Diff's between Legacy GT wagon and RS Turbo wagon

[dj]

Hey all,

Been looking for a few months for and RS Turbo wagon and am looking a settling for a Legacy GT wagon, so i'm just wondering if anyone has advice on what parts are different for servicing (and may need importing). Also if anyone has advice on what else i should look out for or which way to go (since there a few more Legacys than RS turbos, especially in Melbourne).

Thanks for anything you have to say...
DJ

[DRMAT]

What do you mean "settling" for a Legacy GT wagon! hahaha We kick RS Wagon butt.... if you've seen lots i'd like i know where cos i've seen bugger all.... actually 5 including my own... i only know personally of another 2. I wish i could have founds heaps when i was looking for mine!
All the parts are easy enough to get here they are either Liberty or WRX swapable... the hard part is finding people who know anything about them at all. Subaru themselves know SFA... trust me been there done that!!

Mat :shock:

[Deaks]

I'm with Mat. Ive seen two gen 11 GT Legacy wagons and one RS Legacy sedan since i bought mine 5 and a half months ago. Thats not really what i call common! Ok granted there are more RS sedans on the road but the wagons still out number our gt legacys quite comfortably. Thats the reason i wanted one, that and their probably one of the best looking wagons around and go like stink to boot!

If your still looking for one go to Melbourne car supermarket, thats where i got mine and they had another one there last month(jet black with new rex rims but sat real high) .

Deaks

[george|rst|]

Imo i reckon their would be more RS's than GT's, although there was a stage when leg GT's were being imported like they were going out of fashion..

[bosc0]

guys, im pertty sure dj is talking about the 91-94 Liberty/Legacys, not your models.
I think you will find that 91-94 LegacyGT Wagons are more common than genuine Liberty RS wagons. Just look in the t-post, almost all are Auto aswell :(

[rsnick]

guys, im pertty sure dj is talking about the 91-94 Liberty/Legacys, not your models.
I think you will find that 91-94 LegacyGT Wagons are more common than genuine Liberty RS wagons. Just look in the t-post, almost all are Auto aswell :(
That seemed to be the case when I was looking a couple of years ago. If it's 91-94 you're talking about dj, some of the differences I found were:
mostly auto
some with all leather cow interior
poxier looking trim (IMHO) when not leather
less contoured GX type seats
electric seat adjustment
climate control
silver alloys, not the darker grey/gold of the RS
roof racks
two tone colour scheme
often no cruise control
often no ABS
NB Only ever saw photos of GTs so I may be judging interior harshly. Not all cars had all these features.
Nick

[rsnick]

Deaks and DrMat (and Squall?)
Are your GenII wagons all auto? I'd like to get one or maybe a GenIII but the few I've seen advertised (in Aust) were all auto and I'd rather a 5spd.
Nick

[dj]

Sorry guys, what i did mean was there are alot more (relatively speaking cos its still sweet FA) Legacy GTs on the market than RS Turbos. As of last weekend, I'd found 9 Legacy's under 20K or 4 RS's (most ive seen in 3 months - better than the usual 1 or none at all). Only problem is only one RS in Melb, the others in the sticks in QLD and NSW. I'm ideally looking for one around 15K (so yeah, 91-94 model), so i'm steering a bit towards GTs since they've done usually around 80-120K kms as opposed to the RS's all at least 150K k's...

So you GT guys haven't had many problems with them? I'd also be interested to hear rough insurance quotes since an internet one i got thru Just Cars was $1400!! (Rating 1, over 25, turbo timer etc).

Thanks for the Car supermarket tip - i'll have a look. I'd love to find one with leather... Found out last night one of my mates might be able to help import one, but could be more trouble than it's worth (although saving maybe $3-4K.)...

Thanks for the advice though (and any more anyone has to offer). Hopefully i'll be joining you on the next cruise... :wink:

[dj]

rsnick - i've found 1 manual legacy 94 model so far (in Ballarat), more manuals have been around but only later models :( i love a 5spd too!
DJ

[rsnick]

I'm not really looking seriously, but I'd want to get the lastest model possible. Was the one in Ballarat a twin turbo genII? Is there in fact such a thing as a GenII wagon with a single turbo like the RS or were they all TT?
Nick

[rs_wagon]

No such thing as a single turbo Gen2 Legacy unfortunately. THe USA market got a low blow turbo option in their line up but didn't have an intercooler. It came out on the Lancaster model (Outback) and was geaered for torque. THis was never released in Japan though so no chance of importing say a front cut.

Twins are the only way to go, but drive one to see if you like the engine characterisitics first. The sequential arrangement creates some lag between turbos around 4000rpm (Deaks, Mat am I right?) and will not suit some people. Manual versions are very rare and I have only ever seen 1 (Car Supermarket actually) and was not even for sale (car yard owners own ride).

[Deaks]

In the first couple of months that i had my car the gap between 4000/4300rpm really gave me the shits but when you learn how to drive the car it just becomes irrelivant. Just don't kick back to that spot(which someone called the valley of death) because it feels like the motor has stopped for lunch and will be back in five minutes. Really the car still excellerates but there is a lack of boost. Something to do with the way subaru designed the exhust between the turbos.

Yep mines an auto. Kinda hard drivin a manual with one arm anyways.
But I've seen one 5spd manual but it was in a 95 RS sedan . Very rare.
Good luck finding what you want, sometimes you have to compromise when looking for something in low volume.

