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I've just bought this:
Shortly it'll be a replacement for my wrx wagon.
As per the title it's a jdm 2006 legacy wagon, blitzen spec.
Truth be told in 2006 the difference between a blitzen and a gt spec b was not much, mainly bodykit, 18" blitzen wheels and interior. So this does have very comfy leather seats and a very smart interior with lots gadgets.
As my wagon was a couple of years ago this is going to be a rolling project. The engine, gearbox and mechanicals are all sound (as far as I can tell), but the body and interior need some work. Very dirty interior. Odd Japanese ICE.
Currently on the to do list.
1. Proper inside and out detail. Try to work out the real state of the exterior paintwork.
2. Get Tim Farmer to do a through service and inspection. Possibly a cam belt too.
3. Get Zen performance to re-map for uk fuel and change dials from Kmh to Mph
4. Waxoil underside.
5. Sort out stereo. I'm not going to need a minidisc player.
6. Re-furbish wheels and have a couple of car park dings pulled.
7. Re-hang front bumper.
8. And of course I'll have to get it registered, taxed and insured.
here's some blurb about the leggy from the internet:
Independent JDM Spec B review from 2003. Source: Superstreetonline:
The GT Spec B receives significant aerocladding underneath. Inside, a driver-oriented cockpit features a small, sporty airbag-equipped three-spoke MOMO steering wheel similar to the new WRX STi. Both 4AT and 5AT sport models are blessed with tiptronic-style upshift/downshift buttons on the steering wheel.
Inside, the tachometer and speedometer are equally emphasized, clear and informative with a subdued classy style. Seating is top-notch, managing to coddle you on long trips while giving you a measure of control while canyon carving. Hurtling the car around Fuji International, however, reveals the car exhibits higher limits than the side bolstering.
Handling is far more neutral than most Subaru's of late. A quick 15:1 steering ratio matches up well with the smaller three-spoke steering wheel, a combination that enables quick reflexes. When you enter the corner at speed, there's a tiny bit of initial resistence that transforms into eye-opening amounts of turn-in through to apex. There's even some throttle-on oversteer on tap if you keep on the gas, allowing you to steer through the apex with all four tires howling as you power-drift on through.
The front MacPherson strut suspension is nearly identical to the Spec C STi, with significant strengthening around the wheelwell and the same forged-aluminum lower-arm, and even more caster than the Spec C STi. The rear continues with the multi-link, but this is a brand-new version that features a hefty forged one-piece aluminum trailing arm and hub carrier for vastly improved resistance to changes in toe. The upper link is also forged aluminum, and suspension hard points have been totally revamped.
Although the Legacy's 2.0-liter bears a strong resemblance to the 2.5-liter STi motor on paper, it's in fact the motor STi appropriated for the WRX STi 8 (not sold in America). And it makes the same amount of horsepower as that car, but not quite the same amount of torque -250 lb-ft vs. 285 lb-ft.
Initially, the Subaru higher-ups had doubts that a single turbo setup could offer the low-end torque of the sequential twin-turbo setup used in top-line Legacys since 1993. But Kazuharu Ichikawa, a manager in the Engine Design Department, felt it could, and then proved it with the development of a twin-scroll EJ20 2.0-liter for the Legacy. Quick spool up was further enhanced by a new, specially designed 4-2 exhaust manifold.
To reduce weight, plastics make up the unique intake manifold and the intercooler end-tanks. The intercooler is a high-flow unit, smaller and angled for maximum efficiency with the hood scoop. Manual transmission models weigh 22 lbs less than a WRX STi, though the Spec B variant weighs 22 lbs more thanks to the heavier wheels, tires and brakes.
Throttle response is amazing thanks to the high-response turbo system and a dual-mass flywheel. Extra-strength engine and transmission mounts help get the power to the wheels.
The braking system has also been whacked with a very big performance stick. Similar to the STi is the ABS with EBD to keep things straight, and also similar to the STi on the Spec C is the huge ventilated brake rotors in the front. Along with that is a much larger and far more rigid 2-pot sliding caliper clamping down some rather large brake pads. Rear ventilated disk/one-pot sliding caliper finish off the job in the rear. All that translated into intense, fade-free stops even after several laps around the track.
Fundamental changes is an apt phrase for this car. Subaru made the decision to abandon the old and come out with something new from the ground up. This is a very important car for Subaru, literally it's future here in Japan and overseas. They went for a big roll of the dice here. We'd say they won this dice roll, and won it in a big way.
Last edited by Cambs_Stuart; 06 August 2017 at 08:18 PM.
Swapping out the audio is not simple due to the bespoke McIntosh amp.
There are extensive threads on UKLEGACY.COM
I have swapped mine out for an Alpine unit but fitted a modified harness to retain the amp.
Welcome to Leggyland.
Going to make a nice car , looks like you,ll have no rust to contend with aswell going by the pics, lets see the results when all done.
Gone a similar route myself only stayed with the WRX Wagon as it fits the garage, gotta to love the auto box, really makes driving a breeze, the auto does tend to put a lot of people off, but with the power button in and kick down its sh*t off a stick......
Semi-auto. No clutch but you can change gear from the wheel, or sequentially via the stick.
The auto box also has a few settings I need to have a play with.
I've spent a couple of hours cleaning the interior. It was truly revolting. Judging by the hospital pass and the name on the golf club membership cards I found the owner in Japan was a doctor. I hope he washed his hands before he went to work.
