Gen 2 Outback - V4 STI conversion
Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 3:50 pmI've been lurking on these forums for quite some time now, figure it's about time I post my car.
About 6 months ago I bought this Outback from Andy Pickard in Canberra. I'd been looking for around 6 months for a single turbo Gen 2 or Gen 3 Liberty, and this came along. A big plus was, that while it was living in the ACT, it had SA rego.
Andy picked it up with a cooked 2.5 and dropped a V4 STI engine/box/diff combo in there, along with some bits out of the halfcut (brakes, swaybar, alloy arms). He also de-lifted it but it was still riding reasonably high on a combo of Liberty struts and Outback springs.
This is what she looked like when I got her:
I spent a few months chasing some suspension related gremlins. First thing I did was fit STI struts out of a GDB (2004) STI. Prior to installing I pulled them down and regreased them.
I also fitted an anti lift kit, new swaybar links, roll center / bump steer kit all out of the Whiteline catalog. I wasn't really happy with the way the car was sitting, so we slotted in some 3/8" saggy butt spacers to get her sitting level. The STI sedan struts sagged quite noticeably in the rear.
After all that, she looks more like this:
Most recently I had Billsy from RSLC fabricate a 3" turbo back exhaust, to replace the Frankenstein exhaust the car came with. To continue the sleeper theme it has a Varex muffler at the rear.
While Billsy was putting the exhaust together he also fitted some new FMIC pipework, painted black.
I also got a Turbosmart eBoost 2 in there controlling boost, mounted in the glovebox. I've got two set points - 10psi and 16psi. Tempted to get rid of the 10psi setting.
On the weekend just gone, I fitted a JDM Legacy spoiler to finish off the rear end. Nice subtle touch. Thanks go to CRUISN for sourcing that for me.
Today a new boost gauge arrived in the mail, and I'll be replacing the tired Apexi unit shortly. Just waiting on a mount... the Apexi used to live on the dash, right now it's taped next to my knee... ghetto!
Future plans (aside from the boost gauge) are to get some 2 pot action happening in the rear, and chase down a new front quarter panel, hopefully in white. I am also planning on getting a bigger rear swaybar and Liberty swaybar links.
But all in all, very enjoyable car. Nobody takes much notice of it when I'm driving around, especially while the Varex is closed. Open up the throttle... different story.
Specs:
Gen 2 (1998) Outback
Electric windows, 2 sunroofs, faux woodgrain interior, climate control, etc
V4 STI Engine, 5spd Gearbox, 4.11 Diff
3" Turbo Back Exhaust, Varex Rear Muffler
600 x 300 x 76 FMIC, Billsy-spec cooler pipework
Eboost2 Controller (10psi / 16psi)
04ish Liberty 17's
4 Pot Fronts
De-lifted
GDB 04 STI Struts, Black Springs
3/8" Saggy Butt Spacers
Alloy control arms
Whiteline HD Front Swaybar Links
Whiteline Anti - Lift Kit
Whiteline Roll Center / Bump Steer Kit
Sweet roof racks
About 6 months ago I bought this Outback from Andy Pickard in Canberra. I'd been looking for around 6 months for a single turbo Gen 2 or Gen 3 Liberty, and this came along. A big plus was, that while it was living in the ACT, it had SA rego.
Andy picked it up with a cooked 2.5 and dropped a V4 STI engine/box/diff combo in there, along with some bits out of the halfcut (brakes, swaybar, alloy arms). He also de-lifted it but it was still riding reasonably high on a combo of Liberty struts and Outback springs.
This is what she looked like when I got her:
I spent a few months chasing some suspension related gremlins. First thing I did was fit STI struts out of a GDB (2004) STI. Prior to installing I pulled them down and regreased them.
I also fitted an anti lift kit, new swaybar links, roll center / bump steer kit all out of the Whiteline catalog. I wasn't really happy with the way the car was sitting, so we slotted in some 3/8" saggy butt spacers to get her sitting level. The STI sedan struts sagged quite noticeably in the rear.
After all that, she looks more like this:
Most recently I had Billsy from RSLC fabricate a 3" turbo back exhaust, to replace the Frankenstein exhaust the car came with. To continue the sleeper theme it has a Varex muffler at the rear.
While Billsy was putting the exhaust together he also fitted some new FMIC pipework, painted black.
I also got a Turbosmart eBoost 2 in there controlling boost, mounted in the glovebox. I've got two set points - 10psi and 16psi. Tempted to get rid of the 10psi setting.
On the weekend just gone, I fitted a JDM Legacy spoiler to finish off the rear end. Nice subtle touch. Thanks go to CRUISN for sourcing that for me.
Today a new boost gauge arrived in the mail, and I'll be replacing the tired Apexi unit shortly. Just waiting on a mount... the Apexi used to live on the dash, right now it's taped next to my knee... ghetto!
Future plans (aside from the boost gauge) are to get some 2 pot action happening in the rear, and chase down a new front quarter panel, hopefully in white. I am also planning on getting a bigger rear swaybar and Liberty swaybar links.
But all in all, very enjoyable car. Nobody takes much notice of it when I'm driving around, especially while the Varex is closed. Open up the throttle... different story.
Specs:
Gen 2 (1998) Outback
Electric windows, 2 sunroofs, faux woodgrain interior, climate control, etc
V4 STI Engine, 5spd Gearbox, 4.11 Diff
3" Turbo Back Exhaust, Varex Rear Muffler
600 x 300 x 76 FMIC, Billsy-spec cooler pipework
Eboost2 Controller (10psi / 16psi)
04ish Liberty 17's
4 Pot Fronts
De-lifted
GDB 04 STI Struts, Black Springs
3/8" Saggy Butt Spacers
Alloy control arms
Whiteline HD Front Swaybar Links
Whiteline Anti - Lift Kit
Whiteline Roll Center / Bump Steer Kit
Sweet roof racks
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