Just bought a Legacy

I am Jason and a proud new owner of a Legacy GT Sedan 5spd automatic.

She has 181K miles on it and looks darn near brand new minus 4 minor door-dings.

She is the lighter blue, not sure which that is, Regal or Atlantic, black leather/charcoal interior, stock 17" rims and no mods that I can see.

Car seems to be running well with a minor idling roughness and perhaps a need for new shocks/struts.

Going to take her in next week for plugs, plug wires, full inspection of everything including tranny maintenance, brake check and pads if needed, shocks/struts, any worn bushings, leaky seals including rear main, timing belt and water pump if needed.

From you experienced owners, is there any else I should look out for?

As for mods, not going to do much, she isn't an STi. I already tinted the windows.

I need to find the post on modifying the fog lights to come on with the parking lights not just the head lights. And I have no interest in doing the mod that allows the fog lights to be turned on without parking/head lights.

I will be doing the DRL delete mod. I was going to install low-beam HID's but I am concerned about the housing melting/deforming. YOUR input on that would be great.

I will be swapping out the H3 fog bulbs for the Pia Yellow H3's, done that to all my cars.

The stereo has me baffled... who designs a one piece plate for temp and stereo? Is there a swap I can do from a newer model that would give me at least bluetooth and not throw codes and look stock? I saw the hacks for the CD line but I am not interested in those. YOUR input would be great!

I will be tinting the tail lights. I have already installed brighter whiter backup lights and changed out all door courtesy/dome/map lights to hyper white LED's.

Regarding shocks struts, I am not looking to lower the car but I will be replacing the old with new original equipment if the price is not ridiculous, otherwise I will go with Tein or whomever that has descent reviews and is comparable in price to original equipment. YOUR input would be great!

I am considering either a front shock tower brace or upgrading the anti-sway bars as the car does exhibit some body-roll: YOUR input would be great!

I will be looking at turbo back exhausts as well, I am sure the dual tips will cost a pretty penny but I love the sound of a Subaru 2.5...

And lastly I am considering a handheld tuner to get the most out of the stock motor and drivetrain.

Anything else you think I should consider please let me know.

Thank you,

Jason

Hey there, the inspection is a great idea get all the little things cleaned up and replaced.

Shocks are probably original I would swap those out for stock KYB parts or for a little bit more Koni shocks/struts. Spring wise Tein H-techs are great as well as H&R for a nice lowered but not to douche-y look On both my Legacys I ran Stock KYB + Tein H-tech springs it took about 1000 miles for them to settle but the stance was great. Oh and make sure to add 1/2" shims to the rear

Forget the tower bar spend the money on the sway bars and endlink to compliment them. Go for solid bars (22mm Front and 20mm rear is a good combo). End link wise AVO, Kartboy Whiteline are good choices. I ran Kartboy links with a solid 22mm bar up front and a 20mm in the rear

As far the hand held tuner there are COBB APs floating around for cheap for your car.

Exhaust wise if you want a full turbo back make sure you get a good quality DP catted preferably and pick which ever cat-back suits your noise tolerance level. I ran stock DP + Bosal many have success with Borla, Invidia and SPT for lower tone and great note.

Hoo - boy, here we go:

I am Jason and a proud new owner of a Legacy GT Sedan 5spd automatic.

 

She has 181K miles on it and looks darn near brand new minus 4 minor door-dings.

181k is practically dead. Expect to have to replace the turbo and motor soon. This sets the tone for everything else below.

She is the lighter blue, not sure which that is, Regal or Atlantic, black leather/charcoal interior, stock 17" rims and no mods that I can see.

 

Car seems to be running well with a minor idling roughness and perhaps a need for new shocks/struts.

As was said above, you'll want to replace those when you can. To be fair, the struts were dead on these things at about 65k. .

Going to take her in next week for plugs, plug wires, full inspection of everything including tranny maintenance, brake check and pads if needed, shocks/struts, any worn bushings, leaky seals including rear main, timing belt and water pump if needed.