Crud under the seat. And lots of electronics. A sample of the filth in the handbrake gaiter. Proper disgusting down here. Eldery noodle under floor mat. Random bits of trim, coins, earrings & golf passes found under the seats. Filthy.
I've found a McIntosh amp under the passenger's seat and then load more electronic stuff under the driver's seat which will need some investigation.
I'm going to have a go at cleaning & treating the seats tomorrow.
Last edited by Cambs_Stuart; 07 August 2017 at 07:22 PM.
Now thats truly disgusting, lets hope you don,t need to see a doctor after cleaning out that lot .
if the box is anything like mine you,ll have
power swith which gives a quicker/sharper responce to gear changes hold switch for winter/mud/ less aggessive gear changes (better grip)
gear lever over to left you have clutchless gear changes or you can use controls on steering wheel to change gear.
Played with them for a while but now just use it auto using power/hold switch when necessary.
Surposably based on porsche's tripronic semi/auto trans technology.
As expected more food and general grimmness stuck in the seams.
I used a toothbrush, hand soap and warm water to shift this and gave all the seams a good scrub.
The results weren't nice.
Owning a uk spec wrx means my leather cleaning skills haven't been used for a while.
But I had a set of this in the cupboard:
Which works ok. Plus it smells good and leaves my hands lovely and soft.
The end result is that interior classification can be moved from "Biohazard" to "Acceptable":
Now I need it to stop raining so I can get to work on the exterior.
Last edited by Cambs_Stuart; 08 August 2017 at 05:31 PM.
Minor update.
First, Tim F has been and given the leggy a good service and check and found it is largely in good condition.
A couple of issues though. The brake pads need changing, so I'll probably do the discs at the same time. I'll do some research on the uk legacy forum about what brands best suit it.
The bumper is going to be a bit more of a headache than I first thought. It appears to be pushed out at the side after a front bump. Even with Tim's help I couldn't clip it back in place, so that's going to take some thought.
I have heard from the dvla and I should have my registration documents back in the next week, which is nice.
And I've found this:
Not sure what it does as I can't find any pioneer electronics in the car....?
Thanks for the advice. Looking on line I'd narrowed the choice down to a mere three sizes so I thought I was going to have to remove some wheels and get out a tape measure.
Any pad recommendations?
Thanks for the advice. Looking on line I'd narrowed the choice down to a mere three sizes so I thought I was going to have to remove some wheels and get out a tape measure.
Any pad recommendations?
Not FERODO DS2500 as personally I think the quality as gone down hill. Pads are a bit like tyres and people have favourites, road, fast road or track are all considerations.
BREMBO seem to be getting better and Pagid seem very consistant.
I've used the finishkare wax/sealant before but the black hole and snow foam are both new.
The angelwax snow foam took a few trials at dilution and pressure washer setting but eventually worked really well; thick foam that clung on and really helped shift the dirt.
The poorboys black hole was fantastic, helping to disguise a lot of swirl marks and minor scratches.
However, it did smell very odd. Why do American detailing products always smell strangely sweet?
Poorboys going on. Poorboys polished to a shine.Very shiny.
The leggy now looks much, much better. I put a coat of finishkare as a sealant over the top of the poorboys and it has left the black paint almost like a mirror.
However, going round the car I did find a couple more issues. One was a tiny rust blister next to the windscreen that will need to be treated asap. The other was the the wheel arch liner on the rear passenger's side seems very loose, so will need more investigation.
Last edited by Cambs_Stuart; 22 August 2017 at 02:21 PM.
I had the same issue as you with the bumper. To cure it I used some insulating tape to thicken up the inner edge, it was then difficult to get into the inner clip but does not pop out anymore.
Last edited by The Trooper 1815; 23 August 2017 at 02:33 PM.
I had the same issue as you with the bumper. To cure it I used some insulating tape to thicken up the inner edge, it was then difficult to get into the inner clip but does not pop out anymore.
Trooper, you're a mine of useful information.
was it this bit you thickened up?
The leggy is road legal!
It took a week in total from sending the documents to the dvla to getting them back. But now I'm the proud owner of an 06 plate uk registered Subaru Legacy.
I've gone for JDM shape plates. Not sure I'm entirely happy with the look on the front, but it might grow on me...
Thanks, I was really impressed with how quickly the dvla processed the application. Now to get on with all the other jobs and get the wagon ready for sale.
The leggy is road legal!
It took a week in total from sending the documents to the dvla to getting them back. But now I'm the proud owner of an 06 plate uk registered Subaru Legacy.
I've gone for JDM shape plates. Not sure I'm entirely happy with the look on the front, but it might grow on me...
So the first trip in the leggy was a partial success. I knew the tracking was out from the test drive, but from a longer trip it was apparent how far out it was. When the car was going in a straight line the steering wheel was pointing at about 12:30.
Fortunately protyres in Cambridge are close, have a hunter machine and had some time Saturday morning.
the first reading looked like this:
Not pretty.
by their own admission the guys at protyres are not subaru specialist, but in the short time they had it they managed to get it back closer to oem.
They did struggle to adjust the camber so I may need to take it somewhere with a bit more subaru experience, possibly with some camber bolts.
However it does now feel a lot more stable.
Last edited by Cambs_Stuart; 03 September 2017 at 04:19 PM.
06 August 2017, 08:00 PM
2006 JDM Legacy Blitzen.
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