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The BattleWagon -- Mud's Outback

154672 Views 761 Replies 62 Participants Last post by  abacall, 
MudRunner
12
On the road again... lifted, loud, and angrier than ever.

Car: MY'00 Outback (Base) 4EAT w/premium sound + Rear limited-slip differential (oddball option on the car)
Purchase Date: 8/14/2000
Purchase Location: Bremerton, WA
Mileage: 176,000, and counting (updated 1/5/12)

Mods: Updated 1/5/12

**Engine and Trans**
-Full 3" intake setup w/torque box mod, snorkel coming soon
-Borla replica UEL header, ported/polished
-Gutted stock catpipe
-Custom stainless 2.25" catback tucked into trans tunnel, glasspack muffler
-Painted stock intake mani wrinkle black
-Valve covers and injector guards shot in gloss black
-Ported/Gasket matched intake manifold
-Gasket matched and shaved heads (higher C/R)
-Gates Racing Timing Belt
-FelPro PermaTorque MLS head gaskets
-NGK Iridium Plugs
-Injectors cleaned, tested to new condition
-STI GroupN engine mounts
-Fully rebuilt 4EAT w/mods
-Centre diff lock switch
-Radiator fan shutoff switch (coming w/snorkel)
-Prosport Oil Pressure Gauge
-Prosport Oil Temperature Gauge
-Prosport Water Temperature Gauge
-Scangauge II displaying TPS, Water Temp, IAT, and Bat. Voltage
-Air conditioning delete (including condenser, etc)
-Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 engine oil
-Wix 51365 Oil Filter
-Subaru ATF-HP auto trans fluid
-Subaru OEM 4EAT filter

**Suspension and Rolling Stock**
-KYB GR-2 Struts
-Subaru OEM Subaru Baja front springs and Subtle Solutions spacers (+2" lift)
-RalliTEK Heavy Duty Rear Springs (+2" lift)
-Custom Alignment
-Axxis Ultimate Ceramic brake pads
-225-60-16 General Alitmax HP's on stock 10-spoke alloys
-Full size spare, roof mounted

**Interior/Exterior and lighting**
-MY'04 FXT 4EAT leather shift knob
-Pioneer DEH-P6000UB Head Unit
-Custom single DIN toggle switch panel
-RoadBlockR sound deadening in the hatch
-All weather front floor mats
-Subaru A/W rear floor mats
-Custom aluminum front skid plate
-Thule crossbars
-cheap Swagman bike rack
-DRL delete + GE Tungsram Selective Yellow H1 lowbeams
-Trailer hitch + various balls/hooks for towing/offroading
-Front tow hook cover removed, hook painted red


TABLE OF CONTENTS:


-The story, and the first detail job (You are HERE *big red dot*)

-Hawkeye WRX rim's (just a photoshop...)

-'04 FXT 4EAT Leather Shift Knob

-Comparison with '09 Outback, and Foglight rockguards removed

-Mystery box arrives, and what's inside

-HomeDepot hybrid CAI (for MAP Subbies)

-First pic with the new suspension setup, I say good-bye to the car for a few months

-Adding some more parts to the MOD box!

-I'm not a parts-whore... I swear...

-It's BACK!

-Permatex Headlight Restoration

-Custom Lightbar installed

-'07 FSXT 6CD Changer

-Borla Replica header installed

-Link to my Hella wiring mess, and Bbottomley's helpful expertise

-Just some more pics!

-Magnaflow muffler painted, ready for catback install!

-Soundclip of new stainless catback

-Got some SNOW!

-RoadBlockR Sound Deadening

- Protection for the dangly bits...

-Bad news :(

-Axxis Ultimate Ceramic brake pads

-eBay Swagman Bike Rack installed

-Trip to Paris Landing State Park, BattleWagon turns 150k miles young

-Spring Cleaning, and undercoating! :smile:

-Finished up the Pioneer install, painted my shifter surround

-Got tint!

-Subtle Solutions front lift installed

-Couple pics from the alignment shop

-Ordered the new engine

-Scangauge II installed

-Starting the engine replacement!

-Finished pics!

-Murphy's law... I get torque bind and a failed transmission clutch pack, as well as a new throttle position sensor.

