Subaru Crew - Modifications II

194959799100106

Comments

  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Those pics were from members of the Subaru Queens Crew aka SQC and the Evo from its sister club Evo-NY.

    Do a google, since I can't post their site here.

    You're more than welcome to join their membership :)

     

    -Dave

     

    p/s: an auxilary HID lamp can be had for ~$700, which is about half more than most conversion kit and much less than some. Look into the Hella's Xenon DE.
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Dave,

     

    Great photos. It really drives home your point.

     

    On a similar note, halogen projectors (like those on the 05 Leg/OB) perform very well even if they are not HID. It's all about controlling the light beam to where you want it.

     

    Ken
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    sweet_subie, "Subaru Crew - Future Models II" #16063, 5 Feb 2005 12:59 pm

     

    What exactly is this doing ?

    can we do it ourselves ?

    Is this a good product ?

    Will this reduce turbo lag ?

     

    The product Vishnu is selling is a remap of the ECU. What they've do through your OBD-II port is put in a whole new set of air/fuel map for the engine that is more aggressive than the stock map.

     

    To do this yourself, you not only need the proper hardware to access your OBD-II, but you also need lots of experience tuning engines. I believe Cobb sells a product that allows you to reprogram the ECU yourself.

     

    I think the jury is still out on if it's a good product, but in general Vishnu seems to have a good rep. The one thing to keep in mind is that the modified ECU program will drive the engine slightly beyond levels that have been "blessed" by Subaru so there is always a chance of something going wrong.

     

    I believe the remapped ECUs do allow boost to come on a little sooner and will reduce turbo lag somewhat.

     

    Ken
  • sweet_subiesweet_subie Member Posts: 1,394
    thanks, ken
  • sweet_subiesweet_subie Member Posts: 1,394
    Ken,

     

    I am not asking to tune it myself. If Vishnu reprograms the ECU, How do i install this ? See link below, they are saying i need to mail this & they will mail this back ?
    Does it mean i will have uninstall & reinstall the ECU unit ?

     

     

    http://www.vishnutuning.com/legacy_v300.htm
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Yes, you would remove it, mail it and reinstall it.

     

    -Denis
  • sweet_subiesweet_subie Member Posts: 1,394
    THX !!!

    1.

    It would be a good idea to do this after the warranty expire, wouldn;t you think ?

     

    2.

    Worse Impact on gas mileage ?
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    Definitely wait until the powertrain warranty expires, if you'd like to have one. :-) I've read where engine management has improved gas mileage.

     

    I wouldn't recommend going with engine management unless you're familiar with it or know someone or a shop familiar with it, and don't mind spending some money if you need to have it tuned.

     

    In an ideal world it would be plug and play and forget it. Shiv of Vishnu is from NJ and makes regular trips back here for custom tuning on a dyno. The cost for that is $375.

     

    -Dennis
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    very risky, even though I view Vishnu at that power level to be one of the safest and best upgrades. and yes they probably will return better fuel economy when cruising-- the stock maps of turbocharged vehicles are nearly always very rich to be conservative and protect the engine.

     

    I would enjoy the stock power level of a Legacy GT and get a sportier muffler (not obnoxious) if you want a better overall experience without doing something you might regret greatly in the next 5 years or 60,000 miles.

     

    ~Colin
  • sweet_subiesweet_subie Member Posts: 1,394
    thanks !!!!
  • celica115celica115 Member Posts: 169
    Thank you for everyone's advice. The problem was finally fixed last week.

    The problem was the Hi/Lo beam wires. The kit they sent me had reverse wiring. Once I reversed both wires. It is back to normal.
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    Questions...do they create more heat and shorter life?
    Was the install easy?
    How much?

    Serge
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Serge,

    I ordered two of them for my OBW (type H1) from Autolamps (UK company) for $32 (US). They sent a free one, so I have one spare. I just crossed the one year mark two weeks ago. From the posts I have read, I don't expect to get more than a few more weeks/months from them, but I would do it again. On dark, country roads, the light output is decidely better.

