I had finished most of the work I was doing on my 2008 Subaru Outback, but there was one project that kept getting delayed. I’ve done a lot of work on the car over the last few months. I upgraded the stereo, partially de-badged the tailgate, blacked out part of the grille, installed a tougher rear anti-sway bar and a front strut brace (which made a huge improvement on twisty roads), installed a ScanGauge II gauge and diagnostic device, upgraded the horns, thoroughly cleaned the intake system and engine compartment, and more.
But along with all these other things, I also bought a Unity pillar spotlight . . . which has been sitting in its box waiting for me to work up the courage to install it. All these other upgrades and improvements were relatively easy to un-do if I messed them up, and were unlikely to cause any permanent harm. The spotlight though requires drilling three holes in the A-pillar—two just through the surface, and one large hole all the way through into the passenger compartment. Holes are relatively permanent, and expensive to un-do if necessary.
Today, I finally went forward with the install . . . and I’m happy to say that it went relatively well. There were a few snags—mostly related to me not having the right tools, quickly remedied with a trip to Home Depot. The light moves and works the way I expect. I’m not happy with the little rubber gasket that came with the kit from Unity—it doesn’t seem to have made as good of a seal as I would like. Some time over the next week I’ll get it sealed better and then we’ll be set.
That pretty much completes all of my planned work on the Outback. But, if you follow me on Facebook, you probably know I have a new project: I got a great deal on a used 2004 Subaru WRX. I expect it to be good for fun weekend drives, and for learning how to work on a car that I don’t need to worry too much about breaking and having out-of-commission now and then. But first, I need to work on my clutch control. . . . Anyway, here are a few photos.
