Humble Rumble

After many, many months of waiting, one replacement engine that was DOA, a few more months of waiting and finally a 2nd replacement engine, car finally has an engine again. Also has some nice Kein engine mounts now as well. I see how they mean that our engine mounts are actually trans mounts. Update pictures the guy doing the sent me, should hopefully have my car back and driving this week.

The main driving factor was having a significantly larger portion of the full exhaust system be direct bolt up. The Raptor headers are just the headers themselves, the Inferno headers are the headers, the catted pipe section with hi-flow cats already included, and the middle Y to go to the mid-pipe. It eliminated the need for my to find/decide on/buy/fab-in hi-flow cats on my own. The only part of the system that will need to be fabricated now is the mid-pipe, which I can also run as is for the time being and just bolt-up and go. Plus, while Raptors are good quality, Inferno's quality is another step above. Gorgeous welds, all V-band connectors. They are quite a lot more expensive than the Raptors but you get a lot more for it, and I bought them during their Black Friday sale, so I saved a fair amount. My only complaint about Inferno was the amount of time it took to get them but that's because it's the guy's side business and hobby passion, so you can only expect so much. Still, you get what you pay for in quality. That said, they arrived about a week before my engine went down, and has been down since, so with my luck, it's going to be a full year from the time that I ordered them to the time I can install them.

Also check the main bearings in the strut top hats. I had my front ones separate around the bearing and it caused very audible clunking.

The 1st replacement engine was 45k, but yeah it sat for about 2.5 months waiting for my shop to have time to do the swap.

Car is still down. 1st replacement engine nearly completed its transplant, and then they discovered bad valve seals. Shop contacted the supplier, and they're supposed to be sending a 2nd engine, but that was nearly 3 weeks ago, unsure what the hold up is now. Waiting for a response back from the shop. In the meantime, over the weekend, I drove to pick-up my Fortune 500 coilovers that I had delivered to my friend's place in Milwaukee (to save $150 of Chicago tax). So now my list of accumulated parts to put on my car when I have it back has ballooned to: -Inferno Fab Full Catted Headers -Kakimoto Intake Chamber -Ganador Carbon Mirrors -Processed LED Tail Lights -Fortune Auto 500 Coilovers, Swift Spring upgrade, 2k over-valved, 10k/9k springs It's gonna basically be an entirely new car when I'm done with it, IF I ever get it back. In personal news, I'm honestly going insane without my car and I feel like I can't do anything else in my life until I have it back. The feeling of acceleration is a massive release for me, and my NA 3rd gen isn't cutting it. Maybe it sounds silly to some, but my car is an emotional connection to me, and I feel like a part of myself is missing without it. I have began routinely visiting the car outside the shop after hours just to see it. I don't think I'm ok.

Just wanted to chime in, I had literally the exact same rad cap failure on my '12 3.6R a couple months back. Started blowing coolant and thus steaming while idling in a drive-thru.

The local shop I mentioned actually has one of those Outfront destroked 3.29L EZ36 blocks sitting around from a project that never materialized. I've very often half seriously joked with them that they should just throw that in my car. They say it's good for 11k rpm and will hold up to 1500 hp boosted, but it's a also $16k block. Weird as it may sound, my "if-i-win-the-lottery" build would be that block, built as far as possible while staying NA, with a Level10 bulletproof 5EAT built trans, to keep *more or less* the same driving experience, just x10. Also you mentioned we've messaged on IG, what was your account name? You can DM it if you prefer.

That's awesome, looking forward to seeing the progress. I don't know if you're of the sleeper mindset, but if you want any assistance making your car look the part, feel free to hit me up. I'm a 5th gen cosmetic encyclopedia at this point. As for the power-adders, once I get my car back from the new engine swap (yes, I killed my 3.6R, and I'm putting another 3.6 in there) and get my Inferno headers and intake and everything on and sorted and enjoy the power bump from that, my next step is probably going to be seeking out some sort of forced induction as well. Obviously the Raptor SC kit is out there, and it's looking more budgetable for me now then ever, but I am local to one of the best Subaru shops in the country, so I could also have them work up something turbo for me as well. Looking forward to seeing where yours goes.

Is this going to be the first turbo 3.6R that's actually in a 5th gen instead of swapped into another chassis?

Definitely gloss, blends in perfectly. Matte would look out of place there. The real one is the same plastic as the fog bezels, but on a silver car, gloss looks better. The gloss looks closer to the Gialla bezel (which is glossy carbon) or the Syms bezel (which is gloss black)and honestly just looks nicer than matte would. That said, I have a hatred for matte vinyl and think it looks trash no matter what the application lol.

