Fulton, this post's for you.

The snorkel wasn't really needed for this adventure, but they're the only shots I have handy at moment.

New interior

The Superu is a Black and Tan now with the recent addition of a new black carpet and black leather seats front and rear!

Superu - Phase II

And so it begins! Never able to leave well enough alone and adhering to the principle of "If it ain't broke, then modify it!", we are now embarking on Phase II of the evolution of the Superu.

Those of you who've followed the progress over the past couple of years may be surprised by the picture above. It's the start of the decal removal process that may ultimately result in a totally new appearance. Possible flat black all around with tinted glass and black painted alloys. Not sure yet, but it's time for a change. :)

Also considering a rework of the communications setup and interior storage as well as getting around to installing the transmission cooler and freeing up the exhaust a bit with removal of those pesky resonators. Not too concerned about losing the "smoothing" of the exhaust note that they are meant to provide. Stay tuned for more updates.

HID Headlights and Fog Lights

It's been a bit over a month since I installed the 4500k HID headlights and the 3000k HID lights so I thought it was time to write up a quick review.

The installation couldn't be much easier and is truly plug and play. There are no wires to cut and the bulbs fit without modification to the housings. Total time to install both sets < 1 hour.

The headlamps on the 05 Outback are halogen projectors and they work very well with the HID upgrade. The design of the projectors helps to maintain a crisp cutoff so you don't annoy oncoming drivers. Biggest difference is in the way they illuminate both the road ahead and the reflective signs and markers on guardrails and in the roadway. Almost makes the highway look like a landing strip on roads with those embedded reflectors in between the stripes. 4500k is a perfect choice as it is a bright white light without that blue/purple tint that you see on many tuner cars.

The fog lamps are fantastic at 3000k. When you first turn them on they look green for a few seconds until they get to full brightness and then it's a fantastic fog light yellow that does a great job cutting through rain and fog.

These kits were purchased from DDMTuning and are probably the least expensive on the market. Quality appears quite good and if they die a premature death, than the replacement cost is not an issue since they just had another price cut!

Subaru recall WVI 18 P0420

Just got back from the dealer after bringing the Superu in for a recall that appears to have been behind the P0420 Catalyst System Below Efficiency Threshold error.

Background:

2005 Subaru Outback 2.5

137k miles

Result:

Cleared CEL

Reprogrammed ECM

and...........

wait for it............

2 NEW cats at ZERO cost to me!

Only hitch was the tech couldn't figure out how to re-install the front skid plate!!! 3 bolts and 2 locknuts. How tough can that really be to figure out? Took me 10 minutes when I got home to put it back on!

HID Fog Light Conversion

Waiting on the arrival of a set of 3000k HID lights to replace the factory fogs. Despite the factory housings being reflector rather than projector style, the location is low enough that the light dispersion should be fairly well contained on the road surface.

Will be posting before and after pics once the update is complete. It should be a completely plug and play change with no cutting or splicing necessary.

Superu's winter fun.

Winter is barely a month old here but we've had lots of snow and the Superu has been fantastic with the current suspension setup.

Many owners of USDM 05-07 Outbacks have complained of a side to side drift on slick surfaces.

I am happy to report that the Superu has no such issues and has been flawless in all slippery conditions. To recap the suspension setup, let's take a look at what's different from stock.

Ride height: Stock springs have been replaced with a set of 4 King Springs direct shipped from Australia. This resulted in about a 1" lift.

Anti-sway bar: Next was the addition of a Whiteline rear anti-sway bar. Tightened things up nicely.

Body lift: Add to that the installation of a 2" body lift kit this spring and there you have the complete package.

The ride with the King Springs is a bit firmer than stock, but not at all harsh. Handling is tight and as mentioned above, the car is a pleasure to drive in all manner of slippery conditions.

The Evolution of the Superu!

Finally getting a few minutes to post up some additional pics.


Rear strut with spacer installed.


One of four rear carrier spacers.



The installation starts with a trolley jack under the rear carrier. Loosening the carrier bolts and lowering the carrier about 3 inches. Spacers go in, bolts go in hand tight, rear A-arms are loosened, spacers installed, bolts snugged up. Struts out, spacers on.



Gearbox spacers go in next. Same process, lower with jack, install spacers, bolts in, back up.

Front installation is pretty much the same as the rear.

It helps to have friends around to lend a hand with putting things back together.



Or in the case of the steering coupler, pulling them apart!



Of course, it helps to keep a positive attitude and a smile on your face!



Issues encountered were a stripped bolt hole, four rear carriers bolts that had to be cut down and a steering coupler that had to be cut and re-machined.

Results with 1" suspension lift via King Springs and 2" body lift via Ausubaru spacer lift:






Thanks to all who gave their time, support, encouragement, took some of these photos and provided advice along the way. Will keep everyone updated on the next adventure we take with the Superu!

A few more pics of the lifted Superu

FIN

Better pics to follow along with details on the process.

Bigger tires and alignment due at week's end.

Lift kit bits

Just inventoried the boxes to see what I have before starting the install.


Hope to have the heated barn available soon to start work on this. Will keep the blog updated and post installation pics afterwards.