Co$t of going Stage 2? - Itemized

[Sandusky]

I've been a member on here for a couple years as I was THIS close to getting an LGT but decided on a G35 coupe 6 speed. Unfortunately, my car is getting some bad rust and I've been quoted $1k and that still does not guarantee a fix...it could last 1 year or 5, you just don't know:spin:

 

So i've been thinking of going back to an LGT so I don't have to deal with that headache. In doing so, I'm figuring out how much this is going to cost me because I need the power my G has so Stage 2 is the answer

 

Here's what I got after some researching (MSRP prices):

 

Stock Intake - $0

Stock CBE - $0

Catless Uppipe - $150

HFC Downpipe (don't want fumes) - $510

---need new donut gaskets?

Reinforce TMIC with Bulletproof Kit - $100

 

Tuning - this is where I am confused with what I need...leaning towards OS

Infamous Tune - Do I ship my ecu? saw $150 somewhere on here

---need RomRaider?

Tactrix cable - $180

 

Total: $1,090

 

Suspension:

 

H&R Springs - $270

KYB GR-2/Excel-G - $450

 

Total: $720

Grand Total: $1,810

 

Honestly I thought I'd be a little cheaper and that's not with aftermarket rims too which I'd like to get in the future. The HFC downpipe is the big money grabber so maybe going used on that is a good idea?

 

How does this stack up to the people that are already on Stage 2?

[RedDawg]

you could definetly gget things a little cheaper by looking for a used DP, getting an STI UP (I think they were going for around $70 unless the price jumped)

 

I would go with a cryo-tune if you're thinking OS, Shamar(infamous) has disappeared from the forums.

 

My Stage 2 ended up being around $2k, but I got a CBE, DP, UP, DIY TMIC kit, AVO panel filter, & new BOV.

[spec.B452]

There is a user on here working on getting us a cheaper option to the tactrix. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/gauging-interest-logging-cables-05-06-legacy-223059.html

[rice_rocket]

Buy a LGT that's already stage 2

 

I think the only thing you could do is as mentioned, get an sti up (I did that.. I think I got mine for $50 shipped). I gutted the stock DP (free) .. which saves a good chunk on your list. Of course you're adding in the suspension bits that cost a lot, so if you're not concerned about that and would rather get the wheels..

 

I'm still on stock suspension with upgraded sways. I personally drive it to work, and the roads aren't great. I'm more than happy with the suspension and I'm tired of the stiffer suspension. Sure, there are about 3 sweepers on the way to my work if traffic allows me I can take them pretty fast. Pretty fast.. ie my evo I could push it 60-80mph if I PUSHED it.. but I'm comfy at 50mph with the LGT, it's still fun, and I shouldn't be going that fast anyways haha.

 

You could consider runflat tires, which make a humongous world of difference on the cornering. Of course the road dampening and noise are closer to going to stiffer suspension too..

 

Don't even buy the tactrix, find someone local that could flash it for you.. then you save some $$$. You can use the same old tactrix that a lot of mitsubishi guys use, so ask around to friends.. (ie that first generation tactrix).

[BarManBean]

Add in $75 for assorted exhaust gaskets. If you buy an intercooler kit I'll most likely have a donut gasket lying around that you could have. Other than that you've pretty much covered the basics for stage 2.

 

You'll probably want to change the spark plugs while your in there doing the up pipe--$45 or so.

[aerophool]

What year LGT you looking at? 5th Gen. LGT has a little more power available with just an AccessPort and a tune.

[jasejase]

What year are you looking at? You will only need to replace the up-pipe on the early fourth gens, otherwise they're catless from 07+.

 

I would also skip the suspension upgrades, and substitute them for front/rear sways and end-links, so you can dial in your new found power a bit.

[BoostSLUG]

I feel as though i went stage 2 for pretty cheap.

 

- New Catless Invidia DP and 2.5" to 3" gasket - $300

- Used v2 Cobb AccessPort - $325

- Used H&R w/ Kyb struts w/ 10k miles for - $300

- Local Pro-tune - $150

 

So i spent $1075 after the DP, AP, Springs/Struts and the Pro-tune.

 

I didn't need an uppipe because I have an 07. But i see those around my area for $20-$60 ALL the time.

 

You could easily find a used catted DP for $300. Same thing with the Accessport. Cryo is a great tuner and his prices are resonable.

[jasejase]

Cheapest way is to find a car that's already stage 2... as you never get back, what you put into it. The downside to that, is that MAY be car, that's been pushed a bit by the previous owner.

