My H6 powered Subaru offroader

[VenomSS]

Came across this awesome website while research for front bar designs for my own car and figured I would share my build story.

My car started out life as a standard automatic 1997 Subaru Liberty wagon. It was purchased around 2010(?) by Al at AMauto in QLD, Australia who fitted up a 2003 3.0 H6 motor and STI drivetrain. It was a vehicle I enviously watched on various forums for a few years before it came into my possession looking like this...

The BG model fit my needs perfectly. Refinement of a (somewhat) newer Subaru, donor parts available of a wide range of models, arguably the best Subaru suspension before they went to a multilink setup with the torque and power of a H6.

Picture from my first trip after fitting up a 2" body lift kit, outback struts and king springs, 215/65R26 tyres on stock WRX rims.

WRX 4 pot front brakes and vented rear brakes...

After suffering with the single range STi gearbox for a while I built a custom dual range gearbox, basically EJ casing with a EA vacuuming locking centre diff.

Plated rear diff and shafts...

 

[VenomSS]

The vacuum locking gearbox took a little bit of fab to fitup. Using the EA centre diff housing meant I had to adapt EA linkages and gearbox length to the EJ body.

The fate of my single range pressure plate after a few years of abuse.

So I had a custom driveshaft made up with greaseable unis's.

EA to EJ linkages. I'd never done an sort of fabrication before this so I was quite please with the results.

The servo's that run the centre vacuum locker fitted up.

The linkages were cut and sleeves then held at the right length with some self tapping screws, then off to the driveshaft shop for him to weld them up.

JDM GT-B front seats for some extra support...

Fresh splash of paint on the 4-pots.

 

[VenomSS]

Maybe hard to make out but my gearbox builder tapped some oil lines into my gearbox casing to feed the low range oil on steep climbs. From his experience excess heat from a lack of oil on steep climbs is the biggest killer of the EJ dual range gearboxes.

New leather gear boot fitted up.

Then in 2011 hail made love to my body work...

This kicked off a repair saga that went on for a few years, but end result is it looks a lot better than when I bought it and I still own the car.

Bogged in Heathcote Greytown NP in Victoria, Australia. We thought this was a track but it was actually a dry creek bed that ended up not so dry...

My first trip to Wyperfeld National Part, Victoria. With the guys from Ausubaru.com and offroadsubarus.com

 

[VenomSS]

JDM rear spoiler fitted up after the hail repairs. Audi rims and 225/70R15 Cooper AT/3s.

Upgrade to larger H6 rear disc brakes.

At some point in this build I was lazy and stopped taking or uploading photo's.

The vacuum locking diff was chewed out by misuse and H6 power. Been rare as rocking horse poo I went down the path of fitting up a V2 STI RA DCCD center differential. Probably one of the first EJ dual range gearboxes fitted up with one as far as I'm aware. 1.59 EA low range gears and a Cusco 1 way type RS front LSD, and a KAAZ 1.5 plated rear LSD. All up makes for a pretty solid drive train offroad. Unfortunately no pictures of that part of the cars life.

Recovery gear and radom stuff fitted up in the spare wheel well.

Spare tyre strapped up off to one side. The 225/70R15 doesn't fit in the wheel well of my car. Well it does, just not very well...

Rear step panel fitted up to protect the bumper from scratches.

Some Beatrush centre prop shaft mounts..

 

[VenomSS]

Reupholstered the inserts on my door trims. Even though I offroad my car I can be a bit of a perfectionist at times...

Bonnet dampners.

Kinda cool.

JDmmmmmm mid wing.

Kartboy mustache bar bushing kit.

 

[VenomSS]

Cut up a stock grill as a little project. The chrome was peeling off this one so it was toasted anyway.

After some matte paint.

Mid-wing fitted up and the tailgate debadged.

 

[Rosco862003]

Your car...I want in my driveway! Good work on the car.

 

[Hondaslayer]

Your Legacy (Liberty?) comes with the raised roof? Shoot, we only get standard roof on the Legacy and high roof on the Outback over here.


More info on the dual range conversion, please!


Is that Kevin leading the pack in the silver Forester?

 

[borison]

************

 

[Theprofessional]

That's ************. Everything I want in my Outback

 

[haven]

"...I built a custom dual range gearbox..."

Wow! Homebrew spirit in spades:victory:

 

[Hondaslayer]

"...I built a custom dual range gearbox..."

Wow! Homebrew spirit in spades:victory:

For sure!

But how can you go into detail on everything else and just be like, "Oh! BTW, I created the thing that was once deemed impossible and could possibly make things wonderful for people worldwide, here's a snippet and no pics"


:lol:


Damnit I'm antsy! I need more info!

 

[Hodaka]

I'm guessing it's an EJ d/r box with the EA rear housing.

 

[Hondaslayer]

What would be the point of that? It's already a dual range.

The way he wrote it it looks like he used an STI 5 spd with an EA vacuum locking differential.

 

[Hodaka]

Locking center vs. open centre? The EJ D/R is open center, isn't it?