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Subaru Legacy L Wagon Driven by What's Inside The Subaru Legacy wagon has been the top selling wagon in the United States since the early 1990s. While the boxy American station wagons that characterized family transportation in years past were replaced by the minivan and later the SUV, Subaru found plenty of people willing to buck the trend and drive a wagon since it came with an AWD drivetrain. Now it seems like we have come full circle with the latest trend in family transportation - crossover vehicles. Subaru has made this "crossover" vehicles for over two decades now. I now have two of these Legacy L Wagons, the Ruby Mica Red 1998 wagon that I have had since 2002 and is now pretty worn out from several years of good, fun use and abuse, and a more recently acquired Glacier White 1995 wagon that is getting a new life with all the fun parts from the red wagon and more. Pictures Thumbnails below reference to the pictures in higher resolution: 1998 Ruby Mica Red The red wagon was purchased in December 2002 from Jina Auto Sales in Elmhurst, IL. There was one previous owner, apparently a lady with kids, sold it (probably a trade-in) to a Toyota dealership in the Elmhurst area. 1995 Glacier White The white wagon was purchased in March 2009 from Cyanne in Fairview Heights, IL. The first owner of the car used it around the Sacramento region, based on the CARFAX information I have, until 2004 when Cyanne bought it and used it in Arizona. She relocated to to Fairview Heights in 2008, so the car has spent most of its time in The Golden State. Engine: 2.5L SOHC 16-valve H4. 8.2:1 compression ratio. Something you don't find often in a car anymore - a boxer engine, providing lower center of gravity and higher reliability, since the crankshaft is only half the length of a traditional 4-cylinder. It save space too - the Subaru Loyale with an H4 has the spare tyre in the engine compartment! And of course, it's mounted longitudinally, sending power to the full-time AWD drivetrain. Transmission: 5-speed manual Drivetrain: full-time AWD with a viscous-coupling limited-slip center differential Suspension: 4-wheel independent suspension with unequal-length rear lateral links for passive 4-wheel steering Dimensions: Curb Weight: 2915 pounds (Only a few pounds more than a 2005 VW Golf, so the Legacy is pretty light for a car of this capacity, partly due to the light-weight boxer motor, partly due to thin body panels that ding easier than any other vehicle I've ever experienced. Don't buy a Subaru if you care a lot about parking lot dings. Appearance comes second to performance for me though.) Cargo volume - 36.1 cubic feet Turning Diameter: 34.8 feet (In comparison, the tiny Audi TT has a 34.2-foot turning diameter. The Subaru WRX has a 35.4-foot turning radius, and a 4-inch shorter wheelbase. It definitely does U-turns pretty well.) Ground Clearance: 6.1 inches (but the front bumper really hinders approach angles) Wheelbase: 103.5 inches Track - Front: 57.5 inches Track - Rear: 57.3 inches Length: 184.5 inches Width: 67.5 inches Height: 57.1 inches Headroom - Front: 39.5 inches Headroom - Rear: 38.8 inches Legroom - Front: 43.3 inches Legroom - Rear: 34.8 inches Shoulder room - Front: 54.1 inches Shoulder room - Rear: 53.6 inches Modifications - Parts that are now on the white 1995 wagon: - EJ257 shortblock - 2.5L H4, 8.2:1 compression ratio - EJ25 SOHC 16-valve heads - EJ25 SOHC intake manifold and fuel injectors from a 99 Forester - Exedy FF02 lightweight flywheel: 12.7 lbs, solid one piece billet chromoly steel - I think the stock one is almost 30 pounds, it was pretty gross. - Exedy Stage 2 clutch - ATE TYP 200 DOT 4 brake fluid, dry boiling point 536F, wet boiling point 396F. - Apexi S-AFC - fuel computer - TD04L-13T turbo - WRX top-mount intercooler - TurboXS Catless Uppipe - Stainless steel