Be prepared for that to be a big figure. Hop into the local forums and ask about a good independent shop. Do not take your car to the Subaru dealership.

From you experienced owners, is there any else I should look out for?

Banjo bolt filters need to be removed, your turbo needs to be checked for shaft play, and, at 181k, I'm going to guess that it, and the turbo inlet need to be replaced.

As for mods, not going to do much, she isn't an STi.

Actually, "she" is. Same motor, slightly different top-end.

 

I already tinted the windows.

 

If it was the factory tint, that's probably a good idea, too!

 

I need to find the post on modifying the fog lights to come on with the parking lights not just the head lights. And I have no interest in doing the mod that allows the fog lights to be turned on without parking/head lights.

 

I will be doing the DRL delete mod.

DRL delete is the best way to keep yourself from replacing headlights every six months. Find the fog light mods in the Walkthroughs section.

I was going to install low-beam HID's but I am concerned about the housing melting/deforming. YOUR input on that would be great.

Personally, I'm running the Kensun HID kit from Amazon. Great reviews, outstanding warranty and customer service, and I've had no issues thusfar. In fact, I get nothing but compliments. There are lots of options for HID kits, though, so, just remember, you get what you pay for. (hint: more expensive is usually better)

 

I will be swapping out the H3 fog bulbs for the Pia Yellow H3's, done that to all my cars.

For what you'd spend on those, you could convert them to 3000k HIDs. Doesn't really matter which, though.

The stereo has me baffled... who designs a one piece plate for temp and stereo? Is there a swap I can do from a newer model that would give me at least bluetooth and not throw codes and look stock? I saw the hacks for the CD line but I am not interested in those. YOUR input would be great!

There's the JDM double-din kit, which runs about $350, which will allow you to put in any aftermarket screen you'd like. Good luck getting one, they're hard to come by, and when they DO go up for sale, they go quick.

I will be tinting the tail lights.

Be prepared for flamage on this. Lot of controversy on that front. However, I personally think that smoked lenses and Newport Blue (likely the color of your car) look pretty dope. There's a member here who provides custom-cut Lamin-X overlays, you should look him up. Great option in case you decide you don't like it. Heck, there's also some pretty sweet JDM tails that are often up for sale for about $250/set.

I have already installed brighter whiter backup lights and changed out all door courtesy/dome/map lights to hyper white LED's.

Are you on Hondaforums, too?

Regarding shocks struts, I am not looking to lower the car but I will be replacing the old with new original equipment if the price is not ridiculous, otherwise I will go with Tein or whomever that has decent reviews and is comparable in price to original equipment. YOUR input would be great!

OEM bits are going to be pretty pricey. For the same money, you could do better. Tein is. . so-so. The Koni inserts (can be had at TireRack) are pretty popular, though.

I am considering either a front shock tower brace or upgrading the anti-sway bars as the car does exhibit some body-roll: YOUR input would be great!

Go cheap on the strut bars, as, they're technically not needed. The strut towers are already attached to the unibody, making a strut bar kinda useless. There's a Group-Buy going on in the Group Buy section for a 25mm Eibach front bar. Pretty good deal, you should check that out.

I will be looking at turbo back exhausts as well, I am sure the dual tips will cost a pretty penny but I love the sound of a Subaru 2.5...

BCUZ dat rumble tho? Catless UP and catted DP are probably your most important pieces, anything past the midpipe is just for making noise.

And lastly I am considering a handheld tuner to get the most out of the stock motor and drivetrain.

A Cobb AP is definitely the way to go. You can pickup a used V2 for about $350, so keep your eyes peeled. Otherwise, there's quite a few Vendors here who are tuners and offer remote e-tuning services; you'll just need the appropriate cable and a laptop.

Anything else you think I should consider please let me know.

 

Thank you,

Jason

Welcome! Take a look around, read the stickies, and you'll get the hang of it soon enough.