    It is a little tight to get your hand in there, but changing them is easy enough. Just be careful not to touch the glass (high purity quartz), otherwise, they my rupture. Sodium and skin oils locally change the coefficient of expansion of the glass.

    Steve
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Serge-

    I have to agree with Steve. The bulb does make a difference, unfortunately they lasted just about a year. If you check out their site http://www.autolamps-online.com/halogen/visionplus1.htm

    you can see what they are presently going for. They might be a little pricey, but I think they are worth it.

    BTW- does anyone know if the head light bulb on the 05 OB's are the same H1?
    Mark
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Anyone knows what the THD%, RMS, Peak Power, etc... for the Front and Rear speakers else well as the subwoofer?

    I have the front and rear take-offs off a WRX and the spec reads 30 MAX, which I'm assuming is Peak Power. However, I'm not sure is the speakers are the factory standard or the OEM upgrade.

    -Dave
  • sdufordsduford Member Posts: 577
    On the 05s low beams are H7 and high beams are 9005

    Sly
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Ha ha funny -- OEM speakers are only speakers in the sense that they are round and emit noise when a voltage is applied! I doubt anyone has the specs, if they even exist....

    The stock speakers are paper cones, and rather cheap looking in the WRX. The upgrades have poly cones.

    Craig
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    The stock speakers are paper cones, and rather cheap looking in the WRX. The upgrades have poly cones.

    I asked caused I salvaged a set and was going to swap them to the '99 OBS, but do not know what I have.
    Looks like I do not have the upgraded speakers :(

    -Dave
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Not worth the effort...even though the ones in the old car are probably slightly worse.

    -juice
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Sorry to come in late on this conversation. I have a 2000 Legacy GT. I changed the standard high beam bulbs for 100 watters about 3 years ago. Marked difference in light output, no problem with bulb life; the original replacements are still going strong. I also have not noticed any melting, disoloration, or other ill effects from the higher wattage. I didn't buy anything special, just standard Hella bulbs.

    For the low beams I found that the best I could do to improve them was to rip the little covers off the adjusters and raise them up a bit -- but not so much as to be annoying to other drivers, of course! I also re-aimed the fog lights, and that also helped their performance noticeably.

    Still in all the headlight performance on my Legacy GT is less than wonderful. In particular the top of the high beams is cut off far too low and far too sharply.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Have you considered getting your hands on the European healight assembly to take advantage of e-Code lighting? It might be expensive but well worth the imporvement over the DOT stockers.

    It's too bad there's no easy way to graft on a 2005 Legacy assembly. Subaru really did a great job in improving the light output with the new models.

    Ken
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Welcome back, btw!

    My '02 OBW and your GT share the same headlamp assembly, but very different fog lamps. As you probably read by scrolling back a page or two, I am running the European Philips Vision Plus low beam H1's, and they offer a nice improvement over the stock bulb.

    The pattern of the low beam is pretty good, but the high beam is compromised by the unusual shape - kind of a wide slit below the low beam. 100w HB3? I am surprised to hear that the wiring, switches, plastic housing can take that. But then high beam on-time is limited.

    On the fogs, the OB uses nicely sized round housings. I ditched the plastic grills, raised them up a bit, and then did the 9006 to 9005 conversion that has been shown on several sites. Consumption is 65w vs stock 55w (which should be safe), but light output is up 70%. I will only use them when alone on the road, but they now offer an alternative to high beams (more light with less reflective glare in snow & rain).

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    05s have projector beams. They're great.

    The lights on our 02 Legacy L are different than the ones on the GT and Outback.

    -juice
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    I took some pictures of my STi wingless, and with just the bottom half of the wing mounted. I posted the pictures online at:

    http://wbaseley.photosite.com/sti/

    Let me know what you think! (Except please no wisecracks about the Christmas decorations still being up. My wife likes them. No, really, she does.)

