I got me a lil 2002 Impreza 2.5RS. yes I woulda wanted the WRX but I needed a car fast, and it was a 4 week wait on a WRX. Also I couldnt afford the insurance for the WRX ( being 22years old the insurance companies love to rape me .. grrr..)

Been looking around for a future upgrade of the powertrain of the car to a turbo. I figure the 2.5L engine with a Turbo would be a pretty powerful beast.

Just finding a REAL lack of any info or support anywhere on Turbo kits available or coming out for the 2.5RS.

Also, whats all involved in going from a NA to a Turbo setup on the 2.5L engine? I am not looking for a huge increase in power, but to get into 210 - 220Hp would be nice :)

the 170HP the car currently has is pretty nice as is, but would like to get it a bit faster in the future.

turbos for the '00-'01 model RS should work for the 02 as well...

you might need to get a WRX hood too because the RS hood doesn't come with a hood scoop for top mount IC's

do the hoods add drag to the car like the ones on the previous 2.5? i read some where that if you replaces the hoods with one from an impreza L and removed the wing u could drop the drag coefficient from .35 to .32. if thats true, the new 2.5's should be more areodynamically sound and therefore usinf a front mount IC would be better. just an idea.

with a small turbo running 5-9psi you don't really need a front mount IC. i guess it will be a better way to go since buying a new hood is going to cost some money too.

since the car is a daily ride, and I commute in traffic every day, I got the Automatic Tranny on the 2.5RS...

How much would I be risking the tranny running a small 5PSI turbo?

The auto is stronger than the manual, and you can't really do clutch dumps and slam shifting, so I think it would be more than fine.

Originally posted by inpreza kid
with a small turbo running 5-9psi you don't really need a front mount IC. i guess it will be a better way to go since buying a new hood is going to cost some money too.

No hood scoop is ok, it keeps the car a sleeper... With teh 2.5L and a Turbo hidden inside, it should be able to take some Automatic tranny WRX's. and it would be sweet as **** to let them thing they just got it handed to them by a stock 2.5RS :)

Or do an air-water IC.

Don't air-water intercoolers require constant matinance? You have to change (add) water constantly. I believe these are for race only, also quite expensive. I just heard this over the weekent from a rep for HP racing. I questioned him on his drag car's air-water ic and that's what he told me.

I have an air-water IC (from an Australian Liberty turbo), and it is maintenance free, like a radiator - it is a closed system.

A fair number of street cars used air-water ICs (GMC Syclones, for example), but air-air is more common for a lot of reasons, mainly simplicity I think.

An air-air is lighter, has no moving parts (you need a pump for air-water), takes up less room, blah blah blah.

But, if you don't want to get a hood scoop, it is a good solution.

And you can pick up a air-water IC like mine and the pump and heat sink to make it work for about $200 .

Hi guys,
I'm thinking about getting rid of my 98rs and get a newer impreza.
If i happen to pick up a 2002 rs and get a wrx ej20t engine and the ecu, do I have to do any serious wiring harness work?
thanks alot...

Hi guys,
I'm thinking about getting rid of my 98rs and get a newer impreza.
If i happen to pick up a 2002 rs and get a wrx ej20t engine and the ecu, do I have to do any serious wiring harness work?
thanks alot...
Yes..

east coast swappers can probably help you out if you don't want to go though a massive headache of wires.

http://www.eastcoastswappers.com/rates.php

do the hoods add drag to the car like the ones on the previous 2.5? i read some where that if you replaces the hoods with one from an impreza L and removed the wing u could drop the drag coefficient from .35 to .32. if thats true, the new 2.5's should be more areodynamically sound and therefore usinf a front mount IC would be better. just an idea.

Is this really an issue? Remove your stickers if you want to cut down on drag.

Same Situation on the 05' 2.5RS.

I'd like to put a turbo into it, but from what i read it may not be the best idea..

I found a turbo kit on ebay, but im not sure what i should get.

Any suggestions?

Since this seems to pop up every now and then... here is some advice but really, there is a sticky in this section that you need to read if you are thinking of doing this sort of build.
You will need at least: Turbo, injectors, fuel pump, turbo manifold, oil lines (drain and feed for turbo) water lines (if it is a water-cooled turbo), WRX/STI subframe if you are using OEM-style turbo manifolds, downpipe and exhaust, some form of engine management AND... a new engine for when you destroy your fragile NA motor.

Some people say you can be turbo for under $1,500 but expect to pay at least twice that or more if you are having a shop do it. From an engine management and longevity point of view, turbocharging an older car is easier as the ECUs are simpler and the old 1.8s and 2.2s seem to be much stronger than the newer 2.5s which have glass pistons.

Good luck, Subiesport has done several how-to turbo NA car builds over the years. It is fun, but be sure you have a spare ride when your turbo project breaks OR takes longer than a weekend to build.

Travis
Subiesport

I was also thinking about boosting my 04 rs mtx, i heard that swapping in a set of wrx dohc heads would increase your power alot over the crappy sohc in the stock rs(if a turbo was installed)

SOHC flows better hence it is better DOHC needs the boost to actually flow good. 5-7 pounds will run great with a good tune which is why I'm also hoping the Cobb Access Port comes out and can be used for this set up.