TomahawkLabs

The minority of spending money to make it perform worse at the racetrack. I’m 31 and because I drive it like an old man my insurance premium stays low and it stays in working order. 

This is where I feel like I’m in the minority. I drive my car on the city streets, so 99% of my driving is 65mph or lower 90% is 40mph or less. I don’t track it and it’s my daily so it can never be “race car”. It is super fun since the “extra” gear down low I’m constantly shifting from 1-3 in town. It’s like I’m driving in a F&F movie. 
 

Every time I look at adding go fast parts (engine) I think of everything that has to be done to “do it right”. A catted down pipe and tune would run me $1500-2000. I’d make more power and my 0-65 time would improve when I merge onto the interstate. Then there is the increased wear due to increased forces which will lead me into a very expensive rabbit hole. So the incentive to do that is rather limited. Because why buy the upgrades to not use them. 
 

I listen to music every time I drive, whether it’s an album or Twitch Stream there is always something playing when I drive. I don’t listen loudly so I still hear my stock car noises.
 

Putting that same amount towards a modest audio system including sound treatment. You’d be adding 50-100lbs of sprung weight mostly evenly around all 4 corners. If I have either of my kids in the car I gain that much but localized to a rear corner. It would reduce/remove vibrations in the panels and improve the overall sound and modernize the navigation to CarPlay.
 

Really make it feel like my Spec B is a grown up STi. I didn’t want an STi because they are visually loud cars that attract attention. The 3 main differences between the Spec B and an STi are: the engine power, the brakes, and the DCCD/Front Diff. All of which are unnecessary for the kind of drivingi my car does or will do. 
 

I’ve done and will continue to do suspension upgrades (STi Pinks/Bilstiens, OZ lightweight wheels) and hopefully a 2015+ steering rack soon because I can enjoy those at 25 mph around the round abouts and everywhere else I drive to. 
 

59 minutes ago, blackobxt said:

I had to edit my post, they were c5’s and the filter those amps did a wonderful job with the frequencies for both the tweeters and the woofers. All calibrated with the smd equipment we had that I absolutely hated lol. Tweeters are stupid power hungry, but they can take a ton of power as long as you keep the frequencies in check. And yeah, running that stereo shop got annoying sometimes. 90% of people just wanted bass and didn’t care how any of it sounded as long as things in the car shook.

I love the full stealth builds. I have had some sort of car stereo upgrade in every car i've ever owned, except this one. The plan is after my to fix list is finished I want to get the OEM McIntosh HU and replace the OEM Navigation with one of those android tablets and then run the line level out into a modest system. OEM+ vibes. 

8 minutes ago, blackobxt said:

Nah man you have to boost those numbers up. I’m a firm believer in overpowering the speakers. The best sounding system i built for a customer was in a Lincoln zephyr and had 2 JL hd 600/4 for the front a rear speakers. I put in c-650 components in both front and rear and instead of using the crossovers I used the front channels on both amps for the tweeters and the back channels on both amps for the woofers. That’s 150rms to each tweeter and 150rms to each woofer then we did a 12w7 for the bass. That was by far the clearest setup I’ve ever done and the range was incredible but it cost a lot of $$$$.

I also amplify the stock speakers in just about every car I get and I’ve never blown a speaker, it’s how you adjust your frequencies.

What kind of active filter were you using for the tweeter? You would 100% blow up a tweeter with that much power AND sending a full range signal to it. Also the C1 6.5" component can only handle 50w and that's tweeter and woofer. Curious what the setup looked like.

That being said, I love car audio and it's a shame it's so niche. The few times you see any amount of car audio it's always about the bass. I'd love to see some Legacy GT audio systems.

47 minutes ago, Code said:

lol. These cars are totaled for next to nothing these days. The pitch stop won’t matter in a crash.   That being said, the aluminum/poly bushing units do create a lot of noise. If you’re sensitive to that I’d advise avoiding them for oem. 

My comment was more about driver safety than preservation of the chassis lol. There are enough busted LGTs to restore if one wanted. It's a daily in the sense it's "my" only car, but my wife has the workhorse ('22 Ascent) that we use to haul the family on trips, etc. My car takes me to work and on errands. But in the midwest our roads are trash because the frost so it's already a rough ride and I don't need to make it worse.

1 hour ago, WRX USA said:

What did you have installed previously?

I had the OEM pitch stop, likely the one put in from the factory. From what I have read about pitch stops, the STi version is stiffer, but nothing big as far as changes, and the Group N mount causes a lot of NVH, so I went with OEM. 

I noticed on harder acceleration or deceleration the engine would tilt and I could feel "judders". There was also a nasty click sound that is now gone since I replaced the mount. The rubber surround on the engine side had worn down and had play. I read that the CNC aluminum pitch stops are not great for street cars because in a front end crash the pitch stop will snap, by design) reducing the backwards pressure of the engine into the firewall/cab. The CNC metal ones won't snap and can be pushed into/through the firewall. 

