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June Outback of the Month Voting (see entries in post 2)

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2021 - June Outback of the Month Submission Thread

10K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  Truck_1_0_1_ 
#1 ·
The June Outback of the Month contest is live, but with some much needed updates. Please read carefully below, as voting especially, has changed.

  • You no longer vote via LIKES. The last week of each month going forward, a poll will be added to the thread with all the entries and you will have 7 days (or 5, depending on how quick I am to get the poll up and how well the thread is moving) to cast your vote. This is a more traditional way of running things and based on feedback, will be a welcome change.
  • You must own the submitted ride.
  • You can enter 3-5 pics of your ride. I would strongly suggest submitting pics with no people in it (dogs are fine) or at the least, crop them out of it.
  • Feel free to give a little backstory on your ride. Whether that be the modifications it has, how you came to own it, or just a fun story. Don't be afraid to share your ride's story.
  • If you have won in a previous month, you can no longer enter for the rest of the year. However, if you have a second car that meets the above criteria, you can enter that.
The winner at the end of the month will win a free 1 Year Premium Membership for the forum and a custom flair under their username. If the winner is already a premium member, their subscription will be extended an additional year.

Winners will be featured on the sites gallery, found here.

Congrats to our May Outback of the Month winner, @SmokewagonXT!

-Mike

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#3 ·
Given that it's my b-day month and I just finished off with the upgrades, I'll throw my hat into the ring!

2006 OBW, Champagne Gold Opal, 2.5i, 4EAT.

If you wish to read the fleshed-out stories, you can do so in the Gen 3 section, but basically, I got this car in 2018; my parents bought an '01 OBW (blue) in 2004 off lease and when I was fully-licensed in 2012, I took possession of it. The car lasted on many trips, hauling the boat, driving down to Cincinnati (and Buffalo!) for Bengal games, lots of drives with my wife (then G/F) on our Friday date nights and it was the car where I really learned how to drive and where I came into my own; we only scrapped it, due to the fact that the exhaust was modified (without a Catalytic Convertor) and it would've failed the Emissions Test, here in Ontario (it was completely abolished just a month or two later. Go figure), not to mention the HG was leaking for 12 years at that point (but still running strong). This was also in June; on June 1st of 2018, after dreading that we would need to get rid of it, we made one last trip with the boat (Balsam Lake. Caught a nice pike that day and my dad caught 2 very nice Walleye), but on the way, there are a few used car lots and there was my OBW. My dad was all, "see? it looks good! You should take a look at it," but I hated the colour so I was super-dismissive about it. On the way back, we drove past again and my dad said, "here, I'll run over and take a look." He peruses it for a good 5 minutes, then comes back, "the sticker is $3,995.00. That's a good price, but we need to take a look at it, of course. The body is immaculate." I got annoyed with the constant prodding and said fine, you talk to the guy (my dad does all the negotiating in the family; he is beyond-awesome at it).

He calls the number of the lot the next day and the owner informs my dad that he got it at auction and hasn't been able to take a look at it yet, but that his mechanic would the same day. Fast-forward to the next day and he calls my dad back, saying that, "everything looks good, but there appears to be an oil leak somewhere and I know how these things have HG failure. I got it at auction for $1,000.00, so name your price." We offered $1,500.00 (the oil pan was slightly loose and that was the leak!), he took it and into the Mitsubishi Dealership my dad worked at (at the time) it went, for the next month (along with the old blue one, to be parted out on mine {whichever parts were interchangeable} and eventually scrapped). It was brought up to certification and on July 18th (2 years to the date that I proposed to my wife), the car was ready and I picked it up. HATE THE COLOUR. GRRRR.

But! Driving it and sitting in it, super-comfortable and within 2 days, it instantly became my favourite car I've ever driven and it still is, to this day. Have done a few longish trips with it, but we'll be driving to Eastern Canada this summer and that will be around 7,000 km or so, in 16 days (only 3 are really long days; the other 13, we won't be in the car long). To get it up to code for the trip, in the past 4 months, I have done:

  • New Driveshaft
  • New (better quality than last) pads and rotors, plus my calipers were de-seized and restored to how they were before.
  • Air filters both done and beefed-up on quality of both.
  • Cleaned out some of the engine (oil leaking in and around the spark plugs)
  • Falken Wildpeak AT-Trails
  • New roof racks (what brought me to this site)
  • Tinted Windows
  • AVS window shades
  • Front JDM Lights
  • Rear JDM Lights
  • Faux-STI pedal covers (just cheap...ish lookalikes lol), as my feet ALWAYS slipped off the stock pedal covers.

Have also added some stickers, emblem overlays and a few other cosmetic things, here and there.

