Hello! GC Impreza owner looking to buy a LegGT! I has ????s!

[impreza_GC8]

Hello! I am very grateful to have found this forum as the amount of information on the older Legacy's on NASIOC is very limited.
First off, I own an '00 Impreza RS. I have been into these cars for many years and have done quite a bit of work on them. I know a fair amount about the Impreza platform but am always trying to learn more.
My mother has a '97 Legacy Outback so I am somewhat familiar on a basic level with the car. I put Legacy GT seats in it and upgraded her stereo to the premium system out of my RS (including underseat subwoofer).
Her car has been great and very reliable over the years so I am considering a 97-99 Legacy GT 5-speed to daily drive for a couple years at school.
Within 3 years I would swap it with the engine, ECU, hubs, brakes and rear end from an 06-07 WRX. I know what is involved in doing this to an Impreza (crossmember, various wiring bits, etc.) but my main question is how simple is it to swap a 97-99 Legacy?
Beyond swapping, is a Legacy GT a good DD vehicle? Will it be reliable? Anything I should look out for as far as changes from year to year? I really really appreciate your help on this, it has been a while since I have been a n00b to a forum so I look forward to your responses.
For the record, here is my car:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2008/06/0322_0382_JLD1-1.jpg

[impreza_GC8]

I've been searching through the member's pics a little bit and something like this is exactly what I am looking to do. I would like for the car to be swapped though. I just thought I would post this up to show some sort of direction for the car:
Thanks to JMoney:
http://www.setuning.com/ecom/ecporsche/images/Subynight3.jpg

[WinterKnoll]

Welcome! A swap in a Legacy is really quite the same compared to a swap in an impreza, if you're familiar with the kind of work required, you shouldn't run into any surprises. The Legacies are great cars and will definitely make a good, reliable DD for you away at school. If you're familiar with the RS, you undoubtedly are aware of the headgasket problems that exist with these cars, that's the main thing I think to look out for. Great looking RS by the way, you should post up some pictures in the Member Rides II section!

[Huffer]

If you own an Impreza, why aren't you driving and swapping that one? :scratchhead:

welcome though!

[impreza_GC8]

Welcome! A swap in a Legacy is really quite the same compared to a swap in an impreza, if you're familiar with the kind of work required, you shouldn't run into any surprises. The Legacies are great cars and will definitely make a good, reliable DD for you away at school. If you're familiar with the RS, you undoubtedly are aware of the headgasket problems that exist with these cars, that's the main thing I think to look out for. Great looking RS by the way, you should post up some pictures in the Member Rides II section!
Thanks! I am aware of headgasket issues but I haven't seen any issues with my mother's Legacy yet (100,000 miles) and the car I am looking at is at 110,xxx. I should hope that the headgaskets would last a bit longer than that. If it came down to it I could replace them myself. My RS is a Phase II EJ25 and is supposed to be "better" on headgaskets. Who knows if that is true though....


If you own an Impreza, why aren't you driving and swapping that one? :scratchhead:

welcome though!
I am not going to swap this car because it is still relatively low mileage, the 2.5L Phase II engine still runs great and pulls hard and the car is in immaculate condition. I have modified several other aspects of the car but I feel that all the rewiring involved in swapping this car would decrease its overall value. I love the car but I'd rather get a cheaper high mileage car to swap down the road. I wouldn't feel bad ripping an older Legacy apart but I would cringe a little if I ripped into my Impreza.

[J-Rock!]

welcome

[WinterKnoll]

I would find out if the car has had the headgaskets done yet, and if it hasn't, the thing is basically a time bomb at 110k, mine went at 111k!

[Huffer]

<--- 215k on original HGs.

[henryq89]

same as huffer lol...213K with original motor and everything =]

[decke48]

we got a car a few months ago 349k original HG still holding. it spun #3 #5 bearing

[Reason]

Headgaskets, crank seal, cam seals, rear main seal and the oil baffle plate. The plastic one leak over time and should be upgraded to the aluminum at some point. Timing belt and water pump should be done if you have to do what I listed above.

[impreza_GC8]

Thanks for the input guys, that is very impressive information about the headgaskets. How expensive are they to replace if I can do all the work myself? I have read that it can cost $1500+ if you pay to have it done but that would not be necessary in my case.
I am considering an Outback now as well, but it is not an ordinary Outback so I wont need to worry about the headgaskets. I'm not going to say anything more about it just now because I don't have the car yet.

[Reason]

Shit if you do all the work yourself I say a couple hundred. Use the link I provide to source the parts you need. They are the cheapest genuine Subaru parts online (that I found so far) http://www.cheapestpartsonline.com/

Then check out the link that follows for recommend parts to replace while doing a HG service.

http://www.sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?t=6257

[impreza_GC8]

Shit if you do all the work yourself I say a couple hundred. Use the link I provide to source the parts you need. They are the cheapest genuine Subaru parts online (that I found so far) http://www.cheapestpartsonline.com/

Then check out the link that follows for recommend parts to replace while doing a HG service.

http://www.sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?t=6257

Wow, thats exactly what I wanted to know! Thanks! I love being able to do things myself. I am about to do the timing belt and water pump (plus other bits) on my Impreza and it has cost me ~$200 in parts. A shop would charge over $600 to do a timing belt on my car.