Dr. RX

Well I just finished building a car that I think will give any currently sold in the USA STi a good run for their money, and I haven't put $6000 into it yet. For about another $500, I could probably guarantee that it would beat and stock STi, and I'd still be under $6000. And it is reliable enough to be my daily driver.

Boy, I just love the inexperience of youth. First, you never really told us what mods you were doing to the engine to make it create 300hp. For instance, what type of cams are you using, what is the grind, lift and duration? What will the compression ratio be. Will you be using forged teflon coated pistons? What type of rods? Are you making any mods to the induction system, ie different turbo, injectors, reduced flow restictions. I personally would be very surprized if you spend only $6000 on the engine alone and got 300hp. I have never seen STi parts for a Leone (EA82 series) car, specially since STi wasn't really formed until 93. Next the suspension, do you really think for a minute that the EA82 type front suspension will out perform an EJ type just by increasing spring rates?? And the brakes, there are still a lot of unanswered questions there. I don't know of any four pot caliper that are front parking brake types, so are you even going to have a parking brake?? As for reliability, if you decide to race it, and I have no doubt that you will the first time some guy in a Honda pulls up along side of you, I'd give you less then 1000 miles before you have to replace something in the engine. You are approximately tripling the current horsepower, that engine was never designed for that. Believe me, I'm not trying to discouage you, I just want you to think a little harder about what you are saying. Are you really sure that you what to spend all that money just to prove a point?

The circumstances suck, but a 6 FOOT METAL LATHE AND MILL FOR ONLY $50, that thing must weight a ton or two, and for only. Is that a 6 foot bed or is that the total length of the lathe? I would love to have that, then I could start improving things that I see need improvement on my cars. Can hardly wait to see the pictures of the process, I wish that I would have taken more picture of teh progress of my last project, but if I did, it would probabaly still not be done.

No Craig, there were two doors right up until the new gen came out in 2002.

Welcome to Washington, again. Next time try for McChord.

Well I don't know about Colorado, but there have been plenty of Impreza 95 to 01 2drs around Western Washington, I know of two RS's (a 98 and a 99) that were for sale in the last two months locally. And we have a lot of non-wagon Legacys, I've even seen some of those Outback Sedans for sale.

Gee Flow, my 96 Impreza was built in 9/95, but it is still a 96 model year. In Japan there was a 89 Legacy model year, that is why when I built UltimateRX I said that Subaru could have built that car if they had wanted to in 89, all of the parts were available in 89.

While the Legacy was available in Japan in 89, it wasn't available in the USA until 90.

Yep, the splines match a turbo (25 spline) tranny.

Thanks THAWA, I wasn't sure, I knew the Impreza ones would work, we test fitted them on a RX. They are in fact 4mm longer then the EA82 axles, but I don't think that is enough to make any difference.

So, how did you fair. Power must be out or I'm sure yopu would have been back on by now.

Yea, I forgot about the tranny, if you can find a tranny out of a EA82 (Leone/Loyal) series turbo, that will work.

Well I don't know of any car the stirs a caldron, but if you want to know which car(s) to get the pieces from, I'll tell you. For the rear pieces, you have only one choice, and that is a XT6 AWD, from that you need the backing plate, the hub (the piece that bolts to the axle) and the rotor, the rear caliper is the same as any rear disc EA82. Up front you have some choices for some of the parts, but some must come from a XT6 (either FWD or AWD), you need the lower suspension arm and the ball joint, you'll need the tie rod ends, and you'll need the front calipers. You can get the following parts from a XT6, a Legacy, or an Impreza, the front strut complete, the front rotors, the front backing plates, the front knuckle, and the axles. The Legacy axles may be too long, so I would stay with either the XT6 or the Impreza. Here is a link to my web sitye that shows my first conversion, it should help a little, http://corkysrocks.net/Conversion%204%20to%205.htm .

Well, because when the ring and pinion gear are installed, there is a lot of shimming require to get just the right meshing of the two gears. It is easier to grind away a small portion of the open diff case then it is to repeat the shimming since each case is slightly different.

I'll check the brouchure tonight to see what the options were.

Josh, are you sure that you have to cut a hole for the clutch M/C? When I did my Impreza conversion, the hole was already there, just had a rubber plug in it, bolt holes were there too.

XT Fan, if you look closely, you can see the sun/moon roof on the touring wagon.

No, most front clips come with the rear suspension also, if they don't, look somewhere else.

Americanyouth you are right, but that is why it says replica on my signature block. In an earlier post on my car I explained all of this. This is the second car that I have built that Subaru could have built but didn't. The thing that I find strange is that all the unique bolt locations for a WRX were there on my 96, eventhough Subaru never made a 2dr WRX until 97. Spanky_pete, the Type RA is a 4 door, the Type R is a 2 door, that is the only difference. On the web site that you provided, there is one mistake that I noticed, he stated that the high spoiler was not available on the four door until 98, I have pictures of a 95 and 96 4door Type RA with the high spoiler, otherwise the rest of the info looks correct. I guess I'll have to change my name to Dr. WRX now.

Ok, here is kind of a chronology of my project. 96 Impreza as it appeared after I got it home http://corkysrocks.net/96ImprezaB4.jpg After I cut away the damage http://corkysrocks.net/Impreza1.jpg The JDM WRX front clip http://corkysrocks.net/wrx5.jpg After it was put together and ready for inspection http://corkysrocks.net/Project2.jpg And finally after painted, note USMB decal in rear window http://corkysrocks.net/STIfrtqrtr.jpg Well there you have it.

I might have the part numbers at home, I'll have to get back with you. If you contact a dealer, just ask for the stub axles for the rear diff of a 91 Legacy Turbo.

Too bad we are about 200 miles apart, but that is still not too far. Anyway, I've done this before, I am the creator of UltimateRX, and just finished my latest project, creating a 96 WRX STi Type R out of a wrecked 96 Impreza Brighton. I can guide you through the conversion and help you over the rough spots, e-mail me at corkysrocks@isomedia.com .

Here you go, straight out of the 89 sells broucher. or But actually any of the top row were available for the wagon in 89.

MorganM, besides the Turbo Legacy (91 only) and the SVX, name one other Subaru that came with a VLSD in the USA. All the Imprezas have LSDs, not VLSDs. Imprezas and other EJ series cars do have viscous couplers in the center diff, but not the rear or front diff. Please let me know so that I can start looking for them.

I have turbo Legacy 3.90 VLSD in my sedan, it has the stud axle with c-clips, those are what you need. If you run across any more of those, let me know, for $20 plus shipping these would be a great deal.