 

I got my car stage 2, but the car had 18k on it, and was cared by a type A dude, that never beat on it...

[JamiSteven]

I would really consider shopping around for one that is already stage 2+ with VF52 and fueling, installation of all the mods will cost an arm and a leg plus downtime if your not doing it yourself..

[Sandusky]

you could definetly gget things a little cheaper by looking for a used DP, getting an STI UP (I think they were going for around $70 unless the price jumped)

 

I would go with a cryo-tune if you're thinking OS, Shamar(infamous) has disappeared from the forums.

 

My Stage 2 ended up being around $2k, but I got a CBE, DP, UP, DIY TMIC kit, AVO panel filter, & new BOV.

 

Good to know, funny he's not around anymore. Seemed like he had a big presence on here.

 

There is a user on here working on getting us a cheaper option to the tactrix. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/gauging-interest-logging-cables-05-06-legacy-223059.html

 

Good looks

 

Of course you're adding in the suspension bits that cost a lot, so if you're not concerned about that and would rather get the wheels..

 

I remember reading some old reviews and them mentioning it having a soft suspension. Could I lower it an inch and not buy new struts? that's really all i need

 

You'll probably want to change the spark plugs while your in there doing the up pipe--$45 or so.

 

Good idea, was thinking of giving it a tune up just because I don't know how regularly taken care of it was...especially if im going to be modding it.

 

What year LGT you looking at? 5th Gen. LGT has a little more power available with just an AccessPort and a tune.

 

06 or newer

 

I feel as though i went stage 2 for pretty cheap.

- Local Pro-tune - $150

 

I did find these people the other day....http://turninconcepts.com/

I thought pro-tunes were like 400 because they're on a dyno

 

Cheapest way is to find a car that's already stage 2... as you never get back, what you put into it. The downside to that, is that MAY be car, that's been pushed a bit by the previous owner.

 

That's why I want to stay away from "buying in". I found one in PA that is a one owner, wife drove it, and got a new turbo less than 1k miles ago because of the banjo bolt. And a newish clutch

 

Really appreciate all the input though! Awesome info

[Dujo]

Lowering the car on aftermarket springs with oem struts will likely wear out the struts very quickly. Is it possible? Yes, it works. Is it a good idea? Meh, there are worse things people of done, but this is probably not on the recommended list.

 

A dyno tune is expensive ... in the $400 range, because it's the dyno-time that's expensive. However, you can still pay a pro to do a road tune for much cheaper. Tuning in real time rather than back and forth with logs for an etune, but not as controlled as a dyno-environment.

 

Be very wary of the replaced blown turbo cars. There are a lot of people out there (including some freakin' Subaru dealerships) that do not know how to properly repair a blown turbo on these cars. A lot of folks will just replace the turbo and go ... which will likely end up in another blown turbo or even a toasted engine. The oil pan must be dropped to check for particles that have passed back to the block. The oil pump should probably be replaced. I'm not saying that all early 4th gens with blown turbos are gonna blow again immediately, just be wary of them, because it happens a lot.

 

Search here for tons of info on this subject. You will be astounded at the number of threads that are titled "turbo blown ... again"

[Sandusky]

 

Be very wary of the replaced blown turbo cars. There are a lot of people out there (including some freakin' Subaru dealerships) that do not know how to properly repair a blown turbo on these cars. A lot of folks will just replace the turbo and go ... which will likely end up in another blown turbo or even a toasted engine. The oil pan must be dropped to check for particles that have passed back to the block. The oil pump should probably be replaced. I'm not saying that all early 4th gens with blown turbos are gonna blow again immediately, just be wary of them, because it happens a lot.

 

Search here for tons of info on this subject. You will be astounded at the number of threads that are titled "turbo blown ... again"

 

That kinda just rained on my parade......

I also did the ebay free carfax (ebay provides a free carfax/autocheck when you create an auto listing with vin...then you just delete your listing) and there were only 8 records; every year the vehicle was registered.

 

Seems kinda weird, did he do every repair/oil change/etc himself? And I guess the turbo was done by him then? He did say his brother was a mechanic so he may have done all the work....but the fact the blown/replaced turbo didn't show is sketchy

 

Thanks for that background, for all the hours I've spent being on here I've never seen that.

[MrTris]

I'm figuring out how much this is going to cost me because I need the power my G has so Stage 2 is the answer

 

Have you driven a stock LGT? I wouldn't underestimate the power levels, stock vs stock -- Your stock G coupe isn't blowing the doors off turbo Subarus of the same year.

