Legacy 3.0r Spec B

[SpecB]

[Hongkongfooi]

nice leggy...has it replaced the forester?

[Steve_PPP]

Legacy estate with leather, very nice

Tried to find a nice one before buying the mondeo but failed. What spec?

[majorscooby]

Looks a nice ride. Come on nick lets have some proper pics inside and out then!

[Matt23]

Looking good mate, I bet that is a smooth drive on the motorways and around town.

[SpecB]

I'm hoping to give it a proper clean today then I'll start pic whoring!

It's a totally std 2005 Spec B manual. Already in love with the Bilstein suspension and the H6!

Unfortunately I had no choice but to replace the forester!

[Hongkongfooi]

I looked at spec b's at the beginning of the year and still do. A lot of car for the money. Good choice

[BIG"E"]

Originally Posted by BlueBugEye

Unfortunately I had no choice but to replace the forester!

So what was wrong with the Forester?

[SpecB]

Getting there, interior given a once over (needs a good Hoover and new mats), still need to give it a good wash, clay and then the usual glaze, seal and wax.

Need to source a new passenger side fog light as the one on there is full of water!

[SpecB]

Quick rinse to get the dust off, still not cleaned but looks pretty good!

[majorscooby]

Very nice cruiser nick. Would look very menacing with limo black tints all round the back.

[SpecB]

Originally Posted by majorscooby

Very nice cruiser nick. Would look very menacing with limo black tints all round the back.

Already got the quotes for it!

Plus it needs a bit more of a voice!

[Steve_PPP]

Very nice legacy there mate, good find

[majorscooby]

Originally Posted by BlueBugEye

Already got the quotes for it!

Plus it needs a bit more of a voice!

Good lad! It's going to look very stealth.

[SUBARMAN]

Took ours round the Nurburgring and it did very well indeed. Very predictable, and the bilsteins are great and suit the car well.

Changing the exhaust, with STI panel filter, improved pickup and gives a very subtle Audi-like rumble. The story with pics is somewhere on Legacy UK forum!

[Mortster]

Very nice Nick. Where did the Foz go?

[SpecB]

And so it begins..... Booked in for tinting!

So tempted to order this as well!

And these!

[SUBARMAN]

Mmmmmm - nice!!

[thepieman]

Originally Posted by SUBARMAN

Mmmmmm - nice!!

what he said

[SpecB]

And so the slippery slope begins!

K&N filter fitted yesterday and this happened today!





5% tints from the B pillar back with 70% on the fronts, due to the reduced protection on top of my head these days I also had the sunroof done with some reflective film (dual layer usually reserved for Conservatory roofs).

[Lucky]

Looking very good nick. The tints really suit it.

[simba]

Nice look nick

[Banstead Stig]

Looks great.

Nice job.

[Steve_PPP]

Looks good mate

So what made you change the fozzy?

[SpecB]

Been there done the turbo, fancied a change and a different noise! The H6 at high revs sounds amazing, can't wait to change the exhaust and unleash the full sound!

[SpecB]

Boring changes so far, well it is the family hack!





Still got the electrics to do but that was the hardest towbar I've ever fitted!

[Hongkongfooi]

you got a damn caravan?

[simba]

Is that boat related

[Steve_PPP]

lol Tim. I think Sim is on the right path, 3.0 H6 must be perfect for towing boats around.

I really like the interior on the legacy too, looks such a nice place to sit and much better quality than the impreza!

[Bolesroor]

I thought for a moment you was doing a Ron and cleaning behind the bumper

[SpecB]

Boats for now...!

Seemed a real shame removing the aluminium crash bar to replace it with a bloody great lump of steel!

[SpecB]

Custom Stainless CAT back system fitted by PTS in Clymping, all custom fabricated and welded, sounds perfect!

No video yet but here are some pics!

[bonner]

Looking good that! youl have to upload a vid all leggies ive heard have been bulk standard! If that were mine i would of had twin nurspecs lol tints look sweet too

[SpecB]

It's quite a bit louder than std but still quiet, very different sound to the impreza being a H6 and equal length headers!

