What did you do to your 4th gen. Legacy today? Vol - 10

[310Z]

1 hour ago, DoctorDaveLGT said:

Yep, that damn sticky dash. I thought I got lucky on mine but it started creeping in while it was in the shop for all of 2020/2021. Too late to take advantage of the recall and no goodwill gestures from Subaru . Taking care of it now though along with new gauge cluster lens and replacing 2 of the 3 hvac actuators since there's no better time. @xt2005bonbon I have the same fear of it creeping back but decided if it does then I'll go the custom upholstery route.

There are company that will reskin dashes. I do not remember the names but I have known friends with classics that have had to go that route.

[DoctorDaveLGT]

@310Z My typical go to for tint is. 50% windshield & sun/moonroof - 20% front windows, 15% everything else. I typically upgrade the reverse lights to the brightest I can find to offset some lost night visibility but it's not bad. IMO the 15% also helps dramatically if you ever have a moron behind you with their brights on.

Edit: I'll add that I only go with ceramic tint as well for the IR reduction.

Edited February 2 by DoctorDaveLGT

[boxkita]

1 hour ago, 310Z said:

Yesterday I had to make a run to an out of area doctors appointment and wanted to take the LGT as I wanted to get a price estimate to tint the windows and take the SSR wheels in case I could find the summer tires I want in stock.  However it was going to rain and the car is clean. So I put the car cover on the LGT and drove the Tundra. The summer tires I was looking at were not in stock so I am looking at ordering those. I did get a price estimate for a variety of window tint products not including the front row windows as I am in CA. The prices ranged from $220 to $520 depending on the product not the % of tint.

There was a example of the different products with a heat lamp demonstrating how much heat transfer difference there is between the products. The most expensive 3M product blocked almost all the heat transfer, I was impressed. The medium grade product allowed about 50%  heat transfer than the 3M product and the lowest cost appeared to block no heat.

I really like the brightness inside the car with no tint but some of your cars look soooo good with the dark window tint that I want to go with that look. So my question to the group is what percentage of tint to go with. I need to be able to identify Law enforcement out the rear view mirror so I assume less tint on the rear window? I also want to be able to see well out the side windows. Or should one go with a lighter tint on all windows so they have the same % all the way around. Any input would be appreciated. The car is black. My thought is going for the high end 3M product in a medium to light tint. Where I live I have seen outside temps of -22 to 122 degrees and I am a little afraid of having a black car and the green house effect of all the glass.

Law enforcement is recognized via radar detectors not less tint.

visit a tint shop and ask for their sample rack. go outside and see how much you see through it.

infared reduction (ir) is what reduces your car temp. everything else is about how you see out and how much someone sees in.

30% light transmission is a common state law. varies by state. 

on a wagon, getting all windows the same color looks better but you can suv tint it where front 2 windows are lighter. also you can put a light tint on front windshield. a blue tint will reduce glare without being dark

[DoctorDaveLGT]

4 hours ago, xt2005bonbon said:

 

Hang on a second here: are you saying that the NA dash is different than a GT/XT dash?

Potentially, I may have misspoke. There are 2 different parts numbers 66049AG300 & 66049AG310, and it's hard to make sense of. I'm pretty sure every dash color is black and its just the lower pieces that have the color variance but could be wrong. Below are the fitment charts for both part #'s from Subaru Parts Plus. Haven't taken the time to cross check other sites. It does seem its not simply a NA vs GT/XT difference.

66049AG300:

66049AG310:

 

[shralp]

Ok, admittedly I didn’t actually do this myself today but it did get done today Super happy after 15 yrs on track to finally be adding a cage and seat to the car. Will be adding low sidebars along the front seats as well. 

[WRX USA]

On 1/31/2024 at 10:22 AM, seanyb505 said:

Man that's awful. I don't have any trees near my driveway, but I make certain my household lets our cars sleep in the garage. 

 

What condition is that dash in? 

The dash didn’t make it…

[shralp]

19 hours ago, DoctorDaveLGT said:

Yep, that damn sticky dash. I thought I got lucky on mine but it started creeping in while it was in the shop for all of 2020/2021. Too late to take advantage of the recall and no goodwill gestures from Subaru . Taking care of it now though along with new gauge cluster lens and replacing 2 of the 3 hvac actuators since there's no better time. @xt2005bonbon I have the same fear of it creeping back but decided if it does then I'll go the custom upholstery route.

@seanyb505 Dashes should still be available, I ordered mine from the dealer about 3 weeks ago. Apparently I had ordered the wrong dash after VIN verification (thought all 05-09s were the same except for color) and they reached out to verify and made sure it was the correct one. Picked it up at the dealer 2 days later. Guess I ordered a 2.5i dash instead of a GT by mistake and they were nice enough to discount the GT dash to the base dash price.

Itching to get everything back together. New dash, new lens, Euro console w/ red LEDs, and Madrig's CF kick panels for it, and OEM gunmetal trim pieces.

I don't know what the hell happened to my cluster lens. Looking at it reminds of the scene from The Other Guys where Will Ferrell's Prius gets stolen and they find it after a bunch of homeless people had an orgy in it.

