Turbo frankenmotor questions!

[pginter96]

Hi all, just a few questions for those more experienced than I. How would a frankenmotor with the combination of a EJ22 short block, EJ25D heads and a Td04 turbo work? I've done small amounts of research here and on other forums, but all those threads seem to end in cliffhangers several years old. I was wondering if anyone here has first hand experience with this frankenmotor in particular, or can give frankenmotor advice in general.

I've got a 98 Legacy with an EJ25D (original) that has just over 237K on it. It has a yet to be solved misfire, and if it turns out to be something big I'm open to a swap. I did an EJ22E swap in my 97 Legacy, but it's pretty lacking on the hills and I'm looking for a little more power. Seems to be roughly as pricy as a full WRX swap but easier since I have a pair of EJ25D heads already. Just wondering. Thanks!

[carfreak85]

Just buy an EJ205 and swap that in, it will be much more reliable.  Hell, just find a cheap WRX wagon and be done, swapping is almost more trouble than it's worth vs. finding a $4k WRX.

[ccrinc]

Just buy an EJ205 and swap that in, it will be much more reliable.  Hell, just find a cheap WRX wagon and be done, swapping is almost more trouble than it's worth vs. finding a $4k WRX.

 

What ^^he^^ said.

 

The reason most of those end in cliffhangers is because every one I've ever known who's done something like that has, at some point, thrown up their hands (and their wrenches - with some force) in frustration and said "screw it!"   The time and trouble aren't worth it.

 

Emily

[pginter96]

Thanks for the input, guys. I'll try not to "vaporSTI" this one and actually listen to forum suggestions. I'd love to find a cheap WRX, I love the bugeyes. Unfortunately around here any cheap ones (~4,000) have half a million miles on them and are rot boxes. Just wondering since the frankenmotor would cost roughly less than an EJ205. But being said, the straight swap would probably end up being cheaper and easier in the long run with less surprises and a wider aftermarket selection.

Thanks!

[Bushwick]

If you want more power, swap in an NA EZ36. It's a direct-fit despite having 2 extra pistons. Will need the donor's fuel pump. Some work is involved, but it's doable. They make 250+ hp and similar tq, which in a lighter Legacy or WRX should be good for a 14 second or slightly quicker ride depending on how lazy the tq converter on an auto is. Manual trans with a steep gearing should be fairly quick.

 

 

Also, a straight-up franken motor should give decent power, but running the 25d heads on ej22 block, will loose the higher compression advantage and probably feel sluggish off the line, though it should make OK power in the higher revs. If strictly a highway car, it'd = better passing, but pulling hills from a stop you might have your foot into it. It's hard to say exactly w/o the compression bump if it'd be "fun" or not. Having a really lazy compression ratio with higher flow can hurt everything from performance to vacuum the engine is making. Street engines should have a focus on vacuum as directly relates to a better running motor, down to how well your power assisted brakes work. 

Edited September 28, 2015 by Bushwick

[pginter96]

If you want more power, swap in an NA EZ36. It's a direct-fit despite having 2 extra pistons. Will need the donor's fuel pump. Some work is involved, but it's doable. They make 250+ hp and similar tq, which in a lighter Legacy or WRX should be good for a 14 second or slightly quicker ride depending on how lazy the tq converter on an auto is. Manual trans with a steep gearing should be fairly quick.

 

 

Also, a straight-up franken motor should give decent power, but running the 25d heads on ej22 block, will loose the higher compression advantage and probably feel sluggish off the line, though it should make OK power in the higher revs. If strictly a highway car, it'd = better passing, but pulling hills from a stop you might have your foot into it. It's hard to say exactly w/o the compression bump if it'd be "fun" or not. Having a really lazy compression ratio with higher flow can hurt everything from performance to vacuum the engine is making. Street engines should have a focus on vacuum as directly relates to a better running motor, down to how well your power assisted brakes work.

Gramps! (Kinda)

Id love to, but those engines are hard to come by and expensive when you do.

Theres a wrecked SVX at my local junkyard with a visibly good engine. Apparently the EG33 is just an EJ25D with more cylinders, that could be interesting...

 

An EJ205 swap would make the most sense I guess. Motors are just as much as EJ25Ds and plenty out there (depending on your trust of ebay). That way I dont have to worry about making the engine parts work, just the horror of electronics...

Edited September 29, 2015 by pginter96

[Bushwick]

That EG33 would be a decent swap if it ran OK to begin with. That's 100 hp more that the EJ22. In a 3k pound car, it should still be fairly quick. Seems there's a bunch of documentation on the swap too, although I never seem to see it mentioned here.

