Something Blue — The Outback Legacy

ChazzLayne · June 20, 2020, 5:12pm

I suppose, since mods are happening, it’s time to start the accompanying build thread for the wife’s daily. It’s a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback, which is the last year “Outback” was just an off-road trim package for a Legacy wagon. She picked it up about a month after Sir Clax-a-Lot was destroyed, while I was away on assignment, from a fellow member of the local Subarus Anonymous chapter who’s a bloody genius with boxer frankenbuilds. It came to us not stock, with a freshly built engine, satin blue dip-your-car, and a few goodies I had the mad scientist throw on to surprise her.

Initial Specs:

Naturally aspirated '97 EJ25 short block
'99 heads, EJ251 pistons, and STI Felpro head gasket (bumps the compression to around 10:1)
Stainless UEL headers and y-pipe currently dumping mid-chassis
JDM projector headlamps (quad-beam)
Obligatory Hella supertone horns
All black leather cow interior with high-line trim and heated seats
160,000 miles on a clean, straight chassis

She wants a sporty, street-biased cruiser that’s not afraid of a little dirt to reach the occasional campsite, so some choices will probably seem odd or even conflicted. Stock ride height and stiff springs, skid plates with performance street tires, strut tower braces without coilovers and the like. She wants to be car culture, but lacks the patience for the research, so I told her I’d help if she turned the wrenches.

Brian · June 21, 2020, 6:39pm

Nice! I didn’t even know you had this one in the fleet.

Like the frankenmod plans, too.

ChazzLayne · March 30, 2021, 6:19am

As usual, by the time I get around to catching up on updates, things change completely. The WIP and tasks already done are still valid so I’ll carry on with the build thread as planned, but the mission has creeped so far that we’re headed in an entirely different direction now. Rather, I’m headed in an entirely different direction, as she’s decided she’s done with driving (outside of her 3.5 mile commute) and it’s “my” car now.

My take on it, and the primary reason for abandoning the Forester project, the Outback platform is better—at everything. It’s shorter and wider while maintaining roughly the same ground clearance (with aftermarket springs) so it handles better. It’s longer so there’s more cargo space. It’s roomier, more refined, quieter (inside), and has considerably more model-year-crossover and aftermarket (and junkyard) options. Where a Foz bounces awkwardly and spins out, an Outback glides and drifts predictably. It makes sense: within Subaru’s models the Legacy/Outback platform was their top-line offering, while the Forester was a just a tall Impreza (and treated internally like a step child).

So, long story short it’ll be replacing the Forester for light duty photo support, quick day trips, and occasional overnight camping trips. Charging and convenience improvements, lights, better sound, dash swap, and likely a transmission/gears/LSD rear diff swap are in store for the future (I have a 4EAT SportShift transmission, matching 4.11 LSD, and all the related electronics sitting in the shed). No scouting or thrashing this time, it’s not a beater.

I’m still making her turn some of the wrenches…

179,114 miles

The Up-Armored Package

With such good results from Primitive’s Full Armor package on Sir Clax-a-Lot of course I’d order up the same for Something Blue, except the lighter duty 1/8th variants with cut-outs for convenient fluid changes (and Fumoto valve for easy toolless draining). It took a wee bit of trimming and bending to get it to fit with the larger aftermarket headers, but should still be plenty of protection since we’re not flogging this chassis.

Be Cool

Of course, that better insulation and weather sealing only really works if the A/C clutch gets the signal to to make the compressor do spinny things. Easy fix since I have all the tools and parts, sure, but it’s still frustrating that they use rat bait for wiring insulation in Japan. The blending switches were sticky too, but since these are so common (there’s 8 in the junkyard right now) I just swapped in a salvaged one for $5 instead of disassembling it to clean.

Brian · March 30, 2021, 2:12pm

So it’s yours now, then. Alrighty then.

Something to be said about someone deciding to not drive anymore these days. I mean, you still need someone with a car to get you to work, but it’s an interesting trend I’m casually watching. I think my next new car purchase will be an EV. I’ll keep Fez around for the long hauls, but for around town, I don’t expect to bed the range (which will catch up soon enough).

How easily can you unload the Fox?

ChazzLayne · March 30, 2021, 9:26pm

Yeah, if they were cheaper I’d already have a tiny little EV or hybrid hot hatch for around town…some day. As you might suspect given Dani’s history with the Foz, yes, something happened to the Outback that tipped her frustration over the edge. It’s probably for the best though: when she’s on it she knows how to handle a car, but she doesn’t have the attention span or patience for more than a few minutes of driving.

I’ve already broke even on the entire Forester Debacle just from selling the drivetrain out of the red one, so at this point I’m only out the stock WRX suspension (which I can easily toss back in the box and send back to eBay), the H6 (headed to the Volvo), and the transmission goodies that’ll go into this Outback eventually. A friend is bringing out his LR3 with a fried wiring harness for me to rebuild (Chris Schafer, I think you might have met him…Mountain Rendezvous?), when he unloads it here we’re going to haul the two Foz carcasses to the scrapyard. I should get another $300-400 back just on the scrap metal value, more if they decide to take it as a “car.”

180,324 miles

Stiffy

Out with the blown squeaky leaky stock struts, in with the stiffness. I went ahead and replaced all wear items and bearings with new parts, and cleaned up then repainted the rest. I’m so glad I took the time to build the rolling workbench last year and get my vise reinstalled.

One thing I do like better about the Forester, the brake line brackets on the struts have an open end so you can just slip out the brake lines when replacing the struts. For whatever reason the brackets are closed on all(?) the other platforms, but that’s easily remedied with a grinder…every time you replace the struts.

Kings and KYB GR/2s are the universally accepted go-to for a dirt-dwelling Subaru’s suspension for good reason, the perfect balance between on-road handling and off-road comfort. This set is “stock” height since they were ordered before our situation changed, next time around I’ll be going with a 1" or 2" lift (I might add 1" spacers before then).

Sticky

I gave Yokohama one last chance to live up to the hype with their newest “better” Geolandar, and they failed. Tread life is absolutely horrid, just as it’s been on our Forester, and despite perfect alignment they wore very unevenly. Fortunately Michelin released a new 3PMSF (3 peak mountain snowflake aka extreme winter duty) rated all season tire imbued with a strange magical silica compound they discovered in some tunnel in Khazad-dûm. A full year and all four seasons later I’m stoked on both their treadwear and their snow/ice grip. They held up great on the rough road to Fossil Creek too.

Brian · April 1, 2021, 4:14pm

Looking real good, dude! I hope you get maximum value for the Fozzies.

And yeah, I remember, Chris. Tell him I said 'Sup.

I’m surprised by the GR/2s. I had a set of those once on my lowered Talon. I seem to recall them being the most basic strut KYB offered. Tougher than stock, sure, but you’ve had good results with them on punishing terrain?

ChazzLayne · April 1, 2021, 6:17pm

Yep, very good. They seem to be valved just about right for Subaru-speed over rocks and washboard. AFAIK, KYB only has two lines that fit (Excel-G and GR/2), both basic budget options…they just make a solid product.

Brian · April 1, 2021, 10:40pm

That’s good to know. Thanks for the head’s up!