Legacy GT to replace Z06?

Haha - actually serious. I have a mint 2003 corvette z06 and an 01 BH outback wagon 3.0 H6.

I now have 3 small kids and drive the wagon all the time and the vette sits. I originally bought the Subaru as a winter beater but was surprised how much I like it. I am considering a trailer hitch, sti seats, sti dccd 6 speed swap w/ r180, wrx front struts or coilovers all around with upgraded bracing, bushings, maybe sti front control arms, sway bars, and an sti steering rack. Ultimately I plan on megasquirt and a turbo for the h6 but not sure about the open deck issue and high compression- e85 is an option for detonation but don't know about core shift or if it is worth the expense of closed decking which brings me to the ej255....

I keep running into the fact that the LGT already has a lot of these parts?

Here is the real kicker- if I can be satisfied with the car as a family hauler and swap to as many Impreza parts as I can, the factory five 818 will be a great project with the kids about 7 years from now and I will be back to corvette territory. Is the BH chassis more amenable to fitting Impreza wrx/sti parts than the LGT?

Thoughts? How much seating room does the wagon have over the sedan? I need at least as much as my current 01 wagon has.

Do these cars handle well? I am not talking z06 level but at least RSX-S level or better?

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The Legacy GT can be a very nice handling car but it is intended to be a touring car, nice and comfortable, safe, suitable for long trips at high speed in all weather. An RSX weighs around 2800 pounds, a LGT wagon about 3400. You are not going to be able to toss an LGT around like an RSX, physics is against you there. Can you turn an LGT into an STI? I suppose so, but maybe it would be better to just buy an STI. The most sensible thing for an LGT is to upgrade the suspension to taste, upgrade brakes a bit and go conservative stage 2 or mild stage 3. You enhance the car's strengths instead of spending ridiculous amounts of time and money to try turning it into something it is not.

The LGT wagon has the same passenger space as the sedan except more headroom, especially in the back seat. The cargo room in the wagon is, or course, a lot more ~34 cu ft with seats up, ~65 cu ft with seats down. You could not take four people with their luggage on a long trip in comfort in an RSX.

Thanks for your reply-

Yeah we sold our rsx about a month after our first son was born- way too small- I could lift a tire Autoxing that thing and it was bone stock. I guess the wife's Acura RL is a touring car also but it handles very well for its weight (4100lb). If it had 150 more hp (450) and 1000 less lb it would be the perfect car. I just can't decide if it's better to get the LGT or build my existing wagon up as I will be changing a lot on both as by now even a 2007 will have a ton of miles. I really should suck it up and buy something German (Audi or BMW) but my practical side knows better.

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http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/mo-ks-2005-outback-xt-sti-built-motor-6speed-dccd-258592.html

Here... Everything you want

Just buy a Chevy SS. It's practical and fast.

Thanks for your reply! If I could get by with a rwd wagon or sedan I would

already have a cts-v and that new SS would be but a blip in the rear view. G8 would be ok as well but I like the corners too much.

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http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/mo-ks-2005-outback-xt-sti-built-motor-6speed-dccd-258592.html

Here... Everything you want

Funny you should post that- I happened across that one and a few more on there yesterday- intrigued for sure! I wish there was one somewhat local - the Michigan one I was tempted by but he traded it in already.

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Have you considered a 08+ wrx hatch or is that out of the price range? It seems to me the space would be similar-ish with a smaller rear, but with better looks, most everything STI will drop in, and handling would be a step up from a legacy wagon.

Or dare I suggest a Forester xt especially an 04 model, they are very nimble compared to newer models and with a little sound deadening can be just as quiet as a legacy. And just about any STI/wrx (of similar year) performance part drops right in as well.

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately the 818 only uses parts from 02-07 so that rules the 08 hatch out. Also the 02-07 wrx wagon is too small compared to my outback is the 08 hatch larger than the 07 wagon?

Thanks for the suggestion of the forester xt but I just can't make that car work - could barely stand to see it in my driveway (no offense to some of u)

Yeah Audi or BMW make more sense on paper but having worked in a German car garage over the summers in high school and from a family with several Audis and Porsches growing up- I won't touch one

Now if acura decided to get more serious with their S types we would be in business-

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You 3 small kids now. In a few years youll have 3 large kids. Depending on their size, a wagon will be too small.

Keep the vette for your sanity.

Keep the ctsv for autox

Wait until your kids are ready to work on the 818 then buy the new generation donor. In 10 years, the 08 14 models will be old.

Dump the 01, mods to make it fun are a lost cause.

An 05 wagon can be fun however by the time you make it toss able its in the same class as the ctsv. Stage 2 engine, mild suspension, brake pads and hoses, you'll have a fun car.

I'll come pick up the vette any day. Just need an address

I really should suck it up and buy something German (Audi or BMW) but my practical side knows better.

I would not want to discourage you from getting an older LGT wagon and modding it. In many ways, the 05-06 LGT wagon reminds me of some of the older Audis, before Audi went all super luxury. As boxkita points out, the LGT is a better base to build on than the '01 you have at the moment. I was just trying to say that the car is still fun to drive even without putting all the STI bits on it. Stage 2 is not that expensive to do. New shocks and springs, upgraded brakes are really not expensive compared to maintaining a higher-performance German car. The LGT is also fairly friendly to the DIY mechanic.

What gets expensive is chasing the ragged edge of performance, blowing up engines and transmissions, 6-speed drivetrain swaps, etc. You could do it, but you don't have to do it to have fun with the car, was my point.

