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The BattleWagon -- Mud's Outback

154685 Views 761 Replies 62 Participants Last post by  abacall
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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It sound like you're going to have the Outback a long time, with all the plans you have in mind for it! :cool:

Try to get a before & after picture so we can see the difference the front spacer makes. :wink:

Bobby...

'07 FSXT MODding Journal
'03 X MODding Journal
It sound like you're going to have the Outback a long time, with all the plans you have in mind for it! :cool:

Try to get a before & after picture so we can see the difference the front spacer makes. :wink:

Bobby...

'07 FSXT MODding Journal
'03 X MODding Journal
lol! I'll be buried in it. :biggrin:
lol! I'll be buried in it. :biggrin:
At my age, I figure the '07 will be my last one, unless it gets wrecked or I get tired of it. :wink:

As to being buried in it... too expensive! :lol:

Bobby...

'07 FSXT MODding Journal
'03 X MODding Journal
Finally got my radio setup sorted out!

Pioneer DEH P6000UB iPod interface head unit + DIN security pocket. Also plasti-dipped my shifter surround. :biggrin: Right now I'm banging my head against the wall for the $4.5k that was spent on maintenance on this thing alone last year, and the $~3k that will be spent this summer on the engine overhaul. I could have gotten a FXT for that + the trade in on this car before any of it happened. Thanks, dad.

ANYWHO, my rant aside, here is a pretty picture. lol

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I prefer a single DIN head unit. Looks very nice & you gained a storage pocket. :cool:

Bobby...

'07 FSXT MODding Journal
'03 X MODding Journal
The fake wood-grain trim did require some MODding to fit around the pocket, I'm not quite sure why. It worked out fine though. So far, I like the black surround too. It was the only silver painted interior piece, so I thought it looked odd. Now it matches the rest of the black interior accents. Looks sorta 'JDM' too I guess? :lol:
I totally agree with the black surround. Nice looking set up!
nice maglite
We have a 4D MagLite in every vehicle. Handy as heck, and people tend to listen when you swing them at their heads....


I totally agree with the black surround. Nice looking set up!
Thanks! Plasti-dip is a wonderful thing.
I hate wood! Nice work.
Meh, I don't really like it either, but it looks better than being all black on this car. That panel is just too big for that. I've seen them painted black before and it wasn't pretty.

The Wood/black though, gives it some sort of euro feel. Not sure how, but that's what I think when I see it.
Updated my Table of Contents and MOD list. :smile: It's getting longer! :lol:
Im so anti wood I cut all of our trees down(except for 2)
2
Found the pic I was looking for.... OEM black trim on a JDM B4. Looks okay in the gloss... I actually think gunmetal would look okay if it were clearcoated. Oh, and notice that his handbrake is in the right side of the car, like mine. I have to reach across the cupholder, so SOA obviously just cheaped out and gave us the same center console and E-brake location as the JDM cars. :lol:



Oh, and for the hell of it, here's the other thing that they cheaped out on, and we didn't get. :evilatyou:

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Go black!!!
I don't know if I'd want all black. Some contrast adds to the overall look. :wink:

Bobby...

'07 FSXT MODding Journal
'03 X MODding Journal
Imma leave it like it is for a while. lol
Oh, and for the hell of it, here's the other thing that they cheaped out on, and we didn't get. :evilatyou:

Twin Turbo. :new_multi:
Mmmmmmhmmmmm....
Even lacking the twin turbo goodness.... it does sound good.

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f167/gettin-down-outback-71324/#post789855
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