Legacy GT Modifications Noob Questions

Hey all,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12304487@N04/3354054354/

 

I bought a 2005 legacy gt a week ago and let me sum it up as 'I am in love with it'. used to have a 07 corolla before that, now it feels like those were the dark ages.

 

I have already used legacygt forums to make 2 modifications, i removed the pinstripe and added an fm modulator. thanks legacygt!!!

 

I plan to do a mod every 2 months and am planning to install strut braces, an cold air intake and new tires.

 

I do have questions and I did try to use the 'search forums' but it yielded no good answers.

 

Question 1) i want a stiffer chassis. I feel the best suspension upgrade i can afford is a strut brace. I have never had a brace on my car before. I can live with the understeer that the legacy naturally has but dont want more of it. my theory is that a strut brace will prevent understeer (correct me if i am wrong, ps: i watch a lot of 'top gear'). so back to my question. I have found a front and rear strut brace for 150 $ each. If I install the front one, can I save money and not install the rear one or do I compulsory have to install a read brace to prevent the chassis from damage.

 

Question 2) I can afford a Cobb cold air intake and am gonna most probably get it. I am a do it yourself guy. i took apart the dash and installed the fm modulator without a hitch. But Can I install the intake myself or should I have it installed by a pro. My first car was a nissan maxima and I did install an intake on it without problems. I am a little concerned for the legacy as its has the mass flow sensors and wires near its air box.

 

Question 3) Can anyone recommend me some good all season performance tires, not ludicrously expensive, I am in college and am financing the car myself. something that will make the legacy even more better.

 

Question 4) I live in Columbus Ohio. Does anyone know if there is there a place in ohio where I can really test my car (cant do it at mid-ohio race track). I just wanna have fun, without cops!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks in advance

first off, I can tell you from experience that CAI doesn't really do a whole lot on our cars like they do for NA cars. You're money is better spent on suspension or an Accessport. Do a search and look in the new members forum for the sticky:

 

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67940

Do not do a strut brace, it will increase the understeer. You should instead look into a rear sway bar.

 

Instead of tires and the intake, pick yourself up a Cobb accessport, there are a few used ones for sale in the classifieds. It's probably the best bang for the buck.

Hey all,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12304487@N04/3354054354/

 

I bought a 2005 legacy gt a week ago and let me sum it up as 'I am in love with it'. used to have a 07 corolla before that, now it feels like those were the dark ages.

 

I have already used legacygt forums to make 2 modifications, i removed the pinstripe and added an fm modulator. thanks legacygt!!!

 

I plan to do a mod every 2 months and am planning to install strut braces, an cold air intake and new tires.

 

I do have questions and I did try to use the 'search forums' but it yielded no good answers.

 

Question 1) i want a stiffer chassis. I feel the best suspension upgrade i can afford is a strut brace. I have never had a brace on my car before. I can live with the understeer that the legacy naturally has but dont want more of it. my theory is that a strut brace will prevent understeer (correct me if i am wrong, ps: i watch a lot of 'top gear'). so back to my question. I have found a front and rear strut brace for 150 $ each. If I install the front one, can I save money and not install the rear one or do I compulsory have to install a read brace to prevent the chassis from damage.

 

Question 2) I can afford a Cobb cold air intake and am gonna most probably get it. I am a do it yourself guy. i took apart the dash and installed the fm modulator without a hitch. But Can I install the intake myself or should I have it installed by a pro. My first car was a nissan maxima and I did install an intake on it without problems. I am a little concerned for the legacy as its has the mass flow sensors and wires near its air box.

 

Question 3) Can anyone recommend me some good all season performance tires, not ludicrously expensive, I am in college and am financing the car myself. something that will make the legacy even more better.

 

Question 4) I live in Columbus Ohio. Does anyone know if there is there a place in ohio where I can really test my car (cant do it at mid-ohio race track). I just wanna have fun, without cops!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

If you are in college and are financing the car and can barely "afford" parts i would probalby lay off on the parts before I do a shitton of research.

 

there is not much wrong with the legacy chassis. when i lift the car from the drivers side front, the rear comes up as well. plenty stiff for whatever you need it for, unless you are full blown racing.

 

intake is not a hard install but the bang for the buck is low for now. there's an upgrade path for newbies thread if you follow the BOV faq link in my sig.

 

 

nitto neogens are a decent price and pretty grippy.

 

cant help about the ohio thing.

Carefull! It's addictive.

Strut brace's are not really worth it on our cars. If you want a stiffer chassis look at some stiffer springs, and sway bars.

You can take out the resonator box in front of the intake. This will yield better sound and is free! A CAI doesn't do much on the legi untill you are making a lot more power.