    Cheers,
    -wdb

    [EDIT: I guess Edmunds doesn't like links encased in pointy brackets. Next time I'll know!]
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    No link!

    Ken
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Interesting. I've never seen that before. I wonder how it works, as compared to the original?

    Bob
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    I wonder if you could find an aftermarket trunk-lip spoiler that would cover up the holes and provide balance for the scoop up front.

    -Frank
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Forget the car, tell me about the house! Looks like updated early 19th century fieldstone construction?

    Man, looks like an awful lot of holes left in that trunk lid.

    Steve
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    "Forget the car, tell me about the house! Looks like updated early 19th century fieldstone construction?"

    It's a converted barn, original construction circa 1790.

    And yes, what a heap of holes! I didn't count them but read somewhere else that there were 17 total. I count at least 15 in the pictures. Sheesh. I briefly thought about driving around with plugs in the trunk lid, but when I saw that I changed my mind.

    Latest idea is to find a lower half somewhere and modify it, primarily cutting off the upraised ends and then sculpting in a piece to continue the contours of the center section out to the edges. A fellow in CA has made little caps for the ends of the wing, that is another possibility.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I'd go scoopless first... that's far more obnoxious than the wing IMO.

    Of course, a FMIC kit and new hood is pretty expensive.

    ~Colin
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Gee, people, I was seeking for opinions on the various looks! I only have one comment along that line so far...

    I like hood scoops :-) True, the one on the STi could be a bit less, uhmm, pronounced, but I still like it. I think it's great fun to have a hood scoop in my forward line of sight. I may look into something more innocuous, and if a pile of $ lands in my lap I might even go with moving the IC etc. But that is not first on my list.

    I understand that the wing is actually a functional piece, and I appreciate that. I also appreciate the viewpoint of, "this is what an STi is, get used to it." In fact whatever I do to the car, I fully intend to retain the ability to put it back to original condition. But the wing nevertheless has several significant points against it (again, this is just my opinion).

    First of all, I simply don't like the look. A spoiler, yes; a great big wing, no. Second, the top piece is quite substantial and cuts straight across the middle of the rear window, blocking a significant chunk of rearward vision. It is at least a distraction, at worst a safety concern.

    Third: the wing attracts attention. Some of it is good -- admiring looks, knowing waves -- but a significant portion of it is not so good. Hot dogs trying to race you, police assuming that you're a punk up to no good, people with an apparent dislike for cars with wings and what they think they represent. I'm in my 50's; my bad-boy rebel days are well behind me. I want more stealth, less shout.

    Just being me,
    -wdb
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    sorry wdb, I didn't respond fully because some of what I would've said was covered before at least in part.

    I do like the look without the wing. The half-wing is horrible, but if you were trying to get the gist of what a smaller wing / spoiler would look like, I think that a more subdued one could look pretty good and take away some of the blandness of the rear end --always a Subaru fault and my only possible criticism of the current Legacy's styling on a somewhat related note.

    the hoodscoop is one my personal distastes and a small reason why I chose an Evo instead of an STi. both cars come with an obnoxious wing, so that was a wash. :)

    the rear visibility thing isn't bad at all once you get used to it. cars with a severely sloped rear window and no wing have worse visibility for sure!

    ~Colin
  • leo2633leo2633 Member Posts: 589
    None more so than the 1971-73 Mustang fastbacks. They were like looking through a venetian blind slat!

    Len
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I like the Forester's upright windows. No glare, slim pillars, no problem.

    Tribeca is one of few Subies to not offer that.

    -juice
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    as in the original cannonball run movie from 1981, as the guy rips off the rearview mirror of his ferrari 'whatsa behind you maka no difference'
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,398
    I agree about the wing. How much does a rear trunk lid cost? And have loads of fun finding a place to store the existing wing & trunk lid!

    Jim
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Minor correction, swampy: It was in The Gumball Rally, not Cannonball Run, and the actor who spoke that line was the late Raul Julia.

