Subaru mod guide: Where to start your road to a money pit... or not?
Hey!.... Welcome back for another #modmonday! Today is a less specific mod and more of my mantra to modding. This would be my preferred method beginning the process.
Many cars are purchased with the thought of being either a project car or a daily driver, and for most of us they all tend to gravitate to project car status. No matter how hard we try they trickle into the project car category. With this new title we need to start from square one before we lose all our money and time.
They all usually start as pretty stock and sane cars…. but they usually don’t end that way.
Your first step when buying a car should always be a thorough inspection, this helps you from driving it home and immediately finding it is not quite the deal you thought you received. If you are not adequately trained this is the time to take it to your favorite shop and have them inspect it from top to bottom. This would include fluid leaks/status, belts, brakes, suspension, tires, battery and anything else safety related. This would also be the time for a compression and leak down test, if it hasn't been completed. With this complete we can move to step two.
Oil leaks can be from anywhere… especially on cars that weren't well cared for.
If you want to check your own front end here's my quick guide for Subarus.
Always double check your tread and quality of your tires.
Next up will be taking care of any maintenance items you are unaware of or fear have not been completed. The list of these would be your filters (air, fuel, trans, engine), the transmission, differential, brake, clutch fluid, timing belt and lastly the spark plugs. This can be a half step to modding, as you can always upgrade any of these parts while also taking care of the maintenance.
Subaru recommends checking your brake fluid every 30k. It's easy to change even by yourself. Brake fluid replacement how to.
The Positive crankcase ventilation valve, aka pcv is what many Subarus live and die by. Pcv valve replacememnt FB motor.
Another 30k mileage interval here. Rear differential service.
Nothing like a good oil change to start everything out right. Oil change tip/tricks.
With all of those completed your checklist on the car is complete. After that I prefer to drive the car for awhile to just get an idea on it's quirks and areas that need quicker attention than others. I also use this time to plan what I would like the car to end up as.
Try to get little problems out if the way before you start your big plans.
Brake replacement/upgrade. 4 piston caliper upgrades.
Temporary Window gusset repair. Real window gusset repair.
Now is the time you have been waiting for... let's mod! My approach is pretty standard and I always start with suspension and wheels/tires. I always like to start here because it really seems to get my mind in gear with my vision. Seeing your car with the right stance, be it lifted or lowered makes visualizing that much easier.
Struts and springs or coilovers. It’s a tough call but with enough research it’s easy to make a bad call.
Finding the right wheel tire package is a worth your time. The right fitment will really put the car together.
Ride height set for maximum auto-x attack but it looks good on the street.
The right lift and tire set makes or breaks the looks of the Forester.
Moving down the list finds both driving pleasure and engine "breathing" next up. Having a great seat, new steering wheel or short shifter just makes the car that much more enjoyable without adding power, you find yourself just enjoying the car no matter if it is on winding roads or in traffic. Then the "breathing" mods can start, these are two fold as they will make the car faster by improving the air flow and aurally blissful when hearing the sound of your people! (i.e. engine exhaust) You can replace certain areas of your turbo Subaru intake and exhaust without tuning but there are many in which tuning will be necessary. Which leads us to our next area.
Most Subaru starter packs you will find the downpipe is the most important part. Downpipe removal
Turbo inlets are a great upgrade for power but they also remove the old plastic piece that is known for tearing.
Going Elh is great for power and reliability.
What makes a Subaru a Subaru.. the exhaust note.
With new found parts you will now find yourself in the I need tuning camp or the no tuning necessary group. Though tuning for all parts whether big or small will gain you better driving car and likely a little extra power. If you are replacing parts that need a tune a device like the Cobb accessport is a power item to invest in. You can install one of their many tunes to get you going and when everything has come together you can find a proper tuner or e-tuner to get the full sum of the parts running in harmony.
Cobb tuning to the rescue for you tuning needs on upgraded parts.
The rest after these steps is up to you or your builder/tuner. With all your parts equipped you should easily be able to find what is next. If you are looking to add much more power you should make sure your trans, clutch and brakes are up for the task. This might also be a great time to add a few exterior mods to differentiate your vehicle from the rest. Then after that it is tweaking and adding all the parts to make the car truly your vehicle that suites your driving style and looks.