what year impreza would be cheapest for a wrx swap? like labor wise and car price wise.

thanks
-mike

It really depends on the MY car you get PLUS the parts for the conversion.
You can get a 93 L and a jdm ej20 and run the whole thing with an aftermarket ecu for about 5k total. That's of course that you do all the work yourself.
OR
you can get a 2001 Impreza and get a legal swap for about 16k.
So you see the ranges vary greatly.
Chris
cescamilla@i-speedusa.com

93 L and a jdm ej20 and run the whole thing with an aftermarket ecu for about 5k total

yeah 5k at a bare minimun that was my origional budget .. 9 months later i am at 12000 depends on how good of a clip you get

I'm at $8500 less car...

If you want to hold a budget, a swap is NOT for you.

-Jon

You could get a 93 impreza then get a 93/94 turbo legacy (or older if you don't have to worry about someone checking your car for legal purposes).
93 imprezas go for pretty cheap especially if they're 2wd or need an engine. If you found a turbo legacy then you would have everything you need to do a 2wd to awd conversion minus a sway bar.
I have a 93 turbo legacy engine package for sale-1100 gets you almost everything you need to get the engine in and running.
Brent

i'll have 9k into the swap when I pick it up next week, but mine also includes a Yoshio ECU, JDM DP, header w/up pipe, HKS carbon Ti, pully, Injen CAI, and Gauges....

I can't wait to get the stinkin thing...

serious: Does that make any sense? Why not just get the turbo legacy and spend the additional money on upgrades and repairs?!

I say everybody to their own. If subaru made a two door legacy i'd be all over it. If the 2.5rs were cheaper that would be my first choice.
The legacy's are good but there is something to say about having a newer car with some nuts. Then again my legacy is good enough for me for what i want to do to it.
Brent

you have to look at the long run of your project. are you making a rally car what will really see some action, or is this just a dream that will never happen. if you are building a street car and want power then weight will not be as big of a deal to you.

a legacy turbo has about 500 more pounds then an impreza. that 500 lbs can really take its toll on you when you are in a rally event. if you are at the drag strip you will also have better gains, but its not as much of an issue because you are not cornering.

what do you want?

a legacy turbo is a rare find, but if you can get your hands on a good one, and put a little bit of work into it then you could have it blasting almost anything at the drag strip. bad part is, that suspension and aftermarket parts are way more expensive then they are for a impreza. you can get a sway bar for about 60 bucks cheaper for an impreza then for a legacy, and that adds up fast. and used parts, you could save a ton by getting used parts for the impreza.

hey serious, there is a guy on the legacy forum trying to get ahold of an ej22T, its in my post title is "I feel like a jdm whore"

Cool, i'll check him out, but what have you been smoken latey?! A thousand more pounds than a lagacy? I weighed my car in stock form ( 96 legacy 2.2 with automatic/air all pwr including sunroof) and it weighed in at exactly 3040. There's no way in hell you are going to get a impreza to weight 2040. A 2500 pound impreza is considered "light". Maybe if you stripped everything for racing.....
Anyway, good luck with your project.
Brent

yea, i was told by someone that an impreza could easily weight 1k less then a legacy. maybe that was a guess by them. lol


this is the bad thing about the boards when people tell you something and you try to pass it on.


so we will change all of the 1ks to 500 lb:banana:

The new-age Legacies weigh between 3200lbs and 3500lbs. It you get the lighest Impreza out there, you might be able to push a 1000lb difference.

500lbs would be a much more believable number.

-Jon

Thanks everyone you have helped me out a lot.

mike

my 94 Impreza with power windows ways in at 2650 lbs and my friends 01 RS at 2825. the WRX is like 3100 or so and the legacy a little over that because of the extra body panel length.

subiekid: I dont agree that the suspension items cost more. Basically 80% of the running gear on my legacy is Impreza items! Just as an example I have an impreza transmission, impreza brakes, impreza wheels, impreza strut tower bar, and impreza struts. The only item difference is the sway bars, but only in the rear for most brands.

From what I know a legacy sedan 4wd is between 2900 and 3100 pounds, an Impreza should be between 2600 and 2900.

So basically the 500 pound difference is comparing a stripped impreza to a fully loaded legacy, that makes sense. :rolleyes: