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Thread: Thor294's 98 L Wagon White Whale/Scuttle build

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    Post Thor294's 98 L Wagon White Whale/Scuttle build

    Hi guys,

    This is my first Subaru, and it made me fall in love with the 2nd gen WAGONS for sure.

    To start, I found my wagon (named Scuttle, thanks to the girlfriend)


    on craigslist. Picked him up for $650. He was pretty beat up, but what is the fun in a build thread if it needs no work?

    Here is when I first got it:


    180K miles. Autotragic (thanks again, girlfriend). No real options besides P/S and A/C i guess?

    Issues:
    Hubcaps ruined, 3 bent wheels, 1 out of round tire, right rear caliper doesn't work, A/C doesn't work, seats ripping, rubber trim peeling off under windows, hooted dented and rusted, front brakes scraping, harmonic balancer wobbling, key barely worked in all doors, front bumper was resprayed with overspray on the headlights, blinkers, and 2 bolt holes on the right side of the bumper, headlights pointing straight at the ground, HORRIBLE torque binding when turning the wheel, grille missing. So bad I had to put the car in FWD mode to get home. That is all I can remember when I first got it.

    bumper damage:



    My first steps were to fix the torque binding, replace all 4 wheels/tires, and do brakes all around.

    I flushed the trans twice, and torque binding is 90% gone. Replaced 4 wheels and tires with 15" wheels from another outback, and put outback 2pot brakes on the front, new RR caliper, pads/rotors all around. This was taken right after grill was replaced, and I also got an outback hood, why not?

    Here it is with the 15" wheels and hood:



    I had to redrill the headlight mounting holes, and get some headlights from the junkyard because they were all BROKEN. I think each side had 1 bolt holding them in! The A/C had dye in it, so I easily found the leak on the driver's side A/C line. The O ring was shot, replaced that, A/C now works after a re-charge.

    My GF's bro was driving it, and he said "hey, I just lost power steering". I thought no big deal, probably pump. I get to my GF's parents house and see...



    Oops. Looks like person before me who did Tbelt forgot to torque something to spec.

    Crank was OK thank god. Replaced balancer and belts. Back to normal.

    I had to flip a 95 wagon I found to sell to my GF's boss. It needed 4 tires. I figured screw these 15" wheels, I'll put them on the other wagon and get some nice wheels and tires for my own wagon





    I went around and replaced all the window trim. I decided that since the speakers suck, ill upgrade them.

    Before


    After


    These are rear ones. In the front I put ones with separate tweeters. Sorry, forgot a picture. Thanks to a phenryiv1 on legacyGT for the brackets!

    Also installed an Alpine Type-R 15" sub in the trunk. So much for wagon trunk space, but I made it easy to remove. (this done early 2016)

    Upgraded to outback leather seats, fake wood trim in the interior from a limited, leather door inserts.

    JDM tails with my 16" snow tires/wheels I got from a saabaru guy. (winter 2016)


    Also pictured is a 2005 honda pilot rear wiper blade. mine was rusted and spring was shot. Found out these fit perfectly.

    I managed to get a bumper for $30, had my friend repaint it. Got a JDM grille and had him paint it black as well. Retrofitted morimoto H1s into new depo headlights. (5/25/2017)


    Few weeks ago (06/02/2017),

    Car smelled like gas during start up. Didn't run 100% while cruising. I did plugs/wires/MSD coil when I got the car (Maybe early 2016), so I figured it's either a bad injector, or bad compression.

    Easiest thing to test is compression.

    Cylinders 2, 3, 4:


    Great!

    Cylinder 1:


    fuck.

    I drop a little bit of oil in the cylinder


    my reaction:



    So I said fuck it. What is the worse that can happen at this point?

    I ran Motor Medic through the car twice, and put a drop in the cylinder.

    I didn't take a picture, but now its squeezing ~174psi!!!!!! Car runs much better now. It has been going strong for 3 weeks. will check compression again soon just to see.


    Still waiting to go in:
    JDM trunk spoiler
    Coilovers

    On the to get list:
    outback sway bars (20mm front 18mm rear)
    possibly swap out the motor for a refreshed 2.2 with a delta cam regrind.
    maybe another trans, or convince the gf to let me 5 speed swap it.
    Last edited by Thor294; 06-21-2017 at 05:43 PM.

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    forgot to update this.



    scored outlook sway bars at the junkyard. Making my own "white"line bars. Not bad for $20.

    Installed new rotors/HPS pads all around, new drivers front/rear caliper, stainless braided lines, and a master cylinder brace.

    got new hood/trunk from boneyard.

    Dipped the scoop, kept old scoop from old hood so I can paint that for reals and install later.



    got it tinted over the winter. Here it is with the winter wheels





    Much better tinted.

    after the winter, I found some awesome BRZ wheels CHEAP with tires. ~$200?



    month or so ago, HVAC guy made love to my car.





    few weeks later (now 2 shades of white!):



    now I am deciding on its fate.