[SpecB]

Time to lavish a bit of attention on the old girl - 110k miles so the old shocks are a bit tired so I've got a new set of Bilsteins on the way along with all new mounts and springs

Gone for B8 fronts and B6 rears based on the research by Hallie (Martin) on UK Legacy to find these are exactly the same length as the OE Bilsteins but without the near £2k price tag! Next up will be rear ARB - not lowering the car (yet) as I want it to still be an effective daily driver.

[SpecB]

Delivery!

[SpecB]

Almost there with fitting the rear ARB but going to have to spend a couple of days without a bar on the back end as I rounded off the hex on one of the drop links when trying to remove them once the bar was off the car! Old verses new!

[SpecB]

All fitted and it's transformed the cornering ability, much sharper turn in and so much flatter through the corners! Now the shocks and springs to do!

[Ginola]

Nice! roll bars make such a difference too. looking forward to a review with the suspension fitted

[SpecB]

It's the first car I've owned that's had the Std ARBs on for this long!

I will get the front done at some point but it's not a DIY Job as it needs to go up on 4 post lift and have the exhaust/subframe dropped to gain access!

The shocks are basically OE spec but being direct from Bilstein rather than the OE Bilsteins Subaru supply they will have slightly higher damping (and about 1/4 the price).

I've stuck with OE spec B springs as there aren't any lowering springs out there for the 3.0 Spec B as it's lower than std anyway and if you use springs for the 2.0GT - Spec B it sits too low at the front and is under sprung due to the extra engine weight.

[SpecB]

Big thanks to NAD @ http://www.naduk.co.uk

Ok so it took a while but got it all done including replacing a front inner tie rod - (total ballache with no access to the inner ball joint).

Suspension components used:
Bilstein B8 fronts - Hallie
Bilstein B6 Rears - Hallie
Spec B springs Front & rear - ICP
Subaru OE top mounts - ICP
Rear spring seats - ICP

Reused - original (112k miles) Front spring seat & rear top mounts.

Ride heights (not settled yet will remeasure in a couple of weeks)

Front
Before 375mm centre to arch
After 380mm centre to arch
Difference +5mm

Rear
Before 335mm centre to arch
Rear 350mm cetre to arch
Difference +15mm

Car looks slightly higher but is sitting much more level and actually looks like it's sitting much better. The Geo settings are slightly more aggressive than OE and give a really nice turn in car feels much more pointy (Coupled with White-line rear ARB on stiffest setting)

Alignment was carried out with ballast in the car to simulate driver weight


Before the Refresh:

During:

After:

Results:

[Rdlangy1]

looks a good setup

Should make a lot of difference with the roll bars, and suspension now setup...

[SpecB]

I didn't bother with the before as they were well out due to the fitting of the new suspension!

[Ginola]

Dave is a helpful chap a Nice amount of castor, what happened with rear camber looks like half a degree difference?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SpecB]

Cant adjust the rear Camber on the Legacy only the toe, it's a totally different suspension setup to the Impreza. I may consider camber adjust arms in the future but hopefully when I do a rear subframe refresh with all new bushes etc. It should even out a bit.

[SpecB]

Although thinking about it it may be the weight in the drivers seat - the camber could well be more even when the car is unladen.

[SpecB]

Thanks to Big E the Spec B's now wearing new boots, really fill the arches and totally change the look of the car!

Before:





After:

[NL03Scooby]

Looking smart!

[Scott.T]

Mean and moody....looks great

[SpecB]

Cheers for the comments guys!

I need to get a set of centre caps and have ordered a set of cheap black Subaru logo'd ones from China to see if they fit (60mm vs the actual 59mm) I may end up with plain carbon effect though.

Scott could you Pm me your springs contact - the new wheels have made the fact the front is higher than the rear really obvious, and you can't get lowering springs for the Spec B as it's already lower than std. I'd like to see about getting a set about 1' lower made up to the same spring rate.

[Rdlangy1]

Yep really looks much meaner now - like it

[SpecB]

Custom Carbon centre caps fitted!



