2005 GT Wagon or get newer?

Good morning gents.

I hope to get a conversation going for you to help me to figure out which car I ultimately should start looking for.

I will start off saying that I'm a wagon guy. I've been driving a 1998 Legacy Outback wagon for many years, but my son will be driving soon so this will be his first car.

 

My mechanic buddy, who works on my car here in the Nashville area, got my heart pumping for a 2005 Legacy GT Wagon 5-speed. A rare one year only combination. I see them come of for sale from time to time and the prices are all over the place. I missed one in Virginia by a day (literally) for 2K. Ultimatlely I'd like the manual turbo wagon, but I can be talked out of it. That's where you come in.

 

So, here's the deal. I have a decent amount of disposible income to throw at the car for upgrades. I have a really good mechanic who specializes in Subaru, and is kind of a hot rodder. I'd like to get the car (when I purchase it) up to around 400 hp / 400 torque. Would even go as far as getting ported heads and maybe some modded internals inside the short block.

 

I have read here that the 2008 model (no 5-speed wagon) routinely gets higher power numbers than other models. If you were me, would you look for a 2008 (either non-wagon 5-speed, or sedan 5-speed) model over the 2005?

 

You guys have been modding Legacy GT's around here way more than I have, so I ask you this. Which model is the one to get? Do I pony up for a Spec.B?

 

I'd appreciate your thougts on this.

Anybody care to debate models here?

I'm willing to drive cross country for the right car, at the right price.

Thanks!

2008 vs 2005 differences are irrelevant. 2005-2006 have EJ257 STI longblock, 2007-2009 have EJ255 WRX longblock. The difference is in the heads and compression ratio (8.2 vs 8.4, respectively), and injectors (side feed vs top feed, respectively).

 

07-09 Spec.B is nice because the 6MT is much better box, though it lacks front LSD which is a major omission (can be added). But then swapping in 6MT into a 5MT LGT is a very straightforward bolt-on affair.

 

You really should answer yourself if you want wagon or not.

 

<--- has two 05 LGT wagons, both with 6MT swaps

Dude, keeping two is just greedy.

That's good to hear actually.

I REALLY want a wagon. How difficult to source are the 6MT's? They only came in Spec.B's correct?

I'll keep looking for a 2005 wagon.

That's good to hear actually.

I REALLY want a wagon. How difficult to source are the 6MT's? They only came in Spec.B's correct?

I'll keep looking for a 2005 wagon.

 

You don't need Spec.B box. Any STI box works. Better because comes with front LSD diff. Also comes with DCCD with is nice, too, though may be viewed as unnecessary complexity (requires aftermarket DCCD controller). 5th/6th are shorter but can be swapped to SpecB's like ratios using JDM STI Forester gears.

Dude, keeping two is just greedy.

 

Heh. Maybe. But they don't make them anymore, or any cars like that for that matter (fast AWD wagon w/manual), so had to stock up...

They hardly make any manual anything anymore. Such a bummer.

That's good to hear actually.

I REALLY want a wagon. How difficult to source are the 6MT's? They only came in Spec.B's correct?

I'll keep looking for a 2005 wagon.

 

If you're not too choosy about price, there's a guy selling a nice unmodified RBP Limited on eBay in CA for $12K. If I wrecked my current grocery hauler (my 3rd 5MT GT wagon) tomorrow, I'd totally go for that one.

 

I only keep one 5MT GT wagon at a time. Just sayin.

If you're not too choosy about price, there's a guy selling a nice unmodified RBP Limited on eBay in CA for $12K. If I wrecked my current grocery hauler (my 3rd 5MT GT wagon) tomorrow, I'd totally go for that one.

 

I only keep one 5MT GT wagon at a time. Just sayin.

 

Man, you're using them like toilet paper!!! That's worse than greedy!

 

How come you're on your 3rd?

#1: ABP non-limited

Purchased in February 2009 (happy birthday to me!) with rebuilt title & 60K miles for $12,400

5 years of love

9/30/2014: billion-dollar hailstorm - insurance paid $10500, bought back for $3K

11/2014: sold for $5K with 115K miles, golf ball bodywork & shattered plastic trim

That's right, 5 years and 50K miles for free!

Totalled twice and still running strong last I heard

 

#2: RBP non-limited

Purchased 10/2014 with 90K miles for $8500 from a guy who knew what it was and loved it but somehow didn't know what it was worth

1.5 years of love before falling in love with another

Sold 8/2016 with 110K miles for $10500

 

#3: BSM limited

Purchased 4/2016 for $11500 with 69K miles, currently at 84K miles with tune and suspension complete, paint & body restoration planned for the spring

Call me greedy then too. I sold my 2015 STI Limited to buy myself an 05 RBP limited 5MT wagon from a forum member who originally bought it from another forum member so I would strongly suggest buying one from the classifieds here.