 

I still think you'd be better off with a NA 6 swap vs. turboing a car, or rather swapping all the turbo components over IF you've never done it before. It helps greatly if you have a turbo car to start with and at a minimum learn everything about it, from the turbo it's running to thicker, better quality FMIC, to upgrading to a 3" race cat, down pipe, 3" back, etc. 

 

IF you go with a WRX swap, you MUST inspect the turbo for play. Remove the inlet and grab the center nut on the compressor-side wheel (engine off obviously and COLD or you'll loose your tips :/) and lift up on it. It should NOT make contact with the housing. Then try spinning it while lifting up/pressing down. Is it binding? Are the blade edges rubbing? Next test is check lateral loading. There really shouldn't be any play there either. If talking a small Garrett GT25xx series, they are known to have weak thrust washers that break. Having movement there means it needs rebuilt and upgraded. TD04, 5, etc. are fairly similar. 

 

What people often mistakenly think is "well, the turbo is still making boost, it must be OK" or "that movement won't hurt anything" then 150 miles later while tromping it, it loads enough and clips itself then start howling at certain RPM. "well, it's still making boost so it must be OK".... and 75 miles later it's puking oil and needs a complete rebuild + new wheels. Now, had they been proactive when the excess movement was initially detected, it would have cost $35 for a bearing kit and another $60-80 to have it balanced.

 

Anyways, if you go with a turbo'd car, have EVERYTHING inspected from the donor. Do some googling on "turbo shaft play" and get well versed with the turbo you'll be running.

[pginter96]

Thanks Bushwick!

I hope to go back and look at that SVX tomorrow as Im off work. The only thing I know for sure is that it was violently rear-ended and that the engine is still there. Ill make sure it still turns over by hand, and get some more details about their policy with buying engines. As a pick-a-part style place Im a little wary, but if its good this wouldnt be the only diamond in the rough Ive gotten from there.

Ive been doing a little research in my free time and have found a number of successful EG33 swaps out there, however mostly in Imprezas. Seems much more simple than anything turbo-related

[Bushwick]

I'm still somewhat "new" to Subarus and only visit this site, and know basically nothing about the SVX. After you mentioned the EG33, I searched too and saw loads of swaps from the 2.5L to that. Given the engine is older, and in an oddball car they no longer make, that should keep the prices lower.

 

Be SURE to inspect the bellhousing for cracking. Although it's FWD, the force from an impact can do crazy things to the trans. While not a deal breaker, if it cracked while the engine was turning higher RPMS, it *could* have put a significant load on the crank, especially if it went from running to a forced stall. I looked at an 88' GT Mustang (it was also in a junk yard) that the yard was looking to sell it's running engine out of and it was T-boned by a police cruiser more towards the rear of the driver-side door. It completely broke the tail section of the still connected trans which deterred me enough I passed on it. It was a T5 trans (manual) and the fear was the flywheel might have put an unbalanced load on the engine when the bellhousing cracked. They had the cats pulled and rigged up a portable fuel pump off a gas container and the engine did run, but with essentially open headers, it could have been masking engine noises and and making unwanted vibrations hard to detect. 

 

If they can get it running, try and sit in the car and see if you can feel any rough vibrations that increase with engine speed. That could point to an issue with the flywheel balance. If it seems OK in the car, get out and put your hands on the fender and try revving it from the TB cable. Should be fairly smooth. If it feels like a "thump thump thump thump thump" vibration, be wary. W/O coolant and a portable fuel pump, it could be run for a good 15-30 seconds to get an idea. If they can't/won't run it, a 6 month warranty is fairly typical. Get it in writing though. Also, do NOT say you are looking to swap the engine. If asked, you restoring an SVX that spun a rod or something. Reason being they might actually try and deny the warranty stating YOU did something to it. If you already said the intended purpose, I wouldn't bring it up again. Also, don't forget you'll need a new fuel pump as that engine makes considerably more power + 2 extra pistons. Yours might be OK with it just to run, but if it LPH rating is too low, you'll end up with issues. Try and get as much from the donor as possible.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Bushwick

[pginter96]

Thanks, will do. At the time I last saw it, I was unable to tell if it was a FWD or AWD model. Impact was in the left rear. Right rear is still intact and the rear hatch actually still opens. Drivers door does not.