If you're feeling savvy and have some material left over, why not take a whack at doing the area over the lower grille opening to mimic the JDM S-package front look. I did that to mine and it's honestly one of my favorite subtle mods that improves the look in a "you wouldn't know unless you know" type of way.

As an afterwards to the previous update, and to kind of round out my 4+ year long odyssey to decide on a spoiler, I actually bought a second spoiler from Yahoo.jp auctions, thinking that it was another Wangan SPL BE5 spoiler, as it very much looked like it was in the listing pictures, and the price was good. It wasn't until I received the second spoiler that I realized the difference between them. While very stylistically similar, they are pretty obviously different side-by-side, and after some research, it turned out that the second spoiler I bought is actually an OEM Nissan spoiler from an ER34 Skyline 25GT/GTST. That said, it's pretty easy to see how one could be mistaken for the other, and some old documentation I found from Wangan SPL actually denoted their spoiler as "ER34 styled". I did some mock-ups with the ER34 spoiler as well, and both honestly looked really good. It was a hard decision between the two (other than my brand-whoreness for Wangan SPL). The Wangan SPL spoiler is significantly lighter than the ER34 spoiler, about 5lbs compared to about 21 lbs. The ER34 spoiler also has removable stands, whereas the Wangan spoiler is one solid piece. The ER34 spoiler is a tad higher, and angles back a bit more than the Wangan SPL one. I ended up selling the ER34 spoiler to another 3.6R owner on Facebook, and it honestly looks fantastic, and I highly recommend it to other 5th gen owners looking for a stylish, unique spoiler that isn't just slapping an STI wing on. One other nice thing about the ER34 spoiler is that with the stands being removable, there are other stands that could be swapped in if the owner wants to chance up the look. Notably, the NISMO version stands, Nissan part # 96030-RNR40. https://imgur.com/a/oUMDlPx

APRIL 18TH, 2021 https://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6028147&postcount=2436 https://www.instagram.com/p/CN1I4H3s7dK/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CN1KlvfMUHo/ Finally nutted up and committed to a trunk spoiler and am so happy I went with the Wangan SPL wing. Enlisted an old friend's help who does spoiler installations at his work. He came over and helped me get everything setup, punched, drilled, and finally mounted. We had a phantom hole that swear to god no matter how many times we measured, seemed like it kept moving, but we managed to get it mounted evenly, and despite the hole being a bit of a mess, is hid under the spoiler entirely and realistically should never be seen again. Truthfully, I'd sooner get another trunk if I wanted to switch up the spoiler rather than remove this one. We also lost a washer inside the trunk that remains there to this day. I'm ecstatic with the finished look, and adore how it rounds out the general shape and profile of the car. It hits exactly the style I wanted, and the spoiler is unbelievably light, less than 5 pounds, so the trunk remains 100% functional with no additional stress. Ironically, the front quarter view is probably my favorite angle of it. Video walk-around and trunk opening: https://imgur.com/a/emOynRC

APRIL 10TH, 2021 https://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6027383&postcount=2429 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNnKmOLM4SD/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CNnjTLnslG9/ Had Lamin-X Yellow Protective Film installed by a professional vinyl shop. I tried my hand at installing this the previous fall and cocked it up so badly and I had to re-order a piece. The vinyl guy did a great job with it, but even remarked how difficult the lamin-x is to work with due to the thickness and not being very pliable. He said if I were to do it again, he'd recommend just going with a normal yellow vinyl. The aim with the yellow was to mimic the R&D Sport Legacy B4 GT300 car. Added a strategically placed Motul sticker to mimic further. Also installed new freshly painted color-matched Bayson R lip, to finally replace my old lip that had been steadily losing more and more piece of itself over the last few years. I really like the look of the color-matched V-Limited lip. Note to self and others: don't use bolts and nuts to attached your lip, especially in a salt-ridden area. Took me 1.5 hours with a dremel to get all the old bolts removed. Live and learn.

APRIL 10TH, 2021 Picked up my spoiler and Bayson front lip from my paint guy. First mock-up after being color-matched.