 

I had previously purchased an 05 OBP non limited 5MT wagon for my high school son, as he is taking in my footsteps to be a wagon guy, and these are the car of choice for gearhead kids today. I am still old school gearhead with a 1966 Ford Country Squire wagon that I turned into a sleeper wagon but fell in love with his wagon so I sold the STI to get one.

 

As for the 05 RBP Ltd on Ebay for $12K with 130K miles, I thought I overpaid for mine at $10,500 with 84K miles. His will be for sale for a very long time if he doesn't lower it dramatically....

 

Long story short, if you have the disposable income and a mechanic willing to spend it for you, welcome to the world of the 2005 LGT 5MT wagon family, where your wallet is the only limitation to your horsepower needs (and maybe your wife if she finds out just how much you've spent on parts...)

I have a 2009 STi Hatch and I recently purchased a 2005 OBP 5sp Wagon. The car had some faults that needed to be sorted early on, but I have no regrets with the purchase. I feel like I got a pretty good deal on mine at $5500 for a wagon with 119,000 miles.

 

I was originally going to run it in the winter to keep the STi safe from Wisconsin roads, but I am thinking the wagon is going to stick around for summer as well. It's is an incredibly nice car to drive and pulls pretty hard in boost.

If you're not too choosy about price, there's a guy selling a nice unmodified RBP Limited on eBay in CA for $12K. If I wrecked my current grocery hauler (my 3rd 5MT GT wagon) tomorrow, I'd totally go for that one.

 

That's a nice car! It seems like those darker colors are way more common than white. I like the tan interior personally.

ABP, RBP, BSM, OBP. Are these referring to paint color?

 

*edit* found the info:

ABP = Atlantic Blue Pearl

RBP = Regal Blue Pearl

BSM = Brilliant Silver Metallic

OBP = Obsidian Black Pearl

How come all those nice wagons have such low miles. If the cars were really that great, they would drive it more.

 

Just a note: as far as I know (please correct me if I'm wrong), the Outback XT was mostly the same as the Legacy GT. Main differences: steel hood vs aluminum (can be swapped), different wheels/tire sizing, smaller brakes (can swap LGT brakes over, or bigger) and suspension height (can swap in LGT suspension).

 

So if you find a really nice OBXT, you can turn it into an LGT without too much trouble. I THINK they came with 5 speeds in more years than just 2005, but not sure.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong on any of the above..

05-07 OBXT has aluminum hood as well.

 

The body lift on OBXT does not make it an easy to convert to LGT properly, though can be done.

 

Yes, OBXT came with 5MT in all years (05-09).

I was in the same boat as you. I ended up buying a low mileage 08 OBXT with the manual. Basically, I wanted the latest model year they made the wagon with the turbo/5MT configuration. That got me into lower mileage cars, and the resale on the 5MT turbo wagons is ridiculous, so even if you sold it after a few years and many miles, you would probably be able to get most of your initial cost back.

 

As for the suspension differences - it's basically a LGT wagon with a body lift. So all suspension pieces you would buy for a LGT wagon would bolt up to a OBXT. One of the advantages is that it comes with stock fender flares, so you can fit a larger tire under there.

 

Regardless, I'd recommend looking at 05-09 OBXT's in addition to the one year of LGT Wagons. At the very least, it should turn up more used carts to choose from.

i know just the perfect 2005 OBXT 5MT for sale, too

My current wagon is a 2005 and I really don’t have any issues with it. I recently had to do a couple of the things that most car owners have to do at 10 years (get some electronic parts updated, replacing odds and ends, getting a tune up, etc), but otherwise, it’s still holding as strong as it’s able to. Definitely worth it, especially if you can get assistance with keeping it up to date and ready to roll.

OMG, these 2005 GT Wagons (w/ manual transmission) are freaking RARE.

2005 wagons come up for sale all the time, several a week, but they are all frigging automatics!

OMG, these 2005 GT Wagons (w/ manual transmission) are freaking RARE.

2005 wagons come up for sale all the time, several a week, but they are all frigging automatics!

 

Less than 1600 were made in 05 in US & Canada. Canada had some more for 06-08, but these are rare, too.

less than 1600 were made in 05 in us & canada. Canada had some more for 06-08, but these are rare, too.

1670

There never was, nor wil there ever again be, a wagon like the '05 LGT 5MT. The German wagons were heavier, more complicated and never enjoyed the huge aftermarket support the LGT did/does, further enhanced by the success of the WRX/STI.

 

It's so good, some connoisseurs even own two...

1670

 

Heh, yeah, I was going by memory, which is clearly failing me...