Soda Popinski's 290/305 VF-52 rebourn 2008 Legacy GT - Just when I thought I was out.

[Soda Popinski]

So there I was, face to face with the Diamond Grey Metallic 08 WRX sedan I'd been eyeballing for a month. Visions of epic road runs, scantly clad women in my back seat and me working under the car ran through my head. But the interior was just so... high school. Here I was, just turned 31 and I was looking at another cloth-n-plastic car. I wanted something more.

I walked around the parking lot, whilst playing cat-and-mouse with a 4'9" car salesman named Don, who looked like he could have played an extra from the movie "Field of Dreams," felt hat and all. Anyway, I came across the newly designed WRX STi. Liked the interior; the outside, not so much. The car looked more to me like a 'look at me, I'm not a Focus or GTI' Focus or GTI. Not many choices for the car, and my insurance agent's eyes turned into cartoon dollar signs when I inquired about it on my Blackberry.

It was then that I backed right into it. No, not into the STi. I literally walked backwards to get a wider view of the STi, when I backed into this modest, demure 2008 Legacy. As I stumbled backwards like a newborn deer, I looked over my shoulder in slow motion, and in true BayWatch style (without the Hof), I saw the golden evening sun twinkle and glisten off the Quartz Silver Metallic paint in just the right places. I swear I heard the wind howl over the contours of the car and the words 'take me...' seemed to whisper to me from the hood scoop. And then that creepy ass sales man put his hand on my shoulder. (Insert record player scratch here).

"She's a beauty, huh?" The little man grunted as he mustered up his strength to compensate for his vertical challenge.

"I didn't see this... or you..." I retorted in a gruff quip as the sounds of the daily traffic slowly rolled into my head. "What kind of car is this?" The same six words I constantly hear from countless admirers even to this day.

"This is an oh eight Legacy GT. I saw you looking at the REX before. What are you looking for?"

That was a good question. What exactly was I looking for? My mind suddenly clouded. "Oh, no!" I thought. What was I here for again? Gas? Food? A car? Yes, yes. A car! That's right. I blurted out "I want a car that has some balls for a change."

The old man seemed to glow with warmth that he probably hadn't felt in 10 years.

"Atta-boy! I like your attitude..."

"Well the WRX is nice but you seem like the kind of guy who wants something with a little more look than just your average car."

I nodded. He continued.

"Let me get the keys for both of these cars. We'll take the REX out first."

After a spirited test drive, I pulled the WRX back into the parking lot. I couldn't help but look at the supple lines and body of the Legacy staring back at me. I looked over, and then down at the short man and demanded a second test drive in the Leggy.

His weathered lips seemed to quivver and draw into a wry smile. "I thought you'd say that."

So I reached out for the driver's door and pulled it towards me. I swear dry ice poured over the door sill and into the parking lot. My body no longer responding to my free will, I found myself sliding into the buttery black leather seat and the smell of new car saturated my nostrils. My heart began to palpiate. My right hand gripped the steering wheel. I swung my legs in and as the door shut, the rush of the outside world swished to a loud silence as the door clicked into place.

This morning I opened my eyes. "Time to drive to work!" I excaimed, as my dog looked at me with his head tilted at a 45 degree angle. I hopped out of bed, jumped into the shower and brushed my teeth. I was excited. Not about work, but because I had to drive to work. I love driving, and I love my car. And sometimes, before I get out of my car after work... I sit at the end of my driveway, engine growling, car poised... and wonder what these last 6 months would have been like with another car.

I sigh, and shake my head every time... I laugh to myself and smile; knowing that everything is gonna be all right.

[Soda Popinski]

reserved for stock pictures

[Soda Popinski]

reserved for stock to stage 2 install notes and pics

[Soda Popinski]

reserved for stage 2.5 pics and updates

[Soda Popinski]

-= STi Adjustable Lateral Links =-

Not too exciting of an install. This went relatively quick, about 20 minutes for each side.

On the Legacy, the rear lateral links (or as the parts book calls them, the rear front links... eh? ) are not adjustable. They are simple stamped, rubber bushing capped dog-bone shaped bars that keep the camber at a relative 0. Well, maybe there's a little more to that to prevent road crowning from walking your car off the highway.

I wanted a nice, modest -1 degree camber all around the car. The fronts can handle it, the OEM rears, not so much.

You start by jacking the car up in the rear (chok the fronts) and take the tires off. Behind the wheel hub is a 17mm bolt and nut that comes in right underneith the entire setup. The other end is about 14" towards the gas tank. Both nuts are put on with 83 foot pounds of torque. Take them off, use a block of wood and a hammer to knock the bolts out. The bolt heads go towards the front of the car, the nut sits on the rear side of the bar (both sides).

Take the old rear front link out and then slide the new rear front link in.

For bonus fun, you can clean the old rear front link and give it to someone else as a gift and then they would have a new old rear front link.

