Background:
The plan was for my prior 1999 Outback to be my daily driver while I finished college and university, but in February 2011 a guy ran a red light and totalled that ‘Lil Red Wagon. The 2001 Outback replaced the ’99. I was still planning to do a few things too it to keep me happy and then trade it in when I could afford to.
There have been a few major repairs (eg: clutch, driveshaft, full engine replacement, and shifter bushings) which have strapped me for cash. I wasn’t able to finance a newer car, but was able to get the repairs done.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked the car when I first bought it but I found it lacking. The 2001 was not as exciting or as thrilling as my ’99 Outback. Yes, I could park it in the parking lot and walk away from it without looking back.
After installing the RTX rims with 205/55s, some JDM trim, and completing most of the leather LL Bean interior swap I have begun to like the car. I mean really like it. No more walking away without looking back at it.
Now the plans are to keep it, fix it as I can, and upgrade the parts when I can afford to do so. It will be a daily driver, with upgrades to make it handle more ‘spirited’ driving. I still need it to go to work; pick up kids, groceries, etc.; and, be able to handle long highway trips comfortably. The stereo will probably turn into the main feature as I used to be a car audio enthusiast back in the late 90s.
Exterior:
- JDM Tail lights
- JDM roof spoiler
- De-badged
- Legacy mirrors
- 20% tint
- Amber reflectors removed from front headlights
- Putco Pure Mirror White 4,000K low beam headlights
Interior:
- Black leather interior swap from LL Bean
- Dual cup holder center console from newer model Legacy
- Dash trim painted in a carbon fiber motif
- Doors sound deadened on the inside of the doors and door frames
- Rear cargo area sound deadened
- Tailgate sound deadened
Stereo:
- Panasonic CQ-C700U head unit taken from the ’99 Outback
- Kicker ZX 500.1 (Kijiji find)
- Kicker ZX350.4 (swap meet find)
- Sub woofer (either a Kicker 8 inch or one of two Kicker 10 inch)
- JL 6.5 co axial speakers in the doors (speakers I bought for the ’99)
- Tweeters from LL Bean
- Custom amp rack which will have Plexiglas and back lighting
- Custom fiberglass & MDF sub box with Plexiglas window and may have back lighting as well
Engine/Exhaust:
- Stock engine, but was replaced since the timing belt snapped – the head gaskets, valve cover gaskets, timing belt, tensioner, water pump, spark plugs, plug wires when the engine was replaced (at 298,800 km)
- Energy Suspension & OEM shifter bushings (all have been replaced)
- Replaced the driveshaft
- Stock replacement clutch
- K&N air fliter
Wheels:
- RTX wheels & 205/55R16 Michelin tires
- Stock wheels & 225/60R16 winter tires
- Note: this may change depending on future brake upgrades
Brakes:
- Stock
- Calipers have been replaced once
- Rotors have been replaced twice – thus looking at upgrading in the future
Suspension:
- Stock, but slowly collecting parts for an over-haul – looking at replacing the Outback struts with Legacy struts
Here are some photos from when the car was at the car lot (February 2011):
Here is a photo with the RTX rims and tint (probably around May/June 2012):
Photo for the JDM taillights installed and the rear tint fixed (March 2015):
Attacked the grill with a sawzall (September / October 2013):
Finally found a JDM roof spoiler (September 2015):
(Note: the spoiler did not get mounted until May/June 2016)
Progress photo – polishing the headlights with my buffing wheel –Legacy mirrors found and installed - grill had been sanded, shaped and colour matched (February 2016):
Remember the stereo? These are photos for laying out, building templates, testing concepts, etc. (February 2016 to current):
Cardboard mock-ups for the MDF panels for the Sub Box:
The window and inner dimensions of the sub box would allow for either one ten inch sub, or two eight inch subs. I’m kind of kicking myself for not buying two eight inch subs.
MDF cut out, edges routered, glued and fastened into place. Yes, I have seen others build boxes which slide into that spot, but why not make it part of the panel? I was able to get a panel for $20. This way I won’t have to deal with fiberglass smell in the car, or decommission the car while working on the sub box.
Test fit of modified panel and testing the lay out of the amp rack in the car. I used the JL Audio 2005 Legacy GT wagon as inspiration for this install.
Playing with lay out for the power distribution:
(viewers with sharp eyes may have noticed the interior swap also taking place)
Playing with ideas for the Plexiglas pad and back lighting:
Playing with another idea – a circuit board theme under the amps…. Hmmm…
Fiberglassing behind the panel for re-enforcement:
In order to earn points at Sound-offs, the stereos needed to be integrated into the car and the theme of the car. I figured that I would do so by painting trim in a carbon fiber motif. Probably the inside of the sub box, and bottom of the amp rack will be painted this way. That means parts of the trim need to get painted (and I couldn’t find the black piece around the gear shift for the interior swap):
The trim around the gauges received the paint treatment as well. The upper and lower trim being two colours (black and wood grain) irritates me.
Canada Day long weekend – July 2016:
Here are few photos of the carpet from the LL Bean. Yes, the carpet is dirty but I was able to shampoo it and it came out okay. (I am a bit of a junk yard dog too.) I wanted the carpet, seat belts and trim out of my storage locker and the car a little more presentable to show amongst friends watching Street Machine Weekend. Now I just need to find a helper willing to give me a hand to swap dashboards.
After shampooing:
LL Bean seats had been previously installed… but they had to come out again in order to install the gray carpet:
The nasty tan carpet out and the grey carpet is finally in. I don’t know why any manufacturer would put a light tan carpet into a vehicle.
Center console with dual cup holders:
Seats back in:
Front axle replacement – October 14 & 15, 2016
I’ve had a steering wobble and knocking while turning for a long time. This axle is probably the culprit. There weren’t any ball bearings or cage for the CV axle in there when I pulled the axle out. I’m surprised the car was able to move.
That's the progress so far. I don't have photos of everything together (eg: spoiler on the car, latest interior photos, etc). Enjoy.
Cheers!
Reply With Quote
