Looking pretty good!
JDM tails are easily the best mod you can do to make these cars simply look better. The amber just looks so bad comparatively, imo.
Looking pretty good!
JDM tails are easily the best mod you can do to make these cars simply look better. The amber just looks so bad comparatively, imo.
2004 Subaru Outback Wagon | EJ251 | 5MT | Limited - Sold but not forgotten!
2005 Subaru Outback XT Wagon | EJ255 | 5MT | Limited - Daily driver
I was genuinely displeased with the light output of not only the original USDM taillights, but especially the smoked AusDM taillights. During the day, I had to shield the lens with my hand to even tell if the incandescent bulbs were working!
So I had ordered the brightest 1157 style bulbs that SuperBrightLEDs.com had to offer! These are the 1157-RHP28-T
Daytime Comparison
Running Lights
LED--Incand.--LED--Incand.
Brake Lights
Just after sunset
Running Lights
LED--Incand.--LED--Incand.
Brake Lights
I am very happy with the results. Eyeball perspective, the LED running brightness is brighter than the Incand. Brake brightness, more than enough to be seen in bright daylight!
Only issue.... $25 each!
But I am seriously considering getting the amber version for the rear turns!
Last edited by Sub-Goon; 11-28-2017 at 11:05 PM.
Over the weekend, I swapped out the deck for a Pioneer with BlueTooth and better sound quality. Also ditched one of the open storages for a drawer and a little tacky bling!
Today, I put a set of 20mm hubcentric wheel specers on. They look great and add just a touch of aggressive look, but still nowhere near needing to roll the fenders. However, making a sharp turn the front wheels rubbed the mudflaps, so they got pulled. Hopefully that will be enough clearance. Might need to pull the 2.5 lbs sledge out for clearance. Ive got some Rally Armor mudflaps waiting for install as well.
Front
Rear
While I was doing that, I tried to install the Anderson Fab Swaybar Endlink Kit that I ordered during their Black Friday Sale. Unfortunately, it seems I have different A-arms than their kit was designed for, but it just needs narrower spacers. I also climbed under the rear and found that their front kit would almost work on the rear, the links are about 1/2" too short. But I sent them an email with specifics, so hopefully I can help them with measurements to start making these.
I changed out the dash, HVAC & shifter bulbs for LEDs from SuperBrightLEDs.
Dash- 194-BHP5 (blue) Qty- 4
HVAC- NEO4-WHP (cool white) Qty- 3
Shifter- T1.5-BHP (blue) Qty- 1
So much better than the factory green!
**Interesting note, after unplugging the gauge cluster, it lost memory on the clock and the Trip Odometer! So it seems the cluster saves the time and trip mileage as long as it has power, but the cluster still gets the Total Mileage from the ECU/ECM permanent memory.
Also got the rear window spoiler installed from Spoiler King!
I went with their 284R, but got it off Ebay for less that $63 shipped! Their ebay store is Stance_n_Ride
They have 4 sizes:
414R @ 1-3/4" wide x 1.1" tall
284R @ 2-5/8" x 1-1/4"
301R @ 3" x 1-1/2 "
380R @ 4" x 1-3/4"
I had bought LEDs from superbrightleds.com for my the gauges in my 98 a few years ago. Half are dead now.
My cars:
2019 Impreza Sport
2008 Miata
2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited- Sold
1998 Legacy L wagon- Sold
2000 Outback- Sold
I was looking a little more carefully at these pictures, and those are not Australian market tails. That is a garnish from either an S401 or a 2003 Blitzen sedan. Those were the only models worldwide that had a tinted tails with the word "SUBARU".
First, Australian tails are not tinted, and they also have the tell-tale rear fog lights in them, just like the European tails. They are the lighter colored squares on either side of the "Subaru" in this picture:
So, the tails that you have are exceedingly rare, less than 500 ever made.. probably closer to 400.