I hope to get the motor, harness, ecu, fuel pump, and whatever else I think would be useful. Unfortunately this place only keeps the cars for a month or so before scrapping them unless its an oddball. This is, but they dont know it and its already been there 2 weeks. They countdown has begun. Im not sure if anyone even knows what it is, much less wants to harvest the engine so I hopefully wont have competition...

[Bushwick]

If you have the money, they might "hold" it for you. If the impact was bad enough to damage the fuel tank, the pump might be shot and/or very difficult to get out. If that's the case, you could always buy a Bosch 300lph unit and retrofit it into your assembly. We have to do that when running larger turbos to our 2.0L and 2.3L T5 and T7 engines. Usually you just remove the actual pump, and carefully grind some of the plastic away until the Bosch can slip in. You MUST run the filter sock to avoid grabbing gunk off the tank, but can often retrofit the factory sock for that. 

 

GL with it. It'll seem daunting at first, but if you stick to it and everything works out, the bump in power will make it very fun to drive. You might have some extra leaning in corners from the extra weight, so consider a sway bar upgrade at some point. At the very least, if you have the smaller diameter rear bar is definitely worth upgrading. Also, at some you'll probably want to upgrade the front brakes to STi variants (or maybe the SVX fit?) as the extra weight + higher speed stops will tax the factory brakes a bit more. A simple way to get an idea is actually add some ballast weight (like two 45 pound barbell weights to the floor area of front seats; careful with doing this on driver side as you don't want it sliding into the gas pedal on a hard stop) and see how it stops from a 65 mph. It'll give an idea on how it'll handle with the extra engine weight along with how much the front will squat. 

Edited September 30, 2015 by Bushwick

[idosubaru]

wrecks are the perfect donors - you know the car/engine was in running condition at least before the thing that sent it to the yard.   when i'm looking for an engine I want a wrecked car.  of course you don't want a front impact that cracks the timing gear or upper oil pan of H6's, oil filter bung, etc...other than that obvious stuff i've never seen damage. 

 

the EJ block - the mechanicals are the easy part and you'll get really good at it because you'll probably have to do it more than once - what are you doing for fuel control if you did build a turbo?

FI on an EJ25 sounds like a headgasket cheering squad.

[ccrinc]

Not to throw cold water again, BUT...

An SVX (EG33) engine  won't fit into a Legacy without significant modifications.  For instance, where and how to mount the radiator.  Since the engine alone weighs ~75 lbs. more, you also need to beef up the front suspension.

 

I hope you're good with wiring.  Merging the wiring is not for the faint of heart.  You'll be mixing OBDI and OBDII.  Incidentally, the EG33 is more like an EJ22 than an EJ25...just FYI.

 

Here's a couple of links that talk about the issues:

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f128/t105010-official-eg33-swap-information-q-thread.html

 

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f128/t84339-best-ever-h6-swap-thread.html

 

As for your unsolved misfire: You have a '98 EJ25 with a manual transmission.  It is a known fact that those (and the '97) had that issue.  It's a non-issue.  You can run around town all day and it won't set a code, right? But as soon as you do at least 65mph for a few minutes, the code sets.  The car runs fine, right? Just that you've got that annoying CEL.  Well, shops and dealers across the country have made boat loads of money clearing that code, but nobody, not even SOA, knows what's been causing it.  There's a gremlin in every last one of these cars, but all it does is taunt you with a light.  If that's all, don't worry about it.  The high mileage: yeah, that's an old engine just waiting for something to happen.

 

Emily

[pginter96]

Not to throw cold water again, BUT...

An SVX (EG33) engine won't fit into a Legacy without significant modifications. For instance, where and how to mount the radiator. Since the engine alone weighs ~75 lbs. more, you also need to beef up the front suspension.

 

I hope you're good with wiring. Merging the wiring is not for the faint of heart. You'll be mixing OBDI and OBDII. Incidentally, the EG33 is more like an EJ22 than an EJ25...just FYI.

 

Here's a couple of links that talk about the issues:

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f128/t105010-official-eg33-swap-information-q-thread.html

 

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f128/t84339-best-ever-h6-swap-thread.html

 

As for your unsolved misfire: You have a '98 EJ25 with a manual transmission. It is a known fact that those (and the '97) had that issue. It's a non-issue. You can run around town all day and it won't set a code, right? But as soon as you do at least 65mph for a few minutes, the code sets. The car runs fine, right? Just that you've got that annoying CEL. Well, shops and dealers across the country have made boat loads of money clearing that code, but nobody, not even SOA, knows what's been causing it. There's a gremlin in every last one of these cars, but all it does is taunt you with a light. If that's all, don't worry about it. The high mileage: yeah, that's an old engine just waiting for something to happen.