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Upcoming things to do:

  • Gentex Mirror upgrade (all the parts arrived in the past 20 hours, so will do soon!)
  • Seatbelt Tensioner (have the airbag light on constantly)
  • Head Gasket (it's leaking... I'll be doing this next year)
  • Bushings and links for the front and new bolts for the rear (have all the parts {save for the bolts}, will also do this in 2022)
  • Right-front CV axle (has torn, no sounds or vibrations, etc., yet)
  • Strut towers starting to rust a bit. Did undercoat this year, but will monitor how it goes.

That's it! That's my submission :)

BONUS

The blue guy, in one last pic we got of him:

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#5 · (Edited)
I was a Subaru Legacy wagon owner back in the early 90's before a long run of Toyota 4Runners & Tundras. On February 1, 2021 I made the switch back to Subaru with a brand new 2021 Limited XT. In just the first 4 months of owning the car, my wife, dog and I have already put 10,000 miles on it. Just in time for the June photo contest we spent the Memorial Day weekend exploring the backroads and canyons of the Steens Mountains and Southeast Oregon. These are a few shots from that trip. Admittedly, the best pictures feature my wife and dog as well, but I'll keep these mostly focused on the car as instructed to do. This trip was particularly notable because my wife told me that we finally got the sleeping arrangements dialed in and she had the best night of sleep in the car yet. And as many of you can probably relate, it's important to get that right!

Modifications:
Method 501 wheels
Yokohama Geolander G015 235/17/65 tires
Rallitek overload springs with 1" lift
front Sport Grille
Thule Vector M cargo box
trailer hitch
black badges

The portrait:
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The action shot:
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The hero shot:
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The camp shot:
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#7 ·
I never actually planned on buying my base 03 Outback. I was just kinda looking on Facebook marketplace on June 8th 2020 I messaged the seller and one thing led to another. No mods per se. I did find the cup holder thing, cargo net, cargo area cover thing, tweeters, net hooks and leather shift knob from a Limited OB.

I've driven it to St George, Utah and drove up Four Peaks. No climbing power but it's still fun.
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#8 ·
My 08 outback. I installed a 2" lift kit, struts and shocks. Falken a/t tires. I also Installed ditch lights and KC off-road lights to help light the roads at night. I also Installed an awning on the passenger side and mounted two kayak racks. One for me and one for a friend if I decide to bring with. It's my first Subaru I've ever owned. I wanted something fuel efficient that could go off the beaten path with. And the funny thing is that I got most of my ideas off Pinterest lol. I've owned the car now for 2 years and absolutely love it.
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#10 ·
Hey all!

Entering my 2000 H6 this month, I hope you guys like it. Here's the story:

TL-DR - Project car/daily. Lots of maintenance to get it running like new as not cared for by previous owner who had it from new. A couple of personal touches along the way. I want to lift it by 2-4 inches and put chunky offroad tyres on it!

So, I bought my OB in November last year (my first car!). I have always loved subies and I always knew I would own one, so when I found this OB for $1000 AUD with no major problems, I knew I had to get it.

She's just ticked over 225,000km, but unfortunately when I got her she had not been looked after too well by the one owner it had had since new. Classic case of just taking it to a mechanic and getiting them to do the bare minimum.

Here's all the maintenance & mods I've done so far:

  1. Out with the old and in with the new! All of my fluids have been flushed and changed; engine oil, coolant (flushed 7 times to get rid of muck), diff fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, brake fluid.
  2. Every filter has been changed and replaced, like this disgusting cabin filter which had about an inch of dust/bugs/s**t on it.
  3. New tough 4WD brake pads and rotors (and aforementioned fluid).
  4. Laser iridium spark plugs. Hopefully I'll have to change them in 150,000kms. That'll mean she's still running!
  5. Replaced a faulty O2 sensor.
  6. Replaced a failed transmission mount.
  7. Front shock absorbers replaced as they were on their way out.
  8. Removed the rear anti-roll bar for better flex.
  9. Sticky on-road tyres; I'll be getting some knobblies at some point this year, I just don't have the money for it yet.
  10. Front bumper has been chopped to remove the fog lights and allow for a better approach angle. I think it looks better too!
Interior has been fully detailed (it's in an absolute state at the moment because I just went offroad and haven't cleaned it yet!), and the exterior has been clay barred and glass has been polished with an orbital polisher. Paintwork needs work though but it's good enough for the moment. For me, it's more important the internals are looked after until I have the cash to make 'er pretty(er).