DoctorDave, how easy was it to pull your instrument cluster (three small screws to pull a trim surround and it pops out?), or was it more involved than that? Also is there a small ribbon wire on the backside that is plugged in? Asking because I’m looking to delete the seat belt chime speaker that’s encased inside now that I’m caging the car and using harnesses. Found some videos online that show this on Imprezas but not sure if it’s the same for our cars

[xt2005bonbon]

Can't you do that 'seat belt chime mod' people did years ago?

[Kojak]

I modded my seat belt chime w age. That mf doesn’t make a peep anymore. Drivers side, anyway. Passenger diff story. 
 

@310Z, the airbag recall was a separate work order from the dash. Unlikely to have been dealt with at the same time unless PO was scrupulous about doing both. And tint helps, but in CA the fishbowl greenhouse is a fact of life. I cover my front seats w white tees old man style just to cut a bit of the black leather heat soak. Doubt it does much. Seek shade. Really expected more from tinting the sunroof myself. At least we don’t have salt on the roads tho. 

[DoctorDaveLGT]

@shralp Yep that's pretty much it. It's a little tight getting to the bottom screws in the back but not terrible. Two harnesses to disconnect and that's it.

I also didn't do this myself but the S402 exhaust tips got installed on the Q300 mufflers today. Feels a little sacrilegious to chop up those mufflers but I am LOVING the end result.

[WRX USA]

18 minutes ago, DoctorDaveLGT said:

@shralp Yep that's pretty much it. It's a little tight getting to the bottom screws in the back but not terrible. Two harnesses to disconnect and that's it.

I also didn't do this myself but the S402 exhaust tips got installed on the Q300 mufflers today. Feels a little sacrilegious to chop up those mufflers but I am LOVING the end result.

Looks great! 
 

I’m sure you already know this, but the garnish that comes with those tails maintains the line across the back.

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u1079117248

 

I have the same JDM rear garnish as you but I’m running Valenti’s that don’t have any thing that matches with OEM. I did squirrel away a set of the tails that you have with this other garnish though.

 

Edited February 3 by WRX USA

[DoctorDaveLGT]

Yea, that's one thing I've always debated about but always end up preferring the waist spoiler. I think the misalignment of the lights would bother me more if the car wasn't white. Also always liked how the waist spoiler aligns with and accentuates the body line on the rear quarters flowing around the rear and connecting them. It's that subtle little detail that mostly goes unnoticed that makes me like it all the more.

[310Z]

15 hours ago, Kojak said:

I modded my seat belt chime w age. That mf doesn’t make a peep anymore. Drivers side, anyway. Passenger diff story. 
 

@310Z, the airbag recall was a separate work order from the dash. Unlikely to have been dealt with at the same time unless PO was scrupulous about doing both. And tint helps, but in CA the fishbowl greenhouse is a fact of life. I cover my front seats w white tees old man style just to cut a bit of the black leather heat soak. Doubt it does much. Seek shade. Really expected more from tinting the sunroof myself. At least we don’t have salt on the roads tho. 

Good to know about the dash.

Do you know what percent of tint you have?  And do you have photos?

I live in the mountains north of Tahoe so snow and ice are a way of life even in CA we do see road salt. But I am trying to protect this car and not drive it when the salt is on the road.

[Ashtone]

8 hours ago, 310Z said:

I live in the mountains north of Tahoe so snow and ice are a way of life even in CA we do see road salt. But I am trying to protect this car and not drive it when the salt is on the road.

Find a car wash that has a chassis wash that you drive over. I do this as often as necessary when the highways are treated. Colorado uses mag chloride which isn’t as corrosive as salt, but it leaves a white residue.

If you can buy a wash book or other discount method, it gets cheaper.

my wash is $10.00 a shot with the cassis spray.

[Kojak]

D’oh! Forgot about elevation.  Bought mine w the back tinted all around. Added the roof and matched the rear wagon hatch when replacing back doors/wagon panel due to break-ins. IIRC, it’s 35%, no more than 30%. Been awhile. Here’s a daylight shot w water reflection to give a good idea of visibility. In the bay area, limo tint would only give the impression of endless cash and prizes inside so can’t do. Kinda would have liked to go darker tho. Having had an 08 outback w zero tint, def prefer this look and function. 
 

[seanyb505]

Looking nice. I'd like tint eventually, but can't help feel the average tint shop won't do a great shop with 20 year old frame-less windows.

 

For mine, I bought the HVAC driver side blend (I know that'll be a fun job) and the Mode actuator. Looking forward to not having constant heat as spring rolls around, and being able to use the windshield defrost along with foot well air flow.

[Claw]

Broke off the tiny tab where the right side rear defroster plugs into the harness.. my dexterity isn't good enough to solder it back together.  I pulled the tab out and yanked the connector instead of pushing the tab in and yanking the connector.

Fixing one problem, introducing another seems to be the story of my life with this car lately..