Just waiting on some new disks before the Brembos go on!

[SpecB]

Brembos Fitted:

[Rdlangy1]

Originally Posted by SpecB

Brembos Fitted:

Looking smart mate - like the gold behind all the black

[SpecB]

Made easier by the condition of the calipers!

[Bolesroor]

They are nice and clean Nick. Look great behind the alloys as Ryan said

[SpecB]

And now I need to sort out a fix for the rear ARB mount as I've snapped mine!

[Red Baron]

Do they still do the Whiteline Stout Mounts, pretty sure Ron fitted a set on the Foz when he had it?

[SpecB]

They are different to the Impreza and the forester as they are integral to the rear subframe!

Hoping to find a breaker subframe I can refurb and re-Bush then swap the lot over.

[Steve_PPP]

Saw your pic on facebook last night, what a ballache!

[SpecB]

My local guys will weld up the bracket as a temp fix and I have some AVO strengthening brackets on the way from the states.




I’ll get a replacement sorted over the winter

[SpecB]

The ARB is all sorted reinforced and welded and the AVO brackets fitted. I also finally got a reasonably priced AV panel kit so I could replace the stereo. The Legacies have an integrated stereo which also has the circuitry for the A/C controls built in so you can’t even get creative!

I now have 2 Sat Navs!

[Rdlangy1]

Looks smart

[SpecB]

Starting to think about the ring trip..... so have done a bit of shopping with Alyn, so Whiteline ARB bushes on the way for the front along with rack mounts, gearbox support bushes, front strut brace and Group N pitch and gearbox mounts.

Plus a set of these coming from the land of the rising sun!

[Rdlangy1]

Sweet

[scooby doo]

Very nice , I used those springs on my sti .
Going to handle very well after all these bits

[SpecB]

Unfortunately there’s only really one choice for springs for the 3.0r Spec B, there are some other Japanese springs but these are aimed at the 3.0r so won't lower the Spec B much as it's already -15mm from standard.

[SpecB]

Tightening up the front end!


I’ve got all the bushes and mounts as well to fit but I’m going to wait for the springs to arrive and do the lot in one hit!

[scooby doo]

Coming along, All the right bits too, be even quicker if you remove your small tree,

[SpecB]

Originally Posted by scooby doo

Coming along, All the right bits too, be even quicker if you remove your small tree,

I am considering washing it at some point!

[scooby doo]

Ha ha , I can't talk I've yet to wash mine

[SpecB]

Finally got around to fitting the front splitter!

It's actually a 2.0GT version but with a bit of fettling of the line up of the mountings they fit the 3.0r bumper really well, there are a couple of tiny gaps at each side on the front as the lower bumper profile does not match the splitter however they are unseen unless you're on your knees, I'm also considering filling the gaps with some DRLs.

[alfa male]

Nice mate, prefer the old rectangular no. plate though.

[SpecB]

Originally Posted by alfa male

Nice mate, prefer the old rectangular no. plate though.

So did I - Thats the old plate off the Impreza - I''m too tight to buy a new one!

[SpecB]

Booked into PTS tomorrow to have the Whiteline steering rack mounts, Hardrace gearbox, Whiteline Front gearbox positive shift kit & Whiteline front ARB mounts fitted. Then I've got the pitch mount, radiator and thermostat to replace!

[SpecB]

First set of goodies all fitted - car already feels even tighter at the front and all the knocks have gone!

Still got the pitch mount to do tomorrow - and the STi Springs are in the air!

[Rdlangy1]

[SpecB]

Now got the pitch mount done, also added a LED bulb to the reverse light not tested it in the dark yet but I'm unconvinced it will make a difference.

Before and after - the tube on the split bush was very loose.

[SpecB]

That's a bit brighter!



Needed the extra due to a couple of lucky escapes due to not seeing low level items due to the tints!

I really must get the residue of the corner protectors off some time soon - only been like it about 3 years!

[SpecB]

Delivery!

[SpecB]

Had a bit of an experiment with some offcuts of Dynok 3M Carbon I had lying about.

