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Comments
-juice
Only speakers available for the rear is the Polk 501a. There are a bunch of options for the fronts, I chose the Kenwood 166s (6.5").
Installation for rear is simple. Crutchfield supplied connectors to go from the factory connector to the speaker. Just plug it in, add a little electrical tape and it's done. The fronts require soldering the factory connector to the new speakers...not a big deal. HINTS: For the rears, no need to remove the black plastic housing. Just remove the 4 screws holding the stock speakers and gently pry the speaker from the housing, since they are glued in. For the fronts, I did'nt bother trying to remove the factory connector, I just desoldered the stock speaker and soldered on the new ones...only 3 screws on the front.
Sound quality is excellent even with the stock (base) head unit. Hopefully, I'll have time to install the new Kenwood HU this weekend.
I've been slacking on the brew-making...spending too much of my spare time modifying the Soob.
But really, I have a hankering for a lightly-hopped Scottish Ale with tons of brown sugar. Hmmmm
-Tony
Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated.
suich@juno.com
My OB has been flawless except for this recurring fuel-injector problem. I am starting to suspect that problem is likely due to gas quality in Canada. Moreover, and I hope this does not cause alarm - mine isn't the only 5 speed OB that has had fuel injectors fail - there's been several (in Canada at least). Subaru Canada has told me that they are hoping that a redesign of the part will come through, as they are simply just replacing the failing ones with the same design.
Seeing that I still cannot part with this vehicle (because yes, juice, I can't find anything that gives me AWD in that price) I'm growing reattached to it again... (Sorry folks, I'm sticking around!)
-- ash
(ps. please don't call my OB a lemon - you're hurting her feelings!)
Don't give up! If I can't find you some help, I'll owe you at least a case of lemonade!
Sorry for the advertisement, but my point is that I'll ask one of our petroleum traders if they know anything about who might sell "better" gas in Ontario. In the meantime, do you frequent a particular brand of gas station?
-Colin
..Mike
..Mike
I'm looking to upgrade the stereo by adding the subaru cd deck, upgrade speakers, and tweeter kit. My dealer just wants too much money to do this, so my question: Is installing the subaru components a do-it-yourself job?
To be more specific: Can it all be done without removing big pieces of plastic from doors and dashes? Does it demand special tools? Is the wiring any more complex than plug it in? Am I likely to create squeaks and rattles by doing it?
I can always have aftermarket installed, but I would like to have the factory stuff if I can make it happen within reason.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
..Mike
..Mike
I wouldn't buy the Subaru factory stuff though, might as well take your money out of your pocket and toss it over your shoulder. It's that bad.
Get aftermarket, it sounds a whole lot better and for what the Subaru stuff costs -- yes, even with Darlene's great prices and fabulous service-- you can do much better even shopping crutchfield. (they sell at or very slightly under MSRP.)
You will have to remove the door panels, backseat, and center console to install front & rear speakers plus a cd receiver... factory or aftermarket. I am sure we could find some links for you on how to do it yourself if you want to go that route.
-Colin
Ken
It's a very easy install to DIY. But, if you're more interested in aftermarket equipment, Crutchfield is the place to go.
-Brian
Perhaps this is why Canadian MLs (as did US vehicles) did have problems with the fuel fouling up the fuel sending unit sensors. The part was redesigned several times and seems to work fine now, though it is apparently still 100% perfect.
FWIW, I usually use Costco or Canadian Superstore gasoline since the premium gas prices are lower at both locations than the other gas stations.
a difference it makes. Took the car out before and
after thru the same curves, etc. and was very
impressed with the handling and stability with the
upgrade. Well worth the money. Also, it only took
about 15 minutes to install using metric sockets
and a pair of vice grips. Autocross is tomorrow,
but have only got about 1100 miles on the Impreza
engine so we will run the RX7 instead. Will run the
Impreza at the autocross in 10/00. I want to thank
all for posting very good information on this
board and the other Subaru boards. It has been a
big help. Thanks again.
Just a footnote for all. We recently traded in our 1996 Legacy for a 2001 Impreza RS coupe 5 speed. I'm not much of a car mechanic but have received lots of useful advise from other crew members. Next project will be the air intake system or the exhaust system. Any thoughts on which would be best to do first?
Bye for now........bogusbob (Ken)
While they were doing the job, I saw the wires for the tweeter kit and now have no doubt I could do that upgrade. What do you think folks; would adding the tweeter kit improve the sound, even with my new super-duper mb quarts?
