I recently picked up a 2001 Outback VDC Wagon and there were a few things I wanted to replace on it. I thought I'd ask here for help getting the right parts and finding out which problems are harder to fix than just grabbing parts from another Subaru.

First one is the seats. I am not fond of leather seats (I just don't find them comfortable and prefer cloth) and would like to replace them with cloth seats. Did the third generation Legacy/Outback or Baja have any options for cloth seats that were both powered and heated that I could swap in? Or is there any way I can retrofit the cloth seats onto the powered/heated seats of the VDC Wagon?

The next is installing the bug deflector on the hood. I just wanted to check that E2310LS101 is the right part number for all models in the 01-04 Legacy/Outback and Baja group before ordering one, making sure that there wasn't any changes to that number.

In the long term, I am considering a manual swap, but I have been reading that VDC makes this trickier and that it might be tied to ABS as well? I was hoping to get some clarification.

The manual swap idea is pretty tough. This guy is a guru on all things Outback and wrote up what is involved:

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/sleeper-vdc.47896/page-44?post_id=6479561#post-6479561

 

Replacement upholstery for Subaru Seats has been discussed on the Subaru Outback Forums - try searching over there; there are several aftermarket sources.  Alternatively, you could replace the seats with units from a pick-n-pull yard.  The cost and time involved are probably similar for either option.