-The TuRD... my transportation while the Scooby is in the shop!

-All fixed up, showing off the new shoes!

-A loose wire leads to another trip to a different dealer, and a tow truck along the way.

-GE Tungsram Gold (Selective-Yellow) Low Beam Bulbs

- DIY Intake V2... 3 inch, modded airbox!

- Painted my 'new' spare set of wheels.








[story snipped to save space... shoot me PM for details... lol)



First mod... resonator deletes! Eventually I will get a different tube to replace the piece between the scoop and the airbox, but for now, it adds a little more growl. I neatly sealed off the holes with electrical tape. Ghetto-tastic.

Before:


After:



Next, I removed the silly piece of plastic that Subaru put in front of the intake scoop to deflect air away from it.





Now, for my first appearance mod. This may not seem like a mod, but it certainly made a difference in the way the car looks. The paint's clearcoat was contaminated with all sorts of stuff, from old wax buildup to waterspots to ground in road grime, you name it. It gave the car an odd grey-ish tint. :huh:

Today I was determined to remove the aforementioned 'tint', and make her shine again.

First step was removing the bug deflector, and doing a two-bucket wash. Here's what it looked like after that:


Then, I claybarred the entire car. The clay took out most of the surface stuff that was left behind, but the paint still felt rough to the touch. So I broke out the Griot's/Porter Cable buffer and Meguiar's Swirl X for a test spot. Here's a pic of the spot:


After verifying that the method worked, I started working my way across the hood. Here you can see that the right edge of the hood is whiter than the rest. :icon_razz: I love seeing progress being made.


After that, I added a coat of Meguiars Gold Class wax for protection. I'll follow up with another coat of NXT 2.0 Tech Wax once I get some at the store later. Then I moved on to the interior... sorry, no before pics, just an after:


I <3 big gauges...


After pics of the exterior (total time invested: 12 hours):










More to come, I have some fun stuff in mind. :biggrin:
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MudRunner
2.5x_sleeper said:
I'm glad you got your muffler! :cool:

Did you use Rust Oleum BBQ black paint? If so, did you get the regular or the ultra? I believe either one will change a bit as it gets hot & cures. :wink:

Pictures! Where are the pictures! No MOD is complete without the pictures! :confused:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
Click to expand...

The Ultra, it appears! I guess that would explain the difference. Didn't realize that I got that instead of the regular... it was all I saw.

Anywho, since we all like pics: :biggrin:
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2.5x_sleeper
^^ Looking good! Ultra has to be better! :wink: I haven't see that at my Home Depot yet, but if I do, I'll have to give it a try. :cool:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
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MudRunner
2
Got the catback installed!

Got it done this morning. Sounds very nice, and deep, but everyone else in the family does not seem to like it. :icon_frown: They don't quite get why one would 'ruin' such a perfectly nice station wagon. I'm going to get some Dynamat for the trunk to quell the complaints of the passengers. Doesn't drone, but it's a little too loud for them, I guess. :N_poke: It's quieter than my pickup by far, so I just don't get why they're complaining... they never complained about it when the truck had a straight pipe. :lol:

Anywho, I'll get a vid up later. Here are a couple pics to tide you over... still need to paint the pipe and welds. The tip looks sort of odd from underneath, but I like it from a regular point of view. Just getting used to it, I guess.


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2.5x_sleeper
Very nice, looking good! :cool:

I suspect it is a bit louder, since you opted to delete the resonator. Our '03X has a full custom Magnaflow exhaust, including an aftermarket resonator. My '07 has an axle back Magnaflow, with the stock resonator. While it's louder than the stock (love it!), it not as loud as the '03X with the aftermarket resonator. Both systems have a very nice sound, not raspy, deep & mellow. :biggrin:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
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MudRunner
2.5x_sleeper said:
Very nice, looking good! :cool:

I suspect it is a bit louder, since you opted to delete the resonator. Our '03X has a full custom Magnaflow exhaust, including an aftermarket resonator. My '07 has an axle back Magnaflow, with the stock resonator. While it's louder than the stock (love it!), it not as loud as the '03X with the aftermarket resonator. Both systems have a very nice sound, not raspy, deep & mellow. :biggrin:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's not so much the loudness that bothers them, it's the deepness.