My simple vision - blue beauty base legacy, decent stereo, dark tint, alloys. Hey, Subaru or aftermarkey alloys?
-- Larry
So, the question becomes, what other mods qualify?
Bigger wheels and tires.
Swaybar for the forester. Not so sure about the OB, since it is already riding on an 18mm bar (my '99, anyway). maybe just the whiteline swaybar links for this bar?
perhaps the UR pulley, but that too might upset the service department.
strut tower brace?
With little performance driving experience, its tough for me to rank these in any particular order.
The stock sway bar (13mm) looked very wimpy compared to the 18mm bar. I took it out for a quick spin and noticed the difference immediately. Turn-ins seem to take a little less effort with noticeably less understeer. I'll take it out on some twisties this weekend to check it out.
I highly recommend this simple but effective upgrade for anyone. I purchased my sway bar from Darlene at QSubaru.
Ken
I went aftermarket (Kenwood). Got a chance to install the cd-receiver yesterday. In an earlier post, I said that the sound with aftermarked upgraded speakers was "excellent" with the stock head unit. With the aftermarket head-unit, it is absolutely fabulous. Really impressive.
Install was simple. I went the Crutchfield route (which automatically includes the connectors I needed for "free") and everything installed perfectly. Looks good in the dash too.
If anyone is looking for a good, fairly inexpensive and easy to install audio upgrade for their Forester, the Kenwood 215s CD-Rec, Kenwood 166s 6.5" speakers for front and Polk 5" 501a's for the rear makes a good combination.
If you want CD-changer controls/remote/additional functionality, the 315s is better.
Don't mean to push the Kenwood name, but it was recommended to me from an "audiofile", as I know little about aftermarket audio. I am sure Pioneer, Rockford-Fosgate, etc makes good stuff as well...
Craig
A couple notes on the modification:
- Under normal driving, there is virtually no difference in noise.
- Under WOT, the normal "growl" is much deeper and pronounced.
- My Forester seems to rev easier and it seems to pull harder from 3-5K RPM.
Ken
I had a good look at the, uh, snorkus, huh huh, in my OB. It takes air in just behind the passenger side headlamp. Is the air at that point really significantly hotter than the air in the fender?
I understand why you would want to upgrade the swaybar on an impreza and a forester, as the stock bars on these models are a little wimpy. But what about the stock 18mm bar on the OB? I am looking at the whiteline adjustable bar, which can be set for 18, 20, or 22mm. Wouldn't the 22mm setting, combined with an otherwise stock suspension, make the car overly tailhappy? I can see how a 20mm setting might make the car's trailing brake characterisitcs a bit more favorable, assuming the driver knows what he or she is doing. What exactly would be the point of the 22mm setting tho'?
i knew I should have taken more physics in college....
Craig
http://ken.s.homepage.com/swaybar.html
Lucien -- Sway bar sizes alone don't really mean anything. It's the size in relation to your vehicles front sway bar size, suspension, weight, etc. An 18mm rear sway bar on the OB doesn't do the same thing as an 18mm on an Impreza or Forester. Typically, cars are designed to understeer since it's safer for most drivers. Chances are the OB is set up that way too. You can get more neutral handling by increasing the size of the rear sway bar in relation to the front bar.
Ken
I found out at the track that the OB is most assuredly tuned to understeer
I'm not sure how the suspension setup is on a 99OB. The Forester is closer to an Impreza than it is to the OB so I went with what other Impreza 2.5RS owners were doing.
Ken
http://www.imprezawrx.org/modifications/AZScooby/Peaty/thermal.html
Paul -- I know what you mean about needing more mid-range. I recently swapped my Panasonic two-ways for a set of Sony Xplod 3-ways in the front. The mid and highs are a LOT clearer. The speakers were $80 through Crutchfield. Installation is super easy.
Ken
I'll try to take decent pictures.
I also have a long-standing promise with myself to install some speakers once the weather cools down. I may go all the way and install a whole bunch of equipment that's been collecting dust in my spare closet since I pulled it out of my old car. (I couldn't bear the thought of adding weight to my Impreza after I started autocrossing... but now I'm having thoughts about designing a removeable sub and amp rack.)
-Colin
-Frank P.
Yeah, I was a little disappointed to see how flimsy the endlinks were in contrast to the beefy sway bar. That just might have to be a future mod!
