[ScoobyDoobie]

Well, my sister isn't so much into modding cars, but her big brother is :biggrin: She has a 2004 Impreza Outback Sport that she expressed interest in "improving". I have done a few little things to it here and there and have some more things planned. Not enough things to warrant a member's journal (it would be my 3rd :icon_rolleyes though, so here I am.

First a few pictures of it:

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

My sister loves music, and her stock system was really lacking (speakers blown, stock HU acting up) so last April, for her birthday, I bought her a Kenwood KDC-X493 receiver and Kicker speakers for the 4 doors. (Thread here: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f77/need-help-finding-front-speakers-04-obs-51816/). This made a world of difference is sound quality.

Doors and dash taken apart:

The receiver went in fine, the door speakers OTOH are still ghetto-rigged into place right now. I do have a set of sea-scooby's speaker spacers to go in when I get the chance though.

 

[max6spd]

I like the peanut eye Imprezas. I think they make perfect station/commuter cars.

Dude, she needs some upholstery cleaning though. :biggrin:

 

[Duderotomy]

Not bad... my sister has an '06 Impreza Wagon too. I've been tempted to get her a set of the 04-05 tail lights though since the chrome looks out of place on her San Remo Red wagon...

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

I like the peanut eye Imprezas. I think they make perfect station/commuter cars.

Dude, she needs some upholstery cleaning though. :biggrin:

I agree. And she has since had the interior professionally detailed :biggrin:

Not bad... my sister has an '06 Impreza Wagon too. I've been tempted to get her a set of the 04-05 tail lights though since the chrome looks out of place on her San Remo Red wagon...

I like the "JDM" look of just red/clear like the 04-05s have. Reminds me of the JDM tails I had on my SF. I've been trying to convince her to let me de-badge her trunk and take off her bumper stickers, but she's not having it .

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

So yesterday I was in the garage going through some parts when I realized I have 3 AT knobs. The black delrin one in my LGT, the MOMO knob, and the OEM LGT knob. Sat in the car with my sister and attached the OEM LGT knob and the MOMO and let her pick which one she liked better. She chose the MOMO. Good thing, because I was going to sell it if she didn't pick it :biggrin:. Looks a lot better than her stock knob, which is the same crappy black one that the 4EAT SG got (and pictured above in post 2). Here's a couple quick pics of the knob and the receiver.

Her latest request is something I should have some fun with. She says the car has been feeling less peppy lately and wants me to improve on it "without making it loud like your legacy and forester" :lol: Well as some of you know, I am no stranger to modding an n/a subaru so I am looking forward to getting a little more power out of her OBS. I've got a few ideas up my sleeve... :evilatyou:

 

[Tuned200]

Nice. I would rock it as a DD! We now have 4 subies in out family, our 2, my younger bro bought a new 2009 imprezza and my mom/dad bought a 2010 imprezza this past weekend.

 

[sirwilliam]

Good on you for takin' care of your sis!:biggrin:

I installed the same HU in my parents' miata and they love it:icon_biggrin:

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

Nice. I would rock it as a DD! We now have 4 subies in out family, our 2, my younger bro bought a new 2009 imprezza and my mom/dad bought a 2010 imprezza this past weekend.

Subies are addicting man! I'm on my 3rd one and will likely be driving them all my life. Maybe back in a forester one day! :biggrin:

Good on you for takin' care of your sis!:biggrin:

I installed the same HU in my parents' miata and they love it:icon_biggrin:

Thanks! They say "stay stock, stay happy" but damn, stock gets boring after a while!

It is a nice head unit. The system sounds way better than the stock stereo. If I ran a 4 channel amp to the door speakers and a small sub in the back, the OBS would really be rocking! :rock:

 

[tomeye]

Nice work!
Managed to talk my Dad into a Forester,still working on little sis!
First Impreza outback i have seen too,cant get it in blighty,nice looking car.

 

[Tuned200]

Subies are addicting man! I'm on my 3rd one and will likely be driving them all my life. Maybe back in a forester one day! :biggrin:

We are thinking about picking up a 2001 forester so that will make 3 for us.

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

Nice work!
Managed to talk my Dad into a Forester,still working on little sis!
First Impreza outback i have seen too,cant get it in blighty,nice looking car.

Thanks!

We are thinking about picking up a 2001 forester so that will make 3 for us.

