I've been trying to decide what do with my 91 Legacy. I can't figure it out for myself so I thought I would throw the question out there for everyone here on USMB. She already has a suspension lift and the tires I like but needs a trans swap and body lift.

 

 

Should I keep her and continue with the mods or buy an OBS and make a "Stella Jr."?

It's looking good in that picture! Keep going with it!

Trans swap isn't THAT hard, those are good cars.

Keep going with it........ or give it to me

Another vote for keep going with it

If you sell it, you will regret it.

^^+1

I guess I will keep it for now. I already miss my safari rack and light set up I sold thinking I was going to get rid of it. Comparing a newer OBS with my current setup the loss of cargo space isn't really worth the 110 lbs I would be saving. The OBS does look cooler though.

The OBS does look cooler though.

 

Yes, Yes it does.

 

Keep goin.I have sold/traded off cars that I thought I didna WANT...Horrible horrible mistakes.

Besides, Stella does not want kids:-p

cheers

Agreed. Although I may have found a cheap donor body to swap all my parts into. Either an 03 Outback or a 96 Imp. Outback. I'll figure it out someday.

 

It just sucks when I have to drive by the "Brown Beast" everyday.

 

Tex has done a nice job. The only problem with it is I've never seen it dirty.:-p

 

Now I just need to find an RX tranny. Anyone local have one available?

I found an RX tranny in SC but still looking for a local one. Anyone have one on the shelf?

I found an RX tranny in SC but still looking for a local one. Anyone have one on the shelf?

 

If you're looking for a dual range, you don't want an RX transmission.

They have 3.7 diffs and the low range isn't as low. I want to say 1.2:1.

 

The GL dual range is 3.9 diffs and 1.59:1 low range, much better.

How would that compare on the highway? I still like to drive fast!

My GL has 26.5" tires, and turns about 3000 at 70 on the highway.

How would that compare on the highway? I still like to drive fast!

 

In high range it would be geared higher then you have now, first gen legacys had a 4.11 final drive, execpt the turbos. It will be fine for highway driving

In europe 1 gen legacy wagon:

ej18 have 4.111 final and about 1.59 low,

ej20 have 4.111 final end about 1.19 low,

ej22 have 3.900 final and about 1.19 low.

How would that compare on the highway? I still like to drive fast!

 

The lower gearing would give you better acceleration. Wouldn't gear you low enough to decrease top speed, though. And I doubt you spend much time at 100mph in that.

I doubt you spend much time at 100mph in that.

 

Not enough time! J/K It's definitely not a speed machine but I do a lot of driving in the 70-80 mph range. Lots of highway miles so I still want the top end. It's no longer the daily driver since it takes half a tank to get to work and back but I do drive it to the places I like to wheel, snowboard, and hunt. It will always be the "mountain car" so I need to keep it streetable.

 

In regards to the GL tranny swap, there's lots of info regarding guys putting an EJ motor in an EA but not the other way around. Is it the same or is there more to it?

It will be very drivable. My GL is fine. I drove it from Maine to North carolina. Then back. That's all highway, and it did fine.

 

There are some writeups for ea tranny into ej car.

It boils down to something like

Custom axles, or swap stubs in transmission

Custom crossmember

re-drilled flywheel

adapter plate

custom driveline

And then you have to get the dual range shift linkage to fit properly in your car.

And you said it wasn't that hard. Sounds difficult to me especially since I have no fab tools.

And you said it wasn't that hard. Sounds difficult to me especially since I have no fab tools.

 

You don't have to do much fab work, really.

You can buy the adapter plate and re-drilled flywheel right from SJR lift.

You can't do your own driveline anyway, unless you have the proper balancer and tools to get it straight... It's a job for a shop.

Axles you don't need anything special for. They're like legos, you just swap the parts around.

I dunno about the crossmember... Someone who knows more about what you have to do there can chime in. I know the EA and EJ ones look different, but I'e never sat them side by side to compare.

as far as axles your car is a 25 spline and you would need to go with a 93-94 impreza fwd 5mt axles they will have the correct outer splines for the hubs and 23 spline DOJ to mate to the EA d/r assuming you go with the non turbo model. or if you have some EA axles laying around you can swap the doj over to your axles.

 

Ben

Hmm... maybe I will just wait until my trans needs to be replaced and focus on the lift for now.

Spent Saturday at Pick n Pull and picked up the lift spacers and trailing arms off an Outback. My transmission and axles are much happier. Tires are happier too now that there's no rubbing on the tight turns and they are centered in the wheel well. Still not as tall as I want her. Time to go bigger.