with flex joint - HKS downpipe - 3" custom midpipe - Flo-pro muffler, stainless steel tip - WRX front crossmember - STi Group N motor mounts - STi Group N transmission mount - Front sway bar from a JDM 2002 GD STi - JVC KD-G300 CD audio receiver - Front seats from a GC8 RS Coupe - GT hood with hood scoop - Center armrest from the red 1998 wagon. Wheels and Tires: Subaru OEM GC8 takeoff alloy wheels, 16x7 +53 wheels, 16.5 pounds - Summer: Kumho Ecsta MX 205/55/16 - Snow/Rally: Bridgestone Potenza G009 205/55/16 Subaru OEM steel wheels, 14x5.5 +55 wheels, 19.5 pounds - Snow/Rally: Kumho Power Star 758 185/70/14 Stock Features: - power locks - power steering - power 4-channel ABS brakes with 10.1" front and 10.5" rear discs - a hill holder clutch! (no slipping backwards on hills) - dual airbags - split 60/40 folding rear seat with headrests and 3-point seat belts - air conditioning (that shuts off automatically at full throttle, providing max power) - rear heating ducts (under the front seats) - cruise control - dual powered side mirrors - power windows, driver one-touch down feature - rear defroster and wiper with wash - rear cargo cover and light - dual front map lights - dual front cupholders - dual vanity mirrors - remote fuel door release - auto on/off headlights The 1995 is actually an upgrade from the 1998 car. It seems Subaru made the car worse over time. The 1995 has: - Dual-port heads, resulting in the most excellent stock exhaust note of any naturally aspirated Subaru I've ever driven. - 10.2" front disc brakes - one-piece headlights that offer better lighting than the two-piece in the other car - larger folding mirrors - higher quality trunk floor materials - chrome exterior trim - 140 mph speedometer, which may not be an improvement since it seems to encourage speeding... Hood - The hood scoop provides air flow down through the intercooler. GC8 RS Coupe Seats - An improvement comfort-wise over stock, and it does make the entire driving position exactly like a GC8 instead of a Legacy. Instrument Cluster - It has the no-nonsense 90s Japanese instrument cluster with the cool indicator of which door is open. Folding Mirror - The 95-97 mirrors are larger and fold compared to the 98 mirrors. Door - It doesn't have an upper door frame so it looks pretty cool with the windows down. Center Console - I have a nice home for my little black model WRX, as well as a compartment for my 110V AC inverter to plug in cell phones, laptops, battery chargers and stuff. Seat Belt compartment - Here's some attention to detail: a place to store seat belts in the rear seat so you don't lose them when you fold the backs down to expand the cargo area. Cargo Area - Here are the 36.1 cubic feet of cargo area promised Spare Tire Panel - The panel that covers the spare tire area doesn't even cover the whole cargo floor, so you can open it up without having to take everything out of the trunk. Organizer - There's a reason why one would access that spare tire compartment more often - it has a huge organizer in it for tools, spare wiper blades, service manuals, jumper cables... Spare Tire - Removing the organizer reveals a deep spare tire well that has a full diameter spare tyre. Full-Sized Spare - It's deep enough for a full-sized spare too, by the way. Radiator - The radiator has two huge fans to make sure the engine stays cool while idling in traffic. Performance Driving Video of a few runs at the Champaign County Sports Car Club Autocross on the 27th of August, 2005 - Watch it on Youtube or Download the Windows Media file (2.9 MB). 