2010 SH9 Forester X Limited
1992 KS4 Sambar SDX S/C - JDM Kei Truck
2017 BN9 Legacy 2.5i Premium Eyesight - Wife's car
2013 GP7 Impreza Sport - Daughter's car
2004 BEE Outback Sedan - Legacy B4 RS30 Project - Scrapped
LHD AT Shifter Bezels from Europe have the power/hold switch, but it does not fit around the USDM shifter properly due to where the light is. There is a bit in my RS30 thread somewhere about this as I have some dash trim from Israel in my car. I ended up swapping my shifter for a Sportshift, and that worked perfectly.
2010 SH9 Forester X Limited
1992 KS4 Sambar SDX S/C - JDM Kei Truck
2017 BN9 Legacy 2.5i Premium Eyesight - Wife's car
2013 GP7 Impreza Sport - Daughter's car
2004 BEE Outback Sedan - Legacy B4 RS30 Project - Scrapped
Ahhh, that explains it! I hadnt come across any info like that. I like the rear fog idea, but the tinted lenses blend into the black paint too well! Im very pleased with the look, but to have rare taillights is just icing! Thank you for the info! I wish I had the knowledge to do a write up on taillight variants!
Now that you mention it, I do remember reading that. My last trip to the PickNPull, I got a Power Mode switch from a '90s Nissan Pathfinder. It looks alot like our factory switches, but it will mount in a flat panel. Im probably going to dremel out my shift bezel and just use that.
I've been using 74-xHP3-CAR from SuperBrightLEDs and most of them are either dying or died in under 6 months. When they die, they flash on and off constantly, so I pulled most of them out before they fully died because it was so annoying.
2004 Subaru Outback Wagon | EJ251 | 5MT | Limited - Sold but not forgotten!
2005 Subaru Outback XT Wagon | EJ255 | 5MT | Limited - Daily driver
Well, hopefully they fix that issue! If/when that starts to happen, I guess I will just buy a few of the incandescent bulb to run it in white, that wont look as bad as the green!
I finally got the Cosmo Short Ram CAI kit installed.... First time I tried, they didnt send all of the valve cover breather hose necessary. It needed ~52" of 10mm silicone hose, their kit comes with 13". But a quick email corrected it and Cosmo sent the hose needed at their cost!
I didnt like the blue Thottle Body hose it came with, but I had a black Perrin one sitting around. I also got a Subaru Performance Tuning filter, $20 on CL. Not that you can see the logo, but it looks better to me. I also added the Cosmo PreFilter after the pic.
I still need to build out a barrier between the hot engine air and OEM cold air snorkel. I will also open up the outlet of the snorkel to get rid of the restriction caused by the 2.5" circular end.
I did do a full ECM reset, but I wont have a chance to drive it till later. Just sitting, the throttle seems a slight bit more responsive and it sounds a little louder from the intake, not obnoxious, thank goodness.
Edit: I ran down to the gas station to top it off, about a mile round trip, and it definitely seems to respond a bit quicker/more sensitive to throttle blips. Not like there is more power, just less hesitation. Also, the noise added, is just what seems like should be there, like it was missing.
Last edited by Sub-Goon; 12-17-2017 at 09:28 PM.
Does a kit like this really make so much difference? Or would a high flow filter in OEM air box made the same effect.
Because I am very interested in making my engine more responsive.
Subaru Legacy GL EJ20 (BH, year 2002)
I had the chance this morning to drive it a bit more. There is a huge difference in acceleration and response when trying to accelerate for a freeway on ramp and also at mild freeway speeds 55-65mph! The OEM box had a new Fram filter, so restriction from an old filter didnt play a part, but Frams are known for being restrictive in general. I believe most of the change is due to a few factors; 1) larger piping (2-7/8" ID vs 2-1/4"-2-1/2"), 2)smoother piping(no corrogated flex) & 3)deleting the Snorkus and Silencer bits.
When I had my '97 Outback wagon, I had similar effects from doing a hybrid CAI. I used the OEM airbox w/ K&N filter, piping between airbox and Throttle Body was from a '95 Legacy 2.2L(larger ID & smoother) and I bored out the airbox inlet to fit 3" Spectre inlet.
Last edited by Sub-Goon; 05-18-2018 at 12:29 PM.