 

Emily

Thanks for the links Emily.

I was actually reading through those the other day. Bear with me, Im only a few pages in, but so far it seems like the radiator fitment and wiring is the only issue (for legacies anyways). We'll get to the radiator, but wiring us my main concern. Since I work at a chrysler shop, I have a fair amount of experience with wiring diagrams, soldering, splicing, and repair. Im far from an expert but diagram interpretation is the most important thing.

The junkyard has the SVX marked as a 95, which was a wierd year in terms of OBDII from what Ive seen.

At the end of the day, electricity is electricity, wire is wire, and motors are just hunks of dumb metal. With a little bit of knowhow, time, and money, anything can run.

We'll see how long that attitude lasts

 

As for the misfire, that happens under moderate acceleration in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th usually. Any speed, any condition.

Edited September 30, 2015 by pginter96

[Bushwick]

My 95' Legacy is readable with Auto Zone's OBDII scanner. Every time I go to one and ask for a code to be read, I've heard "can't do it, it's 95' and OBDI" or "I'm not sure our scanner can do that". 

 

If you can find the OBD port on the car, it'll be fairly clear what it is.

 

Also, if you want to go the super easy route, just carb the damn thing and scrap the fuel injection. Biggest issue would be where to set it, but since the engine sits low, hood clearance shouldn't be an issue.

 

I saw a guy on the Saab forums cut a hole into the intake manifold up top on I think Saab's 6 cyl, near the center of the intake, and mill the surface down to resemble a carb mating surface (giant hole with 4 studs). He then plopped a small Weber carb on it, adapted the throttle cable so it'd open it, then put a fuel regulator on to get it the 5-7 psi range. I thought for certain it wouldn't work..... but it did Can't remember if the engine had the distributor or not. The way Subaru's intake exits at the back, you could remove the TB and make an "L" adapter so it connected to where the TB was and angled up, which would allow the carb to sit there. There's obviously a little work there and you'd need the ignition sorted, but it's doable

 

Also, with the radiator. If you aren't worried about AC, you could get a slightly shorter radiator and mount it further forward. Run aftermarket slim fans if extra space is needed.

[pginter96]

My 95' Legacy is readable with Auto Zone's OBDII scanner. Every time I go to one and ask for a code to be read, I've heard "can't do it, it's 95' and OBDI" or "I'm not sure our scanner can do that". 

 

If you can find the OBD port on the car, it'll be fairly clear what it is.

 

Also, if you want to go the super easy route, just carb the damn thing and scrap the fuel injection. Biggest issue would be where to set it, but since the engine sits low, hood clearance shouldn't be an issue.

 

I saw a guy on the Saab forums cut a hole into the intake manifold up top on I think Saab's 6 cyl, near the center of the intake, and mill the surface down to resemble a carb mating surface (giant hole with 4 studs). He then plopped a small Weber carb on it, adapted the throttle cable so it'd open it, then put a fuel regulator on to get it the 5-7 psi range. I thought for certain it wouldn't work..... but it did Can't remember if the engine had the distributor or not. The way Subaru's intake exits at the back, you could remove the TB and make an "L" adapter so it connected to where the TB was and angled up, which would allow the carb to sit there. There's obviously a little work there and you'd need the ignition sorted, but it's doable

 

Also, with the radiator. If you aren't worried about AC, you could get a slightly shorter radiator and mount it further forward. Run aftermarket slim fans if extra space is needed.

Ive considered that too, a friend of mine has a 95 Legacy that Ive scanned with my OBDII scanner before. I have no idea if they implimented OBDII early for SVXs. Being that it was raining and the drivers door didnt open and everything inside was soaked, I hadent even considered it until I got home. Guess we'll find out sunday. Going to start it then, too with any luck.

Ive also considered carbs. My main concern is not only space, but how to mount them since the intake on the EG33 has dual throttle bodies pressed against the firewall as it is. Ive seen guys run simple ignition setups, such as MSD and Megasquirt too.

Besides, carbs scare me. This will still be driven daily, and it gets below zero regularly during the winters here.

So, wiring nightmare it is!

Ill start a new thread on sunday, once I have the motor and know more about what I have. Until then I guess we're stuck in this off-topic thing...

[ccrinc]

Haven't you ever heard? "Carburetor is a French word meaning leave it alone".     Actually, I think that might not work since EG33s have variable valve timing: the fuel delivery is crucial.