Nice! If I would have kept the SF, I would have changed direction and given it the off road treatment (lift, big tires, skid plates, etc.). It would be great to have that for offroading/camping trips and the stage 2+ LGT for on-road fun.

Bought an early B-day present earlier for the OBS as well. Should be here next week..

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

A couple Saturdays ago, installed a set of sea-scooby speaker spacers in the front doors. To my surprise, the ghetto rigged styrofoam spacers we had made as a temporary fix were still holding up well! :icon_eek:. Cleaned off the speaker wires, put some new electrical tape over the connections and installed the spacers. sea-scooby's spacers are awesome and exactly what I needed to get a nice snug fit for the front speakers. Seems to sound better too since the door speaker is totally sealed off now.

I took some pics with my awesome 2MP cell phone cam, but alltel is acting up and I can't seem to pull them off axcessmypix. Will update with pics once I figure out whats going on.. *EDIT Here they are:

Also am in the middle of installing something else on it right now, but am waiting for my friend to bring his dremel so I can get it to fit just right.... :evilatyou:

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

Added a CAI to the car earlier. Was wanting a GanzFlow since I had heard good things about them. Wanted to put one on my forester, but at the time there wasn't a version available that worked with my 99' MAF based SF.

Did a little research and found this thread on RS25.com: $30 Dollar Ganzflow style eBay intake - Subaru Impreza GC8 & RS Forum & Community: RS25.com

Ebay intake for a 94-97 Honda Accord. Basically the same thing as a GanzFlow, just costs $30 shipped v.s. $157 shipped for a "real" GanzFlow. You don't use the cone filter, just the silicone coupler, clamps, and intake pipe. I plugged the unused vacuum hole with electrical tape until I pick up a cap for it from autozone. Also cut off an inch or so at the end of the pipe that goes in the fender with a hacksaw for better fitment.

Dirty EJ25- been a while since I worked on one of these:

stock intake out (very easy on these MAP based subys):

old v.s. new:

I cut the unused vacuum hose and used it to line the hole in the fender where the pipe goes. Should prevent nasty metal on metal vibrations/rattling and help seal it off a bit better.

installed:

Butt dyno didn't really notice any improvement, maybe a little harder pull above 4K RPMS at WOT. Then again I rarely drive the car. But I can say the effects of adding an Injen CAI to my 99' MAF intake SF were a lot more immediately noticeable. I also did not reset the ECU so it may take a bit of time for it to adjust.

It sounds pretty good. Very subtle, sounds stock until you get on it, and even then its not all that loud. Just a slight growl coming from the engine bay.

Thinking now of opening up the exhaust a little bit without making it loud. Maybe a stock WRX catback?

 

[fourortwowheels]

next mod, clean that engine bay!

 

[MudRunner]

Her IM is black? That's odd.

I'd thought about doing mine in crinkle black, but now that I've seen that... Imma pass.

The intake looks nice! Something I did with mine is 'port' the airbox inlet (I.E. Taking a dremel and smoothing out the entrance, and making things as big as I could). Seemed to make a little difference. I might get one of those hondah intakes to replace my ghetto PVC setup. :biggrin:

 

[BlueRidgeGrl]

What a nice big brother!!! I used to do the oil changes on my big brothers truck. =/ Thats a bit assbackwards... lol

Looks good!

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

next mod, clean that engine bay!

:lol: Yeah, could certainly use it :icon_eek:

Her IM is black? That's odd.

I'd thought about doing mine in crinkle black, but now that I've seen that... Imma pass.

The intake looks nice! Something I did with mine is 'port' the airbox inlet (I.E. Taking a dremel and smoothing out the entrance, and making things as big as I could). Seemed to make a little difference. I might get one of those hondah intakes to replace my ghetto PVC setup. :biggrin:

thanks! Yeah any 00'-04' MAP based forester should be able to run this cheap Ganzflow stlye intake, no prob

What a nice big brother!!! I used to do the oil changes on my big brothers truck. =/ Thats a bit assbackwards... lol

Looks good!

Thanks! Yeah that is assbackwards.. I do change the oil on her car as well.

 

[MudRunner]

Lol, okay, so I just read that the black manifold is actually plastic. Interesting! Supposedly flows better too?

 

[ScoobyDoobie]

Lol, okay, so I just read that the black manifold is actually plastic. Interesting! Supposedly flows better too?

So they say. Supposed the the plastic IM stays cooler as well. The manifold on my LGT is the same style, black and plastic.