Review and Plans: Subaru Legacy Wagon

Hi, this is special review in blog form of my Subaru Legacy Brighton 2.2L Wagon. This is my first car, as I am getting my license very soon (stupid laws require a certain amount of logged driving time). It’s really not much right now. It hasn’t been inspected in more than two years, has an old tired engine that for sure makes less than 100 whp and not much above 100 hp at the crank. It isn’t a drivers car, it isn’t a ‘classic’, it isn’t fast, it isn’t flashy, it isn’t big, it isn’t small, it isn’t tall, and yes, the worn transmission makes it easy to stall. But for me, it isn’t about what this car isn’t, it’s a bout what it is. Top grade Japanese design, practical, awd master-race, not ugly, a car that is one owner handed down to me from my family, a wagon, and can be heavily modded if I choose. So let’s dive into some specifics on the car, and do a real review.

Exterior

I know not everyone would say so, but I believe the basic design of the first 4 generations of the Legacy has always been a handsome car. Even so, I admit this car shows its age prominently on the outside. It has many paint scratches, tree sap, and most of all, rust ,specifically in the left rear wheel arch. Most people use filler, but I’m crossing my fingers that I can have a metal patch welded in. Will I ever redo the paint? Maybe, but only to stop rust, I’m not made of money you know. Also, the rims are steelies with original covers, and the suspension is too high. More on possibly fixing that later. All in all 5/10, car looks good, but needs restoration. The basic look I’d atleast a 7/10 though.

Interior

First things first, this is not a Bentley not a Rolls Royce, not a Mercedes, and not even like an old Audi in terms of interior design. I do however make the case that this car is pretty good for a car sold in 1997. The seats aren’t ripped, the car is clean, and their is loads of space. The trim is bit worn in places, the leather on the shifter is one example, but it’s aged pretty well. As a base model the dash is quite standard. It has no tachometer, a few classic plastic fill in for missing options, and a cassette player, no cds for you, this is 1997! Comfort is good, leg room is good in the back seats, and it’s good for trips as I have experienced from growing up with camping trips, and a full car. Overall the interior is about a 6.5/10, and needs only minimal work.

Mechanical and Power-train

My Subaru Legacy just like all Legacy’s of its generation is awd with a boxer engine. It has a 2.2L engine which, when new, had about 137 hp. Now, after 125,000+ miles and sitting for a few years, it has lost some of that power. The engine powers all four wheels with Subaru’s famous awd system and a 5-Speed manual transmission. The throw is very long, and the clutch is junk but it’s to be expect with a car this old and basic. One good thing, is that most Subaru parts can be swapped into another Subaru with some research and help from friends, even the engine! Right now, the car probably needs both a new O2 sensor, and a catalytic converter if my obd2 diagnostics scannor is correct. Overall, it is a solid design, but the lack of power hurts the score I give it, about a 7/10.

Conclusion of my Review

To sum things up, this is a bang average car at the moment, about a 6-6.5/10 car. It needs lots of tlc and it’s allready gotten some. The worst thing is the rusted cancer on the left rear wheel well, a common problem on these cars. As a petrolhead, it is not sn ideal car, but it still has a special place in my heart. I would sell it and buy another car, but insurance on anything else rwd or awd is insane right now! Ultimately, to get this csr to where I want it it would take at least 6,000k, more than double the value of the car. In the final section, I will discuss mod plans, a more entertaining topic for sure. Also, I should ask, is it worth modding this car? Is there a cheap awd, or rwd car that has more power and is easy to insure and maintain and has a manual transmission? I couldn’t find much, the wrx is good, but the insurance is the killer. So, with my review done, let’s discuss mods!

Mods Part 1: the Basics

So let’s start with some things I plan on doing in the near future. The first thing after getting the car expected is to install some mudflaps. I can not afford to spend $100 on a set, so I will instead get universal ones made with lower grade material for about $20. I’ll either get a set of Sparco’s, Rallyarmor, or just steel some ftom the junk yard, any input is welcome. Next, I want to address the dashboard. I need to install a tachometer, and possibly even a new headunit with cd player, aux jack, and USB input. Lastly, I want to replace the leather boot on the shifter. Sparco makes a good replacement, might try that.

Mods Part 2: Suspension, Wheels, Brakes, etc..

After basic mods, I want to put on a set of alloy rims. 16-17 inch rima seems like a good idea, I am seriously considering using stock WRX rims from the early generations. Along with that, I need to change the rear brakes from drums to discs. This will involve going to a junkyard, getting rear brake assembly parts off of a Subaru WRX or Legacy GT or Outback, and installing them. While I’m at it I might as well upgrade the fronts as well, wrx or jdm gt-b brakes seem like the way to go. In conjuction with that hard job suspension mods are in dire need. The car needs to be lowered a bit, currently it just sits too high. I could do coilovers, but moderate lowering springs seems like what I’ll be forced to use. Sway bars are a realistic goal, and would be needed if I want to handle more power, which brings us to the next part….

Mods Part 3: Engine and Transmission

As I have said, currently the car makes less than 100 whp at the wheel. To fix that, I have two realistic choices, an engine swap, or installing a turbo. While turbo installs are easy on an MX-5 like Phil or Marty’s car from MCM, swapping the engine is actually more common in the Subaru community. The ej22 in my car is not well known for being good for turbo charging and the engine is old. I could get it to 200 hp, but it would require a new ecu anyway, so it’s probably not worth it. Instead, I can swap in a new, more powerful engine. Jdm engines are cheap, but that would be hard to get it to pass emmisions. If I were to put say and 02’ WRX engine in, however, I could have the ecu tuned to pass with flying colors. The only thing stopping me is shear price. Right now I have more than 2k and growing saved up, but that would only just about cover the engine. The other parts I need are exhaust, axles, a new transmission, possibly a shop to deal with the ecu work, and all the prior mods especially brakes and suspension need to be done first. So as stated before 6k is the minimum estimate by me, but I could spend more than 10k. Still, at 10k I would have 200-300hp, and the car I allready love. Well, it may never be reality, but let it be known, some say I will own a fast Subaru Legacy Wagon. If the guy behind the no f#€{$ given rx7 can do what he did on such a limited budget I have some hope. Right now my likely choices of swap would be to go all WRX parts, 2.0 liter turbo+ 5 speed manual, and possibly a twin-scroll turbo from the old jdm STI. A 2.5 liter turbo, or 3.0 liter flat six are other choices along with a 6-speed manual, but that would add extra cost. Overall, I have big dreams, just like most car guys, wether they come true, who knows. I might move on to a better car, I might end up turning thus into the ultimate sleeper, who knows. Thnx for reading, if you like it hit like and if you have any input comment below. If this is well recieved I might even do a video review, who knows. L8r h8rs ;)

Thnx 4 reading. This is the internet, so have some cat pics!

P.S. thanks again for reading, I have been considering starting a youtube chanel, and if this is well recieved I might make a video review. Tell me what you think in the comments! #blogpost #mydream #ctvariety #itsajapanesething