Subaru Crew - Modifications

1…2527293031

Comments

  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Lucien, here's a pro-and-con of that plan for weight and power.

    MY01 impreza wagon = 2.2L 142HP, 2835lb
    *RUMORED* MY02 impreza wagon = 2.5L 165HP, 3000lb

    Weight is evil, of course. Plus a MY01 Impreza wagon looks better than a MY02 IMHO. The problem is that the 2.5L has a lot more performance parts available, mostly thanks to Trey Cobb.

    Just a thought.
    -Colin
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    We had some pretty wet weather in the Bay Area today. It was pouring on my commute home (30 miles on the freeway).

    Out of curiosity, I popped open my hood after getting home to see how wet the fender area would be.

    For the most part, it was actually pretty dry in there. The very bottom plastic cover was damp along with the area where the sheet metal meets the body cladding.

    I stuck my hand into my intake hose and no moisture there.

    Drive on!

    Ken
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Just put in a turbo and you'll be riding the high flying ticket of your wagon. I love my OBS jsut the way it is. It's not gaudy. Very nicely balanced.

    Just want to comment on the rear disc mod tho. It is quite difficult to do. Its not like you just swap them out. YOu need to modify the ABD sensors, get some kinda booster for it, and many many various parts. It would prolly cost you for that mod alone the entire total cost of your other mods! I gave up on that idea. Instead I've decided to just upgrade the fronts. I love my OBS. But the rear drums just discourage me to mod the car any further..... Eventually i will get the WRX or wutever performance car that I can use for serious autoX.
    Maybe in the future the 2.5l Sport wagon would get a nice rear disc. Even tho the new Impreza looks (my02) is not as nice as the current one. I think it will grow on me eventually. you'll get used to it. Just like how we get used to Jerry Springer shows.
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Rallispec said the brake swap was "pretty straightforward!" Ugh.

    Bob- he was referring to a dealer called Beans that has a blue L wagon on the lot.

    Drove three cars last night-

    golf 1.8T: pretty fast, but twitchy. moderate torque steer under WOT. Dogmeat rubber. Affordable in base trim, but will need suspension help quickly. nice interior. Could not get the car to settle into sweepers very well. Kirsten hated it inside 30 seconds (!) So much for demographic marketing...

    2.5RS: Uh, who needs a wagon anyway? :) Very nice, settles easily, sticks well, some body roll, mushy brakes (as usual). stiff clutch; needs guages. Dated interior, but who was paying attention to the interior?!? neutral handling with good communication. Kirsten loved it.

    L Wagon: this was an auto. Yech. Engine would've pulled better without it. Hard to evaluate engine as a result, but it was buzzy. Maybe I just like awd, but this car also settled better then the golf, and was less squirrelly at speed. Dated interior. start to notice while waiting for the auto to get the job done! Lots of useable space, too.

    the other thing about an L is I could keep the payments and insurance down, then bolt on as funds allowed. But I need to get the straight poop on this brake swap first. gotta have good brakes; I learned that real quick last weekend.

    IT WOULD SURE HELP IF WE HAD EVEN A VAGUE IDEA OF WHEN THE NEW IMPREZAS COME OUT!! *wink wink* :)

    ciao for now,
    Luciano
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Good to know, Ken.

    Guys: remember the front brakes do up to 90% of the work. Upgrading those is 9 times more cost effective.

    How 'bout some SPT 4 pot calipers and cross drilled discs? Or even slotted discs?

    -juice
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    What do you want lucien? YOu can get a small CRX and mod the heck out of it and it is a joy to drive. DO you want a project car or what?

    Rear brakes : hey, if rallispec said it's easy and if they can get everything for you then go for it.
    However this is my 2 cents. most of your brakings are done by the front. Up to 80%! FOr the money it is way better to upgrade the front brakes first before the rears. And upgraded front brake system evne tho with rear drums will out brake a stock front/rear disc system. Think about it. Do you reverse at 60mph all the time? =)

    Hey how come you didn't try the OBS?! It's alot better than the L wagon. hehehehe.... But also more expensive. Hate the bi spoiler job tho. Just doesn't fit with the outdoorsy nature of the OBS.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Those same spoilers look great on a WRX wagon though...