I swapped my pitch stop for an OEM part and the difference is night and day.

16 minutes ago, KZJonny said:

Correct. The axle is balanced unto itself. It’s relative position to the transmission is immaterial.

Just don’t let the splines cut into the seal on the way out/in and you are golden. It’s also safe to gently use a prybar between the trans and axle to ‘pop’ it out. Slide hammer is overkill and can yank the joints apart.

Good deal. The hammer slide has a pointed shaft attachment for pushing the axel free from the wheel hub. Way better than pushing it in via a punch. Is this the seal that is worth the $8 insurance to have on hand I’ve seen talked about in other threads?

5 minutes ago, KZJonny said:

Axle/trans alignment isn’t important, but it can’t hurt to do either.

It’s the internal parts you really want to remain in the same place relative to one another for balance and wear pattern, etc…

I am to understand that I shouldn’t worry about the rotation of the axel as it should fit back into the splines. Just don’t take any gasketing with the axel when I remove it?

Not sure how much your are into Tech/features, but some of the 2019 MY of the Outback have CarPlay and you can option the 3.6 flat 6 (last year the Outback could have the 3.6). I had a 2016 premium before my spouse traded it for her Ascent. I liked it. Did a 2" lift which was neat. Wobbled at 16 mph but I thought it was funny. 

On 2/12/2024 at 11:11 AM, Bobsyouruncl said:

I have replaced boots. The key is to make sure you put all the bearings back in the exact same position they were in when you took them off. Also orient the cup with the bearings in the same slot they were in when taken off. 

Otherwise it's just a messy but simple job.

 Pictures are bad but you can see I have the bearings marked 1, 2, 3 and marked their original mounting position on the shaft and the cup. 

Did you learn any tips/tricks on replacing the boots? I plan on doing the Pitch Stop dogbone this weekend if the dealer can get the part in Saturday. Next week is the opening F1 race weekend and I plan to be in the garage plenty and figure I can do an axel or two while watching the race. I know one suggestion was scrib a mark on the axel and the trans to realign in when re-inserting it. I picked up a boot collar(?) crimp as well so I have that to clamp the bands on the boot. Figure I lift it up, push the axel out via the hammer slide tool like I did the rears. Mark the axel and trans for alignment and place on my prepped bench to get dirty. Was there anything else tool wise or process wise you would suggest?

Looks like you have baggies for hardware, which is labeled, shop towels and a sharpie to label the bags and bearings. 

Just now, KZJonny said:

On to the next job some other weekend then. Curious to see how far down the DIY rabbit hole you decide to go!

I still need to watch some videos, etc on replacing the axel boots in the front. Already have the boots/grease, but love to fully know what I am doing before I crack any bolts. I really enjoy working on my car, but my shoulder hurts, but I saved $200 so my wife thought I deserved a new hat and hoodie, so this weekend was overall a pretty big win. Now the only noise I hear in my car is road noise and motor noises which is how I like it.

New hub assembly went on without fuss (once it was orientated correctly lol. Wasn’t to hard. Conveniently had a 32mm socket so the only new tool I needed was a hammer slide hub puller which is a 10/10 tool. It pushed the axel out of the hub assembly and pulled the assembly out in 3-4 good hammer slides. 

Note, I did punch in the wheel axel hub locking material back in, but it was after I took the picture.

I got it up on stands and letting some penetrant soak the bolts front and rear. Hopefully it plays well tomorrow and comes out easy. 

23 minutes ago, KZJonny said:

FWIW

Intake: hard no dude. don't do it. stock is good to 350hp, and this has been proven time and agian. It is also a pretty legit cold air intake, and you'll spend a lot of money trying to do better. TLRD: you won't do better until you've already 5-6K on other things under the hood

Intercooler: Sure, yes. Many do. At stock power levels tho, it is a good way to spend money on something you don't really need. Looks nice tho. I did install one, I admit, but it isn't *really* better than a good condition OE Intercooler with the ends tanks either epoxied or "bulletproofed"

Fuel: New pump is good insurance, but not really needed if staying stock. Wiring is a plus, but more of an age/preventative thing. Again, stock engine power levels are totally fine on stock fuelling.

 

Just saying. Spend all the money by all means!! But if stated goal is more or less stock for now, spend the money on suspension/tires/short shifter, bushings, etc.... You'll find that is something you can use and feel all the time.... DP + COBB or OS tune will be fun, and the little extra it unlocks is nice, but the rest is fluff for that amount of added power.

These upgrades would only be if there was a need to touch the engine in a meaningful way. The agreement with the spouse is "If I have to touch it, then I can upgrade it". My current wheels only are on there because the curb was stronger than the stock wheels. If I am paying for new wheels, I am getting ones I want vs the stock SpecB wheel. 