Put the tires back on unless you are going out for a Sunday drag... and drive over to the dealership or a garrage to get an alignment of your choice. I recommend -1 camber in the rear and anywhere from -0.8 to -1.0 camber in the fronts.

-= STi Performance Gauge Pack =-

The idea of this made me take notice the day I bought the car. I was waiting for the creepy assed salesman to get back with a number I would ultimately reject and send him running back to his sales manager again. This left me time to read those pamphlets that no one else ever reads unless they are stuck in the waiting room for their car.

Performance upgrades for the Subaru Legacy GT. STi Performance Gauge Pack. Interesting. Dealership wanted a cool $775 for it, not counting install, which was booked at 2.25 hours @ 89 per hour. Frak that. I did the install by myself without a metal fish tape in just about 4 hours, +/- 3 hours. OK I suck, it took me 6 hours. But it's done, clean and I only paid about 600 for the gauges.

"ouch?" you say? Performance gauges can cost you several hundred bucks EACH. This is a deal at 200 each with all the hardware, harnesses wires and instructions to boot. Plus it looks OEM/Stock. Made by Defi and responds to the interior dimmer switch.

Install required me to remove the intercooler and BOV... splice into the line attached to the BOV and install a turbo pressure sensor. I then had to remove the oil filter and quickly install a 1" spacer underneith the oil filter for the Oil Pressure and Oil Temp sensors. After running the wires cleanly around the engine compartment (I must have used about 20 cable ties)... I got to the next step that was the proverbial 10% of the project that took up 90% of the time. Fishing the 3 wires as a bundle through the firewall.

HOLY CRAP CAKES BATMAN. I had to resort to the old coathanger trick to get the wires inside. The gromet was tiny! It was tighter than a virgin on prom night and behind it was an impervious wall of high temp plastic, sharp-as-hell stamped aluminum and steel and other random wires. It took me 3 hours alone and 2 beer breaks to get all the wires inside... and then realized that they only left me enough wire to REACH the gauge. There was ZERO room for error.

As I packed the tools up and scrubbed my hands down with DL... I smiled to myself because I just saved about 400 bucks NOT going to the dealership. And then I remembered that my car insurance was due so atleast I broke even.

Here's the uninstalled gauge pod without the bezel:



And here's what the unit looks like under normal driving (vid)

[OMGz Turbo]

best thread yet...lol its like christmas story without the christmas...

[pearl]

Originally Posted by OMGz Turbo

best thread yet...lol its like christmas story without the christmas...

so these mods are happening... when?

[OMGz Turbo]

Originally Posted by pearl

so these mods are happening... when?

2 years...give or take

[pearl]

tst will implode itself by then.

[Soda Popinski]

My car is already stage 2.5 LOL I'm back filling. I have pics and notes I just have to put it in. haha

[Soda Popinski]

WTFBBQ. The entire install sails along then BAM. I'm supposed to fish the wires through the firewall, but there's no f-n way to get at the wires from the interior, and the directions location isn't reachable with my fingers. I'm currently trying the coathanger method.

Camera battery died half way through the video walkthrough

Pics tonight after I'm done, if I'm done. I DONT want to take the dash apart.

[OBEEWON]

Love the literary skillage!!

Oh man, why can't everyone TALK like that?

[Soda Popinski]

I love writing. Twas my favey in college.

So the gauge pack is in! YAY. Wish the red needle was a little more red and brighter, but none-the-less I am happy.

I promise to get pix and vids up ASAP.

[Papa Smurf]

nice story

[Soda Popinski]

Updated STi gauge pack install.

[Soda Popinski]

Got a foot in the door for an awesome set of 4 RallyArmor Mud Guards. Choose the black guards with grey letters screened on it. These are adjustable flaps that you can change how far they stick out the side of the car. Could come in handy. I don't want them sticking too far out.

I figured it's a nice, subtle addon for the car, plus the rear bumper can gain some protection against debris that get kicked up whilst doing 100 down crappy roads.



Now for some snow tires and I'll be all set for the winter. I'm not sure what the best kind are now adays. I remembered the Blizzak tires... but aparently those are overpriced hydrolific sinkholes. If anyone has any suggestions I'm open to hear them...

Oh yeah. I guess I'll have to pick up some beater rims as well... There goes a nice chunk of change! Gotta love it!

[Soda Popinski]

I FOUND THE GOD DAMNED RATTLE under the car. Passenger front Perrin End Link... the spherical bushings must be shot. It's connected, but you can flick it back and forth with the greatest of ease. The other 3 are perfect, this one is hosed. That sucks. I don't know if I can buy just one, or if it's under warrantee. I'll have to call Perrin later on.

[jdubs]

the legacy GTs look sooo nice, especially in pearl white

[pearl]

lol you habitual line stepper you

[Soda Popinski]

Had my first experience with the dual climate control unit overheating on a 4 hour trip. Wierd. It still worked but the interface shut down. I'll call Subaru tomorrow.