There's already hood modification mentioned on the forums several times without adding something else  on top of the engine.  (Can you even carb an MPFI engine?)   Here's some specs on it:

 

Type: 6-cylinder horizontally-opposed (boxer) for low center of gravity and reduced vibration Construction: Die-cast aluminum ally block, cast aluminum alloy heads with 4 valves per cylinder and centrally located spark plugs Valve Train: 24-valve, with dual overhead camshafts (DOHC) and hydraulic valve lash adjusters Displacement: 3.3 liter / 3318 cc / 202.5 cubic inches Bore and Stroke: 96.9 mm x 75 mm / 3.815 inches x 2.95 inches Compression Ratio: 10.0:1 Horsepower: 230 @ 5,400 rpm Torque: 228 @ 4,400 rpm Maximum Engine Speed: 7,000 rpm Engine Management: Integrated
fuel and ignition systems. Engine Control Unit (ECU) computer with
learning and aging controls, self-diagnosis and limp-home features. Twin
knock sensors and oxygen sensors provide separate control of each
cylinder bank. Fuel System: Multi-port electronic fuel injection with dual-spray fuel injectors Fuel Required: Unleaded 91 octane Ignition System: Distributorless
electronic crank-angle-dependent direct-fire ignition with individual
spark/coil units at each platinum-tipped spark plug

 

The engine weighs about 85lbs more the the EJ22 that it is designed from.

 

Incidentally, I happen to know that Small Car in Tacoma, WA sells a diagram for modifying the wiring harness down to just what will make the engine run.  He does them for Subaru>Vanagon conversions.  It might be helpful.

 

Emily

[carfreak85]

There is no variable valve timing on the EG33.  Cam phasing is always static, unchanging.

Edited September 30, 2015 by carfreak85

[Bushwick]

You can carb anything. No need to fear them either. They just need 5-8 psi (depending on carb) of fuel and an intake manifold and the engine will run. If it's way lean or rich, you just swap in correct jets and reads the plugs but having a distributor helps keep timing in check. And they'll start below zero temps, just need a choke on it.  

 

As far the weight over the struts, put 2 45 pound barbell plates on the floor and it should give you an idea. I ran 2 different Fox Mustangs 79' and 81' that were both factory 4 bangers and the 79' had an iron headed and block 302 installed, and the 81' had a 351w installed (over the factory 4 cyl springs/struts). They tolerated it quite well despite the huge jump in weight. Ironically, they needed the rear GT springs instead, which let it launch hard with upgraded control arms. 85 pounds is a step up in weight, but remember these were family cars and designed to tolerate 4 adults weighing the car down Front brakes would be the big thing to consider if it's really struggling to stop in a panic stop.

 

If the donor has soaked interior, be wary of it's ecm and check for waterlogging. If it hasn't had power to it and is damp with moisture, sometimes you can set it over a dry heat source (like from your car heater) and dry it for an hour. I've brought cell phones back from complete water submerging doing that but the cases need separated so the dry air evaporates everything and no pooling is present.

 

 

If you are curious, I found the old thread. There's video somewhere online of him starting it, and he posted at another saab forum with other details. Obviously it sits WAY high and I think he did it for the "wonder if it works factor" . Here's the link: http://www.saabscene.com/forum/threads/163890-1994-2.5-V-6-carburetor...    As you can see, he started with a fuel injected v6 and used the fuel injected manifold but putting 2 holes in it and milling the surface. Pretty amazing this was even possible. Go to the end and built a tunnel ram and installed 2 carbs. Last post has a working video link. 

Edited September 30, 2015 by Bushwick

[pginter96]

well apparently the guy working there on wednesday was clueless... he told me the SVX wasnt going anywhere soon and would be there today (sunday) so I got everything together and drove up there only to see that it got crushed friday 

[Bushwick]

That sucks. The yards focus on scrap price anymore w/o giving 2 *blanks* about the car's parts going to a good home. 10-15 years ago it wasn't uncommon to enter a yard and see cars that had been sitting there for 2-5 years.

 

I could understand if we were talking a 92' Ford Tempo FWD with a 2.3L, but harder to source cars or ones that are historically profitable (Mustangs, Camaros, modern Japanese performance, etc.) should always go to a "hold" line.

