Subaru Crew - Modifications II

originalbitman · May 2001

I got my cupholders from Griots Garage. They come with mounting instructions and screws but I used some of those push in OEM-like plastic fasteners I got from the NAPA store.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?L1=L1_2500&L2=L2_2530

bit

ateixeira · May 2001

They have some really cool stuff. I've seen their catalogs. Some of it gets pricey though.

-juice

originalbitman · May 2001

Definitley can be pricey but good quality. Ironically the cupholders I had seen elsewhere for $20 so $16.95 seemed like a good deal.
bit

lucien2 · May 2001

yeah but it is cool. Mmmmmmm.....$500 jack......

originalbitman · May 2001

Eastwood has some interesting stuff too. Got a great jack pad replacement from them that lets me use the scissors jack jacking points with my floor jack. Very nice.

http://www.eastwoodcompany.com

Yeah, that $500 Griots jack is sweet!

bit

ateixeira · May 2001

$500 for a jack, though? I think my floor jack was under $100 IIRC.

-juice

locke2c · May 2001

You can get a fine Chinese-made low-profile *large* hydraulic floor jack from Harbor Freight for $80-200 depending on capacity and size.

-Colin

lark6 · May 2001

Eastwood makes a lot of very good quality restoration products. I got to tour their facility in Malvern, PA a couple of years ago, as part of a joint outing with the local chapters of the Studebaker and Nash/Hudson Metropolitan clubs. Okay, stop laughing now.

I have two things from Griots: a "car diaper" garage floor pad to soak up oil from the leaking Lark, and the 3M "clearbra" stone shields which I've installed on the Forester. I got a set for the headlights and fog lights and they fit well, although they're not easy to install. (The shields for the corners don't fit well so I didn't install them.) Given the high cost of replacement lenses and my proclivity for having stones hit my cars, I thought it a worthwhile investment. In fact, I like the shields for the fogs so well that I'm reluctant to put the plastic guards back on them. The guards are tough to keep clean, plus the "Euro look" is growing on me.

Ed

pat88 · May 2001

bit... Thank you for the information about the cupholders! Now all I have to do is convince my husband that it is OK to buy one (you mean you have to screw it into the door?!!)Once he gets over that I think he'll agree to getting one. :-)

We finally managed to buy a hood deflector. My husband and I put it on and took pictures to help others who want to install it themselves.(juice-- you had asked me to take pictures of the process.) Now all we have to do is post the pictures.

Lousy directions (why don't them print the directions instead of just the pictures?!) but it was a relatively easy install. Thanks to some hints from Tony (post #2085--Meet the Members, Subaru Crew Archive Discussions), we got it on without any problems. Thank you, Tony!

~~~Pat

ateixeira · May 2001

Pat: you know what's funny? I assumed you were male. My bad.

If you prefer, e-mail the photos to me and I'll add them to my PhotoPoint site.

Perhaps Subaru's instructions are so bad because of the language barrier. Some of them are just plain pitiful. They should hire me to rewrite them all, just give me free samples and I'd do it for free (hint hint!).

-juice

originalbitman · May 2001

Pat - You only need to drill two 1/8 inch holes through the plastic. Then use the push in plastic screws that hold a lot of interior pieces together (you can get them at an auto parts store). If you ever get rid of the cupholder you can just push the screws back in the holes and it will not look unusual.
bit

pat88 · May 2001

It's a little tough to tell us apart! :-)

juice--I'll let my husband know about your offer to post the installation pictures at your site. Thank you.

~~~Pat(Patty)

erics6 · May 2001

Has anybody installed the OE trailer hitch on a 2000 Outback? (Juice - I've seen the nice installation photos you have for your Forester.) I'm curious if a somewhat non-mechanical person like myself can do the job.

ateixeira · May 2001

Any body...any body...Bueller?

-juice

doncha · May 2001

Has anyone installed one of the Subaru performance mufflers on their GT? I have a 2001 GT wagon. Just wondering if it's worth the money or it's just hype (don't want just noise). Thanks for any info on this!

bigabigd · May 2001

I will be purchasing a new Forester in the next month and am most interested in a CAI and exhaust. I live in Dallas where Cobb Tuning is and they offer a kit for the Forester that costs about $1000 which includes a Stromung Exhaust and a PRM?? (I think) CAI. This seems quite high, but they are claiming a 20HP increase.

JC Sports sells their CAI for $175, their cat-back exhaust for $449 and claim a 13.5HP gain for each system. This makes a claimed power increase of 27HP... if these 2 numbers are additive ??

I have read most of the posts in this Forum as well as the i-club and there really is no information to see who has the better system, or even if either of these companies are telling the truth regarding their performance claims. Does anyone have any opinions, or better yet and knowledge of these products? I am thinking of buying the Stromung from Cobb, and the JC Sports intake, as the Cobb CAI is about $350. Any ideas?

Thanks
-Andy

lakepop · May 2001

Andy.. I have the JC Sports CAI on my 01 Forester and am pleased with the looks/fitment and performance. It is loud under WOT but very quiet at all other times.

