Since the trade of my legacy ...

[subarunut]

I have traded my 99 legacy outback leather 5 speed mechanically perfect so many new parts for a. 97 suburban... not my best decision. it was a quick decision my subaru body was beat to hell every panel had rust or dents 95% of them even had both. it needed paint and im in high school so i don't have an unlimited budget especially because i have a superb amount of tickets to pay off.
But i want another subaru legacy but i cant sell the truck because i need it for work because i do jobs that would require a truck and a subaru is not the ideal car to do work in + i would feel bad to ruin the inside of the subaru. so my plan is to take my truck put a bit of money into it over the summer rent a trailer or borrow one from a friend ,and take it to either Pennsylvania or Massachusetts and picking up a legacy with a blown motor for real cheap like 1000-1200 something with a perfect body either bad motor or no motor. and i plan to sti swap it ive always wanted to do it and i dont need it to be done real fast so i can save money and source the parts plus i need something better on gas for when im not pulling someone out of the mud or taking it to work.

Now this is what i need help with.

I can either get a
3rd gen 00-04
2nd gen 95-99 but id only want 97 up
id love a 4th gen but i will never be able to find one for cheap in the condition i want
and wagon or sedan? i cant decide

now for the sti engine what year is the easiest to swap?

I heard of iwire to do the harness splice anyone do them before?

[1996Battlewagon]

You're not going to get a 4th gen for that kind of money unless it's still on fire you you'd get a discount for putting it out yourself.

3rd gens are still somewhat expensive if you ask me. Plus, if you're use to second gens, you might not like the steering & driving position of the 3rd gens (I didn't).

A second gen is the way to go. There are plenty of them with either blown engines, bad head gaskets or ruined automatic transmissions.

In terms of the swap, the "easiest" (not sure how this word is actually applicable) would be a USDM EJ257. All the other STi engines are JDM and you'd either have to run with the OBD I JDM ECU (have fun tuning) or run expensive standalone.

iWire will do the harness splice but it's all up to you if you think it's worth it. I've heard nothing but praise about them but there should be considering a splice job from them costs nearly $700.

Would you run an STi driveline? 5mts are pretty stout but they're not THAT stout.

[1055]

Zephyr does merges for cheaper and quicker than iwire or the like.

And an ej205 swap will be the cheapest, easiest swap to do. Get a second gen since you don't have money to throw around. A third gen swap is not a straight up swap.. there are very few out there that are successfully swapped/built.

[Huffer]

You have too many questions. You need to decide what you want to do, then ask for advice on the particulars.

You might have well asked "green car or blue one?"

[subarunut]

okay so if i did a ej205 or a ej257 do they both have a lot of power over stock ej25? and would it be more cost effective to wait forever for a totaled sti to show up on Craigslist?

And battle wagon if i could find an sti 5mt with an engine for under 2000 i would get right on it

I also have an option it is cheaper to buy but if i were to buy an ej20tt and remove the turbo thats in the way of the steering column and custom fit some pipes what would end up being more expensive, a worked ej20tt or an ej257 or ej205?

This is all just a research thread i would like to compile a list of what id need and what i would have to look out for and what to buy. so im sorry if there are a lot of questions i just like to put them all up at once.

[1996Battlewagon]

A USDM EJ205 made 227 hp at the crank. A EJ25D made 165 hp at the crank. The extra displacement of the NA block and lack of turbo foolishness means better throttle response but the EJ20's downfalls can be remedied with simple exhaust work and a reflash.

The EJ257 is the ultimate of the USDM engines (with the exception of the piss-poor 08 block) but it is so for a reason - it's bloody expensive.

The cheapest one I have found in full working order with almost 100k miles is still the cost of a fully functioning actual car. I don't care how you swing it, a STi swap is not cheap.

But, there are ways to get the price down to a minimum. First things first, listen to 1055 - the EJ205 (USDM WRX 02 - 05) is the least expensive route to go if you want to swap. A factory 5MT Legacy transmission will be able to handle the power of one with bolt ons (hell, in my opinion that trans is stronger than the longer greared 5MT in the early bugeye WRXs) so all you would need would be a turbo crossmember, longblock, exhaust, ECU and wiring harness.

Also, take every thought you have about a EJ20R (EJ20TT) swap and throw it out the window, douse it in gasoline and set it on fire. The only way that engine would be any where near feasible is if you had a RHD Postal Wagon.

[Muse]

I have to say, the chances of finding a second-gen with no rust in CT or MA is not really any better than in NY.

[subarunut]

well i lucked out today! this woman at the local pep-boys is selling her 96 5 speed wagon in glacier white in a few months. i looked at this car yesterday when i was there and it is literally spotless! all the classic Subaru rust is non existent. i didn't get to ask much about the car but i gave it a look through i hope that the motor is the ej25d will around 140,000 so i can get if for cheaper saying it will have head-gasket issues around 150,000 but i will keep scoping this out.

