What should I do when my new JDM LGT arrives?

[defunctcantaloupe]

I am lucky enough to live in Canada, where you can import cars that are only 15 years old instead of 25, and I'm even luckier because I happened to find a rust free low miles '04 Manual Wagon for a reasonable price.

 

In any case, the car is currently sitting on a port in japan waiting to come over here, but while I'm waiting for that to happen I wanted to get some advice on what things I should definitely do, what things I should consider doing, and what things are probably a waste of time.

 

First, the background.

 

- 2004 Legacy GT BP5

- EJ20Y Engine

- 5MT

- 64k kms (39.5k miles)

- Bone stock AFAIK

- Has likely been sitting for approximately 3 months because exporting cars takes forever

 

On my list of things to do:

 

Definitely:

- Oil change (good practice for new cars)

- Cruise Control retrofit (apparently in japan CC is rare, but my feet hurt when I drive on the highway too long so its a necessary mod-- no clue how to do this though, so any advice would be appreciated)

- Oil filter banjo removal (my understanding is these engines have oil filters that tend to clog, oil starve the turbo, and then blow the engine)

- Tune (apparently canadian gas is way lower grade than japanese gas so a new tune is needed to prevent knock)

- some type of rust prevention (I have NO CLUE how to do this, but cars around here tend to disolve after a few years and I do not want that fate to befall this one)

 

Probably:

- Timing belt / water pump (even though the car is low kms, my understanding is that to get to the oil filters enough of the engine has to be taken apart the timing belt is an easier job, plus the belt is likely 10 yrs old bc of the low kms)

 

Maybe:

- De-cat up-pipe (I've heard conflicting things. On the one hand, I've heard that cat failures send shrapnel into the engine and cause explosions, on the other hand I've heard that this is a difficult mod to do and you can smell cat failure well before its an issue)

- New headers (I've not heard the car yet, but apparently its missing the 'subie rumble' that everybody loves)

 

I've already arranged work with a local shop to have the car modified with running lights, reflectors, etc to pass the inspection, and I'm pondering what else the shop should do while the car is in their possession. I have a 2nd car that I plan to sell when the LGT is fully drivable, so I'd like to have as much work done to the LGT upfront so that I'm not without a car.

 

Anybody here know of things worth doing, not worth doing, things to consider, etc?

 

Thanks!

 

Car photos below:

 

 

 

 

underside pics:

 

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/828320819822067783/850896520864858122/IMG_2942.jpg

 

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/828320819822067783/850896519376928768/IMG_2941.jpg

 

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/828320819822067783/850896518255738900/IMG_2940.jpg

 

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/828320819822067783/850896517136777236/IMG_2937.jpg

[ttnio]

welcome

 

good looking right hand steering wheel wagon.

[boxkita]

you could leave it stock....

 

the up pipe cat delete doesn't make smells. the dp delete does.

[norutah]

Great looking car, I sent you a DM

 

Sent from my HD1925 using Tapatalk

[Febreze Mee]

So clean! Congratulations on your purchase.

[NORULZleggy]

Nice, stay stock!

[MDMA]

I had a full service on my fresh import when it landed a few months ago. Belts, water pump, plugs, box serviced, diffs serviced and most importantly, re-mapped for the fuel I was going to use (Shell 99 Ron). Whatever you do, have it mapped for your local fuel. I also had a full Dinitrol rust treatment done on it. I won't use it in bad weather, just had it done for peace of mind.

I wouldn't bother with the cats/downpipes etc. These are not far off the limit performance wise on the stock motor (280bhp for the manual). 300bhp about the limit on stock rods on the JDM motor. Everyone I know with one keeps them to about 1.2bar. Any more, they all end up throwing a rod.

[Claw]

I don't know if Airboy tunes JDM Subarus, might be worth giving him a call. Sharp looking car though. That underside looks so clean...

[Kojak]

Fantastic color on that machine. You could leave it bone stock, and post plenty pics, and have peeps in other markets drooling. Happy motoring, whatever you decide.

[lagwagon]

Have Vex do the timing belt and initial maintenance, they seem pretty good about having the correct JDM-compatible parts on hand. Talk to Airboy about a tune, especially since Husky 94 is no longer available, Chevron 94 has low availability (and some mixed results) and Petro 94 seems worse than Shell 91.

[MDMA]

Just a reminder that you won't get a rumble from the twin scroll. You'd have to change everything, headers/up pipe, downpipe, turbo just to get that sound. The twin scroll is the only 2.0 that generates more torque than bhp. The JDM twin scroll is a lot more refined/quieter on the road than all other Legacies.