I have this paired up with the Subaru Brospeed muffler which is very quiet. I bought it used and while I doubt that it produces any HP, I think the air in air out combo does help the engine work better.

No add ons cannot increase HP or torque cumlatively. Would be great if they did but alas even any gains you get will be for the most part at higher rpms.

With that said I am hooked on making my machines a little different /a lttle faster than the other guys.Moreover my JC/Brospeed adds produce a very healthy sound when I want it..aggressive acceleration.

Hope this helps..Juice has (maybe) some pics of my set up and might be able to post..I can't. I can however send some E Mail if you want...

Hope this helps......:)

kens · May 2001

Andy,

Tuning a naturally aspirated engine can be tricky. Power gains in one part of the RPM band can cause decreases in others. Also, the effects of each modification (intake, exhaust) are not necessarily additive.

Cobb tuning is probably does the most homework in terms of designing their products. I don't think there is another aftermarket tuner in the US that has done as much work on Subies as Cobb. I'd trust their mods since they do test the effects on a dyno.

Unfortunately, their extra effort comes at a higher price. Does the $1000 include other items? The intake goes for $270 and the muffler $345. There must be some other items in the package like a pulley or headers.

For the intake, I've heard a lot of great things about the Ganzflow intake designed by Larry Ganz. It's simple, inexpensive and has a lot of people convinced that it makes a difference. Larry's webpage is http://www.imprezars.com

Good luck and let us know what you end up getting.

Ken

originalbitman · May 2001

got my 01 GT wagon tinted. Looks great. Did Madico Onyx (metalized) 50 on front doors, 20 on rear doors/sides/hatch, and limo on the moonroofs. Really works great.

bit

kens · May 2001

bit,

Nice! Is Onyx the replacement for Autolux? How about some pics!

Ken

originalbitman · May 2001

Replacement? I suppose. In reality it is the only metalized tint Madico makes right now. It is a very neutral gray and is only very slightly reflective. I was bummed when I couldn't get Autolux but now that I have the Onyx I think I like it even better... especially since it isn't so reflective. Boy the limo on the moonroofs is great. Barely makes a dif looking out but cut so much sun coming in I can keep the headliner panels open and it still stays cool in the car. As for pics, it looks so dark that it probably would look just like this underexposed of my old 00 with Autolux:

http://bitman.com/gt/

bit

kate5000 · May 2001

which tinting place did ou use? were they okay to put 50% on front windows (I think 70% is what CA allows)?

originalbitman · May 2001

Well actually its $599. Sure that's more than I would spend... but it is tempting. Just check out the specs:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?L1=L1_3000&L2=L2_3030&SKU=77744

bit

kens · May 2001

Actually, I was wondering about that too. I think until recently CA did not allow anything on the front side windows. In Jan 1999, they amended that by allowing a "clear" colorless film on the windows. By definition, "clear" means 70% of minimum visible light transmittance.

When I asked for a "legal" tint on my Forester front side windows, the shop put on a 66% film. I guess the 4% is negligible or beyond noticing. The shop also gave me a card with the shop's name stating that my front windows are not illegaly tinted.

Ken

originalbitman · May 2001

Out of fairness to the shop I guess I won't blab their name here but you can email me for it. Mike@bitman.com. (BTW...They do great work with film right to the edge of the window). I have a CHP friend who checked it out and said I should have no trouble. The 20% rears make the fronts not look so dark. Plus the little amount of light coming through my now revealed moonroofs does light up the passengers a little more.

Interesting thing... my tint guy said that OEM tinted windows do little to stop the sun and UV and are more of a privacy tint than anything else.

bit

paisan · May 2001

Take that last line with a grain of salt, afterall he's in the tinting business

I like the in-glass tint on my trooper cause it will never scratch away, peel away etc. I wish they'd offer it as an option on all cars/wagons/Forester-like vehicles.

-mike

texsubaru · May 2001

Hey, bit, I really like the seatback pockets; great work! I also like the console cupholder (not so sure about the door-mounted ones for me, though; I use my door map pocket a great deal -- perhaps in part due to my Forester's lack of seatback pockets -- and anything that was even slightly in the way would probably get on my nerves.)

originalbitman · May 2001

Thanks for the compliment. I agree about the cupholder on the door. Unfortunately for the driver I could find no better location. I did a trial run with velcro in several other locations including the driver's side of the console. Alas, they were just too tight a fit so I had to sacrafice some functionality of the door pocket. We do a lot of long road trips and cupholders get a lot of use. The OEM cupholders on the Legacys suck. The dash unit is too tight to hold anything but soda cans and the console unit gets in the way of the MT shifter.

bit

hondafriek · May 2001

The map pockets look great, when I am finished at the lake in the fall and I am lookimg for something to do I am going to give them a try.
Cheers Pat.

originalbitman · May 2001

Pat - when your ready to do it let me know and I'll forward all the details... or better yet just post them for all. Been using them now for a few weeks and they do work great. Thanks for compliment.

bit

ateixeira · May 2001

Andy: those claims sound a little optimistic. At most you'll get 5 hp with an intake, and that's probably at the expense of low end torque.