[subarunut]

well i lucked out today! this woman at the local pep-boys is selling her 96 5 speed wagon in glacier white in a few months. i looked at this car yesterday when i was there and it is literally spotless! all the classic Subaru rust is non existent. i didn't get to ask much about the car but i gave it a look through i hope that the motor is the ej25d will around 140,000 so i can get if for cheaper saying it will have head-gasket issues around 150,000 but i will keep scoping this out.

Aslo a side note what about a turbo conversion? ej25d turbo like a sti td05 and sti manifolds and piping? on a motor with like <70,000 custom ecu and tune?

[1055]

Never get the same power to money ratio.

Go 205. Cheap, effective, same aftermarket as the 257. Simple stage 2 puts you over 200whp.

I have an extensive mod list and a super conservative tune and made 260/280 whp/wtq at 17 psi.

Don't forget.. anything over 300whp is almost certain death for your 5speed trans.

[1996Battlewagon]

well i lucked out today! this woman at the local pep-boys is selling her 96 5 speed wagon in glacier white in a few months. i looked at this car yesterday when i was there and it is literally spotless! all the classic Subaru rust is non existent. i didn't get to ask much about the car but i gave it a look through i hope that the motor is the ej25d will around 140,000 so i can get if for cheaper saying it will have head-gasket issues around 150,000 but i will keep scoping this out.

Aslo a side note what about a turbo conversion? ej25d turbo like a sti td05 and sti manifolds and piping? on a motor with like <70,000 custom ecu and tune?

While the 25D has been pushed to ridiculous levels of boost (there was one on NASIOC a long time ago that was taking in close to 25 psi on stock internals) it won't do so safely. The most you should run on that engine is about 6 or 7 and in that case, a td04 would spool faster and work better. You wouldn't need a STi manifold: just a custom up/downpipe. While some people have successfully run this set up on a stock NA ECU, it isn't ideal. You should run some sort of piggy back or standalone but the cost of that does not justify the power you will gain from such a small amount of boost.

If the car you're looking at is a 96, unless it's an Outback, it has a EJ22e. For some weird reason, that block can hold a lot more boost than the 25D. You could build a hybrid set up with 25D heads on a 22E bottom end and push about 12 to 14 psi on pump gas and be "okay". Oh, and if the case is that the car has a 22E, good luck bullshiting that lady into getting price down because of headgasket issues - the 22E is the most reliable and best build engine Subaru has ever made period.




I have an extensive mod list and a super conservative tune and made 260/280 whp/wtq at 17 psi.



Rich as a damn pig if I remember. :lol:

[1055]

well i lucked out today! this woman at the local pep-boys is selling her 96 5 speed wagon in glacier white in a few months. i looked at this car yesterday when i was there and it is literally spotless! all the classic Subaru rust is non existent. i didn't get to ask much about the car but i gave it a look through i hope that the motor is the ej25d will around 140,000 so i can get if for cheaper saying it will have head-gasket issues around 150,000 but i will keep scoping this out.

Aslo a side note what about a turbo conversion? ej25d turbo like a sti td05 and sti manifolds and piping? on a motor with like <70,000 custom ecu and tune?

While the 25D has been pushed to ridiculous levels of boost (there was one on NASIOC a long time ago that was taking in close to 25 psi on stock internals) it won't do so safely. The most you should run on that engine is about 6 or 7 and in that case, a td04 would spool faster and work better. You wouldn't need a STi manifold: just a custom up/downpipe. While some people have successfully run this set up on a stock NA ECU, it isn't ideal. You should run some sort of piggy back or standalone but the cost of that does not justify the power you will gain from such a small amount of boost.

If the car you're looking at is a 96, unless it's an Outback, it has a EJ22e. For some weird reason, that block can hold a lot more boost than the 25D. You could build a hybrid set up with 25D heads on a 22E bottom end and push about 12 to 14 psi on pump gas and be "okay". Oh, and if the case is that the car has a 22E, good luck bullshiting that lady into getting price down because of headgasket issues - the 22E is the most reliable and best build engine Subaru has ever made period.




I have an extensive mod list and a super conservative tune and made 260/280 whp/wtq at 17 psi.



Rich as a damn pig if I remember. :lol:

It may be rich. . But there's NO detonation or knock! :lol:

And it runs around 11:1 under WOT. Not great for fuel economy or massive power, but its also not going to blow up.

[subarunut]

Thank you all this is very helpful. So finding a 97-99 outback with 5Mt bad head gaskets or bad motor is my best bet. Then finding a low mile ej205 with a few bolt ons and a tune wire job at I wire and that should be running good at like 7lbs of boost?

[1055]

Thank you all this is very helpful. So finding a 97-99 outback with 5Mt bad head gaskets or bad motor is my best bet. Then finding a low mile ej205 with a few bolt ons and a tune wire job at I wire and that should be running good at like 7lbs of boost?

A 205 Runs a stock tune of 12 psi.. go open source on a 205 16 bit ecu with a manual boost controller, run 15-17 psi comfortably and enjoy your glorious, reliable, somewhat sleeper..