Frank,
Thanks. Yes, I did get a chance to drive a bit with the new sway bar. There's a tight turn right near my office that I usually take aggressively. Today, the back end DEFINETLY came around a lot quicker. A lot less understeer/plowing.
As for the airhorns, I'm not sure which photo you're refering to -- I don't have any. All I have are the stock "beepers" and the OE alarm. Maybe you saw the alarm siren in my engine bay?
Ken
-Frank P.
Thanks,
Brett
..Mike
..Mike
Tint shops are a dime a dozen. Simply call around and ask them if 1) they use quality films like 3M or Madico, 2) if they back their work with a warranty and 3) make sure they actually go below the window line on the doors. Prices will vary with the type of film they use. Expect prices from $150-$250.
Mike -- Thanks for the compliments. I've been getting positive reviews on the lithium grease. ;-) I think I'll use that in all of my webpages.
Ken
-Colin
I currently use a makeshift cardboard plug and it makes a little more noise than I'd like. Does the plastic plug make that more of a difference?
I purchased the plug from Darlene also, but unfortunately, it doesn't fit the Forester. I checked my friend's MY00 Forester and there is no plug -- just a hole leading to the fender!
I'm currently wondering if it's worth keeping the snorkus out. The revs do feel a little smoother and I like the deeper growl but it's a bit on the loud side.
Are there any dyno tests (not butt dyno)to show that the silencer removal increases performance?
Ken
I can't recommend anyone in your area, but I can tell you that it will be hard to find that exact mirrored tint you see on the Lexus. The closest you'll probably get is with a metallic film that will give some reflective properties.
Here's what a 20% Madico metallic tint in neutral smoke looks like on my Forester:
http://ken.s.homepage.com/tint.html
Ken
I've been away for a while and glad to see you went the 18mm bar route as well (that's a familiar view on your webpage). Again, shame on me - I bought mine from Mike Shields @ spdusa and could have saved a bundle from Darlene (if you're out there, please forgive me). I've always liked to think of my Forester as a 2.5RS still in its packing crate. Pleas keep us posted on the endlinks upgrade - I'd like to try that myself.
I'm kinda wimpy when it comes to the snorkus and other upgrades. I'd like to add a K&N or Amsoil filter but don't see much benefit in the RPM range in which I normally drive. Would also like to replace the factory exhaust with a Stromung but again, not sure the gain is worth the effort - plus I'm not interested in pulling off the "coffee can stuck on back" look. I think my '00 Forester has about enough oomph for most situations (maybe too much - I got a speeding ticket on my road trip down South ;-p) expect sometimes in emergency passing and onramp situations - there an extra 15-20 hp would be helpful.
Hmmm....maybe it's time to throw my 2 cents in on the "Future Models" board.
Take care,
Ed
Good luck!
Drew
I haven't seen any dyno results, but have a look at this underhood temperature plot. (Data gathered by Peat Romano)
http://home.kscable.com/lockes/colin/underhood.htm
It definitely works for cold air intake, but look at what happens when the car ceases to be in motion. I bet dyno results would be pretty poor, whereas real world results driving would be a lot better.
-Colin
Yup, I've seen that data before. The fender air temperature sure catches up quickly once the car isn't in motion.
BTW, are you satisfied with the modification? Any problems with rain water?
Ed,
Actually, your MY00 doesn't have that hideous snorkus thing in the fender. Instead, it has a much more direct intake path with a smaller silencer near your front grille. People with MY00+ have made modifications to tap into the fender well, but it requires gettting some of your own intake piping.
That 18mm sway bar rocks. Last night, I noticed that my vehicle felt way more solid going through a curve on a freeway merge-ramp. Normally, I need to keep it below 65mph otherwise I feel like I'm going to plow to the outside of the turn. Last night, I was suprised to find that I was taking it comfortably at that speed.
Ken
-Colin
I'm very happy with the results, no loss of low-end or midrange torque and it feels more lively up top. Plus I have a total of ... what $45 in it? $50 maybe. Just the AMSOil filter, the Subaru fender plug and a little of my time.
-Colin
Just an aside: K&N is running an ad in current auto magazines featuring a rusty, abandoned Studebaker pickup with a caption along the lines of "the K&N filter in this truck still has xx,xxx miles left." Worth a chuckle but makes me wonder if I can get one to fit my Stude? Hmm, maybe I'll mosey over to their website...
Ed