I got a pair of rear facing work lights mounted to the rack (55watt, 2"x5"). They arent wired up yet, since I havent made a final decision on how I will penetrate the roof. Most likely a military style multi-conductor bulkhead connection that can come apart.
Kamion and I swapped our dash cubbies, my 1 switch for his 3 switch. I got it switched out today, just some dummy switches for now.
Also, while I had the bezels out, I looked into 2 ideas of mine.
1)Blank panel for ashtray, to mount switches or a single gauge. This wont be hard at all, just make a template from cardboard. Transfer to some ABS sheet from TAP Plastic and then glue in place.
2)Remove the dash cupholder. Mount sheetmetal inside to the factory screws. Then a pair of RAM Mounts can be attached, good location for phones or other navigation equipment
Last edited by Sub-Goon; 12-20-2017 at 05:32 PM.
Its been slow around here...
Last week, I got a free Brinkman Gourmet Electric Smoker. Cleaned it out, put in new lava rock, rearranged the chip dish and shelves, added an extra shelf and added a thermometer. After all that, we had to give it a go. So I smoked 3 batches of 2 Cornish Game Hens, it took roughly 1.25 hours to get them to 170-180*F. First round was simply stuffed with chopped apples & pears. Second round was stuffed the same, but also glazed with a homemade mix of Buffalo Trace Bourbon & Local Honey! Third round was 1 soaked in Pabst Blue ribbon for 2 hours/no stuffing & 1 stuffed with chopped pineapple and a Pineapple Marinade! They were all different and delicious!
Today, I picked up a set of 4 wheels and tires off Craigslist.
16x7 et50 Sparco Terras w/ 215/60-16 Yokohama Geolander AT/S tires (roughly 70% tread remaining)
These will serve as my camping/logging road/rough weather wheels. I just wish they werent white... black, charcoal or bronze would look better with my 2tone.
Last edited by Sub-Goon; 01-14-2018 at 05:38 PM.
1996 Outback 5 speed
1997 Legacy L wagon 5 speed Member's Ride I thread
"You want a real kick? You go Bernoulli." Pops Racer
OZ Racing makes them for Sparco, so they have 2 good names standing behind them!
It used to be that you would only see them on competition rally cars, but I think they gained popularity with the WRX. Now you can get them from Tire Rack, Americas Tire and a bunch of other mainstream tire shops, not just the Subaru specialty shops.
I got them for $500 and an hour of driving. New the rims or the tires sell for a bit more, plus I got Subaru stem caps!
Well, we dont get much of a winter around here, tho its been colder and raining alot more than usual.
Im most of the way cleaning the funk off the Sparcos, still gotta get a screw patched, then they will go on the car.
Just got a pair of Husky mats for the front floor, unfortunately they dont make the fitted ones for the rear of BE/BH.
Ive been considering more and more about making it a little more fun and capable offroad. The Mountain Roo folks are pretty active around here and Im within a half day drive of the Sacramento and Gold Country Chapters, not just the Bay Area where I live.
Ive been trying to watch my budget, Ive been out of work for a few months and probably have a few more to go. I had a bad motorcycle accident last September. Im going to lift it, but for now, just a little. It sits 3/4" high in the rear, so I could go 1/2"-3/4" in the front just to level it, but if Im going to do that, why not go 1" front and 1/2" rear. That way it will look level, but it has 1/4" of drop when loaded up. Alignment shops should be able to work that back in using the Anderson lifts.
Im also thinking about trimming up the front bumper skin, similar to @reaperwerx on ig.
I also decided to get a new CB radio, even tho they are dying out and Ive been planning/studying to get a HAM license. After a bunch of research I went with a Midland 75-822 mobile. It can run battery operated or off vehicle power and it can use a hard mount antenna. They are known for running full power out of the box, tho I will have it tweaked and tuned. It can also easily be modded to run Sideband, if I decide to do that at some point. I wanted a mobile for 2 reasons, I want to remove it completely when not in use and I dont want to punch holes in the dash, yet. It will sit in a Ram Mount quite easily.
