital climate control. Why did SOA hate you guys?

They still do...and because they are based in New Jersey, nothing good ever came out of there.

At least all our BRZ/FRS/GT86s come with 17 inch wheels. In Japan the lower specs have 16 in alloys or 16 inch steelies.

Most of the people I know with FRS/BRZs either replaced the wheels or painted/powder coated them a solid colour, no-one likes the two-tone look, but they were kinda pitched as a tuner car anyway with the expectation they would be customized.


On Saturday I plastidipped the "wing" on the grill black as a temporary solution, I'd love to go with a mesh or honeycomb grill at some point.

[98legwag]

Yeah, my buddy with a Spec B has a DIY mesh grille. Its looks awesome.

[fwa2500]

Now with more noise. I like it.




I think I am going to get longer Kartboy hangers again, I would like a little more bumper clearance.

[soba noodle]

Nice, what do they sound like? Really like the burned tips!

[98legwag]

I have the Kartboy hangers on mine. I like them. I am assuming you went with Turbo XS? Since mine are the prototypes they don't have the burnt tips.

Edit- just saw the boxes.

[soba noodle]

I have the Kartboy hangers on mine. I like them. I am assuming you went with Turbo XS? Since mine are the prototypes they don't have the burnt tips.

Edit- just saw the boxes.

You can do the burned tips yourself, gas torch is the only thing you need

[98legwag]

You can do the burned tips yourself, gas torch is the only thing you need

Eh, I like them the way they are. I just need to polish them.

[fwa2500]

Toothpaste worked great on the Prodrive oval-tip I had on the wagon, and then it smells minty fresh afterwards as a bonus!

[soba noodle]

We have this great stuff called Autosol, metal polishing paste. Made in Germany I believe and should be available in the states too. But yeah for light polishing some toothpaste will do, as well as some domestic cleaning pastes like Jiff.