SmokeyTheGL

Awesome, thanks Dave. That's more or less what I had assumed, but I figured it was worth an ask. You bring up a good point with the CVJ, and DOJ cups. Is that something that could swap onto my GL if I found them with little wear? Also, as I mentioned before, I plan on rebuilding the transmission (almost entirely for peace of mind), so while I'm at it, what all do you think will need to be replaced in the name of security? It's fairly high miles, but I'm not sure exactly how many as the odometer stopped ticking a while ago. I assume he thought it was unimportant as he doesn't plan on stopping in this century.

Wow! Thank you everyone for the awesome feedback on this topic. It sounds like the EJ 2.2 is the way to go, especially for someone of my skill levels. Not to mention that I get to keep this beautiful marvel of engineering that is the High-Low transmission. That being said, I've also considered taking the stock engine thats in there right now, and boring out the cylinders for a couple more HP in the mean time. On a scale of 1-"you should probably just go to hell already to save some time", how bad of an idea is that? Would it be better to try and fit a turbo on and call it macaroni? And finally, in reply to Jsyme, don't worry! I have no intentions of tearing into this VW. It's a heaven sent daily driver that gets up to 50mpg, and is so reliable that I could probably rob the engine and it would still find a way to get me where I needed to go, and back again.

Alright! That's exactly the kind of information I need, so thank you. The main reason for wanting to go diesel was that I have a 79 diesel VW Rabbit, and the torque is just insane for the engine size. I thought that would pair quite nicely with the subie High-Low optional 4 wheel drive. I want to build something that's capable of highway speeds, but loves to crawl in the lower RPMs. That being said, I think an EJ would probably do the trick for that, but just haven't done a whole lot of research into it yet.

Hey everyone! So this is my first post, and I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge is VERY limited. Here's the jist of the situation. I have a 1989 Subaru GL wagon that was given to me as a graduation present. He has been serving the family dutifully for years now, but is getting a little tired. I plan on spending the fortune I'm sure it will cost to get the dual range transmission fully rebuilt, but the engine is still lacking. Anyone who has owned this car knows that it really deserves to be a diesel. If nothing else, it's severely lacking in power, especially with the Toyota steelies that are on there right now. I have heard that people have put WRX engines in this car, and am wondering about the feasibility of that, versus other engines. I don't need an insane power boost, and I definitely want to keep the transmission. Like I said, in a perfect world I'd love to make him a diesel, but I realize that may be impossible. Thoughts? Suggestions? Has anyone tried a Golf TDI engine? (I realize that it would be a deviation from God's greatest gift to man, the boxer, but it might be an interesting project).