Here's what I want to do in the future:

  1. General maintenance. Often overlooked, extremely important. Things like the timing chain, head gasket, and other less common items that need to be done to a car of this age.
  2. This center diff lock mod.
  3. This rear diff locker.
  4. Underbody armour like this skid plate and one for the rear diff. Can't find one right now...
  5. A snorkel or a cold air intake. I'll have to choose between being able to swim or having the sweet noise of a CAI.
  6. I'd like to mount a winch to the front so that I can get out of any sticky situations.
  7. 4 inch lift, and everything that goes along with it. HD suspension, shockies, etc. Might get some spankin' new subaru OE axles and rebuild them at the same time.
  8. Massive offroad tyres. Big as I can go; I'm a guy with an angle grinder and a dream. And not much money. Emphasis on the angle grinder. And lack of money.
  9. Detatchable front and rear anti-roll bars. This is so she's a bit safer on road, and flexy off road.
Long term it would be fun to completely rebuild the engine and put some forged components in there, maybe turbocharge or supercharge it too. That's if she lasts long enough!


Now for the photos! If you skipped to this point, there's a TL-DR up the top.


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I hope you guys liked this post. I really love the builds I see on this site and I hope you like mine as well.

Take care of yourselves guys and keep enjoying your OB!

o7
 
#11 ·
2016 Outback Premium 2.5
Owned by us since April 2021 and we are enjoying the adventures. Only mods have been upgrading the tires to Pirelli Scorpion A/Ts. This was the first test of the tires and it was not a severe test, just some fun on 30 miles of Arizona dirt road. I am still working out details of selecting the right cargo box, awning and hitch setups.
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#13 ·
Just got home from around a 2,300-mile roundtrip jaunt from southeast Texas to northcentral New Mexico to celebrate the outdoors and break our 13-month home quarantine. Our trip centered around Taos as well as Jemez Pueblo and everything between. Our ride was my 2011 Outback 2.5i, and when all was said and done, I cracked 98k on the odometer. I’ve owned the car for around six years having put around 30k on the car since trading in my Camry Hybrid.

Aside from Method 501s wrapped in Michelin Defenders, baking the headlights, and installing Lamin-x on my fog lights, I’ve relied on the classifieds section for tasteful upgrades including a set of Primitive skidplates and a custom grille, as Subarus are less popular in my area.

I hope you guys enjoy the pictures, the car has been a keeper and will continue to be mine for a long time as I just replaced the timing belt, spark plugs, and a few other items I’ve put off for too long.

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View attachment 514086

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#14 ·
Here’s our ‘08 BP... Japanese assembled, 2.5i Limited. When we bought her three years ago, she‘d done just 52,000 genuine kms. Now has Bilsteins, a Kakimoto intake and all manner of STI and AVO bling.

She’s perfect for backcountry touring here in our beautiful Te Wai Pounamu, the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand.


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Attachments

#17 ·
Your car looks very nice. I have a question. You wrote this is Japanes model? Did this car has self-leveling shocks in the rear at the time you bought it? And have you replaced the suspension with the bilstein bts-kit BILSTEIN BTS KIT B12(BTS5056J) | JDM Japanparts.com | OUTBACK/ A-D BP9 2.5L ?

I have a European model which should be identical with the Japanes models. I want to change the suspension and found the above named bistein bts-kit. But in the shop they say " This would not fit an auto levelizer system equipped car ". So I'm confused why this should not be possible.

I would be glad for any info.

Thank
André
Hi Andre:

I went through the same conundrum. If I were honest, I just went ahead and bought the Bilstein kit without ever being certain whether I had self-levellers or not. It was the same kit - 5056J - you mention, and it bolted in just fine. I ended up with the exact same ride height.
 
#23 ·
Let me throw my hat in the ring here.

Okay so let's see... I am packing this out on my phone here, let me see if I can recall all what happened with this car. It's been a lot...

Also, fun little ringer: In about a month or so, this car identity will be.. 82 KID I just mailed out the form for it today 😎

Okay, so. Car story. Let's go.

Okay I saw this on an app called Letgo for $600 in Staten Island NY, May 2020. Had Pirellis on it and was.in rougher shape than you see now. Bought it.
Stalled 20 minutes after I got it.
Sat in Brooklyn for a week. Towed to Central NJ.
Sat at shop for about 2 to 3 months, before getting touched...
Was fixed. It was the coil.
This was one of my first posts on this board.
Two months after that (yup, there about 5 months.. they didn't mind, they were so busy) I picked it up for use.

Sometime Janyary 2021 it got the EJ20 in there.

Next month, the EJ251 is going back in with MANY new things....

Automotive parking light Wheel Vehicle Car Automotive side marker light
Automotive parking light Car Wheel Land vehicle Tire

Automotive parking light Wheel Tire Car Vehicle
 
#26 ·
Mine has the leather (front) seats ready to go in. I don't care too much about the back though obviously I want to keep them clean. I made a thread about it.

New Turbo head gaskets, head bolts.. radiator, catalytic converter, master gasket/seals kit (will likely take head gaskets OUT of. And throw them away. I should..) ... Radiator, expansion tank, air filter, have arrived..

Aisin timing belt and water pump kit, oil filter, on the way..

I may be forgetting some.
 
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