Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

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Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby mogtribe » Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:33 pm

Hi all,

Julius here from Melbourne. I found this forum last week while searching for a Liberty wagon and there seems to be a good amount of useful information here. For the last four years I've been driving a company dual cab ute (Hilux, then an Amarok). I'm about to change jobs so will lose my work car.

I distinctly remember in 2004 when the Liberty 3.0R-B came out and reading the review on it in the Saturday Age (when it was still huge). It seemed like a very appealing car - a good combination of sportiness and practicality, although I was way too poor at the time to even think about it. Fast forward 13 years and now they're much cheaper and my income is higher. Still needing a wagon for work it seemed like the logical choice for me. So anyway I just picked one up yesterday and drove it back from Sydney :)

It's a 2005 3.0R Spec-B manual wagon with 174k's on the clock. The outside is pretty reasonable. It's got a few marks and scratches, but overall not too bad. The interior is a bit rough (not to mention dirty) and the leather is peeling off the steering wheel. Mechanically it's in better shape. It's got a service history, engine oil is smooth. Clutch, gearbox bushes, spigot & thrust bearings, centre diff, front CV joints have all been replaced in the past few years. Drives really well, plenty of power and gearbox is super smooth and tight.

It's got a fairly loud exhaust which is not really my thing so I'll have to do something about that. Hopefully I can find a stock setup to put back on it.

Image

I don't have any grand plans, it's just going to be used as a daily driver & work car. I've owned a few R31 Skyline's in the past which have consumed endless hours of my life so I'm determined to keep this one running well but not turn it into a project car. The main thing I do need however is to figure out how to add bluetooth for phone and music.

Here are a few of my previous rides (all manuals)

1989 R31 Skyline Silhouette
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1989 R31 Skyline GTS2
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1997 Liberty RX Wagon
Image

Nice to meet you all!

**edit** Hopefully photo of my car works now...
mogtribe
 
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Car: MY06 3.0R Spec B Manual Wagon
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Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby HardwareBoB » Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:26 pm

Welcome! you should enjoy the h6 manual - if the exhaust is loud, easiest thing to do is to get a mid muffler added, that will cut down a lot of the noise and drone.
OTOH, should be easy enough to swap it for a stocker.
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Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby mogtribe » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:26 am

Thanks!

I have to say I'm really enjoying this car. It feels really solid and planted, well balanced, and quite comfortable despite the Bilstein suspension. The gearbox is fantastic - super tight and accurate. The previous owner had the bushes replaced which seems to make a big difference. I drove another one prior to buying this one and the shifter seriously felt like a spoon in a bowl of jelly.

Since I bought it I've installed a standard grille, polished up the headlights, replaced brake pads, rear discs machined, front wheel bearing replaced, front caster bushes replaced, new windscreen, and fitted Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres all round.

The subwoofer sounds crackly as hell so will probably replace that at some stage.

As for bluetooth I'm contemplating the Anycar Link or Grom BT3. Has anyone had experience with either? Or both?

Image
mogtribe
 
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Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby Jwb » Sun Apr 23, 2017 5:53 pm

I don't use bluetooth for calling, so I had the factory auxiliary installed in the centre console and opted for 'Anker Soundsync Drive Bluetooth Car Handsfree Receiver' with the remote mounted just behind my handbrake.
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Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby Tonic » Sun Apr 23, 2017 7:51 pm

Welcome.
Sound labs do a drop in replacement for the subwoofer.... search the forums for a link. Others upgrade to a polk slim line one...
What y'all donwith the grille? We are all trying to get a replacement mesh one! Rare as hens teeth if it the correct fit. Apparently the incorrect ones (2.5l model) has a bit of a misfit gap...
I've had my liberty for over 235,000km now and still love it.
A Kidotune .... search for it here.... will give you smoother Power deliver and knock about 1.5l off your fuel use. Well worth it.
Gearbox bushes got sloppy here too ... had one replacement.
Also watch for the drive line viscous coupling... a$1,000 repair... it will be near for those km. Clicking like a cv joint on low speed tight turns.... I discovered mine through the KFC drivethrough...
Any way enjoy ...they are a great car!
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Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby Soon2bspecb » Sun May 07, 2017 4:50 pm

Hi Julius and welcome,

I too are a new owner of a 2005 spec B auto and same colour as yours but a sedan.