 

You should have given them a deposit and asked if they'd set it aside. If you're really set on an SVX engine swap, start watching Craigslist. If it were me, I'd run an ad on top of diligent watching with something like "Wanted to Buy: Subaru SVX" and follow up with must run and be fairly complete, but rust OK lokking to pay $500-600 depending on condition. If go see one (take a friend to be safe) and they are thinking $600, pick apart the car's issues and reaffirm you only want the engine, etc. Be honest and upfront and it'll go smoother. You'd be surprised and what pours in. I saw an SVX for sale locally that had ugly paint but ran, and I think they were asking $1200 (about a year ago roughly). $800-900 cash would net you a car like that. Any good parts left could be sold outright, and the carcass could be scrapped for an extra $200-300. The cats can get $50 on average to more if you find a core place (basically the people the junk yards sell their cats to is who you want). Make sure you get a legit title else you'll have to sawzall the body up into chunks to get scrap price for it.

 

Remember, cars taken to scrap yards are getting $300-400 in cash for them. If you run an ad, you can get one before it goes there. Some people would like to see it get used, and if offering $100 more than scrap they'll often bite.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Bushwick

[pginter96]

The guy I talked to on Wednesday had no clue what it was. I asked and he said they dont hold cars, but because of where it is it shouldnt be going anywhere.

And unfortunately in a northeastern ex-steel plant area, "japanese performance" doesnt exist.

I threw a big enough fit as I was lugging my tools and equipment out and they said I could call the owner first thing monday to see if it could be saved. They only really crush the cars so the roof is level with the hood. If there is damage I expect it to be throttle body, intake, maybe oil pan and stuff. I dont intend on paying much for it if I can still get it, if anything, so we'll see...

Any hopes for harness and ecu is gone though.

Edited October 5, 2015 by pginter96

[Bushwick]

I've seen plenty of cars crushed (in person) and wouldn't hold my breath on it. You'll most likely need to cut the hood off, and anything under there will be subject to breakage. Things you probably wouldn't even notice outright.

 

With that said, the ECM is probably intact as the floor area will most likely still be sound. However, the car is probably already stacked.

 

Usually the wheels bottom out and the oil pan will be broken, as will the trans. Don't hold your breath on it. But again, remember the person that junked it probably drove it in there and got $400 for it (curb weight x tonnage rate = $$$). You need to find that type of person BEFORE they go the yard as a last resort. Some yards will allow a signed title i.e. you buy the car, the owner signs the title, but you leave your area blank. Then if you scrap it, the junkyard will assume ownership. Not all allow this. Some require it to be in your name. If that's the case, find a notary at a bank and have it notarized with both you and the seller.

 

Granted there's a little more work this way as you'll need a dolly to move it or a trailer (both you can rent at U-Haul) and a winch or $20 come-along to get the carcass on the dolly/trailer, but you can actually in most cases at the very least break even when it's said and done OR turn a profit depending on how patient you and lucky you are.

 

Cats, aluminum rims, good tires, used battery, aluminum parts, etc. ALL can earn a profit from a car being junked. With everything mentioned, you can get $200-400 in JUST those parts. Then you get another $300 from the weight of the shell. And any extra parts sold, +$$$. Also, getting a car direct from owner tells you exactly how it runs

Edited October 5, 2015 by Bushwick

[Bushwick]

I just remembered having dealt with basically the same issue. I had a 79' Mustang Cobra with black interior, and a local yard had a base model with black interior. This was back in 00' and they weren't exactly common back then being a 1st year Fox body AND having a unique 1 year only door handle system where the open lever was ALL the way at the bottom. Anyways, same deal. I went to the yard which was actually a small towing yard and the guy was like, yeah we'll probably hold on to it for little while. I was like great, I get paid Friday and will stop by after work (this was like Mon.). Well Friday came and I didn't see it. Went in and they stated they junked it. I got pissed and was like "you could have earned some extra cash from that as the parts are difficult to locate. 

 

Anyways, was just sitting and remembered that, so I feel the disappointment from getting excited to a straight up let down. The good news for you is the SVX engine, as well as the EZ3x engines are fairly common. Some yards treat the EZ36 as if it's an EZ30, meaning they can be found cheap if you are quick about getting it. GL with the future endeavors and be sure to do a courtesy post here (with link to build thread) if you source something new so people following will hop over to the new thread. I'm very interested in watching a build up of one as it'll be an option if I get serious with mine. Given how simple and bullet-proof these gen Subaru are, why bother with a new car when a 20 year old one can get turned into a quick cruiser w/o the infotainment BS

[pginter96]

Well the SVX left the yard today in a 5x5' cube at one with an 01 Buick Century