2005 JDM Spaceship: Subaru Legacy GT install

f1anatic · 02-14-2007, 07:05 AM

2005 Subaru Legacy GT
with a few choice upgrades from
AVO Turbo World
Cobb Tuning
Kumho Tires
Osram Gmbh
Perrin Performance
Subaru Tecnica International
Subaru Performance Tuning
TDC Tuning

Toshiba Satellite 3005 laptop w/ bad monitor
Xenarc 700 TSV
Carnetix P-1900 pwr supply
Centrafuse front end
iGuidance v. 3
Hauppauge TV tuner
USB touchpad

Major fabrication hassles.

1) Xenarc is a 7 inch monitor. The size of the Subaru OEM location for navi is just 6.5in. A Pioneer AVIC-N3 or an Alpine unit would be ideal. A single din bezel from Japan is 200 dollars. A double din bezel from Japan is 250 dollars. A self-made, OEM-modified bezel is 110 dollars and weeks of cheap underpaid, overworked labor at nights and week-ends.

2) OEM info center relocation from between the HVAC vents to near the stick shift. Only 200 dollars for a piece of cheap plastic from Japan. i decided to create my own...which is as good (looking) as OEM (in my opinion) but also that of others from the Legacy GT boards
http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51533

3) Opening the 6-CD headunit and attaching an aux-in line from Jazzy MT. Wonderful ideea, wonderful device...pretty damn hard to do.

As for the rest...I will let the pictures do the rest.

My source of inspiration was Stage3Legacy (Prelude) on these boards. Some of the pictures (of the finished product) are from his car. Mine is awaiting installation pending the global warming and meltdown of the white §hit that keeps falling from the skies above Chicago.

Now if any other Subaru folks could pitch in and tell me what did they use for OBD-2 (ya know...we gotta keep an eye for that boost) I would appreciate it. The issue is Centrafuse does not currently support the commmunication protocol on Subarus...and I wanna use my Accessport cable. So I am desperate for a plugin of sorts or...some magical solution that I have not yet seen or heard.

f1anatic · 02-14-2007, 07:30 AM

The 2005 Subaru Legacy GT interior - BEFORE

The info center relocation

My command center: touchpad, radar detector remote ctrl and start-up/shut-down

My laptop hack - modding the OEM powerbutton

The screen mods - final pictures with everything assembled

Overcoming hurdles of screen removal once installed

Screen fabrication - intermediary steps

The targeted end result

That's it folks. Oh...maybe I should put a picture with the car...choices choices... Criticism welcome.

ACleanSC4 · 02-14-2007, 10:49 AM

amazing install and great writeup! makes me regret not snapping pictures during my setup so that I can help others later...

nice and factory appearing...great work!

MrJamieR · 02-14-2007, 04:18 PM

That is a fantastic screen and "control centre" installation (sounds much better than touchpad and power button doesn't it) f1anatic. Is this the first time you have done this sort of fabrication because its first class! BTW I think the $200 you saved on the "piece of plastic" to relocate the OEM info screen was money well saved.

f1anatic · 02-14-2007, 06:42 PM

Thank you guys. I am a newbie at this thing. The project is a money pit but it is very hi-tech and me likes that. All the bezels (1,2 din) except the factory one and/or the relocation kit would have to be ordered from Japan (via US vendors). While money would not have been the issue, I really felt this
http://www.rallitek.com/inparebr.html
was not worth the price.

scott_fx · 02-14-2007, 06:50 PM

very clean install man, nice job

f1anatic · 02-15-2007, 07:07 AM

I just wanted to add one other thing.
Whenever you embark such a project, you set for yourself a few reference points: what other people have done and of course what the manufacturer did. So this is what the OEM Subaru Navi looks like. Of course I have a very humble, modest and unbiased

point of view but I think my fabrication work either looks better or at the very least equivalent to what the Subaru /Kenwood folks came up with. Later and thank for your comments.

sebberry · 02-16-2007, 05:47 PM

I'v said it before, I'll say it again.. good job F1

stangg172006 · 02-16-2007, 06:22 PM

beautiful install my man! where in Chicago are you? Im in morton grove...

f1anatic · 02-16-2007, 07:05 PM

well...north side...close to skokie.

Thanks Seb. I hope to put this **** in the car this week-end pending no snow and no cold.

stangg172006 · 02-16-2007, 07:26 PM

nice i live right by there!

so what do you think about kimis move to ferrari?

f1anatic · 02-16-2007, 09:28 PM

Hey man let's keep this thread for my PC.
We can meet up to talk about F1. Beware I do not look like in the picture anymore.

Kimi to Ferrari. Really no opinion. i see it as a way to move forward...but imho Massa is looking good. I am THE BIGGEST Michael Schumacher fan in the universe and all I can say, i hope he either comes back at Ferrari or at BMW-Sauber (as a driver) or becomes Ferrari's Team Manager. It is a weird thing to see him so involved yet retired. Makes no sense.

Really on Kimmi - I think he is good, I like him, but he is both unlucky and over hyped. As for Michael, he sure could hang in F1 as a driver and be on the top of the game for another 5 years but he does have kids, wife and want to enjoy life. And he has nothing left to prove in an era when F1 is going backwards from a technological point of view - no longer the pinnacle of motorsports. So as much as it pains me to see him retired...I understand him. I have followed F1 since 1990, been to races every year at a few venues (at least Indianapolis) but I found myself watching less F1 (i gave waking up for qualifying for instance) since 2003. Last year I watched it as it was interesting again but as a sport i already found it less attractive even when Mike was winning championships. I mean come on...engine freeze for 3 seasons ? I flash an upgrade to my ECU a few times a year and in F1 they froze engine development ? No way.

Maybe we should meet.