Hey there, the inspection is a great idea get all the little things cleaned up and replaced.

 

Shocks are probably original I would swap those out for stock KYB parts or for a little bit more Koni shocks/struts. Spring wise Tein H-techs are great as well as H&R for a nice lowered but not to douche-y look On both my Legacys I ran Stock KYB + Tein H-tech springs it took about 1000 miles for them to settle but the stance was great. Oh and make sure to add 1/2" shims to the rear

 

Forget the tower bar spend the money on the sway bars and endlink to compliment them. Go for solid bars (22mm Front and 20mm rear is a good combo). End link wise AVO, Kartboy Whiteline are good choices. I ran Kartboy links with a solid 22mm bar up front and a 20mm in the rear

 

As far the hand held tuner there are COBB APs floating around for cheap for your car.

 

Exhaust wise if you want a full turbo back make sure you get a good quality DP catted preferably and pick which ever cat-back suits your noise tolerance level. I ran stock DP + Bosal many have success with Borla, Invidia and SPT for lower tone and great note.

Many thanks... and yes I saw the KYB and Tein parts, that is my plan for struts/shocks. Great minds and all... lol I am just going for a .9" drop with a little tighter feel.

The Whiteline sways are on my short list as well as the end links but I can only find front end links.

The programmers are crazy expensive compared to other cars... holy buckets!

The down-pipe, up-pipe and exhaust will be done for next Spring.

Thank you again

Afternoon MrTris,

Thank you for all of the info...

I used to be a Magnum owner and a performance consultant for American Muscle... I have only owned two other Japanese cars, an Infiniti J30 and a Subaru SVX back in the day.

I have worked on STi's back in 2008/2009 but they are not my specialty and I am no longer actively into motorsports or mechanic work.

Solid performing rides with a little style are more my speed and this Legacy really appeals to me.

I shopped around for a long time. Most with a lot fewer miles looked way worse and leaked from everywhere. My guess is mine was family owned as there are zero mods on it.

I am having a hell of a time finding rear endlinks... ???

Regarding the turbo, any input on brand? I am not looking for an upgrade just something to replace the stock one if need be...

Thank you again,

Jason

Stop wanting to spend your money. Drive the car and save up your cash.

Check the oil and always keep it topped off.

What year is the car ?

These cars don't have plug wires.

So looking around, an OEM turbo new is around $1300, remanufactured $640, and off brand i.e. buyautoparts.com with kit $790. All three options have 1 year unlimited mileage warranty and free shipping with $50 core deposit.

J

Stop wanting to spend your money. Drive the car and save up your cash.

 

Check the oil and always keep it topped off.

 

What year is the car ?

 

These cars don't have plug wires.

ROFLMAO... sorry my bad... coil packs if need be.

And making a vehicle your own is part of owning one isn't it? Obviously if I don't have the coin I won't be adding anything to it. It is not as if I am planning on modifying it to a track car.

Right now however I will be replacing anything that is worn, leaking, has play, etc... I have an awesome independent shop I take all of my rides to since my back injury and the prices are great.

And it is a 2005. The interior is pristine. The exterior only has a couple of door dings which I can take out with paintless dent removal.

It makes me miss my old SVX I bought new when I got out of the Navy in 92/93.

J

Don't bother buying a new OEM grenade -- not that price, anyway. For those others, you can do better for the same money.

Send a PM to JmP6889928 for a new turbo. He rebuilds the VF40s into VF-fortés.

He can do a straight rebuild, or, you can ask for what I've got, which is a custom 11-blade billet wheel capable of pushing 20psi; upgraded journal bearings to prevent the inherent oiling issues with IHI turbos, plus, other stuff. Get the conversation started. If you're just looking for a peppy DD, I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with one of his units.

LOL, don't miss the SVX. No one misses their SVX.

LOL, don't miss the SVX. No one misses their SVX.

