Subaru Crew - Modifications II

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Schweet. Better braking and handling are a wise way to start building it up.

    -juice
  • hgutsteinhgutstein Member Posts: 65
    This should be an awesome beastie!
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,398
    To bit, peaty at scoobymods, juice, et al for tips & advice on removing dash pieces and radio installs. Just completed adding the underseat 6-CD changer to my Legacy.

    To quote juice "schweet!"

    Jim
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Can't wait to get all the Frankin-L stuff going.

    Also can't wait to start modifying the Legacy Sedan Turbo from Jimmy. Minor stuff on that though, AGX, H&R Springs, sways, brakes.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    When are ya picking that up from TX? Maybe you guys could meet at Lafayette? Is that half way, sort of?

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Right now i'm trying to schedule it for early march to pickup. Hopefully I'll have the Turbo legacy and the SVX out at the SIA meet/tour etc. :)

    -mike
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    Hopefully I'll have the Turbo legacy and the SVX out at the SIA meet/tour etc.

    You can drive two cars at once? ;-)

    DaveM
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Hee Hee. My buddy may drive one out.

    -mike
  • redscoobyredscooby Member Posts: 55
    Looking at making my first mods to an '03 WRX wagon. Nothing major, just looking for an increase in responsiveness/torque below 4000rpm for a reasonable price without sacrificing reliability. Not asking too much am I :)

    Maintaining reliability is important as this is a long-term, daily-use vehicle for me. I would also like to tighten up the handling (just a little), particularly in the wet (too much understeer). Here's my wish list:

    - Prodrive muffler (2.5-inch pipe)
    - K&N air filter
    - 20mm rear sway bar
    - ContiExtremeContact tires (for stock rims)
    Also considering:
    - Prodrive mid-section pipe (2.5-inch)
    - Prodrive or Cobb stage 1 ECU reflash

    Did I overlook something that gives good bang for the buck?
    Am I heading the right direction for reliable torque-improving enhancements?

    -Chris
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Chris-

    1 - Tires [SP5000s ;-) ]
    2a - 20mm rear sways
    2b - endlinks
    3a - stainless steel lines
    3b - brakes
    4 - struts and spring
    5 - alignment front -1.5 deg camber rear -1.0 deg camber to dial out the understeer.
    6 - Sti uppipe + v7 turboback [staying within Subaru].

    1 - 5 will help in the handling department.
    6 Should get you enough responsiveness/torque under 4000rpm.

    Hold off on any ECU reflash, you might decide you wouldn't need it.

    -Dave
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    said! You can also check out my webpage http://AZPInstalls.com there is a section with our recommendations on it for upgrade paths.

    -mike
  • rthompson10rthompson10 Member Posts: 75
    More from a curiosity standpoint, has anyone seen or heard of any mods to an outback wagon. I remember seeing a lowered one on another website- anyone seen anything other than cosmetic- window tinting etc?
    Robert
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Suspension parts from a Legacy GT bolt right on, but it would be more cost effective to just start with a GT (or even an L model).

    -juice
  • n8wvin8wvi Member Posts: 43
    Has anyone made (or heard of) ANY mods for the 3.0L engine/drivetrain?

    Dave
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    someone in australia, on a nearly unlimited budget for all practical purposes, built a custom twin-turbo setup for an EZ30 H6. it made some absurd amount of power, well over 400 HP if I recall correctly.

    but no I haven't heard anything about modifications attainable by normal means. I think it has a lot to do with the engine having limited deployment and especially NO manual transmission variants.

    ~c
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    However... You could probably do a turbo on med boost for it relatively easily, should be similar to the setups for the 2.5L motors.

    -mike
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    A one-size bigger swaybar with endlinks and a front strut tower brace are all I recommend for an Outback. They make a perceptible difference, and for anything further it simply makes more sense to start with an L or a GT, like Juice said.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    REAR strut tower bar?

    -mike
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    cuts into useable space too much. Plus we noticed a bigger difference when we added a FSTB to the OB than when we added it to the GT sedan. The combo of the FSTB and the rear swaybar was a nice one. Of course a RSTB would offer a noticeable improvement as well, but we needed the cargo room for bulky items.