 

Without getting into "kills" conversation too much, a stock LGT has no problem with a stock G35.

[Dujo]

That kinda just rained on my parade......

 

Sorry about that, but a little rain now beats the hailstorm that comes with a new shortblock and rebuild for another $3000 after just buying a new-to-you used car. Keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily mean this car is bad, just that it is possible. See if you can find a local Subaru specialist to look at any LGT you are interested in buying (where do you live, I'm sure the members can recommend something relatively close). Go in with your eyes open to the possible outcomes. Maybe the car was immediately shut off as soon as the turbo blew and the oil didn't cycle it anywhere. Maybe they even did everything they were supposed to do when fixing it.

 

Regardless, keep in mind that there are plenty of fish in the sea. Not like the LGT is really that rare of a car. I'm partial to the 05s, but they definitely have their pecadillos. The 06s have a lot of the same problems (up cat, banjo bolt filter). The 07+ midyear refresh eliminated a lot of those issues. Those are a slightly bit safer bet, of course with the requisite price increase for a newer, younger car.

 

Either way, there are still lots of good 06s out there and even more 07+. There are even plenty that haven't been modded or beat on. They're out there if you're willing to be a little patient. The other side of that is that you could always look for a car on here. May be more likely to have been beat on ... but may also have had a lot of the weaknesses fixed by a modder who reads here a lot.

[Sandusky]

Have you driven a stock LGT? I wouldn't underestimate the power levels, stock vs stock -- Your stock G coupe isn't blowing the doors off turbo Subarus of the same year.

 

Without getting into "kills" conversation too much, a stock LGT has no problem with a stock G35.

 

I test drove a couple before buying the G, I don't doubt they are pretty quick. Stock, the G has 50 more hp, so you can definitely feel it just pushing the pedal down to pass....and the power is always there. 0-40/50 the LGT will give it a run for sure.

 

Sorry about that, but a little rain now beats the hailstorm that comes with a new shortblock and rebuild for another $3000 after just buying a new-to-you used car. Keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily mean this car is bad, just that it is possible. See if you can find a local Subaru specialist to look at any LGT you are interested in buying (where do you live, I'm sure the members can recommend something relatively close).

 

Cincinnati. It's weird because it seems there is at least a grand premium for them here than if I were to expand my search 300 mi. Right now there are only three 2.5gts with manual, and only one of them is a sedan. I'll say the fact that he doesn't have a single record that shows up on the autocheck besides registration is a little weird.

[BoostSLUG]

I test drove a couple before buying the G, I don't doubt they are pretty quick. Stock, the G has 50 more hp, so you can definitely feel it just pushing the pedal down to pass....and the power is always there. 0-40/50 the LGT will give it a run for sure.

 

 

 

Cincinnati. It's weird because it seems there is at least a grand premium for them here than if I were to expand my search 300 mi. Right now there are only three 2.5gts with manual, and only one of them is a sedan. I'll say the fact that he doesn't have a single record that shows up on the autocheck besides registration is a little weird.

 

Don't rely on the carfax too much. My 109k 07 LGT had really good reports up to 25k. Then from there on the records were pretty slim. In the next 80k there were like 4-5 reports. I think they were things like registration and such.

 

My car was very well maintained. I did get it from a dealer, so i don't know the previous history too much. What i do know is that at least 5 different Subaru guys/techs have driven and looked at it. They all say my car is in excellent shape. Just look over the cars and get some basic tests done, like a compression or leak down test. The problems people are bringing up are real. The ones who usually have problem cars, did not do prior research to see how healthy the engine is and what to look for. Some may sound like a turn off, but most people just don't want you to take a path they have seen and experienced. Just be diligent and do research, you will find a good LGT.

 

As far as the pro-tune... It was a road tune. Which someone described before me. Was definitely worth. I'd personally wait until you get a bigger turbo to do a dyno tune.

[MasAyinde]

I went stage 2 for $335 total. That includes bilsteins/ion springs, tsudo catted DP, perrin CBE and a tune.

 

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[robinlsb]

What year are you looking at? You will only need to replace the up-pipe on the early fourth gens, otherwise they're catless from 07+.

 

I would also skip the suspension upgrades, and substitute them for front/rear sways and end-links, so you can dial in your new found power a bit.

 

Very good advise. Once you lower the car, there are a lot of suspension bits you will need, to correct the suspension geometry.

[jasejase]

Oh, and FWIT - the last two car faxes I've utilized, have been wrong. One missed a $3k accident, and the other missed a 7-8k accident. BOTH went through insurance!