APRIL 9TH, 2021 Took delivery of an extremely rare part: Ganador LED Carbon Super Mirror for BM/BR (LM-61FCL) and Prova Blue Replacement Convex Glass for Ganador Super Mirror. These are carbon hydrodipped, not carbon fiber unfortunately. I've found evidence of only around 5-10 sets of these mirrors for BM/BR worldwide, so I'm super happy to have landed a set as they are a quintessential item for the 2000s tuner vibe I'm going for with my car. They are angled for RHD, so I grabbed the Prova convex glass to make them more usable for LHD. The previous owner tried (very poorly) to clear over the carbon print, and did a terrible job for it, so I'm going to be having these re-painted body color when I get around to this project.

APRIL 4TH-6TH, 2021 https://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6026983&postcount=2421 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNiN6yFMQr0/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CNiSxdSMe1Y/

APRIL 7TH, 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNXoB2VMNES/ More updates on the Wangan SPL spoiler from the paint guy. Two coats of primer down. https://imgur.com/a/67qKjjP

APRIL 5TH, 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNSqofFMw5p/ I recently dropped my Wangan SPL trunk spoiler and replacement Bayson R front lip off with my paint guy, and got some project pictures from him on the spoiler. The spoiler itself is roughly 20 years old, and as one would expect had some wear and damage, hairline cracks, etc. These are progress pictures of the repairs he made to the spoiler prior to painting it. https://imgur.com/a/aA7ZXYo

APRIL 1ST, 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CNSnDC2s6We/ Small little project. Since the Wangan SPL steering wheel that I have installed is actually for VA/VM chassis, not BM/BR, it only fits about 90%. One of the things that doesn't quite fit very well is the bottom trim of the wheel. I had been to a junkyard recently to check out a 5th gen they received, and snagged the wheel trim from that car for this project. Also recently picked up a dremel tool, so I could finally do what was needed. I notched the trim piece and grind down the pegs so that it would seat more flush against the wheel skeleton. Just a small quality of life improvement, but fun practice with my dremel. https://imgur.com/a/VTDadPE

MARCh 25TH, 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CM5nAk8Me_l/ Part #: J1717AG208 Did something I've been wanting to do for a good number of years now: H6 emblem fender badges. These emblems are originally from JDM BPE/BLE H6 4th Gen Legacys/Outbacks trunks & tailgates, and I think they look very nicely in place on a 5th gen's fenders. I've owned one of these badges for at least 3 years, and finally sprung for a second to get this little project done. https://imgur.com/a/0FPFvgr

MARCH 22ND, 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CMujJHGsrdJ/ Switched back over to the summer setup. Konig Rennform 18x9 +38 on Continental DWS 06 255/40/18. Took my time and leisurely cleaned each wheel before mounting it, and applied Karbon quick detail spray to the wheels and body for a nice shine. It was so nice having my own space to do this for once instead of having to do it in a parking lot or at a friend’s place. And a nice sunset to finish off the day. https://imgur.com/a/rhlDAj6

No real update here, just a couple clips of winter fun from this season. https://www.instagram.com/p/CKzCNPpng1z/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CK1ZDXuHMg6/

FEBRUARY 25TH, 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CMC7slqsI9h/ Moved into a new place! After living in the same apartment/condo for over 18 years (and as such, my Legacy living in the parking lot the entire time), for the first time in my ownership of it, my Legacy got to spend the night in a garage. My landlord of my previous place (who had been an awesome landlord) finally decided they wanted to sell the property and move out of state, and my options were to buy it from them or move, and I decided it was finally time to get on with my life. The move was tough, and there was a lot of emotional moments for me since up to that point I had only ever known my previous place, and it was a bit hard to let go, but the new place is fantastic, has a huge two-car garage as you can see, two floors, a great kitchen, and is overall just a huge improvement over the previous condo. All in all, a big step forward.

JANUARY 14TH, 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CKO0Cx9Mzap/ So after more than 6 months of procrastination, I finally decided what to do about my missing left axleback. I had sourced an intact used mid-pipe from another local 3.6R who had already done full exhaust (which thankfully he gave me for free), and my friend and I swapped in the new mid-pipe with new hardware. We attempted to re-mount the damaged left Nameless, and unfortunately discovered that it was damaged more than we initially thought. The curb impacted the back of the muffler can, bending the muffler itself upwards at a strange angle. We tried and tried to straightened, with heating, hammering, etc, and could never get it back to an angle that it could be mounted again. So eventually, I just got a new Nameless left axleback. Thankfully it was the left side that took the hit, as I was able to just order the 2.5i axleback rather than a full new double muffler kit, and bolted it up to finally have complete exhaust again. Check the instagram link for a vid of starting my car without the mid-pipe attached, and me cackling like a buffoon.