legacycentral bbs

in 2001 i never expected to own this thing long enough to put 100k on it, but here it is, with 168k showing on the odometer. To celebrate, i've made a list of the things i've learned as a long term legacy owner.

*205/50/15 is the best tire size for old legacies. period.

*you can do a timing belt job in 25 minutes, in the dark, on the side of the road, with a flashlight, if you've done it a few times before.

*LSD's don't do crap when you're only putting down ~90 hp to the wheels.

*I-club group drives are full of novices that are a hazard to themselves and everyone else.

*Which is better than the west coast LCo meets, where a bunch of cool people sit on their drunk asses and jabbers about turbos.

*you can put a ton of hours collecting spring rate information, but if you don't have the springs free length it doesn't tell you much.

*got a bit of a whine that sounds like a dead bearing in your 5mt? So does everyone else.

*don't try to remove the axle retainer pins with an awl.

*unfortunately, understeer is faster.

* run over something big at freeway speeds and a lower control arm is sacrificed.

* 6/6 idiot crooks agree that the passenger rear quarter window is the best place to break in to steal a crappy stereo. You can cut out a new one using a piece of wire from OSH.

*pay attention to which piece you unbolted when you had to clean up your IAC valve. You'll be doing it again, and it sucks when you're unbolting random parts because you totally remember which part it was, right?

* 2.5rs seats are AWESOME!

* Don't tinker with suspension or brakes unless you can comfortably feel out where the limit of traction is cornering, braking, and over bumps.

* there's no way to get non-yellow LHD headlights that last.

* I'm gonna be really bummed with this old thing keels over.

I doubt it'll keel over. My first legacy had almost 300K on it when I sold it last year. I think the engine was replaced but I'm not sure. I replaced the tranny at 274K miles though because it quit working completely when I was going up a hill.

3 wheel bearings went out on it. Other than that though it was flawless.

very good post

shows the love we really have for these cars, and why they are the shit.

Congrats on hitting your century mark with the car. Wow, it was just an infant when you got it.

And that's a great list. Kind of like Chicken Soup for the B10 Soul.

scottzg wrote:*205/50/15 is the best tire size for old legacies. period.

I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you there. I like my 205/45/16s better. They clear bigger brakes and have less sidewall to flex while still having enough to be useful on real-life roads.

* 6/6 idiot crooks agree that the passenger rear quarter window is the best place to break in to steal a crappy stereo. You can cut out a new one using a piece of wire from OSH.

I don't understand. You can cut out a new rear window wiith a piece of wire? What's OSH?

* there's no way to get non-yellow LHD headlights that last.

What about the European market?

* I'm gonna be really bummed with this old thing keels over.

Never gonna happen, my friend. It's possible you'll just decide not to fix it at some point, and it's possible it'll be wrecked in an accident, but it won't just up and die.

vrg3 wrote: I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you there. I like my 205/45/16s better. They clear bigger brakes and have less sidewall to flex while still having enough to be useful on real-life roads.

You're free to disagree with me, but you're wrong. I've run 3 sets that size, and at almost twice the cost you don't get the gearing advantage of the smaller tire. Sitting almost on-cam on the freeway is rad, and i've never met an aftermarket brake that locked up how and when i wanted it to.

I don't understand. You can cut out a new rear window wiith a piece of wire? What's OSH?

At the junk yard, take a 4 foot wire, poke a hole in the donor cars' quarter window glue, and use it as a saw.

Never gonna happen, my friend. It's possible you'll just decide not to fix it at some point, and it's possible it'll be wrecked in an accident, but it won't just up and die.

It's true. Zombies are the same way.


thanks for the kind words!

Hmm, cost is a good point. But 205/45/16 tires have the same rolling diameter as 205/50/15 -- they're both smaller than stock. I guess the question is whether the extra cost is worth the ability to put on bigger brakes. I'm not using aftermarket -- just stock WRX. In any case, I think we definitely agree that going to a smaller diameter helps.

Ah, I get it about the windows now. Thanks.

scottzg wrote:*I-club group drives are full of novices that are a hazard to themselves and everyone else.

*Which is better than the west coast LCo meets, where a bunch of cool people sit on their drunk asses and jabbers about turbos.

So you'd rather be hit by a kid in a new STI his daddy bought him than get drunk and jabber about boost and such?

staring over the side of mt. hamilton at the pretty/crumpled sti was VERY entertaining.


Low budget turbo mods, on the other hand, are pretty tedious.

Having run both, I really don't know which tire size I prefer. Tire prices weren't much different (not like the twice-as-expensive 17's on the Mazda). The 16s look better, ride a tad worse, but handle a tad sharper. They also do clear the larger brakes, like Vikash said. If you don't want the brake clearance the 15s are probably the best and cheapest choice, but I think it's kind of a wash.

The stock 14s are terrible and I wouldn't personally want to go larger diameter than 16.

And also agreeing with Vikash—only an accident kills these things. Mechanicals are easy, the electrical I've never had an issue with (though I'll see if there's a challenge to that statement when I get it running after 4 years). I've got the front bodywork off and even the rust is shockingly minimal and fixable. This is a 20 year old New England car. As much as I love the old GLs, those were a nightmare at half the age.

What I love most about these cars is the character. I thought maybe I just tend to anthropomorphize cars, but my Datsun and my Mazda are just cars to me, while the Subarus have all been more interesting than most dates I've had. Other cars have character, but how many are cheap and reliable?

One thing I've learned is that nobody that hasn't owned one is impressed by the car, though. I tell people I'm restoring a car and they seem interested they ask what kind. Hope my books get in wide enough circulation to change that. In the meantime, I'm thinking of telling people a different obscure car every time they ask.

I got about 57k to my century mark, but I will have her then. good job on the mileage.

scottzg wrote:staring over the side of mt. hamilton at the pretty/crumpled sti was VERY entertaining.


Low budget turbo mods, on the other hand, are pretty tedious.

Well look who it is!

And yes it was, it was especially fun when he first went barreling past on 80 doing much more than 80. Everyone knew what would happen.

scottzg wrote:
*you can do a timing belt job in 25 minutes, in the dark, on the side of the road, with a flashlight, if you've done it a few times before.

That's definately true..... been there a time or two

Congrats man, I would have killed to have one of these as early as you found one.

*205/50/15 is the best tire size for old legacies. period.

I'm really digging 225/45/16's on the 16x7 RS wheels.....

*you can do a timing belt job in 25 minutes, in the dark, on the side of the road, with a flashlight, if you've done it a few times before.

Haha, yes. However it's even easier in the garage before it breaks!

*unfortunately, understeer is faster.

Yes, but it doesn't look as cool!

* run over something big at freeway speeds and a lower control arm is sacrificed.

Unless it's a dead bear, and then you only trash the exhaust.

* 2.5rs seats are AWESOME!

Until you try 02-03 WRX seats!

* I'm gonna be really bummed with this old thing keels over.

Just keep replacing things! Don't let it die!

ScottyS wrote:
Until you try 02-03 WRX seats!

Ha Ha, you're short!

scottzg wrote:

ScottyS wrote:
Until you try 02-03 WRX seats!

Ha Ha, you're short!

6'2", otherwise I'm tall!

You are correct about the seats sitting too high, though. My torso actually fits in there OK, but I can't wear a helmet without bouncing off the roof. It's on my list of things to do to modify the rails.