Check on upgarage.com for used jdm Bilstiens, they're generally cheaper than you'll find usdm sets even after shipping to the states. When I get around to the suspension on my car that's probably where I'll be shopping.
Check on upgarage.com for used jdm Bilstiens, they're generally cheaper than you'll find usdm sets even after shipping to the states. When I get around to the suspension on my car that's probably where I'll be shopping.
Nice link....Just found out today when I did my oil change at the dealer that my car has no Cat on it. It has the Invidia up/down pipes without the Cat going back to the factory exhaust that the previous owner put back on when he traded it in. In my state of Pennsylvania we have an inspection every year along with an emissions test. Im being told by the dealership that the only way around having no cat is using the car for less than 5000k a year to be qualified for an "exempt" sticker. Do the access port units trick the test in anyway or am I forced to buy some type of Cat that can be put in and taken out once a year to pass this stupid testing?
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
I've heard of catless tuned cars passing emissions tests, but if they do a visual inspection you'll fail hands down.
Im thinking with all of my tuner shops around me and some other local car crazy peeps. I might be able to find a local shop that can slip me through. Or maybe just get a low back preasure high flow cat that can be easily removed when need be. I have an awesome exhaust guy near me that I have been using over the years that will do that work for sure. What is your thoughts on a Cobb V2 used vs buying a used or new V3?
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
Wow, that looks really nice!
Except for the tan interior.![]()
99 Legacy GT WRX - Now for sale!
05 Legacy GT Limited 5MT Wagon - Stock-ish.
02 Outback Limited 5MT - Lifted, Dual Range
84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/6-speed
85 Silverado - Low and slow tow rig
I honestly haven't looked much into the features of the accessport versions. I like my tuning like I like my phones, open source lol.
Thanks. It's already been a bitch trying to wipe down everything to clean from the previous owner. The A/C is smelling kind of stale as well. Going for a cabin filter this upcoming Saturday. It's funny how my friends are thinking my 95 BK is now for sale since I got this LGT. Sorry not giving that car up either. Subie addiction is official!
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
Im still reading up on all the tuning options and hand helds as well. Im happy to hear about the reliability factor with these tunes over years and miles later. But at the moment I have a check engine light that is a P0420. Im kind of scared to drive the car knowing that if another code is thrown from something else like a turbo or oil issue im not going to know about it and it could turn catastrophic. This why my next purchase is going to be a Cobb V2-V3 unless I can get the time to get to a local tuner shop like http://rttuning.com/ to plug into my port and tell me if im safe to drive the car since it had a Cobb access port married to it from the previous owner who already sold it im being told from the Ford dealer I got the car from. Or maybe they can do an open source protune like you 86bratman have been saying?
Last edited by Zangado1; 09-13-2015 at 05:48 PM.
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
I have one of these, https://www.scantool.net/obdlink-lx.html, and an app on my phone that communicates with the reader in real time. I can monitor everything the Cobb can, but on any car I choose to plug that adapter into. I can read my 05, 99, the wife's fusion, or any of my friend's obd2 compliant cars because it's not married to one car. There are cheaper adapters on eBay but the quality control sucks, I went through 3 10 dollar pos adapters before I said screw it and bought a good one.
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
Do yourself a favor and upgrade the noodle 16mm rear sway bar. But the mounts for the rear sway bar are week and should upgraded too. I have the AVO rear sway bar reinforcement brackets with a JDM 20mm rear sway. It helps.
Edit- check out http://www.croooober.com/cparts/search. Its Up Garage as well. I find it easier to use.
My cars:
2019 Impreza Sport
2008 Miata
2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited- Sold
1998 Legacy L wagon- Sold
2000 Outback- Sold
Sway bar is deffinately in my future reading about the lame stock ones fitted to our cars. I have to do the full suspension set first since the dude before me stripped the aftermarket suspension and put it back to stock. Now it rides like a Cadillac with a manual trans. Looks like the Bilstein Hd set up with Spec B top hats is the best all around set up if you want a nice ride. The coilovers in my experiences in other peoples cars that have them fitted seem to be too rough all around town for me along with these shitty rough roads here in Pennsylvania im not putting up with pot holes and crevices being that low to the ground. Looks like about $900 for the struts/shocks/top hats and the additional hardware/bushings not including the lowering springs. A lot to swallow at one shot but very worth it.
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
Look into the Koni inserts too. They are more cost effective and a good upgrade.
My cars:
2019 Impreza Sport
2008 Miata
2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited- Sold
1998 Legacy L wagon- Sold
2000 Outback- Sold
I had a set of adjustable Koni's on an old 80's GTI I had back then (showing my age) And they were the kind that you opened the hood and had a small plastic knob that fit into the palm of your hand to adjust them only in the front. They were awesome. Reading on here it seems that there is some type of fabrication involved to slip them into your housing? Not sure about that task. I have GR-2's on my BK now with Tein lowering springs and am very happy with them. I have maybe read one guy's feedback on here that put a set of those GR-2's on a fourth generation LGT. He said he likes them and loved the price. Im open for ideas since we have so many options. But the photos are helping as well.