[310Z]

9 hours ago, Ashtone said:

Find a car wash that has a chassis wash that you drive over. I do this as often as necessary when the highways are treated. Colorado uses mag chloride which isn’t as corrosive as salt, but it leaves a white residue.

If you can buy a wash book or other discount method, it gets cheaper.

my wash is $10.00 a shot with the cassis spray.

They actually use the mag chloride in CA also. It does not appear to be as bad as salt. When the temps get above freezing I brake out the hose and spray the under carriage of my winter cars until the water is running clean. That has worked well for about 45 years.

[310Z]

8 hours ago, Kojak said:

D’oh! Forgot about elevation.  Bought mine w the back tinted all around. Added the roof and matched the rear wagon hatch when replacing back doors/wagon panel due to break-ins. IIRC, it’s 35%, no more than 30%. Been awhile. Here’s a daylight shot w water reflection to give a good idea of visibility. In the bay area, limo tint would only give the impression of endless cash and prizes inside so can’t do. Kinda would have liked to go darker tho. Having had an 08 outback w zero tint, def prefer this look and function. 
 

Great photo! Your car looks great. That is about exactly the level of tint I am thinking about.

The last time I was down there on the water front I had my Tundra and the back window rolls down, I have a camper shell and  my 135 lb Male Akita was in the bed of the truck and had access to the cab. I walked back to the truck to pay a parking meter and saw a newer nice car had the passenger window broken out about three vehicles in front of mine. I guess that crook thought my Tundra and Akita was more than they wanted to deal with.

[310Z]

9 hours ago, seanyb505 said:

Looking nice. I'd like tint eventually, but can't help feel the average tint shop won't do a great shop with 20 year old frame-less windows.

When I got my car I spent about a month cleaning and up grading things. When it came to the windows I found this water spot remover in the hardware store. It takes some elbow work but this product works better than any other water spot remover I have tried. I was worried about the frame-less windows also but the installer said he has done many and not had problems so I will find out.

[SubOperator]

I used Chemical Guys' water spot removal gel, worked wonderfully. Orange looking gel, is a bit pricey but worth it.

 

[KZJonny]

Is all this water spot removal stuff just for pedestrian water spots, or is there something more serious that needs removing?

I have a streaky pattern on both the windsheild and tailgate glass of my OBW that I cannot for the life of me remove. I tried bug and tar remover, 0000 steel wool with a windex as lubricant, etc.... Nothing seems to have done a great job of removing it.

I am beginning to suspect there is either a coating on the glass that is finally wearing away or maybe there is a buildup of water salts over time???

I'll try for some pics, but any insights into whether this is 'get a new windsheild' time, or something that is fixable?

[BoozeRS05]

If you view the side glass windows at certain angles you might see water spotting that doesn’t come off with traditional cleaners. My wagon has it pretty bad and I’ll definitely try some of the products mentioned. I can’t comment on the windshield specifically bc mine just needs replaced it’s so badly pitted and weathered.

I finally removed the frozen UP sensor from the Cobb UP boxkitty sent me. Replaced some studs, and a Perrin UP blanket I got from hicksta waaay back. Hopefully have it installed soonish.

[310Z]

13 hours ago, KZJonny said:

Is all this water spot removal stuff just for pedestrian water spots, or is there something more serious that needs removing?

I have a streaky pattern on both the windsheild and tailgate glass of my OBW that I cannot for the life of me remove. I tried bug and tar remover, 0000 steel wool with a windex as lubricant, etc.... Nothing seems to have done a great job of removing it.

I am beginning to suspect there is either a coating on the glass that is finally wearing away or maybe there is a buildup of water salts over time???

I'll try for some pics, but any insights into whether this is 'get a new windsheild' time, or something that is fixable?

I would assume that your streaky windshield has streaks in the pattern of where your wipers run? My 14 year old Tundra has that on the original windshield. If that is the issue you need a new windshield. Hard water spot cleaner is not going to fix that. But it can make the un-streaked area better.

However, to see mild hard water spots you need to look closely and from different angles. Severe water spots just look like the whole window is hazy, you cannot see clearly inside your vehicle. If the window does not appear completely clear you could benefit from a lot of hard work rubbing a compound as I or SubOperator have suggested.  It can be a fatiguing job and I recommend a window or two a day. Your hands and shoulders will be much happier than trying the whole car at once. Once you get a 6x6 area perfectly clean ( complete uniformity with buffing, No little lines that the buffing compound piles up ageist making the water mark more visable) you see the difference. Then your wet weather vision is so much clearer when the water beads up and wants to flow off the car.

[KZJonny]

Not where the wipers run... I would blame that on physical damage... like grit below the wipers having sanded the glass....

It is actually exactly where the spray pattern from the washer fluid hits. It's always been there a bit on my rear window, and I just dealt with it, but not it seems to be on the windsheild as well, which I do not enjoy.

It has to be chemical somehow, so I'll probably just have another go with another strong cleaner (maybe an acid this time, since the bug and tar is a strong base....) and possibly bust out the RO buffer at the same time, and see if I can't cut it off...

 

I'll take advice from anyone else who's had the same problem, but I'm pretty sure it's solveable.