I have had an 05 LGT and now I am in a 07 spec B. Right now I have a K&N CAI on my specB sounds great but they realy will not do much for you as far as power goes unless you want to spend some money on alot more mods. The 05 LGT I had the Intake Silencer was removed and a K&N panel filter was dropped in. The intake silencer is right under the airbox and leads into the fender and wheelwell. Thus pulling in cold air just like a CAI. If you are saving money forget the CAI and remove the intake silencer and do a panel filter. You will also get some good sound from the turbo not alot but you will like it for a cheap and great mod. There are also alot of opinions on this mod but I liked it. Save your money for an AP, UP and down pipes. And the best and first mod you should do is the springs and sway bars. Power does not do you much good it you can't control it. A deer at 80mph taught me that lesson.

Here is a good link on the intake silencer.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104968&highlight=airbox

1) Forget the strut brace , get a bigger rear bar.

2) + 1 for the Panel filter/ silencer delete

3) Try Falken tires for decent price performance ratio

4) Can't help you there

 

For power, try a map upgrade by Infamous tuning , you will need a cable and laptop to access your ECU. Or you can get a used Accessport (I'll have one with custom stage 1 maps for panel filter available next week)

Good mod suggestions here, but I personally say save your money. In college 11 years ago, I drove a 1980 Chevy Citation that I got for free, from family. No I didn't walk uphill to class, both ways in the snow (though, at UNH, very frequently ), and no I don't want to give the "back in my day" speech. However, my point is that you've got a VERY nice car, as-is. Save your money.

opensource tuning is free. The F&R Lower control arm braces do help and so do the LCA ploy bushings.

UNH alum here woot!

 

I had an 85 Scirocco in college.

 

No to CAI, get a jdm rear sway, Kuhmo ASX for all season. Buy a Tactix cable and get tuned by Infamous. All of these things would dramatically change your car.

If he wanted to go open source wouldn't he also need a wideband o2??

A custom tune for stage 1 is a waste of money IMO

Stiffer chassis: rear swap bar will probably provide the most bang for the buck.

 

Intake: skip the aftermarket intake. The stock airbox is more than sufficient. If you want more noise remove the intake silencer.

 

Tires: I run kuhmo ASX's year round in Colorado.

 

Can't help you with #4.

Bigger RSB is a good bang for your buck mod.

 

Bridgestone RE960's are an excellent all season tire.

A custom tune for stage 1 is a waste of money IMO

 

 

 

It's a reflash moreso than a custom tune.

It's a reflash moreso than a custom tune.

 

How much does he charge for his off the shelf maps?

 

I had stage 1 for a month before I decided I needed more power.

 

I wouldn't have spent 20 dollars on an off the shelf tune for stage 1.

 

Ymmv of course.

Stage 1 and stock are night and day.

dont kno bout stage 1... but i had up/dp full exhaust, and intake and it was night and day before and after tune.... wayyy more responsive... but thats prolly cuz i had all 3 in piping...

Stiffer chassis: rear swap bar will probably provide the most bang for the buck.

 

Intake: skip the aftermarket intake. The stock airbox is more than sufficient. If you want more noise remove the intake silencer.

 

Tires: I run kuhmo ASX's year round in Colorado.

 

Can't help you with #4.

 

 

i ran the kumho asx's on my supercharged integra... and i NEVER had a problem with traction... whether it was dry rain snow ice... only problem is they are super soft so they didnt last very long for me...

How much does he charge for his off the shelf maps?

 

I had stage 1 for a month before I decided I needed more power.

 

I wouldn't have spent 20 dollars on an off the shelf tune for stage 1.

 

Ymmv of course.

Infamous1 only does custom tunes and gives you 6 revision to get the tune just right for your car. You log your car and he edits the maps for your car. Plus you can see in the logs that your tune is safe and not just trust the tuner. You see my sig. don't you. No OTS maps. You first have to decide what you want out of your car. Then you go from there.

Infamous1 only does custom tunes and gives you 6 revision to get the tune just right for your car. You log your car and he edits the maps for your car. Plus you can see in the logs that your tune is safe and not just trust the tuner. You see my sig. don't you. No OTS maps. You first have to decide what you want out of your car. Then you go from there.

 

Then what is the other guy on top saying it's not a custom tune?

#3

Continental ContiExtremeContact are $101 each - $75 Visa card, so that's $329 + shipping at Tire rack. Gift card offer is good until 3/23.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=ContiExtr emeContact&vehicleSearch=true&partnum=145WR7CEC&fr omCompare1=yes&place=37&speed_rating=H&speed_ratin g=V&speed_rating=Z&speed_rating=W&speed_rating=Y&s peed_rating=(Y)&minSpeedRating=H

 

Tirerack and and Vulcan tires are the cheapest online tire stores that I've found.

 

Vulcan tires has the Falken ZE-912 for $84 each. I'll probably get these for the Impreza. But they are low on stock right now.

http://www.vulcantire.com/cgi-bin/tiresearch.cgi?stock=822&f=ze912_t.htm

Then what is the other guy on top saying it's not a custom tune?

I don't know?

dont you need to get tuned for CAI?