I have just fitted the Clarion Anycar 1080B usb/phone integration kit.
Very very happy with it. Cost $260NZD shipped from www.aboutsound.co.nz
Easy to fit once you know what console bits clip apart etc .....
Features of this include - 8Gb max usb stick (about 1000 songs), 6 folders to play from (matching the 6 CD stacker buttons), can't random play songs but remembers what song you are up to in a folder .... but when you change folders it will start from song 1 again, Steering Wheel control all work, bluetooth and handsfree phone works ... (haven't received a call on it yet so don't know how well that works). Plays google maps through the car speakers ... cuts in as required.

I also replaced my blown standard sub with a Kenwood KFC-XW800F 8" sub woofer ($130 - $160) upon advise from my Alpine man who does a few of these. Not high end but seems a good match for the standard system. Not sure what differences are with the wagon and sedans though?

I also bought my car with the X-Force cat back system fitted. Sounds great at WOT and trailing/no throttle .... but in between typical normal cruising it is quite droany :? However, I try to drown this with the stereo .... so I can live with it !
There was a mob in Sydney that read about on this forum that did a custom system that guys were saying was pretty good. That would have been an option that I would have explored if needed!

All in all, I'm loving my new set of wheels (very low 50,000km btw)

Lindsay
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Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby mogtribe » Sun May 14, 2017 3:11 pm

Thanks guys, some useful info there.

Lindsay, 50,000 is crazy low for a 12 year old car, you've done well! Good to hear that the Anycar is working for you, it'll either be that or the Grom (I vaguely remmeber reading that Grom had better bluetooth audio quality... but can't remember where).

I'll probably just go with the cheaper Soundlabs replacement sub as I'm not upgrading my amp and overall happy with the sound.

Haha I've only now realised that everyone wants a mesh grille! It wasn't really my cup of tea so offloaded it on the classifieds section. If I'd known how much interest there would be for it I would have put a higher price on it :shock:

Viscous coupling was replaced by the previous owner so hopefully won't have any issues there.

Kido tune seems to be the thing to do as well. Do most folks get it done over email? Obviously I'd prefer to actually get the car tuned by Matt in person, but probably not that practical since I'm in Melb.
mogtribe
 
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:45 pm
Location: Melbourne
Car: MY06 3.0R Spec B Manual Wagon
Real name: Julius
Profile URL: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=34505

Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby Soon2bspecb » Sun May 14, 2017 4:48 pm

Hi Mogtribe,
Let me know here if you get the Kido tune done as interested to hear how it is done and how much better it really is ?
Lindsay
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Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby vinshonz » Sun May 14, 2017 6:24 pm

mogtribe wrote:Kido tune seems to be the thing to do as well. Do most folks get it done over email? Obviously I'd prefer to actually get the car tuned by Matt in person, but probably not that practical since I'm in Melb.


not true lol

i have been seeing Matt once a month since October from stock tune to 6 months later all my bolts on done and final tune before i decide to build a motor :D
2008 Liberty GT Tuned by STi 27 of 250 made
PnP VF52, AVO TBE into TCP-Ti Mufflers, AVO panel filter, Mishimoto TMIC, Turbosmart Kompact BOV, Kobe Silicone Intake + SFB, Kobe 340LPH pump,
Tuspeed 3Port, Exedy HD + lightened flywheel, some Whiteline bits & Corgiwerx bits, Zeitronix Flex Fuel Analyser Kit , e85/98 Flex fuel -Got it REX tuned

2007 WRX Tuned by STi 35 of 200 made
STi Spec C TMIC+ProcessWest splitter, AVO TBE, X3E Silicone Intake, APS CAI, TurboSmart Kompact, Walbro, GrimmSpeed 3 Port, DEFI gauges
TD05-18G 198.5kw on RTRs Dyno - SOLD
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Re: Hello from Melbourne - New 3.0R Spec B Owner :)

Postby JohariAhmad » Mon Oct 09, 2017 12:30 pm

Nice car u got there... :D
MY12 LGT 2.5 BM9 Stock daily driven
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