Sam's new toy - 99 OBS

Elfie

Elfie

New member
The time has finally come!!! I've been looking for a car to turn into a rally car for months! And just a few days ago I finally found something that would work! I got a 99 OBS (yes, it's a manual) and I am beyond excited!!! As some of you may know, I used to have a 2000 outback but it rotted out so we junked the body and saved the engine. This OBS has a blown engine, so the plan is to put the 2.5L engine from my old outback into this "new" OBS. 2.5L engine swapping an OBS? Sounds good to me! The process will take awhile since I'm leaving for college this weekend but it will be worked on throughout the fall and I promise to keep this page updated as the car progresses! I am going to try and have the car ready for some ice racing this winter and then my hopes are for it to turn into a rally car this coming Spring! Wish me luck!
default_biggrin.png
I will get some photos up ASAP!

1510353_1405711173048358_182277222934478008_n.jpeg

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hope your ready to put a lot of time/ money into your car if you going to build a true rally car. Have see some friends/helped them put a lot of hours of work to get ready for a rally. It is a great feeling though to see the car in action once done. If you never need a hand let me know always willing to help out when it comes to working on a subi. Have a garage with all the tools would need or close to it lol

 
I know it is going to take a lot of time and a lot of work. There is definitely an upside of my dad owning his own shop, so the access to everything is there, thankfully. And thank you very much for offering to help! I will definitely let you know! It will take a lot of time and may be awhile until the process really gets going, but in the end, hopefully it will be great. I am extremely excited!

 
That's good, that will help out a lot. What are your main plans for it? if you ever want to get in some practice I know a few good spots on the stud mill rd to go

 
So....my dad and I are working on this "toy" together, and he texted me last night informing me that 17 hours of labor over a 3-day period later and the OBS is running with the 2.5L engine in it, and a brand new clutch. It still needs some stuff: rear struts, ball joints, realignment, the windshield is cracked, so that needs to be replaced and due to the overheating of the car before we bought it, the front oxygen sensor is bad as well. But besides all of that the car is running and drives awesome! It also does not have a muffler on it right now so it sounds completely BA!

As of right now we are going to use the car (hopefully) for the next and last Autocross of the season, and then I believe it will also be used for ice racing this winter! Then in the summer - once I am home for a good amount of time - we are going to get working on it more. But for now it is running and doing well! I am very excited and cannot wait to get to driving it!

Pictures are coming I swear - my phone is just electronically dumb...

 
No, it's at my dad's shop. North Corner Automotive in North Yarmouth, Maine. And thanks Caleb! It's definitely coming together a lot quicker than I thought it would be!

 
Video from the autocross today for you. Due to the tire noise I'm 100% sure it was your last run, well the beginning of it at least. Holy crap the quality of the video sucks. I recommend watching it on a phone.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thank you so much for the video! The car ran great! I got home Thursday night to get the car ready and everything and we found out the alternator wasn't holding a charge so we had to replace that Friday. The race went well Sunday, for it's first race. We discovered that there are a few handling problems that we've got to get worked out and the car definitely needs some better suspension, but for now it is going well! I'm going to get some more photos of it up this afternoon!

 
Realizing it's been a long time since I updated this. Been beyond busy I guess.

Car is running good. We gave it new front brakes and put some rally tires on it. I raced it back in December at a RallyX in Ludlow, Vermont where it ran very well. There was lots of snow and ice, which I wish I had snow tires for, but the rally tires still managed to do their job. Car has been driven in a couple of weeks because I've been busy with college and other things. But once I get back from New York next week I'm going to check it over and probably start driving it up to Bangor and back.

I'm going to try to race at some more Rallycrosses this winter if there are any located in New Hampshire. The 5/6 hour drive from Bangor to Vermont for a day was a little rough for me.

Anyways, car is still doing well. A fuel truck backed up into it at the shop last week but the driver is going to pay to fix the taillight damage. Thankfully!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 


The above video is of my last run at the Rallycrosses. I'm going to have to get a GoPro because they weren't happy about the videoing...oops

 
Last edited by a moderator:
My recommendation is to find a really aggressive snow tire and run them on anything except a gravel parking lot. When I was racing in the stock 2wd class we ran nothing but snows the cars always grabbed and pulled really well. From the video it looks like they calmed their courses down. Not sure what speeds/gear you were in but that looked like a 2nd gear flat out course.

 
1510353_1405711173048358_182277222934478008_n.jpeg10402523_1405711266381682_726967230202880268_n.jpeg10407305_1426492090970266_2485839850636771638_n.jpeg10678713_1405711283048347_8909556690604783690_n.jpeg10917346_1443420305944111_4953672071384916368_n.jpeg

One more RallyX of the season on April 25th in Rochester, NH.

Currently waiting on an OBX racing Exhaust to come in for this car!

AutoX season starts May 17th! I cannot wait!

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top