New Member and Engine/chassis Code/hp/swap question

[Talisman]

Hey guys. This is my first post here. I don't actually own the legacy yet but I am plan on buying this 97 gt 5 speed close to me. I just put my old car out to rest and have always loved the look of the 2nd gen GT's plus my old rims will fit this car. :wink:

My only issue is this cars speed. It's just plain slow. My old car was just a daily driver 90 4cyl camry with a mild engine swap and some bolt ons but it's still faster than the Legacy and I thought the Toyota was slow. To go to an even slower car is going to really really piss me off. I need to swap an engine in it but the car HAS to stay relaible. This is not gonna be my fast car or my "nice" car, just a daily driver I can use in all seasons that won't upset me cuz it is so slow. The bigest issue with my old car was it kept breaking.

I saw a complete version 5 clip on ebay for under 3k. That is reasonable for me. Would you guys recommend anything else. How much hp does that engine make? 250 seems like it would be plenty to keep me from craving any more power in my daily driver. What is the engine code for the version 5 engine, EJ20t? Are all the 2.0 litr turbos called EJ20t? I heard he twin turbo engines wont fit the US cars. Is this true? Also, what is the chassis code for my car?

I am seriously not willing to spend more than the car costs in modifying the performance and since this car is only gonna be 4k, I refuse to put more than that into a swap. If I can't get a swap done then I guess Iw ill leave it stock and just suffer or something but then I will eventually start to hate the car and I don't want that to happen. Any help on this matter is appreciated.

[Tris_STi]

First off, please remember the modding mantra:

Cheap, fast reliable, pick TWO.

That said, you have to understand a few things, first of them being that ANY Legacy will have more power than your Camry, mostly cause it's AWD. (btw, what swap did you do on a 'yota?) Naturally, with awd, you've got inherent drivetrain loss that your FWD Camry doesn't have. But how does your camry feel in the rain? :wink:
You can put any EJ series engine in these cars. An STi swap is certainly do-able, but the wiring is a mess. Good luck, is all I have to say about that. The other thing to remember is that while forced induction is fun, it's not necessarily reliable, due to its complexity, but it's also a killer at the pump --92 or nothin'. Think of your money at the pump first.
Oh, and once you get that kinda speed, you WILL want more. It's just as addictive as crack, so don't fool yourself. :lol:

The 95-99 Legacies are pretty heavy, as well, but that's also useable weight. Many will say shaving 100lbs is 1 second off your 1/4 time, so consider that, too. (Wagons are heavier!) So why would you want to step down .5l on a heavier car, only to go with forced induction that may or may not get you the speed fix you need? Torque is what makes cars feel fast, (in the engine anyway) so I would concentrate your efforts in gaining Torque, not just HP.
The 2.5GTs SHOULD be pretty punchy --it's a 2.5l engine, DOHC, and all that. This means, though, that you have all the mods for ANY EJ25 available to you --intake, chips, etc. Of course, there are other things we Subaru folk could tell you to look for, and replace that would be a good upgrade in terms of reliability and speed. (but they may not be cheap, you'll have to look for deals, either way.)

If you want this car to 'feel' fast, and you're not concerned with having the fastest car on the block, my advice to you is to invest in some simple mods here and there --intake, full exhaust (from the headers back, yo) and then go for suspension. Your car should not only handle better, but, when you've got some stiff springs (or even coilovers) your daily driver really comes alive.

[Disturbed_beast]

just about any Subaru Engine will fit in and Subaru it's do you have the Green to make it work, is what it comes down too, flat4motorsports.com will do a JDM engine swap to a Subaru

[Tris_STi]

Just about.. is right. It's any EJ series engine will fit, without too much headache. EZ (outback) engines, and EGs (forester) won't fit, at all.

[Talisman]

My Camry had a JDM 3sfe swap which was rated at 140hp and 138 lb ft torque but it only weihed 2700 at most and had special gearing, CAI, header, straight pipe, underdrive pulley, short shifter, flywheel, clutch, etc. along with suspesion and other mods. It wasn't much quiker than the subaru but it definitely was quicker.

I think I may just stay away from forced induction but I have heard lots of issues about the headgasket. I am thinking I will probably just do cams, and bolt ons and call it a day. Well suspension too cuz I can't drive a car that can't handle. How much does TWE charge for heads?