EVERYONE misses their SVX once they move on. Think what you want, it was/is an awesome car that is pretty damn reliable if taken care of

I never had one issue with my SVX. I drove it until 1997 when a drunk hit me and totaled it and me.

J

How about them hg and trans issues? I'm sure when they drove and weren't eating 4EATs, they were great cars. .

Don't know about headgaskets, I own three SVXs and have beaten on them pretty regularly with no problems. One lost the transmission at 130k miles and it was replaced with a 4.44 geared trans, no more issues.

They may leak oil like it's going out of style, but they don't have the starvation issues that come with the EJ25.

Back on topic though.

OP, you'll enjoy the Legacy. They are fun and stylish

I have the cheap eBay strut bars off eBay. Came with front and back for $75 shipped. IMO the rear made the care handle worse. But you you want some bling the front one is nice. Especially for 75 for both. You could call the guy an see if he can sell you just the front.

Welcome to the forum!

Brian

I don't agree with everyone saying that your engine is shot just because it's got that many miles on it. I bought my first 2005 lgt with 170k on the original engine and drove to 210k with no engine issues at all, however I did replace the turbo/up pipe/oil feed just as preventative measures. I also went stage 2 at that time (full turbo back, accessport, and e-tune via BrenTuning) and I had absolutely no issues with my engine. Made great daily driver power and was extremely reliable. If the car was properly maintained throughout it's life, then I'd just worry about the turbo, oil feed banjo bolt and up pipe, get it off the stock tune and call it a day. As long as the car was properly maintained and cared for from day one you should be able to easily get another 50k out of it given you put the right amount of money and time into it.

just my .02 cents as well. Hopefully you enjoy the car!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't agree with everyone saying that your engine is shot just because it's got that many miles on it. I bought my first 2005 lgt with 170k on the original engine and drove to 210k with no engine issues at all, however I did replace the turbo/up pipe/oil feed just as preventative measures. I also went stage 2 at that time (full turbo back, accessport, and e-tune via BrenTuning) and I had absolutely no issues with my engine. Made great daily driver power and was extremely reliable. If the car was properly maintained throughout it's life, then I'd just worry about the turbo, oil feed banjo bolt and up pipe, get it off the stock tune and call it a day. As long as the car was properly maintained and cared for from day one you should be able to easily get another 50k out of it given you put the right amount of money and time into it.

 

just my .02 cents as well. Hopefully you enjoy the car!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Subjective, at best. Some people think that because they take their car to Jiffy Lube twice a year that their car is "well-maintained". Unless you're the original owner, you can't trust that anything.

"well-maintained" is another one of those buzzwords car salespeople use to get you to feel better about the purchase, kinda like, "An old lady turned just turned in this car, she used it to go to the grocery store three times a week, and that was it." In their eyes, if the Carfax says it's been serviced anytime post-PDI, then it's "well-maintained".

A number of factors come into play for how long any given engine will last. That said, most can agree that forced induction engines are not typically "long haul" motors.

So while we're not saying OP's engine is a lost cause, per se, it's more likely that failure is imminent further north of 100k.

Subjective, at best. Some people think that because they take their car to Jiffy Lube twice a year that their car is "well-maintained". Unless you're the original owner, you can't trust that anything.

 

"well-maintained" is another one of those buzzwords car salespeople use to get you to feel better about the purchase, kinda like, "An old lady turned just turned in this car, she used it to go to the grocery store three times a week, and that was it." In their eyes, if the Carfax says it's been serviced anytime post-PDI, then it's "well-maintained".

 

A number of factors come into play for how long any given engine will last. That said, most can agree that forced induction engines are not typically "long haul" motors.

 

So while we're not saying OP's engine is a lost cause, per se, it's more likely that failure is imminent further north of 100k.

Well put Mr.Tris. The term "Well maintained" can mean very different things in other peoples eyes.

I am surprised that weren't you more of a d*ck with your response though. Are you getting soft on us?