Deaks

[DRMAT]

I know that Silver Legacy Gen II Wagon at Melbourne Car supermarket (The Car Affair to be precise).... STAY WAY FROM IT!!! It is a rebuilt wreck and i have it on good advice that the guy is dodgy as! Also he is asking about 10-15k more than the car is worth! It is a manual though.
There is another one at the front of car supermarket at Mondo motors silver with some wheels, only had a quick look at it though and don't know anything about it.
That dodgy one was the only manual i found in all my searching for a GenII Legacy. Unfortunately i'm stuck with auto. :( Makes it easier for runs tho when you don't have to lift :D
The gap on my car was always between about 3700-4000... the 2nd turbo should be boosting already at 4000.

Mat :shock:

[Squall77]

rsnick, mine is actually a MY01 Legacy RSK B4 sedan... so yeah.. it's current shape. But it's the sedan rather than the wagon. I wanted a manual trans and I think 100% of the wagons are auto... bit of a pain. Plus I also really like the current shape sedan Legacy look.

I still don't actually have possession of the car due to VicRoads slackness!!!

[rs_wagon]

A wreck hey...You learn something new every day! I only looked at it quickly through the window coz I was scared I would like and just have to buy it.

I have heard the same about him though. He cuts his costs down by bringing cars in in parts and piecing them together. None of his cars looked really special. At least Mondo present their cars well and they ususally have some form of work done to them - even if its only cosmetics.

[rsnick]

I've heard of people doing that with wrecks, although the wrecks they use might be an Aust LX or similar, then they just legally rebirth it by putting all the LX compliance plates onto an otherwise straight GTB, then get it approved. Is it possible to do this or is it still seen as an import? Seems like it would be easier and cheaper to insure an Oz complianced LX (albeit heavily modded) than a grey import GTB.

Squall77 - Be interested to know any details on how you got the car. It seems there is no SEVS ruling on any Subaru's so I don't understand how they get into the country unless thay are all just private personal imports. PM me cos I know someone who's in NZ for an extended period who could theoretically bring me back a GTB in a years time. :D

Thanks guys
Nick

[Deaks]

I took the silver one for a drive for a friend of mine who liked mine. It was auto with 3" exhust and not much else done to it. It drove fine. Still seemed to have the boost hole though. Didn't see the manual wagon but it sounds dodgy.

Deaks

[DRMAT]

The one down the back i drove once to see if i would like a Legacy at all to start with. It has 3" exhaust and a stupid BOV, went ok but the centre bearing was rooted and god only knows what else i didn't bother going over with a fine tooth comb cos it was way overpriced to start with.

Mat :shock:

[TwinTurboSubaru]

Guys, just looking through this post and thought I would put my 0.02c worth in.
I own a 96 model GT Legacy wagon, twin turbo 206kw 5 speed. This is arguably the quickest road going wagon around, except the Audi of course :-), and it did actually win this particular award (Fastest production wagon in the world) in 1997.

The VOD (Valley of death) is still there, and I've spent copious amounts of time trying to get rid of it, but now I kindof like it. If you learn the drive the car for what it is (a tourer), it's quick around town, and absolutely unbelievable on the open road. My last Subaru (91 RS Sedan) was a great car too, but the Legacy just seems to be the next version of a great car. On the open road the best I could get out of the RS was 235, that was chipped as well. In the legacy, at 240 it's still pulling hard, really hard. With uprated slotted rotors and good pads the brakes are now excellent, and never let me down. With a set of good tyres, and a strut brace, the car seriously handles like it's on rails, and promotes easy and controllable oversteer pushing through a corner on the gas. The car is just so flexible it's amazing, and with a half 3" and half 2.5" stainless exhaust, it breaths 10 times better once both turbos get singing, and has the backpressure to avoid damaging primary turbos.

And the best thing is that on the weekends, the two kids and the wife and I pack our stuff and do the normal family stuff, not bad for one car.

BTW, if anybody needs any info about Twin Turbo Legacys, feel free to have a browse of my website, there isn't a lot of stuff, but may help anybody who's needs something.

http://au.geocities.com/twinturbosubaru

Enjoy....Paul

[bosc0]

Sounds sweet Paul, thanks for the link ill check it out. You will have to meet us a the ROC, its going to be big :D

[rsnick]

Paul
Nice car and good site with good info. I want one! :mrgreen:
Quick question - when did the GenII's start getting the trick looking twin foglight setup, like our 97ish Liberty RX's, and are they a different model designation?
Nick

[Leigh[RS STI]]

Hrrrmmm wat does it matter they all are nice, some poo in there but all in all they are pretty much the same cars, all swapabe interchanable with N/a Liberty's and WRX

[adam|RSLC|]

Paul
Nice car and good site with good info. I want one! :mrgreen:
Quick question - when did the GenII's start getting the trick looking twin foglight setup, like our 97ish Liberty RX's, and are they a different model designation?
Nick

sorry nick , but the gen2 rs legacy turbo never got that quad driving lights like out rx liberty . Some have fitted them by changing the front bar to an aussie one , the import gets the single fog/driving light.

adam

[TwinTurboSubaru]

Nick, the 97 onwards models of GT-B Legacy had the twin light setup the same as Aus spec RX's. I think I'm like you and much prefer that design, it just looks right I think. I know somebody who has a bumber of a 97 GT-B which I'm hoping to get soon, he just has to figure out if he wants it. No GT's actually had that design, only GT-B's.

Regards

Paul

[rsnick]

OK thanks. Plenty of GTB's in NZ but very few manual. Just have to wangle a year long transfer there now!

[Warlord]

haha, i got us a gen 2 5 spd twin turbo wagon :D
the day we bought it 3 others made and offer on it, fortunately we had bought it.