Grille Interchangeability

[Stevan]

Hello, I just recently got a 2004 Baja Sport and I'm in the process of planning my mods. I'd like to change the grille out with a nicer looking one, and I know certain parts are interchangeable with the Legacy. My question is will a Legacy grille fit without issues?

Specifically I was looking at this one for the 03/04 Legacy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Subaru-Leg ... 8030!US!-1

[ryu]

The eyeball test tells me it won't fit. The bottom corners look the same but the vertical portion of the sides are longer on the Baja's grille (I think). IIRC the baja's face is borrowed from the Outback, not the Legacy.

Before dropping $$$ on a grille, maybe do some measurements and hit up a junkyard. There's sure to be an old legacy sitting around with a grille you can measure. Best case scenario, it'll be in good enough shape that you can take it home, repaint it, and have a new grille for cheap.

[Guacamole]

Hello, I just recently got a 2004 Baja Sport and I'm in the process of planning my mods. I'd like to change the grille out with a nicer looking one, and I know certain parts are interchangeable with the Legacy. My question is will a Legacy grille fit without issues?

Specifically I was looking at this one for the 03/04 Legacy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Subaru-Leg ... 8030!US!-1

Any grille from a 2000-2004 Legacy or Outback will fit on all model years of Baja. They mount the same way, use the same bolts, and have a near-identical profile. A Baja grille, however, will not fit on a Legacy or Outback without some modification. The Baja grille is slightly larger at the bottom to account for the different style bumper and lower trim. As such, installing a Legacy/Outback grille on to a Baja will leave a slight gap between the lower plastic trim and the bottom of the grille itself... but it's not really noticeable unless you know what you're looking for.
For example:


The Yellow 03 Classic at the very right of this picture (kind of obscured by the photobucket watermark) has a Gen-2 Outback grille.




These pictures are from Huntsbe86, and his grille looks to be the exact model you linked. (note the gap at the bottom of the grille in the second picture)

I also personally have a grille from a Gen-2 Legacy that I unfortunately don't have pictures of installed on my 06 but can confirm they fit.

The eyeball test tells me it won't fit. The bottom corners look the same but the vertical portion of the sides are longer on the Baja's grille (I think). IIRC the baja's face is borrowed from the Outback, not the Legacy.

Before dropping $$$ on a grille, maybe do some measurements and hit up a junkyard. There's sure to be an old legacy sitting around with a grille you can measure. Best case scenario, it'll be in good enough shape that you can take it home, repaint it, and have a new grille for cheap.

Subaru uses "platforms" for their production models, and currently runs three platforms: the Legacy, the Impreza, and the BRZ. All of Subaru's production models since 1998 are based on one of these platforms.
The BRZ is proprietary to itself, and the Crosstrek, WRX, and Forester are all based on the Impreza platform.
The Outback is to this day is based on the Legacy platform. The Baja is based on the Gen-2 Legacy (2000-2004 model year). As such, nearly every Gen-2 Legacy or Outback part is compatible with the Baja, save for the Baja's proprietary parts (i.e, basically everything behind the rear axle).

[mike-tracy]

I have an outback grill on my 03 Baja.

Guacamole why do you keep saying Gen 2 Legacy? My 92 Legacy SS is a gen one, what do you call the generation after that?

[kamesama980]

Any grille from a 2000-2004 Legacy or Outback will fit on all model years of Baja. They mount the same way, use the same bolts, and have a near-identical profile. A Baja grille, however, will not fit on a Legacy or Outback without some modification. The Baja grille is slightly larger at the bottom to account for the different style bumper and lower trim. As such, installing a Legacy/Outback grille on to a Baja will leave a slight gap between the lower plastic trim and the bottom of the grille itself... but it's not really noticeable unless you know what you're looking for.
For example:
img]http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp32 ... 1fc3ee.jpg[/img]

The Yellow 03 Classic at the very right of this picture (kind of obscured by the photobucket watermark) has a Gen-2 Outback grille.

img]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2018012 ... f81e42.jpg[/img]
img]//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2018012 ... 7affb5.jpg[/img]

These pictures are from Huntsbe86, and his grille looks to be the exact model you linked. (note the gap at the bottom of the grille in the second picture)

I also personally have a grille from a Gen-2 Legacy that I unfortunately don't have pictures of installed on my 06 but can confirm they fit.

The eyeball test tells me it won't fit. The bottom corners look the same but the vertical portion of the sides are longer on the Baja's grille (I think). IIRC the baja's face is borrowed from the Outback, not the Legacy.

Before dropping $$$ on a grille, maybe do some measurements and hit up a junkyard. There's sure to be an old legacy sitting around with a grille you can measure. Best case scenario, it'll be in good enough shape that you can take it home, repaint it, and have a new grille for cheap.

Subaru uses "platforms" for their production models, and currently runs three platforms: the Legacy, the Impreza, and the BRZ. All of Subaru's production models since 1998 are based on one of these platforms.
The BRZ is proprietary to itself, and the Crosstrek, WRX, and Forester are all based on the Impreza platform.
The Outback is to this day is based on the Legacy platform. The Baja is based on the Gen-2 Legacy (2000-2004 model year). As such, nearly every Gen-2 Legacy or Outback part is compatible with the Baja, save for the Baja's proprietary parts (i.e, basically everything behind the rear axle).

You mean MY Baja lol. I bought that one lol

yea it "fits" but it doesn't fit right.



also came with this gem:

Megan racing up-pipe. cheap POS. Grimspeed on it now has a different style of flex joint that can't collapse like that.

[Guacamole]

I have an outback grill on my 03 Baja.

Guacamole why do you keep saying Gen 2 Legacy? My 92 Legacy SS is a gen one, what do you call the generation after that?

Sorry, got the gens mixed up. It's the Gen-3 Legacy and Gen-2 Outback the Baja shares a platform with.

[STEVEW]

I have a Legacy grill on mine. There's a little gap underneath but it doesn't bother me.

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