5150

Hmmm... I may be out of my league here, but here goes. I have read both threads on this topic. While I AM new to Subaru, I am not new to the automotive industry. First, there are many problems with engine/drivtrain swaps. Even swaping a larger engine from the same manufacturer can have a huge share of problems. Then adding to that, fabricating to fit something that was not intended, plus a heavier load on suspension and body/frame, then add the stress of off road (I assume that is the intent of use with this vehicle)... well it has been done, and very successfully by the pros who have a lot of time and money to do it many times over just to get it right. If you have a lot of time and money to work at this, and want lots of horse power/torque, look at the the larger V-6 engines, like GM's 4.3 or Ford's 4.0 liter. Plus a whole new drive train to go with it, then all new suspension. This project could get rather pricey. If you are like most people who aren't tied into a bank account that seems to have no end (and I think this would fit you more accurately due to the base vehicle you are working with), my suggestion would be to try the simpler swaps of the larger Subaru engines that produce ad admireable amount of power/torque. Hey, I'll be honest here. I am intersted in the Subaru's because of the power/torque they produce out of the small package. I am looking at a 300+ hp 1974 VW Karman Ghia Street Rod. Something that would take considerably more work, money, time and have far less reliability if I built a VW based engine (which I am familiar with) to do the same job. My hat is off to you when ventures are taken in this area. Just try to make an educated decision, a well thought out decision, before delving into something that you may loose a lot of time and money on only to find you do not have the resources to make the end results satifactory. Good luck! 5150

Hello everyone, I am new to this site, forum and Subarus. First a little about me. I am a long term auto tech. I own and operate my own small business in Arizona along the Colorado River just off Interstate 40. I have been interested in Volkswagon aircooled engines and performance of them for many years. Though I got away from it for a while i am back to the interest again. I had thoughts of a Subaru swap into a VW years ago. I didn't do any research on the matter. Recently my son, also a motorhead, has taken a keen interest in Mazda rotories. I was impressed in the rpm and torque capabilities of these engines. However, the cost is not kind to your wallet. Yesterday I saw a sandrail with a turbo 16v engine, I was informed it was a Subaru and produced 250 hp. Now that is impressive! So here I am to pry into your minds and dig for info. I own an old 17 ft. boat (1974 Rienel) that has been pushed through the water by a Volvo Penta AQ130 engine (2.0 ltr.) and it is getting very tired. I have contemplated rebuilding and a swap. The rotory was an idea until I looked at the cost of all the parts and engine to make it work. I now would like info on Subaru engines and possible configurations. I understand that these engines are relatively inexpensive and seem to be durable. I would like to bump hp to somewhere around 150. I am not a big fan of turbos, nor do I need to do 70 mph on the water. I would like dependability foremost and economy to be the main factors. We are hitting $3/gal. here for regular now, so economy is a factor. Thank you for having me here. And thank you for any input on this project you may be able to lend. 5150