    Also this was one a fundamentally less stiff BG, so YMMV on a newer model.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I don't see how it would make more/less of a difference than on the GT seeing as the fronts are the same. go figure though.

    -mike
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    I think that the BD body is stiffer overall than the BG, so it was more obvious in the BG when we added the FSTB to it. I was expecting the same pleasant boost in the GT, but it didn't happen.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    OB is a 1999 too.....BG
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    I think the difference could be felt more on the OB because it rides higher.

    -Dave
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That the bodies are that different? My guess is that the difference is the wagon v. sedan (your GT is a sedan right?)

    -mike
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    that the BD (sedan) style is inherently stiffer than the BG (wagon) style.

    BD/BG= Legacy from 1995 to 1999
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    01 GT wagon is way more buttoned down than the comparable 01 Outback, the only Mod suspension wise on the GT is 17" rims and tires.

      Cheers Pat.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Right, the wagon will be inherintly less stiff than a sedan.

    Pat: it will be buttoned down more, it has stiffer springs, shocks, sways, and lower CG, as well as a ton less sidewall (even stock to stock, let alone with 17s)

    -mike
  • n8wvin8wvi Member Posts: 43
    For the posts. This is a VDC sedan, and I was hoping for (at a MINIMUM) a way to keep the TC from locking up until I want it to (if you're driving gently, it'll do it as early as 31MPH) and to make the tranny more sensitive to kicking down. The only way I've found to do both of these (and it's always temporary anyway) is to 'pump' the accelerator a bit before hand. It seems to enter a bit of a 'performance shift mode' when I do this, but it doesn't last.

    Dave
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
  • n8wvin8wvi Member Posts: 43
    What's (n/m)?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The trannys are setup that if you hit the pedal hard it will shift at redline and give you bang for your buck. The other thing is to downshift manually with the lever to do this. Not sure what you are trying to accomplish with it, but it seems odd. I jam on my fas on my H6 and boom it goes.

    -mike
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    http://www.levelten.com/index.html

    -Dennis
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Anyone have any info on thses for the GC8 bodies? I have an opportunity to pickup a set for the L at a very reasonable rate, but never heard of them.

    -mike
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
  • redscoobyredscooby Member Posts: 55
    Thanks for the info a couple of pages back (haven't been on the boards for a few days).

    -Chris
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    You're welcome Chris :)

    -Dave
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Ok finally got the car over to the AZP Garage. Worked on it friday night til about 3am, and last night til 2am.

    Accomplishments installed:

    AL Door panels installed, need to smooth out the edges
    Pulled out AC Condensor
    Pulled out AC Compressor
    Installed trunk mounted battery
    Installed WRX Fuel Pump
    Pulled off pre-98 Headlights

    Found out also...
    RA Radiator isn't going to work due to no rad cap, and slightly tweaked rad support.

    That's the weekend update!

    -mike
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    I was reading your mods real quick and thought the line said "Installed trunk monkey battery". :-)

    Did you install the trunk monkey yet? Or is that Dave's (hypov) job?

    DaveM
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    We are gonna paint it satin grey almost a primer-like color, and install a trunk monkey which will be Hypov's job! :) It's really coming together, need to pull out the seats and pull up the carpet soon. And remove all the sound deadening to save another 50-75lbs. :)

    -mike
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    Just put in some aluminum lawn chairs with racing harnesses. :-)

    DaveM
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I already have WRX driver seat. Eventually I will have a Sparco EVO 3 seat.

    -mike
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    I got my the trunk monkey clinging on my shelf waiting.
    Incidentally, it's the same trunk monkey that was in Al'Gator when...

    -Dave
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Just closed the deal on the coilovers.

    -mike
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    is appropriately named "Franken L".
    One never knows what body parts it'll be driven in with. :)

    Coilovers... Won't it be a PITA to adjust?

    -Dave
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It will be but, after it raised up over 1" when we pulled the battery and AC, we know we needed to get something that could be adjusted. Besides this will allow wider tires.

    -mike
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Mmmmm fat juicy tires :D

    -Dave
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Wow the parts bin just keeps growing. I can't wait til it's all complete, or more complete. Maybe we can get SOA to paint it for us :)

    -mike
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    But we'll shoot a few this weekend when we work on it.

    -mike
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