    -juice
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Bob,

    Maybe not in this forum (couldn't find it) but I mentioned to Lucien somewhere that there was a blue Impreza L wagon on the lot where I bought my Forester in January. It was still there the last time I visited the dealer in September. This was a follow-up to the modifying a current version Impreza L wagon thought that Loosh had.

    Sorry for the confusion,
    Ed
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Yup. It looks nice on single tone wagons. But not on duo-tone OBS. Reason being that, the OBS is more outdoorsy looking but adding the bispoiler, it sorta made it look a wannabe racerboy but yet wants to romp with the Boy Scouts. I dunno. I just like the clean roundness of the OBS right now. Don't want it to be cluttered up. That's why that big wing in the coupe RS just don't cut the cake for me. If I get and RS, I'd trade the wing with a sedan one.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Well, at least the Impreza is AWD, so the wings have some credibility. It really cracks me up to see goofy wings on FWD cars though. A) you'd have to go 120mph to get any significant downforce out of the wing, and B) if mounted behind the rear wheel (as most wings are) the downforce actually serves to unload the front wheels. Would you want to increase the understeer of your FWD car on the track? I think not!! Add to that the drag penalty, and it seems silly to have them at all on FWD cars. They're obviously there for looks

    One of my relatives stuck a huge spoiler on his Escort ZX-2, and then proceeded to claim that he felt an improvement in handling at high speed (85mph?). We made some measurements, did the math, and I commended him on his understeer augmentation device!

    Craig
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Exactly the point!! I want to upgrade the fronts with something bigger and drilled, and move the stock fronts Out Back, Sport ;-). I would've driven an OBS in a heartbeat, but there were ZERO on the lot. Wierd, huh?

    What do I want? A compact car that will carry 1 upright bass, 2 JBL 10" speakers, 1 QSC 900 power amp, 1 box of cables, 1 POS Peavey powered mixer, and 2 mic stands. And I want it to be a hoot at the track, 'cause we can't afford a dedicated track car. THAT is how this Impreza wagon project car plan was hatched, and also why myriad better track car choices, CRX and RS alike, aren't very attractive.

    neccessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. or at least modification :))
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    You're creating a mobile karaoke machine huh? =)
    Well let me tell you first off that, with the seats up, an Impreza wagon will not carry all your stuff. You would need to lower the rear seats for that. Actually an Integra hatchback can do so too with the rear seats lowered. So can a used Ford Probe, Celica, golf? etc... But after driving an AWD nimble mobile, I just can't see myself owning a FWD car. Well other than a Type R. Even so, I'd get a WRX over it!

    c_hunter : somehow I fail to see what AWD has to do with a rear wing. Audi Quattros has AWD but no wing....Huh? Did I miss anything? Other than some ultra fast cars like the 911 turbos, a rear wing/spoilers are purely cosmetics. Some looks good on some cars....while some just don't. It's a matter of preference. I just don't like my car with one. I think it looks overdone.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    The wing helps most when the downforce acts over the driving wheels (and it can actually hurt traction if put in the wrong place). So, only RWD or AWD cars -- those with power going to the rear wheels -- would get benefit from a rear-mounted wing (or any other rear-mounted downforce device).

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    ramon: that's funny. I've met two sedan owners that want to swap for coupe spoilers! I'm with you on that one, though...

    For street use, and probably most moderate speed autoX, I'm sure spoilers hurt performance.

    mobile karaoke - good one!

    -juice
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Yea, It's just that with the seats down the Impreza has TONS of room. Totally no prob. Other cars, well, it is still a leetle prob. Right now all that stuff goes in the OB with half (well, 60%) of the back seat folded.

    Also, this way I am insuring an Impreza wagon, iffin you knows what I mean. Also, I can work on it as budget allows. not the best track car, no, but a pretty good compromise. I hope.

    so juice, are you saying the RS sedan has no wing? Why oh why don't those seats fold down...
  • kyotzkyotz Member Posts: 10
    I haven't seen any talk about this (or maybe I just missed it) but I was considering to change the lights on my 01 OB. Has anyone changed their lamps to Xenon, better still, are Xenon lamps available for OBs? What is your experience with this.