Sunday, I went up into the hills above Oakland to tune the CB antenna, stopping off at one of the lookouts in the Grizzly Peak area. I was hoping to catch some radio traffic, but it was quiet. The tuning didnt go to well and I am suspecting that my antenna (3' Wilson Lil Will) is too short, Im going to talk with some professionals soon. The run up and down thru the hills really reminded me how much my car needs the ADF Front Swaybar Endlinks!
In this pic you can see the Bay Bridge stretching past Treasure Island to SF(top center) and the Golden Gate Bridge stretching to Marin(top right).
Today, I was able to drop by the local tire shop that I use, got my Sparco Terra/Geolander A/T-S combos installed, finally!
After posting the above post, I got off my lazy butt and got the Anderson Design Fab Front Adj. Swaybar Endlinks installed!
Last edited by Sub-Goon; 02-01-2018 at 02:04 PM.
I went to the Oakland Pick and Pull, they had 2 sedans! A '01 Legacy GT and a '04 Legacy L, both in black/grey interior. So I got a few parts Ive been needing!
-Passenger raingutter('04 Legacy L)
-Rear Passenger door panel('01 Legacy GT)
-Center console, dual cupholders('04 Legacy L)
-Front 21mm swaybar('04 Legacy L) (mines 19mm)
-Gas cap retainer('04 Legacy L)
I'm going to head back in a few days, so I can grab the rear swaybar(16mm) for a slight upgrade from my current 14mm.
New PolyUrethane bushings and rear endlinks are on the way!
Last edited by Sub-Goon; 02-21-2018 at 03:29 PM.
A few days ago I got the rear passenger door panel swapped out, its nice to have the duct tape gone!
Today, I got the the passenger raingutter swapped, which was a little more trouble, due to the rack I have mounted.
I also finished the center console swap, I did a few extras, of course! Thoughly cleaned, painted the AWD badge red, installed dual USB (4.2 amp), USB/audio jacks to stereo, thicker armrest, painted the gearshift face Black, etc.
Comparison
The armrests almost interchange, the physical shape fits, but the latch changed location. Early style on the left of pic, late on the right of pic. The rear section with the ashtray & cupholders for the passengers are interchangable. The AWD badge is smaller on the newer console. The heated seat wiring has plenty of length to be relocated and the switches are the same, but the trim ring is very different between the two.
JL Audio on top is a standard 3.5mm audio jack and USB run to the stereo headunit
Powerwerx Dual USB on bottom has dual USB 4.2 amp charging ports
Good find with the sway bars. My wife had a 2000 GT and her 19mm front bar broke. The service writer said it was a pretty common problem. Also nice work on the console!
1996 Outback 5 speed
1997 Legacy L wagon 5 speed Member's Ride I thread
"You want a real kick? You go Bernoulli." Pops Racer
Thanks, Id love to find better aftermarket swaybars, but just dont find the need at $250-300 per bar. I havent taken a car to the track for nearly 2 decades. And I dont run the hills hard very often, since I own 3 motorcycles, only 1 is slower than the Subaru. That slower one is dualsport that is geared to top out at 50mph in 6th gear!
Took a run up to a lookout near Grizzly Peak in Oakland
Yesterday, I reattached the LED strip in the trunk, the glue had let go. The 3M weatherstrip cement should do the trick! Also shortened the shifter another 1/2", feels and looks better!
Today, I installed the GrimmSpeed AOS(Air/Oil Separator), just into the Crankcase/PCV piping.
And finally, completed the Cold Air Intake.... I used the aluminum bubble wrap material from the hardware store, to build a barrier the keep the hot engine air separate from the cold intake snorkel. Then I cut the end of the intake snorkel to get rid of the choke point. The beginning of the snorkel has roughly measured, is 13 inch/square. The exit was 2.25" diameter, giving a reduction to 3.97 inch/square, thats a serious choke point! So I cut it back and it now has a choke point of roughly 12.5 inch/square. You can really see the difference in the pics!
This is the only other pic I took, Ill try and take more to show the short shifter, GrimmSpeed AOS and the Cold Air barrier.
Last edited by Sub-Goon; 05-20-2018 at 03:51 AM.