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    Those wheels and the JDM tail lights look great. I also like the bumper with out the step pad.
    1998 Outback

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    Quote Originally Posted by SLW-SVT View Post
    Those wheels and the JDM tail lights look great. I also like the bumper with out the step pad.
    Thank you! Well, funny you mention that. I was loading an engine hoist into the car... I had 2 moving blankets over the bumper, and it nicked my bumper. RIGHT where that step pad is supposed to be lol. might put it back on if I can find one now.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thor294 View Post
    Thank you! Well, funny you mention that. I was loading an engine hoist into the car... I had 2 moving blankets over the bumper, and it nicked my bumper. RIGHT where that step pad is supposed to be lol. might put it back on if I can find one now.
    Bummer! I found this Part number- E7710AS010
    1998 Outback

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    Quote Originally Posted by SLW-SVT View Post
    Bummer! I found this Part number- E7710AS010
    yeah just my luck lol! Thank you! I think that one says outback though :O I gotta hunt for legacy one!

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    Got some fun new front seats...


    Loaded it up to get it ready to change literally everything.


    Dropped everything off, went to drive back home and... rip


    Just shut off, no noise. CEL came on for a second before it stalled, thinking Crank sensor but didn't bother to investigate. Pump primes. It knew it was time...

    Had to drop off the last piece of the puzzle:




    Tearing it down to replace every seal.


    Compression test 145-150-150-150

    Teardown begins




    Thanks Mr. UPS man!



    (yes, im replacing the filter)

    Since I am going 4 pots in the future, I wanted to stick with 16" wheels for better everything in the winter. So I got some cheap XT wheels and got some new skins on them.




    The blizzaks I had on my steelies are now on my stock ford focus wheels for my focus.

    Pile of parts in the corner, still waiting for some parts to come in. Going to be fun

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    what seats are those?

    if it helps. the new shade of white looks alot better :lol

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    Quote Originally Posted by Panda_Legacy View Post
    what seats are those?

    if it helps. the new shade of white looks alot better :lol
    GC8 WRX seats from overseas. There's a guy on facebook that always sells them cheap (~$250 SHIPPED). Peter Bell? i think his name was.

    Yeah the new white is awesome. One day it will all match

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    exhaust going to someone local. MSD coil/intake tube going to a 2nd gen facebook friend. stock TD04 going back to turbo guy i bought the vf48 for and TGVs going to the guy I bought deletes from



    - - - Updated - - -

    Lots of stuff been happening...

    Took apart the engine to do ARP studs and head gaskets and found scoring on the cylinder walls. Going to do AVCS EJ205 (but don't enable AVCS so i can use USDM ECU, etc.) longblock.













    Fitted PS and EBCS









    didn't need this but I did it anyway.



    picked up some STI front lower arms and a WRX whiteline front swaybar.



    Found a possible new set of summer wheels


    The fun begins!


    went a little ham on the exhaust coating and powder coating. Smacking myself for not trying to find a good ELH to run.





    DP bung for a/f sensor


    Bay nice and fresh


    Found a scoop extender, rfrb grille (not pictured)... and the one and only...


    ZERO SPORTS RAD SHROUD


    Also got a zerosports IC shroud (bought 2, so one is for sale once I get it)




    I think I went overboard lol

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    SLi Resident Tylerhartman's Avatar
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    so rad

    also, when you get your other tmic shorud hit me up. maybe interested
    1999 Legacy GT Wagon 5SPD (Stella)" Race Wagon"
    V7 STI Drivetrain, STI 6MT, R180, Brembos, JDM EJ205 "Big port AVCS", Fortune Auto 500 Coilovers, a lot of JDM Parts and much much more...
    2006 Legacy 2.5i Wagon A/T SWP SE "Slow Wagon" 20% Tint, JDM Tails, JDM Rear Fog, GT Leather
    1997 Legacy GT Wagon
    1998 Legacy L Wagon
    @TylerHartman on Instagram
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    Thanks Tyler

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tylerhartman View Post
    so rad

    also, when you get your other tmic shorud hit me up. maybe interested
    already did, you want it boi???

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    Few updates, probably missed some but whatever forumsdeadlol:

    Someone sold me one 08+ TGV delete and 1 02-07 TGV Delete, as 1 fits and 1 doesn't :|


    walbro 255 pump with STI pickup


    Undercoating everywhere. KYB AGX with Swift springs. Stainless lines have been installed along with hawk HPS pads and 2nd gen GT/Outback brakes in the front. 4 pots are on the list later, I have them, but not replacing my newish brakes lol.


    AOS, EBCS, and Dryer for AC placement. Can see the STI Arm down there


    Both master cylinders in place, had to swap out brake one for a non-abs one, as i tossed that junk system. Also got a nice single clutch line, no 2 piece nonsense.

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    SLi Resident Tylerhartman's Avatar
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    Cough cough, make Subaru great again. #207theworld
    1999 Legacy GT Wagon 5SPD (Stella)" Race Wagon"
    V7 STI Drivetrain, STI 6MT, R180, Brembos, JDM EJ205 "Big port AVCS", Fortune Auto 500 Coilovers, a lot of JDM Parts and much much more...
    2006 Legacy 2.5i Wagon A/T SWP SE "Slow Wagon" 20% Tint, JDM Tails, JDM Rear Fog, GT Leather
    1997 Legacy GT Wagon
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    Thanks Tyler

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