If you had $2000 and the chance to do it all over, what would you do?

For some strange reason you tend to love your little ones more around tax season...not sure why. Anyways, after many car modding disasters behind me, I am trying to do it right this time. So my question is, if you started all over, but had 2k (maybe a little more...I figure the more I spend, the less my wife will have in poison money)...what would you do?

 

I can stage 2 for very cheap. Go open source and support a local member/vendor here ($100-200). Gut my own cat or buy both up/dp for under 400. Those are really the basics for modding and give me lots of room to play with.

 

What would you do? Go all power mods - sti conversion, VF52, E85 or what? Get some show with JDM bumper, a grille, a lip, a sound system, retrofitted headlights, or the holy grail of shit knobs?

 

If you think about it, we spend most of our money on these cars because of our imagination...so use yours, and give me some ideas! I need this done right!

 

BTW don't really have goals although 1150whp does sound lovely, just want to read other peoples ideas.

Real tires.

For 2Gs you could go stage 2 add sways and tires. That's the route I'd take.

I've had my own set of upgrade disasters, nothing like an engine blowing though. If I could do it all over again I would do my upgrades in this order...

 

- Brakes

- Suspension

- Power

 

Right now I'm staying at Stage 2 until I get my brakes completed and suspension.

I'd go all power and I'm not going to surprise you here, but after UP/DP I'd go with a turbo, IC, fuel pump, injectors, E85 and tune. You're already a little over $2k there, but I'd throw down some h-techs or s-techs too. Wait to upgrade tires and brakes until they need to be replaced.

I'd go with a well-rounded approach, don't let one aspect of the car stand out & I'm a big fan of the classifieds (ie used parts)..

 

Since you have a specB (very decent bilstein struts), I would get some sport springs (Pinks or Swifts), skip coilovers.. When you go stg 2, I'd recommend good brake fluid & pads.. A nice set of sway bars & a nice set of wheels will give you a well rounded Legacy.. Use the rest to finish the project with tint, braces, bushings, floor mats, shifter/shift knob, sterio, endless lists of bling..

 

GL, and enjoy..

i'll go with brembos + an exhaust

stopping power before anything else

Since you have a specB (very decent bilstein struts), I would get some sport springs (Pinks or Swifts), skip coilovers

+1

i would go with springs, stage 2, dp/up/cbe and steal break lines and some nice pads. thats around 2,000 for now lol

i'll go with brembos + an exhaust

stopping power before anything else

 

That's funny, my stock brakes can lock up my wheels no problem, and I'm guessing that's true for everyone here. Doesn't seem like there would any additional stopping "power" to be achieved unless you also had stickier tires.

 

My list, based on addressing the weak points of the stock car as a daily-driver:

 

1. Tires

2. Normally would be struts, but you already have Bilsteins!

3. LCA Bushings

4. JDM Rear Swaybar or equivalent (rear bar only)

5. Brake Pads

6. Stage 2, at which point I would consider a TMIC upgrade necessary.

$2K? One free mortgage payment with enough left over for a couple of VERY nice nights out, with the wife.

 

But if I HAD to mod, since I haven't done much yet, I'd say a JDM rear sway, used Cobb AP, and the Bilstein HD suspension kit. Plus Racecomp springs.

Its been pretty much said already but:

 

1: Tires & *Pads

2: Springs & Sways

3: A **Stg2 set up.

 

*As one of the above mentioned we have good brakes... they are perfectly fine unless u are tracking alot but they are fine for street and swap in some new pads and nice tires and your good to go. With that said...

 

**Also strongly agree with upgrading your TMIC as mine completely warped/pulled apart about 3 weeks ago, to the point where even a healthy dose of JB weld wouldn't do the trick. At the least reinforce it before u add power. EDIT: because when it goes your done... car is dead... I happened to be in the middle of nowhere on a 15 degree day when mine went.

For some strange reason you tend to love your little ones more around tax season...not sure why. Anyways, after many car modding disasters behind me, I am trying to do it right this time. So my question is, if you started all over, but had 2k (maybe a little more...I figure the more I spend, the less my wife will have in poison money)...what would you do?

