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SteelbluesleepR : 2007 Subaru Outback 2.5i

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    #1

    SteelbluesleepR : 2007 Subaru Outback 2.5i

    IMG_3832 by Jayson Carey, on Flickr
    I took a train from St. Louis to Chicago to pick up my new car, a 2007 Outback 2.5i with a manual transmission, and drove it all the way back with my wife. I needed something newer, nicer, and more reliable than my old EP3 Si. I work in the camera department TV and films, so I need something that can carry cases upon cases of equipment, but I also want the fun and efficiency of a car.

    Mods: As of right now, it's completely stock, but that's probably not going to be true for long.

    future plans:
    25% tint all around
    Legacy GT Wagon suspension or similar. I want the nice wagon stance this car was supposed to have, not the pseudo-SUV crossover wheel gap it currently has.
    18x8 +40 silver or gold wheels
    2008-2009 JDM two-stripe taillights
    JDM hatch garnish/LED
    STI lip
    cool white LEDs all throughout the interior, including extra lighting in the hatch for late-night loadouts.







    IMG_3905 by Jayson Carey, on Flickr
    IMG_3831 by Jayson Carey, on Flickr

    IMG_3846 by Jayson Carey, on Flickr
    Last edited by steelbluesleepR; 11-28-2016, 10:21 PM.

    Click for my Member's Ride Thread
    Originally posted by Stephen Fry
    'It's now very common to hear people say, "I'm rather offended by that", as if that gives them certain rights. It's no more than a whine. It has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. "I'm offended by that." Well, so fucking what?' —Stephen Fry
    Eye Level Media - Commercial & Automotive Photography: www.EyeLevelSTL.com
    Tags: None
    #2
    Looks great!

    It's been a long time since I was truly into the Subaru world (the waning years with mine I lost interest) but they have some great parts available if you look around a bit. For wheels I would nominate the JDM Forester STi wheels. They're the right size, if a little high on the offset.



    The USDM Forester XT Sport had a similar set of wheels, but was unfortunately a 17x7, +48 wheel.

    Comment

      #3
      For suspension, I'd recommend getting some WRX or Legacy front struts and getting the Koni yellow strut inserts for them. Since the rears are multi-link, the shocks are available for purchase by themselves without having to cut up struts. You would need to pair those with either Legacy or aftermarket springs to have something in the strut/shocks usable range.
      My Members' Ride Thread - It's a marathon build, not a sprint. But keep me honest on the update frequency!

      Comment

        #4
        My co-worker bought one of these and it has been a nightmare.

        Issues with the powersteering. Oil-leaks galore. Headgasket leak that the previous owner didn't know about.

        If you have any oil leaks showing underneath this car, fix it asap.

        Otherwise, they are nice cars.

        Good luck.

        Comment

          #5
          That's funny. We just lost our 2005 2.5XT this weekend because the oil feed line on the turbo busted. My girlfriend ran it with the oil light on at highway speeds for a few miles without pulling over and the bearings are toast.

          Could have been salvaged had she pulled over, but the problem was caused by no fault of her own.
          My Members' Ride Thread - It's a marathon build, not a sprint. But keep me honest on the update frequency!

          Comment

            #6
            I finally got the hatch wiring harness swapped out for a new OEM one. It's funny how nice it is to have a working, locking hatch and reverse lights again!

            I've got a new black delrin shift knob and billet boot retainer on the way from ebay. It was cheap, so if I don't like it, I guess I'll throw it at something.

            I've got a couple of things to do before I lower the car, but I'm just looking at Legacy GR-2's and Tein H-Tech's or Spec-B springs. Not really wanting to spend Koni money at the moment.

            AccordWarrior, I love those forester wheels. I actually almost bought a forester instead of this, but I couldn't get over the interior.

            Oni, no oil leaks as of right now, but I'll keep an eye on it. It will be difficult since I don't have assigned parking at my apartment.

            Click for my Member's Ride Thread
            Originally posted by Stephen Fry
            'It's now very common to hear people say, "I'm rather offended by that", as if that gives them certain rights. It's no more than a whine. It has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. "I'm offended by that." Well, so fucking what?' —Stephen Fry
            Eye Level Media - Commercial & Automotive Photography: www.EyeLevelSTL.com

            Comment

              #7
              The GR-2s are trash. They're an OEM replacement that are lesser quality than the OEM struts and shocks. Bilstein and Koni make good rear shocks, but Bilstein is your only reasonable option for the fronts without opting for inserta struts.
              My Members' Ride Thread - It's a marathon build, not a sprint. But keep me honest on the update frequency!