1998 Ruby Mica Red Date miles Service and Modifications 2003.01.02 53000 acquired car, replaced front wipers 2003.01.06 53818 replaced rear wiper 2003.01.20 54576 complete body wax 2003.02.22 56862 replaced air filter with STP OEM replacement 2003.02.27 57010 oil/filter change with synthetic oil (Midas) 2003.04.26 60360 tire rotation/balance, replaced timing belt, spark plugs, fuel filter, transmission flushed, brake fluid bled 2003.04.30 60445 replaced front wipers 2003.05.06 61100 changed to 205/55 16 Bridgestone Potenza RE92s on OEM WRX 16x6.5" wheels with 500 miles on them 2003.05.12 61558 oil/filter change with Mobil 1 synthetic 2003.05.19 61746 removed intake silencer and changed intake path to draw high-pressure air from the fender and wheel well 2003.05.27 62506 complete cooling system flush, refilled with regular ethylene glycol antifreeze (low silicate and phosphate) 2003.06.09 63156 replaced air filter with K&N replacement 2003.07.24 65555 oil/filter change with Mobil 1 synthetic 2003.07.28 65767 rotated Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires 2003.08.05 replaced 2 high brake lights 2003.08.28 complete body wax 2003.09.18 replaced reverse light bulbs with Narva-Speziallampen halogen reverse lights from Daniel Stern Lighting 2003.10.04 69335 oil/filter change with Mobil 1 synthetic, complete body wax 2003.10.16 70044 complete clutch system replaced with OEM clutch, flywheel replaced with Fidanza Aluminum Flywheel (9.5 lbs), front right axle boot replaced 2003.10.24 70448 front brake pads replaced with kelvar Axxis Ultimate pads, front rotors turned, exhaust hanger welded 2003.11.27 73207 oil/filter change with Mobil 1 synthetic 2003.12.06 74049 rotated Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires 2003.12.27 75101 mounted new Bridgestone Potenza RE900 195/70 14 tires on OEM 14x5.5" wheels 2003.12.31 74392 complete body wax 2004.01.19 77872 complete body wax 2004.01.22 78010 oil/filter change with Mobil 1 synthetic 2004.02.04 78679 replaced front left headlight with Sylvannia XV 2004.02.21 79254 complete body wax 2004.03.10 80000 changed to Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires, front left axle replaced 2004.04.01 80997 complete body wax 2004.04.08 81238 oil/filter change with Mobil 1 synthetic 2004.05.28 84964 oil/filter change with Mobil 1 synthetic 2004.07.16 86429 complete body wax 2004.08.10 88006 oil/filter change with Mobil 1 synthetic 2004.10.02 89989 mounted new Kumho Ecsta MX 225/50 16 tires on OEM WRX 16x6.5" wheels 2004.10.04 90145 replaced rear brake pads, brake rotors 2004.10.14 90641 replaced all wipers 2004.10.19 90801 replaced front right headlight with Sylvannia XV 2004.10.27 91261 brake fluid flush with ATE TYP 200 DOT 4 brake fluid 2004.11.28 92650 spark plugs replaced with Denso 2004.11.29 92650 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2004.12.16 93211 complete body wax 2004.12.23 93647 plug wires replaced with OEM 2004.12.29 93841 radiator flush, replaced broken spring in shifter joint 2005.02.17 94077 induction system, long block, valve covers, exhaust system, water pump, oil pump, fuel injectors, timing belt, engine crossmember, battery replaced, Apexi S-AFC installed 2005.03.14 94077 mounted new Kumho Ecsta MX 205/55 16 tires on OEM WRX 16x6.5" wheels 2005.03.17 94642 front brake pads replaced - kelvar Axxis Ultimate, front rotors replaced 2005.04.13 95547 complete body wax 2005.05.18 97421 oil changed with Napa oil 2005.06.05 98147 replaced motor and transmission mounts with STi Group N mounts 2005.06.18 98756 changed to Continental ContiExtremeContact tires, changed front left turn signal lamp 2005.07.06 99924 replaced hood with carbon fibre hood from Ion Performance 2005.07.16 100524 oil/filter changed with Napa oil 2005.07.31 101282 complete body wax 2005.08.19 102555 changed front right turn signal lamp 2005.08.27 103212 changed to Kumho MX tires 2005.10.15 105471 replaced outgoing fuel line from fuel filter 2005.10.22 105889 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic, replaced fuel hose between fuel rails 2005.12.06 109230 changed to Bridgestone RE900 tires 2005.12.24 110463 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2005.12.26 110644 