Many of us to a certain extent know what it is like to put a car (I actually mean project car) together slowly & somewhat steadily. First, you start thinking about what to buy. Next thing you know, your buddy tells you about a car his other buddy has that you might be interested in, however the hook is that you didn’t know what to expect. Then, from there you go buy a car you didn’t plan on buying in the first place, until you start thinking of what it could turn into. To keep the ball rolling, you put a game plan together of what you want to do and you start hunting down parts, doing research, finding some more parts, doing some more research, so on and so forth. All in all, you dive into the build process and from there; the car constantly evolves one piece at a time.

This example I have written out is almost the exact scenario that Miss Aislinn has experienced with her 1995 Subaru Legacy sedan. Looking to replace her 1992 Subaru Loyale, she wasn’t quite sure what was to come next. Low and behold, her friend Clinton-Dale had told her about his friend (along with Aislinn’s future fiancé, Trevor,) was selling a multi-colored, rear-wheel-drive converted Legacy project car with bad headgaskets. Despite the car’s rough features & hurting engine, she fell in love with the second-gen Legacy chassis and went to take a handle on this hot mess (no pun intended.)

Not having a lot to work with after buying the car, in order to drive it somewhat around town, Aislinn popped out the thermostat and ran the original motor for a short period of time. However, that move would be the final nail in the the engine’s coffin. From there, the car had a couple different motor configurations in it before reaching the current power plant. The first engine to tap in was a high compression EJ25/22E for roughly 6 months, then a “hilarious” EJ18/22T Hybrid turbo build for a year and now reaching its current incarnation, a high-compression closed-deck EJ22T block with EJ20R heads.

There was a little more effort that went into the motor this time around. Focusing on a balance between reliability & power, this engine was put together with a jubilee of OEM and aftermarket parts. The shortblock internals consist of the OEM EJ22T crankshaft, STi connecting rods, EJ22E pistons, ACL race bearings, coupled with a Killer B oil pickup system that utilizes an OEM STi oil pan. Keeping the EJ20R heads stock, ARP head studs hold it all together. With the engine’s internal setup being taken care of, a common queue of STi bolt-ons were used for the turbocharger system. IHI VF48 turbocharger & STi top-mount intercooler supply the PSIs and cooling, along with 440cc injectors and Deatschworks DW300C fuel pump, that supplies the fuel needed to make all the witchcraft work together. Packing a full catless exhaust system, air induction goodies and a trick EJ20K STi ECU; this Legacy can bang out it’s rev range all the way out to 8,500RPM – a territory not usually charted for Subaru owners. This advantage can make for good use on the track or for some spirited driving.

I remember having my second-gen Legacies and spending hours figuring out wheel & tire sizes I could run. Whether one size was too small or too big, it was something I constantly critiqued. However, I thought having a 245 wide all-season tire on my wagons was wide; that doesn’t even come close to shoving some beefy 255/40R17 BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 summer tires on 17×9 Enkei TFRs with a +45 offset into the somewhat narrow wheel wells of these Legacies. Aislinn wanted to have as much traction as she could get for her car, so the aggressive summer tires with a lightweight wheel was the right choice. Thanks to the Tien Flex Z coilovers and some body bracing throughout the car, it stays completely planted. Now bringing that all to a stop is a set of JDM WRX 4-piston front calipers, slotted front rotors and Legacy SS vented rear brakes.

Just by looking, you’d think this was a Legacy GT – at least that was my first thought. Believe it or not, the car is actually a base model L that had a red front end on it when Aislinn first purchased it. Having some help from a couple good friends, the car received a GT front bumper, GT rear wing, GD STi roof spoiler and an Outback SUS rear bumper. The SUS rear bumper has extra cladding near the bottom to give it a diffuser feel to it – a simple but effective touch. A rare piece Aislinn was able to acquire was the slick big-scooped carbon fiber hood to help capture a little bit more air, not to mention the sheer cool-factor by being a very uncommon part for Legacies here in the states. What pleases me about this car’s exterior is that there have been many subtle additions added on, yet the car retains a somewhat OEM+ look with a few add-ons.

Moving inside, a JDM Subaru Nardi steering wheel mounted to a quick-release system & bucket seats help Aislinn stay in control of the Legacy when driving aggressively. Along with adding her own personal flare to the interior by painting some of the trim a nice silver finish; Aislinn acquired a JDM Legacy center shifter bezel cubby, which in it’s own peculiar way, is one of her favorite pieces on the car. Mr. Wall-E here is just along for the ride.

It’s quite impressive what these cars are able to achieve with the right combination of parts and some backyard mechanics. Pulling several pieces all together to create a fun & functional street car that can put in some serious work at the track all while being, in a way, unsuspecting. Aislinn had mentioned to me that the Legacy has a way of sneaking up on people. “It’s a car that people don’t expect to be fast, but that is half the fun,” she says. I can confidently agree with that statement, one hundred percent. I was given a chance to drive this Legacy, and it is an out-of-body experience being able to rev out so high and to carry that hybrid motor power all the way through. There is still more to be done in all aspects of this Legacy, but as far as I’m concerned, putting together your project one piece at a time and the accumulation of those pieces can one day create something very special.

By Anthony Yastrum – @stiish_tony

A big thank you to Aislinn for letting us cover her Legacy! Check out her full build list below.

Engine/Drivetrain:
EJ22T short block
STi rods
ACL Race bearings
EJ22E pistons
EJ20R heads
ARP head studs
Killer B oil pickup
Killer B windage tray
STi oil pan
EJ20K (6s) STi ECU w/ ESL daughter board and custom patch harness from ECU to stock Legacy harness
440cc injectors
Deatschworks DW300C fuel pump
TurboSmart BOV, full VTA
STi top mount intercooler
IHI VF48 turbo
UPGR8 silicone turbo inlet
Invidia catless up pipe
Cobb catted bellmouth down pipe
Custom 3″ straight pipe exhaust w/ Cherry Bomb
’00 2.5RS 4.11 manual transmission
4.11 LSD rear differential
Spec Stage 3 6-puck clutch & pressure plate
Kartboy Short Shifter
Group N Trans mount

Suspension/Steering/Braking:
Tein Flex Z coilovers
Enkei TFR wheels 17×9″ +45
BFGoodrich Sport Comp 2’s 255/40r17
’05 STi steering rack
Lightweight power steering pulley
Cusco adjustable rear seat bar
Cusco BD rear strut brace
Kartboy subframe lock down bolts 
WRX 4-pot front brakes
Slotted front rotors
Legacy SS vented rear brakes

Interior:
Nardi Gara 4 steering wheel
NRG quick release hub
Lamco STi boost gauge
Blitz turbo timer
Cobb shift knob
Corbeau A4 front seats
EUDM shifter surround w/ push button storage
18% Tint
JVC head unit
Infinity Reference speakers w/ tweeters
Custom painted graphite trim pieces 
JDM Legacy stainless door sills
WRX pedal covers
Blue LED cluster bulbs
Custom Jersey wrapped door canards and rear deck lid

Exterior:
JDM projector headlights
6000k HIDs
JDM taillights, tinted
JDM clear side markers
Meister R carbon fiber hood
STi roof vane replica
Legacy SUS rear bumper
Legacy GT front bumper w/ fog lights
Zerosports radiator shroud
Zerosports intercooler splitter