Not a Legacy, but it'll do (JDM Forester)

[James614]

Got my hands on a '97 Forester S/tb. Stock except for the bodykit, and 17" wheels. Sadly its far too new to come back with me when I leave Japan in 2017, so it will likely be stripped out for its goodies (engine, drivetrain, jdm interior) and junked then. If I dont do it, the parts will wind up on eBay, either as overpriced individual components or as an overpriced halfcut, because its age will make it undesirable to keep driving over here.




As you can see the body is far from perfect, this car is essentially the neighborhood bicycle being near an overseas base. But mechanically it seems in good shape aside from a clutch thats about to completely let go (which is a shame because these are supposed to make 250hp, and are apparently more powerful than the 02-13 XT, even the JDM ones). Has a surprisingly firm suspension, harder than 99% of all Subarus offered stateside, definitely harder than the Impreza 2.5GT or the 08/09 WRX. My plans for it will be limited to opening the exhaust a bit (way too quiet! Maybe a DP and axleback), and a boost gauge, MBC, and possibly some sort of tuning solution (or possibly just an STI ECU).

While I really wanted a Legacy, every single turbo Legacy Ive found here has been automatic. The manual ones are just not popular here.

[mike-tracy]

Very cool! Did you find that on the lemon lot?

[James614]

No, I put out a feeler for anything with a manual trans on the classifieds, and this popped up. The lemon lot had a Civic and a pimped out Altezza RS200. Definitely not my style.

We will probably end up settling for a B4 Legacy auto for my wife. Or if one in manual does pop up, I'll nab that and let her have this Forester.

Fun fact: this Forester is a hulking behemoth in Japan, and parking it and navigating some of the smaller streets is a pain! And there's people who bring Jeep Grand Cherokkes from the States over here! They're nuts!

[Legacy777]

Yes, I can concur that the Forester in Japan is quite a large vehicle!

[James614]

Turns out its not as stock as I thought. Its got 480cc STI yellow injectors. Hopefully thats not its only mod, and I find some sort of EM solution in there (ideally an STI ECU swap). But its still got the TD04L and stock intake/exhaust and no apparent FCD, so it cant have been boosted too badly. But the way cars get passed arpund here I wouldnt be surprised if someone threw on the yellows just to krep it from blowing up when the pegged the boost.

[Reuben]

That's stock, nothing STi about yellow injectors at all after 1998, when they went to the phase-II engines, These can be identified by BOV on intercooler, coil pack off to one side rather than centre mounted, or 8-bolt housing on the gearbox. ALL phase-II turbo's were equipped with yellows, if the engine code is EJ205, that's totally standard.

[James614]

Hmm... so apparently I'm an idiot and the car is a 2000, which yeah would make it an EJ205. Ill throw out there that I looked at this car once, then my wife bought and registered it for me 3 months later while I was gone, after I had looked at maybe a dozen other vehicles (had to wait for him to be ready to sell this one). So I just hopped in one day with a fuzzy memory of what a guy told me months ago. I looked at the engine but not the VIN plate. So yeah, that's my excuse for suddenly being blonde.

[mike-tracy]

Yeah i wasnt sure either. In the states that forester (anything 1999+) would have a phase ii engine also.

[James614]

The early 97 and 98 models here are Phase I with EJ20G's. But I wont complain about having an open-source tunable engine.

[James614]

Got a clutch in that doesn't slip with more than 1 toe's worth of throttle. Its quick but a rob-tuned Legacy is way quicker. I feel like my Legacy has ruined it for any Subie slower than an STI for me