Hello,
Thank you for checking out my post. I'm a new member of the forum and also a new member of the Subaru community. I recently purchased my Legacy this past October. It had 120K miles with the 5-speed manual, with a few mods already installed for only $2,500.
It came with:
Cobb AP,
Vf52 turbo/ new core,
Koyorad aluminum radiator,
170° thermostat,
TIAL 38mm external wastegate,
Perrin Recirculating BOV,
Perrin top mount intercooler,
Unequal length headers,
CNT Racing Downpipe,
3" Catback exhaust,
CNT Uppipe,
Grimmspeed 3 port EBCS,
Hollowed out TGVs,
Cobb SF intake with Perrin inlet,
and BC coil overs.
However, the reason it was so cheap, was because it smoked really bad, and wouldn't idle without you feathering the throttle. After arriving and examining it, I noticed that it had the trademark Subaru head gasket problems as well. The block was coated, and after I heard it idle, I believed it had Ringland failure. However, I brought a truck and trailer, so it wasn't a problem. I loaded it up and drove it back home.
I purchased this vehicle with the intent of rebuilding, so I started to place orders for new parts. I settled with this as the start to my build:
Manley forged pistons and Rods,
Subaru OEM forged and nitrated crank,
ACL Race bearings
GSC Power-Division Stage 3 Billet cams
All GSC valve-terrain,
DeatschWerks 1000cc Injectors,
Subaru STI 11MM Oil pump,
All new gaskets and seals,
AISIN timing belt kit,
New Plugs and Coilpacks,
Stage 2 clutch kit.
There are a few things I'm going to buy, but I'm waiting till it's warmer (and my tax check ). Anyways, I will be purchasing an FP blue turbo, new IAG competition engine and trans mounts, a 340LPH fuel pump, Kein trans blast plates, an AOS kit, new shifter bushings, A KillerB oil pickup combo, and a cylinder 4 cooling mod.
After I ordered all these items, I found the time to actually get into the vehicle, and the more I made it into the motor, the more I realized something was wrong. It turns out that whoever did service on the motor last hadn't torqued the heads down to spec, and they had been lifting. This is why there was so much oil on the motor, and why it ran like s*it. The engine looked almost new, and when I asked the previous owner, he said he had just had it rebuilt not too long ago, and when it started having problems, he just wanted it gone. I had already settled on upgrading, so I wasn't going to change anything, but I could've had a running vehicle with almost a brand new motor for $2,500.
Anyways, I'm currently just waiting for it to warm up outside, because I live in Indiana, and we are currently suffering from a severe winter storm. Hopefully, the car will be fully completed in the next 3 months, as I've been excited for a while to see how it turns out. I do have several long-term plans for the vehicle such as a complete suspension rebuild and a 6-speed swap. Hopefully, the 5 speed can hold on for just a year till I can find the perfect trans.
I will try to post any updates as I go along, but I'd love to hear any feedback that this community might have. If you have any questions feel free to ask!