[Tris_STi]

Some EJ25s, particularly on the DOHCs and the early versions --like the '97, have hg problems. Just replace it, and never worry about it again.

I'm not sure who TWE is, to be honest. You'll have to ask someone else, sorry. Bolt-ons are fine, and give Delta Cams, in Tacoma, WA a call, they'll hook you up, they've done a few legacies already, so this isn't anything new to them. You're in luck, with suspension, because not only is subaru suspension so frickin' easy, it's also very much compatible with most WRX parts, so you have a better aftermarket selection available to you.

[Talisman]

Who makes turbo kits for the 2.5 liter and how reliable are they?

[Wiscon_Mark]

How much did you push the subaru when you were testing it? If you look at the specs, the 2.5L has ~165HP, ~162Torque (correct me if I'm wrong). That's more than your camry. I think you just need to make the boxer purr a little. The nature of subarus is to have an absence of low end torque. Once you get above 3000RPMs though, you'll find that they are responsive. They aren't slow, they just need some spirit :D

[2deadlegs]

I swapped a 2JZ-GTE into an 89 camry once. That thing was bad ass!! I had to put a wheelie bar on it because it would do wheels stands down I-95.

That thing was going off like a prom dress!!

[Talisman]

How much did you push the subaru when you were testing it? If you look at the specs, the 2.5L has ~165HP, ~162Torque (correct me if I'm wrong). That's more than your camry. I think you just need to make the boxer purr a little. The nature of subarus is to have an absence of low end torque. Once you get above 3000RPMs though, you'll find that they are responsive. They aren't slow, they just need some spirit :D

The Camry had about 160hp and weighed 300 lbs less plus had less drivetrain loss so that is why it was faster.

Anyway, I am looking for a turbo kit for the Legacy right now.


I swapped a 2JZ-GTE into an 89 camry once. That thing was bad ass!! I had to put a wheelie bar on it because it would do wheels stands down I-95.

That thing was going off like a prom dress!!

riiiiiiight... :roll:

[Reason]

My sisters BF had the idea that my STOCK AUTOMATIC 97GT was slower than his 92 Camry 5 speed with bolt ons (no swap but a lot of money invested). So we tested his theory. Turns out he likes the look of my JDM tails :twisted:

[2deadlegs]

Too funny reason!! too funny! He should do the 2JZ-GTE swap too...LOL!!

[Tris_STi]

Guys, just a thing to remember:

If a car was meant to have a turbo, it would have come with one from the factory.

Turbos are NOT bolt on. Turboing NAs is NOT a good idea.



(re read last statement)

[2deadlegs]

We all know this is true but I wish someone would tell that to the Honda ricers. Seems like everytime I tunr around there is an article in a magazine about how to bolt on a turbo to a Civic.

I used to own a very sweet Acura Integra that was very much modded but it was done properly. I used to drive her hard but I knew she could take it because it was built to.

I blame the media. They fill their heads with images of boost and squeeze.

Like Flava Flav once said, "DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!"

[Talisman]

My sisters BF had the idea that my STOCK AUTOMATIC 97GT was slower than his 92 Camry 5 speed with bolt ons (no swap but a lot of money invested). So we tested his theory. Turns out he likes the look of my JDM tails :twisted:

Yea, he sounds pretty ignorant though. 4cyl Camry's are SLOOOOOOW. Let me put it this way. I know my car was around a 16 sec even car and my car weighed 300 or so lbs less than his car, had better gearing, and 15 hp more(and probably more bolt ons). There was no way he could win when you guys are a similar weight and you have like 40 more hp. Not quite sure what he was thinking.

[Talisman]

We all know this is true but I wish someone would tell that to the Honda ricers. Seems like everytime I tunr around there is an article in a magazine about how to bolt on a turbo to a Civic.

I used to own a very sweet Acura Integra that was very much modded but it was done properly. I used to drive her hard but I knew she could take it because it was built to.

I blame the media. They fill their heads with images of boost and squeeze.

Like Flava Flav once said, "DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!"

Yeah, I agree. I have decided if I mod the legacy, it will just be a ej20 swap.