During:

After:

Mean and Moody (With LED sidelights):

[Rdlangy1]

Originally Posted by SpecB

Had a bit of an experiment with some offcuts of Dynok 3M Carbon I had lying about.

During:

After:

Mean and Moody (With LED sidelights):

Very smart

[NL03Scooby]

Nice little touches, I find myself looking at Legacies more on the usual for sale sites then I do Imprezas, they are great looking cars certainly worthy of a good tinkering.

[scooby doo]

Coming along nice

[SpecB]

Fitted the Incartech 26-677 steering wheel remote adapter today thanks to the instructions from UKLegacy only took 20mins or so I've used bullets for the splice so I can reattach the original wiring easily if I put the old stereo back in (You never know when a manual facelift twinscroll will fall into my price range!).

[SpecB]

STI Pinks now fitted

Front
Before 380mm centre to arch
After 350mm centre to arch
Difference -30mm

Rear
Before 350mm centre to arch
Rear 320mm cetre to arch
Difference -30mm

Not the best pic but....


Also had the new radiator and cooler thermostat fitted at the same time

[Rdlangy1]

Looks smart nick

[SpecB]

Just need to drive it now! Springs were fitted while we were away!

Booked in on Saturday for a full track Geo and adjustable rear camber bushes at NadUK

[SpecB]

Alignment all sorted with the addition of Rear camber Bushes

Resulting in:


Ignore Right front it's actually -0.58 the batteries on the hunter were giving out!

[SpecB]

KiDO tune version 1 uploaded today - definite improvement in low end pick up, Without changes to the DBW map. Delivery also feels slightly more linear without the dip before 4k that was always present.

[scooby doo]

Really coming along this ,
Keep it up!

[SpecB]

Quick update - all the tuning is completed and car is running around 260-70BHp depending on how calculated! Much better throttle response and a real noticeable surge when the AVCS kicks in.

Just ordered a 'new' gearbox as the centre Diff has gone in mine and was able to get a very low milage box from Japan for not much more than a replacement centre Diff would cost fitted so I'll be getting the clutch replaced at the same time.

[scooby doo]

Sounds good the engine.
Shame your diff issue be nice to see your ontop of sorting it.. is a jdm box the Shame ratio ?

[SpecB]

Originally Posted by scooby doo

Sounds good the engine.
Shame your diff issue be nice to see your ontop of sorting it.. is a jdm box the Shame ratio ?

The UK and JDM boxes are identical on the Spec B - both the same code. No way I’d go short ratio on this engine just wouldn’t suit it!

[SpecB]

Picked the car up with the ‘new box’ and new OE clutch and flywheel along with uprated shifter bushes.

Clutch is much lighter than before - the old one was down to the rivets even though it wasn’t slipping.

Box feels tighter than the old one 52000km verses 130000miles!

The drive to the Xmas meal will be the real test as the box will get hot enough to show any diff issues!

[SpecB]

New gearbox is now in along with the std clutch and flywheel. The new clutch is much lighter than the old one which was down to the rivets but not showing any signs of slipping or significant juddering when driven!

The gearshift is much lighter and also more positive even though my local garage didn't replace the rear mounting bush for the shift linkage as they were only looking at the box for where to put the bushes - so this will be a job for later in the year.

I'll be picking the old box up early next year and may take the rear diff out for a look to see how bad it looks unless anybody wants a broken box!

Car also starts better (much quieter) now, I assume because the starter motor will have been cleaned and greased while out.

[Steve_PPP]

Originally Posted by SpecB

I'll be picking the old box up early next year and may take the rear diff out for a look to see how bad it looks unless anybody wants a broken box!

Pssssttt.... it is next year already

That'll teach you to copy and paste from an older post on UKLegacy

[SpecB]

Originally Posted by Steve_PPP

That'll teach you to copy and paste from an older post on UKLegacy

It's usually the other way around!

[SpecB]

Another bit ordered!



Will be fitting on arrival hopefully with HIDs and LED high beams.

[SpecB]

And more stuff on order!