    I just spent a couple of weeks with my in-laws and they have an Audi with Xenons. I liked the lighting better from these lamps than the stock in the OB's. Any suggestions?

    Thanks,

    Chris
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Chris,

    No North American spec Subaru is available with Xenons. While there are aftermarket retrofit "kits", none of them are DOT approved (ie. illegal to use)

    For now, it's probably a better bet to save yourself the $1000 and get a better pair of halogen bulbs to upgrade an OB's lighting. I currently use Hella Premium Xenon halogen bulbs in my 98 Forester and it is noticeably brighter than standard bulbs.

    Ken
  • kyotzkyotz Member Posts: 10
    Ken: Thanks for the info. Where, and for how much, did you buy the Hella bulbs?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Lucien: the RS sedan has a much smaller wing than the coupe.

    Those Hellas are cheap, it was $26 or so the pair. Check out the difference. Anyone have the URL handy (for purchasing)?

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Here's the URL:

    http://catalog.com/susq/hella/bulbs.htm

    Ken
  • kyotzkyotz Member Posts: 10
    Thanks Ken and Juice for the tips and site. I'll let you know how it is after I replace them.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Techies: Renee has posed a tough question in the Repair topic. Hop over and see if anyone can offer advice.

    -juice
  • hciaffahciaffa Member Posts: 454
    I posted this on the Maintenace and Repair site as well.
    I came across these two bits of info on another
    Subaru forum that were posted by other Forester
    owners, that I thought other DIY's may be
    interested, I know I was....
    1. There seems to be a lot of "confusion" about
    the spark replacement schedule and the type of plug
    used in this car, and I would suppose the 99
    Legacy as well. My Subaru 1999 Warranty &
    Maintenance book calls for 60 THOUSAND MILE spark
    plug replacement on page 42. Go to the Subaru of
    America website and access the 1999 maintenance
    schedule. The official SOA website specifies a 30
    THOUSAND MILE spark plug replacement. Go to the
    1999 Forester Owner' Manual. On page 10-18 Champion
    RC10YC4 or NGK BKR5E-11 are specified. Why?.
    Neither of these plugs are platinum tipped. However
    my local dealer recommends platinum tipped plugs
    (at $72 for a set of four) owing to the extended 60
    THOUSAND MILE replacement interval. Yesterday I
    personally replaced the spark plugs in my Forester
    at 57,000 miles. I found the original factory
    installed Champion BKR5E-11 plugs. ).
    If you have a 99 Subaru you may have non-platinum
    tipped plugs in your engine. If that is the case,
    in my opinion, I would change then at 30,000 miles
    and install platinum tipped spark plugs. With the
    platinum plugs installed I would then go to a
    60,000 mile mile replacement schedule.

    2. The Phase I engines (98 Forester) have
    extremely difficult to reach spark plugs so Subaru
    decided to go with platinum tipped models to allow
    for a 60K maintenance schedule. The Phase II
    engines (99 and later Foresters) were redesigned
    with easier access so they use standard plugs.
    After reading these notes I went out to check my
    plugs and sure enough they were the regular
    non-platinum plugs even after my dealer and service
    techs had told us when we purchased our 99
    Forester that the forester came with platinum and
    should have to be replaced for 60,000 miles, though
    I wouln't wait that long any way.
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    if anything blows about teh boxer configuration, changing spark plugs would be it. I would have to pretty much rip out everything just to change the plugs! It's such a PITA!

    OK attempting to install crappy flaps for winter. ANy advice? I will not go for the expensive ones. Instead will head over to Wal mart or Canadian Tire for some el cheapo flaps. Anything I need to know?
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Sparkplugs are cheap and they are easy to replace on our boxer engine. I would recommend replacing them at 1/2 the recommended interval at most for optimum performance and economy.