JC Sports, for one, was banned from i Club after a botched group buy for turbo kits. Some customers are still awaiting delivery, months after paying. Buyer beware.

Do the intake for the sound and looks, then it's worth it. Expect 15hp and you'll be disappointed.

-juice

hondafriek · May 2001

Appreciate your offer of the details and I will take you up on your offer thanks.
Cheers Pat.
PS. You can also e-mail me at subefriek@aol.com

mwwst · May 2001

I'm looking to upgrade my speakers on my '01 Legacy GT wagon. Anyone know of any links to factory installation directions that I can look at before I start?

Thanks,

MWWST

hondafriek · May 2001

The speaker replacement you mention is relatively simple, the front and rear speakers are six and a half inch and you just have to pull the door panels unhook the old speakers and put the new ones in place.

Cheers Pat.

originalbitman · May 2001

I have the instructions and will post them... either later this evening or tomorrow AM.

bit

bigabigd · May 2001

Juice-
Thanks for the advice on the CAI. There are 3 choices that I see for this upgrade:
1) Cobb Tuning -- $269 (expensive)
2) JC Sports -- $179
3) Ganz Flow -- $109
I was thinking of getting the Ganz and having Cobb install it with the Stromung Exhaust. What do you think?
-Andy

ateixeira · May 2001

MWWST: wait a few hours. I'll have some good photos of my Forester's OE speakers, plus the premium sound ones I'm putting in, side by side with instructions. They should be similar to yours.

Let's see who's quicker, bit or me. I still have to actually install them, but it looks like a 30 minute job. Photos maybe a bit (no pun intended) longer.

Go for it, Andy. Cobb does good work, and he'll take care of resetting the ECU, I bet, too.

-juice

kens · May 2001

Andy,

I think the Ganz Flow is a good choice. It's probably not that difficult to install yourself either.

Ken

originalbitman · May 2001

Here's the link for the Legacy Premium Speaker Kit installation instruction:

http://www.bitman.com/soobinstall

bit

ateixeira · May 2001

He beat me to it! :-)

Here are photos I just posted, just click here.

Combine these with bit's and you should be good to go. Though it looks like it's a bit harder on the Legacy.

-juice

hondafriek · May 2001

Wish I knew you had the speaker install instructions before I did mine, It was pretty easy to figure out but it is always easier when you have a road map.

Cheers Pat.

originalbitman · May 2001

Sorry. Had em but didn't post em till this AM.

bit

hondafriek · May 2001

Nothing to be sorry for, had I been thinking I would have asked If anyone had done it already.

Cheers Pat.

lucien2 · May 2001

I trust Cobb's numbers for the most part. I have spoken with tuners (http://www.rallispec.com) who feel that the 2.5 enjoys marginal benefit from intake or exhaust, but benefits greatly from the combination; their dyno says 15-18hp. I am a firm believer in getting what you pay for on this one. Rallispec's intake is $350! I am sure Cobb's exhaust includes a midpipe too. Also, I think his is all stainless steel, as opposed to most Stromungs which are only mild ss.

mwwst · May 2001

Bit, Juice,

Thanks for the info. I had no idea that it would be this involved. You both saved me alot of aggrevation I'm sure. I'm installing a Clarion 6575 single cd head unit and 4 Sony xs-f1621 speakers this weekend. I got the head unit for free from my brother-in-law (less than a year old) and the speakers for $150 from Crutchfield. Not a bad up grade for the money. I'll let you know how it goes.

BTW - I'm upto 1200 miles on the GT and love it even more than when I first picked it up.

MWWST

originalbitman · May 2001

Yeah... can't beat a GT. Love mine too. Just wait until its broken in. BTW... you saw the install instructions for the CD changer on my site? They will help you with your head unit. That plastic trim around the radio/HVAC is a snug fit but it come off if you pull at the spots indicated on the instructions. If you have any questions let me know. I've done it twice.

bit

hondafriek · May 2001

I have to agree with Bit on the GT. as an avowed Honda lover for years I have to say that I am now totally in love with my GT.

I have to say also that they are the best kept secret in Subaru,s lineup, an added benefit is that you will not see your car coming and going like you will with Outbacks and foresters.

Cheers Pat.
PS. I am not knocking Outbacks or Foresters, as far as I am concerned now all subes are desirable vehicles.

armac13 · May 2001

Good save there with your PS. :-) I agree, they are all desirable beasts.

Ross

lark6 · May 2001

Pat: I still see more Legacy Outbacks by a huge margin. In my neck of the woods there seem to be a lot of Brighton and L wagons too. The Forester population is growing rapidly here, and they seem to cluster - for example, I see tons of them in and around Princeton, NJ. GTs come next, then Outback Sports, then 2.5RSs, and lastly base Imprezas, which seem to be driven primarily by people in scrubs. Still have only seen 4 WRXs on the road - 2 here and 2 in Phoenix, AZ.

Ed

ateixeira · May 2001

It's funny, but I didn't know how easy it would be to do the speakers until I tried to do it. It's like that for most things on the Subie, actually.

The head unit may be a little more challenging. Make sure you have a harness that'll fit.

-juice

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