Im looking for a cheap way to upgrade my Legacy Outback. Its a 96 with 175k and i want to make it run better and sound better but im broke. I also dont want it to sound like those hondas that sound constipated. Any suggestions?

How's about an idea of what you want to "upgrade"? Outbacks are basiclly an upgraded legecy. Maybe after Ike you need floation?

okay, you're kidding right? you my fine sir have entered the domain of not having to upgrade your car and instead, just keep it alive. be anal about maintenance and inspection (fluids, cv boots, brakes etc.) and save up for your next down payment. and in the meantime enjoy and appreciate what you have. peace.

oh im nowhere near that time. I just put a '96 Ford Taurus with 350k out to pasture so I know all about being anal about maintenance. I also just did a tranny swap, tune up, front axle change, and I have no CEL. Im really just looking for better breathing, maybe a computer upgrade, things like that. Suggestions?

no computer upgrades other then a torque chip.

 

intakes make you lose torque, you can do a custom cat-back but that costs $$.

 

take a cut off wheel to your air box and snorkus. do a tune up (including fuel filter and PCV) and enjoy until you get money.

no computer upgrades other then a torque chip.

 

intakes make you lose torque, you can do a custom cat-back but that costs $$.

 

take a cut off wheel to your air box and snorkus. do a tune up (including fuel filter and PCV) and enjoy until you get money.

 

Where can you get and who makes a torque chip for an ej non turbo motor??

I just installed a pair of intake manifold spacers from grimspeed.com on my 99 EJ22 engine. Haven't been on there a week yet, so I can't report a whole lot about them. Wasn't a simple install, but if you can do basic maintenance stuff this is not that hard. Probably a little overpriced for what they are, but hey, tear the top off your engine and you feel like you're doing something constructive anyway.

 

My dad had a cone filter from XXX chain parts store laying in his garage he'd bought and used once as an emergency filter on a used SUV he bought out of town. I undid the filter box and put an adapter plate at the end of the intake where the MAF sensor is and just put the cone filter on there. I don't know if it did anything to gain power, but I kept my low end and it changed the sound a little bit.

 

 

 

 

A 96 doesn't have that "torque box" at the throttle body does it? As I've heard told, those were supposed to help a little with bottem end power. (Verify that yourself.) Maybe snag one of those setups from a junkyard and bolt it up. Might give you a little better sub 3500 RPM feel. All I know is the guys who take that box off to install a fancy aftermarket intake system say they lose some on the bottom end.

 

I also installed a throttle body spacer and had crazy trouble with my car running correctly when not really warmed up, so I took that think off pronto. Others have no problems with them. For a chunk of machined aluminum, they are way overpriced IMHO.

 

Buy some good tires if you don't already have some. I put Fuzion HRi tires on my Subes and have had good luck with them. Not OMG amazing tires, but very affordable for a "performance" tire. Strut tower? Bigger sway bar? Not a lot to do to make these faster w/o big investments, but you can make it corner/handle better. Watch eBay patiently. I've done nothing to my exhaust yet. You probably have dual port heads, so there should be options for headers for you. Uneven length do nothing for power but add sound, as I have been told. Even length add a few hp but do nothing for sound, again, as told.

 

In short, if cash is tight, don't worry about boosting power. Make the car more comfortable and better handeling.

Edited September 30, 200817 yr by JT95

WOW! That giant photo

sure makes this thread

hard to read!!!

WOW! That giant photo

sure makes this thread

hard to read!!!

 

 

Sorry. Better?

Sorry. Better?

 

Hey. I'm sorry JT95. Didn't mean for you to take it off (it was a beautiful shot and a good photo really is worth a thousand words.)

 

It's just that the humongous size blew the thread off both sides of my computer!

 

Computer gurus--any suggestions/tips/guidelines on reasonable photo sizes to post? And how to do it?

 

Again, sorry if I sounded b****y, JT.