              Comment

                #8
                You could park on a piece of cardboard, that's a decent way to trace leaks. How I found the leak on my truck (oil filter I didn't tighten all the way)
                1992 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser

                1986 Chevrolet C10|5.3L|SM465|Shortbed|Custom Deluxe

                1983 Malibu Wagon|TPI 305|T5 5 speed|3.73 non-posi


                1992 Accord Wagon (RETIRED)

                Comment

                  #9
                  My shift boot was really ratty and my shift knob was worn smooth when I bought the car, so I replaced both of them tonight. I got a vinyl shift boot with red stitching, a billet aluminum shift boot retainer, and a black delrin shift knob. The knob isn't quite as big as I'd like, but it was only $11, so I can easily replace it without feeling bad!

                  Also pictured is my bluetooth adapter. I'll be running the cord through the center console instead of leaving it loose pretty soon.

                  New shift boot and knob by Jayson Carey, on Flickr

                  Click for my Member's Ride Thread
                  Originally posted by Stephen Fry
                  'It's now very common to hear people say, "I'm rather offended by that", as if that gives them certain rights. It's no more than a whine. It has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. "I'm offended by that." Well, so fucking what?' —Stephen Fry
                  Eye Level Media - Commercial & Automotive Photography: www.EyeLevelSTL.com

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Jarrett View Post
                    The GR-2s are trash. They're an OEM replacement that are lesser quality than the OEM struts and shocks. Bilstein and Koni make good rear shocks, but Bilstein is your only reasonable option for the fronts without opting for inserta struts.
                    I hadn't heard that for Subarus, interestingly enough.

                    I just helped a friend do STI pinks and Excel-G on his WRX since it needed a budget-friendly refresh (167,000 miles on the original suspension, he's the original owner) and he said they were concerned a decent setup for the price.

                    I'm not denying that they might not be a great setup, but I've never heard them referred to quite as harsh as that.

                    I always wanted to have Feal revalve my STi's struts. I had a pair of Eibach Pro-Kit springs I never willed myself to put on and ended up selling.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      I think that's mostly due to the jaded Subaru community regurgitating information they hear all the time. When they're the only aftermarket struts available not named Bilstein (and now Feal is even making their own strut), people quickly find a reason to justify purchasing them. The fact is, for some very odd reason, no quality aftermarket company other than Bilstein has decided that the market here can support the manufacturing costs of a full strut.
                      My Members' Ride Thread - It's a marathon build, not a sprint. But keep me honest on the update frequency!

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Jarrett View Post
                        I think that's mostly due to the jaded Subaru community regurgitating information they hear all the time. When they're the only aftermarket struts available not named Bilstein (and now Feal is even making their own strut), people quickly find a reason to justify purchasing them. The fact is, for some very odd reason, no quality aftermarket company other than Bilstein has decided that the market here can support the manufacturing costs of a full strut.
                        When the average junk coilover (BC, et. al) costs $300-400 more (mad low, son!) than a set of struts, people jump and the average vendor doesn't care to make parts they won't sell.

                        I know Tokico used to make pieces for Subaru, do they not anymore?

                        My friend is happy enough with his KYBs, but at his mileage and wear on the car, spending large sums of money made zero financial sense.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          I found a forum sponsor that sells yellows for $150/corner. that's close enough to the GR2's that I can throw another couple hundred bucks at them and get the best.

                          Click for my Member's Ride Thread
                          Originally posted by Stephen Fry
                          'It's now very common to hear people say, "I'm rather offended by that", as if that gives them certain rights. It's no more than a whine. It has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. "I'm offended by that." Well, so fucking what?' —Stephen Fry
                          Eye Level Media - Commercial & Automotive Photography: www.EyeLevelSTL.com

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Originally posted by steelbluesleepR View Post
                            I found a forum sponsor that sells yellows for $150/corner. that's close enough to the GR2's that I can throw another couple hundred bucks at them and get the best.
                            Absolutely. I know you're talking Spec B or Tein, but check out RCE and see what they've got available, I've yet to hear anything negative about them.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              spec b stuffs do ettt

                              i rec kyb agxs with some nice springs
                              rota makes the gravels which look like the sti /spec b wheels
                              Last edited by tommi; 01-07-2017, 10:29 AM.
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