Think Dynamat could help that? I'm looking at the extreme bulk pack (9 sheets). Would probably cover the trunk floor/sides, hatch, and underneath the back seat.

When I stand outside, it's really not that much louder than the stock Forester exhaust. It's just deeper.
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2.5x_sleeper
One thing I've noticed on our Foresters. If the cargo area privacy cover or shade isn't used, the exhaust sound inside is more noticeable . Do you have one on the Outback, if so, do you use it? :confused:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
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MudRunner
I haven't tried it with the shade closed, though normally I do use the shade. That might help a little.
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ScoobyDoobie
Nice job, and a great deal for a custom CBE!
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MudRunner
ScoobyDoobie said:
Nice job, and a great deal for a custom CBE!
Click to expand...
Thanks! Yeah, it was certainly a steal. He did a nice job too! Smooth, even bends, and clean welds. I wish it were tucked slightly tighter, but I can't complain!

EDIT, new clip:

http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x159/737LUVR/?action=view&current=IMG_0043.mp4
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2.5x_sleeper
That sounds great! Very mellow, but it can roar! :cool: I suspect it's just the difference & your family will get use to the new sound. :wink:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
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Smash81
Oooo, I really like the sound. It's a nice, neat look too.
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MudRunner
4
Trip to the Post Office...

Last night we received about 2" of snow, and it is still coming down! Not much compared to other places I've lived, but it sure is nice. :biggrin:

I needed to run to the PO to drop off a letter for somebody, so I hopped in the BattleWagon, and headed down there. Snapped a few pics for your enjoyment. lol

The Potenza G009's did okay on the slush in town, but on the snow, they weren't so great. Made for some fun driving though. :raspberry:






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2.5x_sleeper
Not much snow, but it looks "COLD"! :icon_eek:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
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neoshi
Nice! No rasp that I can hear.. that's the big prob with out NAs and aftermarket catbacks w/ no reso. :\
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Justforfun
Love the exhaust, and hadn't realized how good your outback looks with the lift until you posted those pics! love it! Get on facebook, we have things to discuss...
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MudRunner
2.5x_sleeper said:
Not much snow, but it looks "COLD"! :icon_eek:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's pretty chilly. Not as cold as the past couple days though. :smile:


neoshi said:
Nice! No rasp that I can hear.. that's the big prob with out NAs and aftermarket catbacks w/ no reso. :\
Click to expand...
DEFINITELY no rasp. This is the opposite of rasp. :lol: I think the Magnaflow was a very good choice... I just need to tone down the resonance in the hatch.

Justforfun said:
Love the exhaust, and hadn't realized how good your outback looks with the lift until you posted those pics! love it! Get on facebook, we have things to discuss...
Click to expand...
Sent ya a message!
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MudRunner
2
Installed my RoadBlockR sound deadening insulation and Poly-Fil stuffing! You can read my review of the products here: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f94/roadblockr-like-dynamat-but-moarcheapr-66710/#post739673

Here are before/after pics. You can see the Poly-Fil around the edges.


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2.5x_sleeper
How was the RoadBlockR to work with in the cold? :confused:

Have you taken it out for a test drive yet? I'd be interested on the amount of sound/noise reduction. :smile:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
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MudRunner
2.5x_sleeper said:
How was the RoadBlockR to work with in the cold? :confused:

Have you taken it out for a test drive yet? I'd be interested on the amount of sound/noise reduction. :smile:

Bobby...

My MODding Journal
Click to expand...
Not bad at all, actually. It was about 38F outside when I did it, so I just used a hairdryer to heat up one place in the middle of the spare tire well where it wasn't wanting to flex enough. I used the hairdryer more to warm up the plastic trim clips before removal more than anything else. :lol: If you're thinking about doing it, give it a shot! Just be sure to wear some fabric gardening gloves to keep from slicing your hands up on the edges of the material.

As for the difference, it's quite noticeable. I describe it in detail in the review post here :wink: : http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f94/roadblockr-like-dynamat-but-moarcheapr-66710/#post739673
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Tuned200
Zach, nice work buddy. I hope to one day do this.
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