Hello from Des Moines, IA. Just picked up this 2003 with 101k miles from N. MN. Luckily, its not a rust bucket and appears to have been taken care of so I'm happy. Put 400 miles on it driving back home today and it did great! (really could use another forward gear though!)
Anyway, its great and I'm really happy with it...its not perfect, drivers seat bolster is worn through (usual issue), and it was obviously always parked that same way as one side is faded than the other.
Anyone know that's up with the FB Baja page? Asked to join 2 weeks ago, and been pending ever since?
I have had very negative experiences with the Baja FB pages, lots of nay sayers and smart asses, but this forum although slower in posts is always nice and helpful! Your in the right place.
That thing looks like new! If you take it to a detailer they can do what is called a paint correction, that will help with surface oxidation and blemishes. Any mods in mind?
Right now, I need to drive it and make sure its solid...I've got a Ski/Snowboard rack coming. It will be towing a retro Apache camper and a very light boat, so thinking about electric fans for better cooling.
Not sure, need to fix the wind noise through the mirrors...basic stuff...then I'll make a fiberglass bed cover, and a small lift would be nice I think. Mostly happy that I don't have a 33 Gal gas tank to fill anymore (Chevy Avalanche)!
Just saw you mentioned the seats, if your interested I just conformed the STi V7 seats are a direct bolt in, check the link to my Baja in my signature to see how they look. I suggest them!
Acro2pilot wrote:Just saw you mentioned the seats, if your interested I just conformed the STi V7 seats are a direct bolt in, check the link to my Baja in my signature to see how they look. I suggest them!
I've seen those on ebay, would kinda clash with the Red / Silver, but I do like them!
That's a beautiful Baja and congrats! Your color combination was my second favorite choice after yellow.
I have a Baja group on Google+ if you are interested in joining although there's barely any activity on it. You can find it if you run a search for it in Google+. I think overall this forum is the best Baja community you will find though. Everyone here is very friendly and non elitist.
Ok, a couple of questions. Being that mine is an '03, I'm finding out that it sits lower than the '04+? (Is that right?) Is giving it a small lift, (couple inches) expensive / difficult?
Winter is almost here, so time to get a cover made as well. (And fix the wind noise through the mirrors...)
For the wind noise, crank the window down and squeeze /push out firmly of the black sail that is the interior of the mirror mount. There may be a tweeter mounted there, push out on the rubber and steel part behind it.
hocrest wrote:For the wind noise, crank the window down and squeeze /push out firmly of the black sail that is the interior of the mirror mount. There may be a tweeter mounted there, push out on the rubber and steel part behind it.
I just found the thread with pictures...looks simple enough!
Ok, a couple of questions. Being that mine is an '03, I'm finding out that it sits lower than the '04+? (Is that right?) Is giving it a small lift, (couple inches) expensive / difficult?
For the little 1 inch kits that are just strut top spacers those are easy and take very little time. 2 inch strut top spacer only kits have reported mixed results, many have run them without complications but some have seen CV shaft issues. My opinion is that 1 inch is perfectly fine and 2 is more than I would prefer to use on stock axles. For 3~4 inches of lift your talking about a much greater commitment and above 4 it gets much more complicated. Unless your planning on going all in with larger tires and such I would stick with the simple lift. I have done a 4 inch and a 5~6.5 inch adjustable lift so if you have any questions please ask.
Ok, a couple of questions. Being that mine is an '03, I'm finding out that it sits lower than the '04+? (Is that right?) Is giving it a small lift, (couple inches) expensive / difficult?
For the little 1 inch kits that are just strut top spacers those are easy and take very little time. 2 inch strut top spacer only kits have reported mixed results, many have run them without complications but some have seen CV shaft issues. My opinion is that 1 inch is perfectly fine and 2 is more than I would prefer to use on stock axles. For 3~4 inches of lift your talking about a much greater commitment and above 4 it gets much more complicated. Unless your planning on going all in with larger tires and such I would stick with the simple lift. I have done a 4 inch and a 5~6.5 inch adjustable lift so if you have any questions please ask.
Thanks for the feedback. Maybe I just leave it alone...1 inch isn't really worth the hassle I think!
One thing I'd really like to fix is that the Baja's Gauge cluster, the clear plexi is cracked...so it'd be nice to fix that...assuming that's shared with other Subaru's of the same year?
Most likely as the rest of the dashboard is the same as an 02 legacy's. Basically the whole interior except the rear seats & center consoles seem interchangeable. I just changed a door on my Baja with an 02 legacy door & it's EXACTLY the same part- thinking about changing the silver trim to the faux wood trim some legacies had. I found some pics below:
Baja Interior
baja03steeringwheel2.JPG (42.65 KiB) Viewed 13989 times
02 Legacy Iterior
2002_subaru_legacy_outback_h6_vdc_awd_moon_roof_8_lgw.jpg (214.97 KiB) Viewed 13989 times
If you go for it, make sure it's a 2000-20022000-2004, after 02/03'05 Subaru changed the styling.
* Red = incorrect info
Last edited by Guacamole on Wed Dec 30, 2015 7:12 am, edited 4 times in total.