 

I can stage 2 for very cheap. Go open source and support a local member/vendor here ($100-200). Gut my own cat or buy both up/dp for under 400. Those are really the basics for modding and give me lots of room to play with.

 

What would you do? Go all power mods - sti conversion, VF52, E85 or what? Get some show with JDM bumper, a grille, a lip, a sound system, retrofitted headlights, or the holy grail of shit knobs?

 

If you think about it, we spend most of our money on these cars because of our imagination...so use yours, and give me some ideas! I need this done right!

 

BTW don't really have goals although 1150whp does sound lovely, just want to read other peoples ideas.

 

 

exactly like i have done so far. tires, pads, stage 1(not from cobb), hid, next up is the jdm rsb.

 

changing what the car should have come with.

 

if and when i can i wouldn't mind getting the perrin h6 gt35r dropped in. get the auto beefed up and call it a day for power. suspension and wheels would be included. be done period.

 

although...if subaru decides to keep shorting the gt 5eat with slower gears...buy a new 3.0r and swap engine for the 3.0gt35r.

Its been pretty much said already but:

 

1: Tires & *Pads

2: Springs & Sways

3: A **Stg2 set up.

 

 

^^^ +1

 

I went with "not cheap" wheels and tires for #1. The tires were necessary, the wheels...a moment of fiscal weakness, but they look good.

 

Next to tires, the H-Tech springs are the best thing I've put on the car. How stiff for track days or how low for looks is only something you can answer for yourself. For me, I wanted a moderate drop and increase in stiffness since the car must still function as a daily driver / ski-mobile. The H-Techs are cheap, supple, got the look and most importantly, actually improve the corner balance and cross weights.

 

Stage II. Don't gut your cats. Save your factory stuff, you might need it one day. Cat-less aftermarket up and downpipes are not expensive and they will flow better. An entire cat-back isn't necessary, but if you want the look and sound jump on the Stromung group buy. (Shameless plug) There seems to be consensus that you don't need a complete CBE to flash to stage II and that you get the biggest bang for the $ by replacing just the mid and Y pipes.

 

As far as the factory TMIC is concerned, "At the least reinforce it before u add power." I took mine off and put JB-Weld all around it before going to Stage II. I've had no issues with it and have since upped the boost a little with an ethanol pro-tune.

For 2Gs you could go stage 2 add sways and tires. That's the route I'd take.

 

 

+1

i would go with springs, stage 2, dp/up/cbe and steal break lines and some nice pads. thats around 2,000 for now lol

 

Two very good routes .... with minor differences.

 

Can't go wrong with either of those options for that amount of $$ ..... at least at this point. Next mods would be to complete the differences between the 2 that weren't performed with the original $2,000.

My budget is waaaaay less than 2K since I'm a lush and upgraded to a '09 Outback.

 

So I already started over.

 

though on my wish list:

 

Nokian WR G2 "real" tires to replace the stockers

 

Hawk pads + Goodyear SS lines

I'd put that 2k in a savings account until I had enough to go rotated

I would go all performance. If I were starting over with my car being stock and I had 2k, knowing what I know now I would gut both dp and up. Get a vf52, tactrix cable, Injectors and Fuel pump, Infamous protune and call it a day. That would be around 2k if you can do the all the install yourself or get some help from locals and do an install day at your place.

Tactrix Cable, Downpipe, VF52, TMIC.

I would go all performance. If I were starting over with my car being stock and I had 2k, knowing what I know now I would gut both dp and up. Get a vf52, tactrix cable, Injectors and Fuel pump, Infamous protune and call it a day. That would be around 2k if you can do the all the install yourself or get some help from locals and do an install day at your place.

 

You and me on the same page here.

2k on a blank slate?

 

used accessport and coils. and if there's enough left over, brake lines and fluid.

If I could do it all over again...I'd leave it stock...

Save my money because the economy suck, and I also live in crappy state.

If I could do it all over again...I'd leave it stock...

 

depends on where he is...

 

i have no snow here. i would not purchase the legacy if it werent for its modding potential

No snow here either...still would leave it stock.

Snow here .... and lots of it.

 

Still would NOT keep it stock.