    Alternatively I've heard it quoted as "What'sa behind me, does not amatter," or "she no' matter," not sure which but Julia did it in a heavy phony Italian accent.

    Ed
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    i sit corrected.

    the quote from gumball rally is....

    [Franco rips off his rear-view mirror and throws it aside]
    Franco: The first rule of Italian driving. What's-a-behind me, does not-a-matter.
  • brascobrasco Member Posts: 3
    Does anyone know what the load factor is for the coil springs on a '98 Outback? I'm looking at trying to upgrade the coil springs for summer towing purposes and would like to know what the stock springs are rated at. I've tried the dealership but they couldn't answer that question.

    Although my little tent trailer is just under 1,000 pounds, the back end sags too much for my liking once my Outback's cargo area is fully loaded up (not unsafely low, just not as level as it should be). Add two kids, a battery on the hitch framework and possible addition of some bikes this season and you get the idea . . . Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

    Brasco
  • fandcfandc Member Posts: 51
    I have a friend whose daily driver is a wingless STi. From the rear, it is a stealth car. In his opinion, there is no difference in handling at speed. He too complained that the wing obscured rear vision.

    His weekend driver is a Group N WRX, with which he has won several SCCA national championships.
    http://www.mayhemracing.com/
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Wow, his rally car is wingless too. And it sure looks like fun!

    I'd love to see some pictures of his wingless STi. A lot of the ones I have seen are dressed up or modified in so many other ways that it is hard for me to get an idea of what an otherwise stock wingless car would look like.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    actually if you look at the 2002 photos, the factory wing was there. it was subsequently removed-- not sure if it was performance (could be!) or just damaged and not replaced.

    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Brasco: the only guy here on Edmunds that ever was able to get info that specific that I'd seen was AH, he used to own a WRX. Maybe go to that thread and ask him what his source was.

    It's a long shot, I know.

    -juice
  • sakurasakura Member Posts: 4
    Hi All,

    Sorry I didn't see this thread going on (before posting earlier): I see a lot of experts here, so if I may ask -

    * Are there any STI mods for the 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited Sedan? (U.S. model)

    I heard about some "chip" that can restore the detuned WRX STI engine in the Legacy to "full power" (+30 hp?), but a follow-up:

    * Is it safe? Why wouldn't Subaru just sell their Legacy 2.5 GT w/ the full-powered STI engine instead of detuning it?

    Would the transmission or other parts not be able to handle this upgrade?

    Thanks for any help!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The STi's tranny is indeed more rigid, as is the clutch. It also has a different intercooler and I believe turbo as well.

    The difference is more than a chip, no doubt. But the block and internals are the same.

    Playing it safe and heavy mods are mutually exclusive, IMHO. You could go to a tuner like Vishnu and get one of the milder kits, with stuff that bolts on (and unbolts if need be).

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    you can easily get 300 HP or more out of your Legacy GT, but kiss reliability, practicality and your warranty goodbye.

    ~c
  • beanboybeanboy Member Posts: 442
    What do you mean by "practicality"?

    _B
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'll take a guess, but intake and exhaust noise make a heavily modded car impractical to live with day in, day out.

    -juice
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    Any usefulness?

    I'm noticing that my interior lights are dimming with each thump/boom of the bass; more noticeable on the overhead dome light.

    Would a voltage stabilizer help, or a better battery?

    I got my aftermarket HU installed as well as the additional OEM underseat sub/amp. So, I'm running on HU [22RMS/50max Watts x4] and OEM sub/amp [80~120 watts x2] with no other external amps.

    -Dave
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    actually, I meant that even if nothing "breaks" (that would be reliability) it's still going to require a lot of tuning and additional care & feeding. you can't drive and maintain a heavily modified car as if it were stock, because it isn't.

    and 50 more HP out of a LGT, even if that is the number a stock STi makes, is definitely heavily modified. :)

    ~Colin
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