I would not want to discourage you from getting an older LGT wagon and modding it. In many ways, the 05-06 LGT wagon reminds me of some of the older Audis, before Audi went all super luxury. As boxkita points out, the LGT is a better base to build on than the '01 you have at the moment. I was just trying to say that the car is still fun to drive even without putting all the STI bits on it. Stage 2 is not that expensive to do. New shocks and springs, upgraded brakes are really not expensive compared to maintaining a higher-performance German car. The LGT is also fairly friendly to the DIY mechanic.

 

What gets expensive is chasing the ragged edge of performance, blowing up engines and transmissions, 6-speed drivetrain swaps, etc. You could do it, but you don't have to do it to have fun with the car, was my point.

Thanks guys! I had to do front brakes on the 01 and now it is spiraling to ball joints, wheel bearings, steering rack and tie rods!! Been on jack stands a week as I collect parts and I have been driving the z06 out of necessity- what a well engineered vehicle, it truly is a supercar.

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Hpfiend, here's my $.02.

Where I'm coming from first: I've owned a 2009 C6 Z06 since new and still have it. I have a 2008 Legacy Spec B. I have a 2005 STI race car. I used to own a 2005 LGT Wagon race car, now owned by Boxkita (until I buy it back from him in a liquidation sale!) I am very active on the 818 forum because I had planned to build an 818R but that is on hold. However I'm still active there.

I think that covers all your bases?

You're C5 Z06 has hit the bottom of it's depreciation cycle. It will likely never be worth less than it is now. Keep it. In 7 years it could be great project with your kids for a frame off restoration, convert to a race car, or keep it original. Lots of choices there's but no need to worry about that now. Just keep it.

On the other hand modding your 01 wagon as you've described is throwing money in the sewer, never to be seen again. Take the money you were going to throw away and put it in a college/ tech school education account for your kids. When you get the need for speed take your Z06 to an HPDE track day and grin from ear to ear as you realize your car is worth more every year.

Get a big AWD/4WD SUV, or 4DR pickup. The bigger the better, as in Expedition, Suburban, Ram 2500. You're gonna need it to transport the Soccer teams/Softball team/AAU Basketball team all over the place for the next 10 years. Know that if a drunk comes across the center line and takes you and the precious cargo of the age 11 soccer team head on that you've done everything possible to insure their safety. When you get the need for speed take your Z06 to an HPDE track day and grin from ear to ear as you realize your car is worth more every year.

The added benefit of the Big Rig is when you really do want to build a project car you'll have rig capable of towing a trailer and picking up big parts.

Finally, IMHO the 818 is a half baked kit. I ordered one pre-production then cancelled it when I saw all the issues, most of which have not been fixed. If I were building a kit car in the next year it would be the FF Gen 3 Daytona Coupe that just came out. It's light years ahead of the Gen 1 & 2 Daytona coupes. An LS6 or Coyote powered NA engine in that car would be way more reliable than a turbo Subaru in the 818.

If I was going to build an 818R today it would be an NA powered one. But it sounds like you have the need for high HP so that probably won't work for you.

Hope this helps,

Gator

Here's something to consider,

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/feeler-2006-legacy-gt-wagon-5-speed-56k-260875.html

Also for $400 Moore Performance Blast Plates on the 5mt, make a big improvement. I like it almost as much as the 6mt in my Spec B.

Sgt,Gator has some good thought's too. Lot's of options...

With 3 small kids, may be a newer Outback 3.6R with the $5000 super charger kit...

The most sensible thing for an LGT is to upgrade the suspension to taste, upgrade brakes a bit and go conservative stage 2 or mild stage 3

Bump

Haha - actually serious. I have a mint 2003 corvette z06 and an 01 BH outback wagon 3.0 H6.

 

I now have 3 small kids and drive the wagon all the time and the vette sits. I originally bought the Subaru as a winter beater but was surprised how much I like it. I am considering a trailer hitch, sti seats, sti dccd 6 speed swap w/ r180, wrx front struts or coilovers all around with upgraded bracing, bushings, maybe sti front control arms, sway bars, and an sti steering rack. Ultimately I plan on megasquirt and a turbo for the h6 but not sure about the open deck issue and high compression- e85 is an option for detonation but don't know about core shift or if it is worth the expense of closed decking which brings me to the ej255....

 

I keep running into the fact that the LGT already has a lot of these parts?

 

Here is the real kicker- if I can be satisfied with the car as a family hauler and swap to as many Impreza parts as I can, the factory five 818 will be a great project with the kids about 7 years from now and I will be back to corvette territory. Is the BH chassis more amenable to fitting Impreza wrx/sti parts than the LGT?

 

Thoughts? How much seating room does the wagon have over the sedan? I need at least as much as my current 01 wagon has.

 

Do these cars handle well? I am not talking z06 level but at least RSX-S level or better?

 

 

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Why not just buy an STI?

 

Finally, IMHO the 818 is a half baked kit. I ordered one pre-production then cancelled it when I saw all the issues, most of which have not been fixed. If I were building a kit car in the next year it would be the FF Gen 3 Daytona Coupe that just came out. It's light years ahead of the Gen 1 & 2 Daytona coupes. An LS6 or Coyote powered NA engine in that car would be way more reliable than a turbo Subaru in the 818.

Sound advice! Not to threadjack, but I was considering an 818 as well. What are/were the issues?

Sound advice! Not to threadjack, but I was considering an 818 as well. What are/were the issues?

I'll PM you.