When I have to touch the motor I want to be one and done. Living in the midwest sucks most of the time, but easy access to e85 is one of the few upsides. Pump+injectors, etc to run e85 will give me more gains than any other upgrade. My understanding with the IC is the end tanks and would feel safer with a nice welded product vs something reinforced. Good to know on the intake I am fond of the sleeper look and the less amount of giveaways the better. DP + a dyno tune would also be in the cards because I'd rather my car tuned for my fuel, etc than what Cobb thinks would work everywhere. 

So this would put me above stock power and that would be by design only if I had to crack into the block for pistons/rings, whatever. I figure if I am forced to put any new internals in, it would be justification to spend a bit more to get stronger parts and turn up the boost. I have no intention on tuning my engine until it blows and with careful maintenance it may never, which isn't a bad thing.

I love my LGT and plan to keep it as long as I can. If I can do most of the labor and save for that "Rainy Day Build" it only helps the cause. I don't see anything more than an intake, DP, Intercooler, and fuel for the LGT. The rabbit hole goes too deep if I crack into the block. If I crack into the block the "Rainy Day Build" fund will be drained for the LGT. I have already told the spouse that I want to continue wrenching/learning because one day there will be a GC coupe that I will nurse back to health. The 2000 WRC car (but in white with Cherry Blossom Pink accents) is the ultimate dream. There is a person in Russia who holds the original molds from the Prodrive WRC team from that era. Specifically they have the fenders, quarters, and bumper covers for the body. As well as having the air intake box and hood exit venting for the intercooler. Bonkers to know that someone has it and is making production copies for enthusiasts. No idea on cost, but that is the dream.

Ordered Boots/Grease kits and the Wheel hub Assembly. Wheel hub goes on first so I can enjoy the ride quality of a Legacy. Then the CV boots. Once those are done I plan to do the timing belt and spark plugs at the same time to avoid having to take things off twice. This forum has been nothing but helpful! I am sure to upload pics and probably start a thread for my Spec B to document what I have done, to hopefully help others down the road.

On 1/25/2024 at 7:20 AM, Gcr said:

I have an 05 legacy gt and I’m looking into getting some coilovers and I just wanna see what other people might recommend, my budget limit is about 1k to maybe 1400

What are your goals? For that budget you could get new Bilsitens and STi pink springs. Are you just looking to slam it as low as you can go?

Well, I'm diving in head first. I ordered a hammer slide to pull the wheel hub assembly and should get it all in time for next weekend. Next step will be the spark plugs and timing belt.

11 hours ago, rjnakata said:

I believe a small 1-2" of lift can be accomplished by screwing the "Y" nuts....

Good point, it would be prudent to either use a strategically placed block(s) and/or a jack under the pan.  Wouldn't want the hands to get crushed in that narrow space for sure.  Thanks.

I need to dig into this more. I am starting a list of ToDos and motor/trans/pitchstop are on that list. Trying to do everything in my garage and hoping to find out the best method for me to swap some of these parts out. 

1 hour ago, ChicagoSam said:

@TomahawkLabs both VF51’s were bought used. 99% sure your correct that Subaru won’t sell the S goods without some proof of ownership. 
( the turbo pictured above was in great condition and looks almost new-so I have two now. The first vf51 I bought 5 years ago came off an engine that had a lot of rain/rust in its short life)

That’s the dream turbo. I can’t wait to see the dyno. 

3 minutes ago, blackobxt said:

I’ll say this till the day I die: the only good European car is one that’s still under warranty.

"There is nothing more expensive than a cheap, German car."

34 minutes ago, SoobyDoobyDoo said:

I forgot which Ben mentioned it…maybe Lin? I think it was when he was talking about upgrading to the HKS turbo…

It was Ben Lin. I didn't realize the HKS turbo was available to the aftermarket. If memory serves old forum posts were saying that Subaru wouldn't sell S chassis parts (maybe turbo specifically) without a VIN that matched. Maybe that's changed.

19 minutes ago, SoobyDoobyDoo said:

I believe a few guys running with the gears and gasoline guys were running s series sti turbos in their STi at gridlife…that’s probably a year or two ago now, but might give you some ideas as to what kind of capability they had. 

As a die hard (like 4-5 years) fan of G&G I’ll have to go back. I remember the Evo guys were running those unique Brazilian (?) turbo that could just breathe some extra air I didn’t know the Subarus guys were doing similar things. 

3 hours ago, ChicagoSam said:

I’ve been searching for years for a good used HKS downpipe to pair with the twin scroll turbo. There are domestic options but I really wanted to go JDM.( fabrication was an option but almost as much work as a new one would cost) I finally bent the knee and couldn’t resist this particular pipe which is made specifically for the S402. 
fits as advertised-never had an actual “new” HKS product. It’s craftsmanship-no letdown.

One thing I've always wondered is how much power these Sxxx chassis cars could make with some fuel and a tune. I've seen the dyno charts on the Impreza forum released from Subaru (albeit without the HP/TQ number) but showed how much faster these cars spooled. It was something like 2400 RPM. I've always wondered what a proper twin scroll would look like on a dyno on these EJs. I know the VA WRX is a twin scroll, but those S chassis turbos were always so mysterious.