    After 57,000 miles, ANY sparkplug would have made a world of difference. I replaced my stock Chumpions after 15,000 miles with a set of Bosche Platinum ($1.49 each, PepBoys) in about 20 minutes and immediately noted better idle and smoother revving, then noted 2 MPG increase. (from 21MPG to 23MPG)

    -Colin
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    don't you have to rip out the wiper washer fluids and part of the intake system?! I will be replacing mine sometime soon. I use copper NGKs.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    ramon: if you do, please share your tips.

    You can screw on any mud flaps, really. BugBomb had some enormous ones so he could do the gravel roads around his house. You may want something similar.

    -juice
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    i will be getting crappy flaps. it will be on during winter only. Will let you all know after this weekend. I hope to get them on this weekend....along with mounting back my OBS shoes.
  • seamus3seamus3 Member Posts: 98
    i have a snorkus question. first a quick comment. i called the plastic monster that lives inside the body a snorkus when discussing with a friend about taking it out of his accord. now all of our friends call the monster a snorkus.
    what advantage do you gain by taking it out. my friend with the accord and i see it different ways. i think we just have different cars therefore a different snorkus problem/set up. i think the snorkus takes hot air and circulates it to the engine. he swears his uses cold air. please help us.
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Well, in the case of my OB and, I think, most of the cars on this board, the snorkus takes air from just behind the passenger side headlamp. One could argue that this is cold-ish air, but is still turbulently mixing with hot engine bay air. By removin git and damming up the other fender well hole, you ensure the airbox is drawing from the cold air in the fender which, as it happens, is also less turbulent.

    i haven't seen a honda's innards so I can't comment on that one.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Just check out where the intake opening is on his Accord. If it's sucking in air from the engine bay, that can be significantly hotter than "fresh" air.

    Pop your hood after an enthusiastic drive and you'll know what I mean!

    The snorkus also acts as a silencer, so keep that in mind.

    -juice
  • originalbitmanoriginalbitman Member Posts: 920
    I imagine the 00 -1 OB draws air from just under the leading edge of the hood as my 00 GT does? In which case there is an aftermarket replacement for the snorkus from Prova a japanese Legacy parts supplier. They call the snorkus a resonator box and replace it with a short carbon fiber tube. Downside is it is expensive - 19,000 yen or roughly $150.

    http://jprova.co.jp/parts/l2-16.html


    Bit
  • aussierooaussieroo Member Posts: 78
    If the engine of Ramon's car developed piston slap
    would it be known as:
    "The slap happy jappy with the very crappy flappy"

    Installed the CD holder yesterday (at least another 10hp). It certainly makes life easier and prevents motorised mayhem occurring whilst wrestling CDs from the cases. A bit pricey 60US bux but worth it for those who have only a single CD player.

    Gus
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I'm starting to wonder about the snorkus on the Phase II engines -- according to the Subaru engineers, it is part of many improvments that enhance part-throttle response. Indeed, my 2000 OB has a lot of grunt when the throttle is lightly pressed, and there is little gained by mashing the pedal at lower speeds. The de-snorkus approach may help at wide open throttle, but I wonder what it does for low-speed part throttle performance.

    Comments?

    Craig
  • ramonramon Member Posts: 825
    Hey we're back! Or are we? I feel like I'm in some kidna space time continuum equilibrium. One moment I am here and the next this townhall is gone again.
    BTW, my car has no piston slap! >()
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Craig, I doubt anything upstream of the air filter has any affect on anything besides noise.

    My 2 cents,

    -Colin
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Craig- My understanding of all things mechanical is almost zero but I can't see how removing the snorkus would do anything but increase the air flow to the engine (the trade off being an slight increase in noise at higher RPMs). It seems to me that improved air flow at any throttle setting could only help.

    -Frank P.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Frank, that's my thinking too, but it sounds like Subaru is using the resonator tubes in the snorkus to tune some sort of wave in the intake system to improve overall performance. I believe it's set up so that positive pressure pulses in the intake coincide with the intake valves being open, or something like that. Sort of like the intake air surfs a pressure wave into the engine.

    This is very similar to the way 2-stroke motorcycle engines use a tuned exhaust pipe to scavenge exhaust out of the cylinders and improve performance. In that case, the exhaust wave pattern is tuned so that low pressure pulses coincide with the exhaust stroke.