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
My cars:
2019 Impreza Sport
2008 Miata
2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited- Sold
1998 Legacy L wagon- Sold
2000 Outback- Sold
One of my friends has Konis and Swift springs on his Spec B and swears by them, I have heard nothing but good things about the inserts. I opted for KYB struts when I re-did the suspension on my 3.0R with a further upgrade to Konis somewhere down the road, though I did seriously consider the Bilstein HDs. I really was not a fan of how soft and floaty the stock Bilsteins felt, there was so much roll, dive and squat...
'11 Lexus CT200h - Feb. 2024-Present
'12 Toyota Aqua - AKA Prius C, JDM city runabout. Sold. Apr. 2023-Feb. 2024
'09 Toyota Crown Hybrid - JDM executive missile. Sold. Oct. 2019-Feb. 2024
'00 Toyota Vitz Clavia - Sold. Mar. 2018-Jun. 2021
'11 BMW 328i Xdrive - Sold. Nov. 2016-Apr. 2018
'08 Legacy 3.0R Limited - Sold. Mar. 2015-Aug. 2016
'97 Legacy wagon (BK) TS-R wanna-be - Retired. Oct. 2007-Jan. 2015
My cars:
2019 Impreza Sport
2008 Miata
2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited- Sold
1998 Legacy L wagon- Sold
2000 Outback- Sold
It might also be that I was so used to how stiff the wagon was between the coilovers, swaybars, endlinks, strut bars and such so take my suspension opinions with a grain of salt, lol.
'11 Lexus CT200h - Feb. 2024-Present
'12 Toyota Aqua - AKA Prius C, JDM city runabout. Sold. Apr. 2023-Feb. 2024
'09 Toyota Crown Hybrid - JDM executive missile. Sold. Oct. 2019-Feb. 2024
'00 Toyota Vitz Clavia - Sold. Mar. 2018-Jun. 2021
'11 BMW 328i Xdrive - Sold. Nov. 2016-Apr. 2018
'08 Legacy 3.0R Limited - Sold. Mar. 2015-Aug. 2016
'97 Legacy wagon (BK) TS-R wanna-be - Retired. Oct. 2007-Jan. 2015
That is very true.
My cars:
2019 Impreza Sport
2008 Miata
2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited- Sold
1998 Legacy L wagon- Sold
2000 Outback- Sold
Im liking the options that the Tein Street Basis have to offer. You get the adjustability of ride quality and the option of ride height as well with the spanner wrench. Where the Koni require some prep work and the Bilstein are kind of soft after a while. The Street Basis are a decent price as well and use the OEM top hats. Im not interested in camber settings or a rough coil over ride so these might be the ticket. Anybody have these Tein street Basis on here that have any feedback?
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
There is more than one banjo Bolt filter. One hides behind the timing cover, it's got a raised head so it can't be easily removed.
Also what version of Spec B shocks did you have? There were a few variants that went from stiff to soft as people complained their "GT" car was too stiff. People really buy GT cars then sit up and complain they don't ride like 90's Buicks.
The latest picture after I blacked out the grille. I had the car looked over at a Subaru dealership and the only thing they see that could be replaced is rear bushings for inspection. Im pretty satisfied that I found a good solid car knowing that these 05's have a lot of issues. You guys on here have been great with exposing what to look for over time.
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
Just talking about his on the other forums, the front of you car is 90% better than mine. The gap between hood and bumper seems to be normal for us. As for cat, the STi Up is oem looking(duh cause you just called it OEM) so it could pass 50/50. not much to gain from the aftermarket ones especially if you keep the stock VF40. How anal are they when they look? VA they were like you have a single cat and rear o2 is still in the downpipe, "Pass". My DP is 2 pieces and the rear half is a Perrin cat.
I was able to get to my engine and take pics.
The back of the head by the turbo banjo was already talked about above. Most easiest one to get to, and you are about to find out why I say such a thing.
there is actually another one on the other head at the front corner of the engine tucked away nicely behind the timing cover. Only one way to get to it, You might as well change the timing belt at that point.
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Great pictures Merc..Got another question for you about our cars. Do you know if there is lighting down under the dash in the foot well area. Because I have no lights down there at all. When its early in the morning I want to plug in my Cobb and there is no lighting down there so im using the I Phone light to plug it in. Im wondering if they are there or burned out?
1995 AWD Legacy L wagon 5MT (DD)
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 5MT
There are no footwell lights from the factory.
99 Legacy GT WRX - Now for sale!
05 Legacy GT Limited 5MT Wagon - Stock-ish.
02 Outback Limited 5MT - Lifted, Dual Range
84 Camaro Z28 - LS1/6-speed
85 Silverado - Low and slow tow rig
Hmm. I vote neon blue ...![]()