complete body wax 2006.01.27 113083 replaced front right headlight 2006.02.11 114179 replaced front seats with 2000 GC8 RS front seats 2006.02.16 114566 installed grille from 95 Legacy 2006.02.18 114702 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2006.02.21 114934 brake fluid flushed with ATE Super Blue DOT 4 brake fluid, replaced steering gear boots, replaced 1 front right wheel stud, 4-wheel alignment, changed to Kumho MX tires 2006.03.04 115714 replaced left mirror 2006.03.13 116081 replaced front right ABS sensor, front sway bar brackets 2006.03.20 116602 changed to Bridgestone RE900 tires 2006.04.01 117175 replaced A/C condenser, evaporator, freon recharged, changed to Kumho MX tires 2006.05.20 119914 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2006.06.17 121136 changed to Bridgestone RE900 tires 2006.06.28 121997 installed Hella 500 lights 2006.07.06 122401 replaced uppipe gaskets 2006.07.16 122833 replaced downpipe with HKS, air filter 2006.07.19 123240 painted hood original Ruby Mica Red 2006.08.01 123810 front brake pads replaced - kelvar Axxis Ultimate, front rotors replaced 2006.08.04 123996 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2006.12.13 129194 replaced right headlight and turn signal assembly 2007.02.10 129227 replaced downpipe gasket, vaccuum hoses 2007.04.07 130542 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2007.04.27 131397 rotate tires 2007.05.12 132232 mounted new Kumho Ecsta MX 205/55 16 tires on OEM GC8 16x7" wheels 2007.06.29 133574 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2007.07.28 134808 replaced turbo, BOV 2007.08.04 135000 replaced return fuel line 2007.08.09 135178 replaced right inner tie rod, CV boot, 4-wheel alignment 2007.08.18 135382 replaced battery 2007.08.21 135546 replaced AC compressor, AC o-rings 2007.09.15 136302 replaced front O2 sensor 2007.09.24 136493 complete body wax 2007.10.06 136924 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic, rotate tires 2007.10.20 137237 spark plugs replaced with NGK BKR7EIX 2007.12.06 138589 throttle cable replaced, mounted new Bridgestone Potenza G009 205/55 16 tires on OEM GC8 16x7" wheels 2007.12.15 138962 replaced rear wiper 2008.01.05 139515 replaced coil pack 2008.01.25 139915 replaced exhaust gaskets, installed custom 3" cat-back exhaust 2008.02.01 140057 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2008.02.21 140700 replaced rear O2 sensor 2008.03.05 141159 replaced front O2 sensor 2008.03.12 141384 replaced rear brake pads, changed to Kumho MX tires 2008.03.15 141384 radiator flush 2008.04.19 142639 replaced broken spring in shifter joint 2008.05.03 142882 oil/filter changed with Mobil 1 synthetic 2008.06.15 144060 replaced front O2 sensor 2008.06.17 144219 brake fluid flushed with Valvoline High Perf Synpower 1995 Glacier White Date miles Service and Modifications 2008.09.18 182737 oil/filter change at Valvoline 2009.03.27 183150 acquired car, thermostat replaced, radiator flush 2009.04.08 183212 replaced front seats with 2000 GC8 RS front seats 2009.04.18 183438 brake fluid flush with ATE TYP 200 DOT 4 brake fluid 2009.04.22 183660 changed to Kumho MX tires 2009.04.27 184411 oil/filter changed, center armrest changed 2009.04.29 184593 HVAC control unit replaced with one from a 97 Legacy 2009.05.02 184809 front wiper replaced 2009.05.03 184809 driver's door sensor replaced, paint touched up on door dings 2009.05.09 185083 front left axle replaced with Hillco remanufactured axle. 2009.06.10 185319 engine, front subframe, steering rack, exhaust, hood swapped from red Legacy, uppipe, clutch, flywheel, front sway bar, injectors, front right axle, fuel filter, oil, oil filter, coolant, thermostat, spark plugs replaced, Apexi S-AFC installed, and Road Tuned by Raw Performance with LM-2 wideband 2009.06.12 108319 complete body wax

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