    Craig
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Pardon my rusty lingo -- by exhaust stroke, I really mean the up-stroke on the 2-cycle engine!
  • seamus3seamus3 Member Posts: 98
    my friend came down this weekend and we popped open the hood of his accord next to my legacy. the difference? his accord actually takes air from a space between the wheel well and fender, making it cold air, it really is a good set up. would there be a problem with running a pipe into this little compartment for cold air. the reason i ask is we live in a hostile environment, lot's of rain and bad weather, natural to WA. there is room for a pipe but maintaining the life and cleanliness his filter was what we both questioned.

    mine takes the air from the engine compartment which i pretty warm/hot, which juice pointed out. my next question, where in the hell do i get cold air from for an intake? i couldn't really see a spot to get any significant amount of cold air. i know someone had mentioned running a tube from behind the fog lights to the intake. i am thinking of now doing an intake and a cat. back. my bracing needs are complete with a new rear lower bar a front tower bar and my springs.

    another question, i'm full of them. i went over a speed bump yesterday and heard scraping. it was my mudflaps. it has been happening at a lot of places around town. can i buy sooby mudflaps that are shorter? is it illegal to just take and leave them off? any suggestions?

    seamus
  • russ9406russ9406 Member Posts: 30
    Juice

    Your information about the grill removal was right on. The 2001 forester uses TWO horns, it now sound great.

    Russ
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Your airbox should be right up against the right side of your fender well, attached to the snorkus, which comes back out a few inches away. Without the snorkus, the airbox simply draws from the fender well. There is plastic protection between the wheel well and the fender, so weather shouldn't be an issue.
    If you are doing an intake and catback, then don't worry about it; the snorkus will go away anyway.

    It is legal to remove your mudflaps. :)
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Well, it looks like Kirsten is going to need a new 'cello. that pretty much puts an end to my scheme for a tuned Impreza wagon. :( A performance level instrument will cost us about the same as WRX, so I am back to looking at older bimmers that can be had for cheap, then fixed up.
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Why not look for an older Impreza wagon and fix it up?
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Well, I am just trying to get the most bang for my buck. An older impreza wagon is gonna be slow, and will need $3500 worth of suspension, wheel, tire, and exhaust upgrades just to get it sorta trackworthy. I could get a late 80's E30 325is for that price, which would have a straight-six, plenty of power, strong brakes, and nice handling right out of the box. Used M3 springs for $200, E30 M3 rotors for about the same....you're looking at a pretty sweet machine for under $4K, and there ain't no way to get an Impreza there for the same dough.

    Still, I wish it could be a soob. My thinking is, this E30 will be my daily driver/track car for the next couple of years, until I figure out where I am going career-wise, what we want to do kid-wise, and also pay down this 'cello and the Outback. THEN I can start looking at WRX's, and get this household 100% Soob.
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    I just realized, that means Mike Smith and I will be in the market at the same time!! Look out, sales people, bring your dramamine! Bwah ha ha ha ha ha! };-))
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    What's Mike shopping for?

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    loosh: you mean you can't rig a cold air intake for her existing cello to make it sound deeper? ;)

    Russ: just did another Highway Blaster swap, this one on my toy car, a Miata. Easy install. 10 minutes tops.

    They have 4 types, A thru D. A is high note, quiet. B is low note, quiet. C is high note, loud (Sandy has this, because that's all they had at the time), and D is low note, loud (the Miata has this).

    It's kind of funny, but when you blow the horn you'd expect the opposite! The Miata is deeper. Get the Type D if you can find it.

    The Miata has only one horn and it just had to be louder 'cause it's invisible on the road.

    $13 or so at Pep Boys.

    -juice
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Why, a Subaru, of course! But he won't be in the market for a couple more years. Wisely, he and Alison are staggering the car purchases so that the two cars won't be s close in age that they start breaking down at the same time; there will always be one younger car and one older one.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If only I could even see that far ahead. I have no idea what situation we'll be in by then.

    2 kids? 3 kids? Who knows...

    Anyone fit 3 baby seats in the back of a WRX? :)

    -juice
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.