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SCM
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Joined: January 26, 2011
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Location: Bozeman MT
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 Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 10:00 am Post subject: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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I was in a fender bender yesterday that may just spell the end of my 94 Pathfinder. So, I'm taking stock of the local used car supply and am wondering what is the newest Subaru that has an engine that could be used for an engine swap later on down the road?
Thanks
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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dobryan
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Joined: March 24, 2006
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Location: Brookeville, MD
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SCM
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Joined: January 26, 2011
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Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:23 am Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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Thanks Dobryan.
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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dobryan
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Location: Brookeville, MD
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davevickery
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Joined: July 16, 2005
Posts: 2887
Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:11 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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Some older ones have rebuilt engines and if you are going to part it out for the swap you might want a beater with a newer engine.
Here is an example. This one is almost too nice to even consider parting it out, but maybe you could beat on it for a few years.
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/2005-subaru-outback-new/6429512914.html |
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shagginwagon83
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Joined: February 07, 2016
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Location: VA/TN
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:15 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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Where do people get new engines from exactly? Like the outback posted above advertises new engine. How much do they run for a brand new?
I think it would be awesome to put a brand new Subaru in my vanagon.
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan |
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davevickery
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Joined: July 16, 2005
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Location: Fort Collins, CO
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:29 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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| I think there might still be EJ251 and EJ253 short blocks available. I heard Subaru stopped making them but there were a lot of them still out there on the shelves and at subaru shops. They were about $2000 for the short block and people were rebuilding the heads. I almost went that way with mine, but the engine I went with only had about 100K on the short block so I decided to take a chance. |
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levi
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Joined: February 11, 2005
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Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:51 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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New 257 still available on ebay for about 1800
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One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
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Going down that long lonesome highway,
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bobbyblack 
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Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4349
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:33 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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Don't overlook the option for a Japanese Domestic Market engine... The N/A 2.5's are around $700, here is a turbo version...
https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ptd/d/jdmsubaru-wrx-ej205-turbo/6417647864.html
While it is true these are not "new" engines, you'd be hard pressed to find a better value. $1200 for a WRX Turbo engine?!?!
The harness would be your next hurdle, but there are plenty of junkers out there with intact harnesses.
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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SCM
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3115
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:47 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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| bobbyblack wrote: |
Don't overlook the option for a Japanese Domestic Market engine... The N/A 2.5's are around $700, here is a turbo version...
https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ptd/d/jdmsubaru-wrx-ej205-turbo/6417647864.html
While it is true these are not "new" engines, you'd be hard pressed to find a better value. $1200 for a WRX Turbo engine?!?!
The harness would be your next hurdle, but there are plenty of junkers out there with intact harnesses. |
As the OP, and in need of a newer daily driver, my plan would be to buy an inexpensive entire running car that I could drive for a few years then use for a swap when I moved on to something else.
I was really wondering if a Crosstrek engine could be transplanted into my van in 7 years or so.
I'm still weighing my options though. In the end, I tend to keep cars for a long time and a Legacy/Impreza probably has too much functional overlap with our Alltrack to really make sense.
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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bobbyblack
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 3:07 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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Right, right. Sorry.. Went off the rails when thinking about the post above re. new engine...
But, maybe a WRX with an STI turbo would be fun 
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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SCM
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Joined: January 26, 2011
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Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 3:28 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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| bobbyblack wrote: |
Right, right. Sorry.. Went off the rails when thinking about the post above re. new engine...
But, maybe a WRX with an STI turbo would be fun |
Don't tempt me. There's three of them with tons of mods for sale in my town right now. Oddly, they all have "reconstructed" titles.
I can't begin to imagine the number of "what was this PO thinking" moments one would have with a car like that.
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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chompy
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:05 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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Its funny you can buy subaru shortblocks new on amazon. They might have made a few over these last 27 years of keeping that basic shortblock design.
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'81 Westfalia Subaru EJ22
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Selsk
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| Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: Which Suby to buy for eventual engine swap? |
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I had a 2005 Sti for years. It was blast. I found an awesome mechanic and we use to chat about subis whenever I would get work done etc. He loved the turbo motors for the power they produced, but with them it is always Head Gaskets, Head Gaskets, Head Gaskets. People do not change the oil often enough in these Japanese Ferraris. With the turbo's, they also get very hot obviously which accelerates the head gasket issues. As a daily driver he swore by the reliability of the NA motors. They last a very long time.
If you want a turbo motor or have one, I would recommend ceramic coatings on pipes. i.e. Jet-Hot etc. Heat Shields & shrouds on the turbo. Keep the heat down and controlled as much as possible. |
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