Fergie Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Howdy all! I'm saving my pennies and looking to get my first scoobie, most likely a LGT wagon or OBXT! I prefer the OBXT bc of its beefier looks and generally easier to find But have some questions..... 1. How many miles is too many? Most in my area seem to have around 100k-150k, is this a lot on the turbo platforms? 2. Auto vs Manual....I love manual trans cars but they are hard to find. Can the autos reliably handle bolt ons? I'd like to have about 350whp at some point. I plan on taking it to the track every once in awhile and flogging around occasionally when I meet up with the other car guys. 3. Is the auto much slower than a manual once a Cobb accessport is installed? 4. LGT or OBXT? They are pretty much the same car right? Besides the obvious suspension slight body work. Outside of those two cars a WRX wagon or FXT would be cool too, but I don't see many LGT's or OBXT's in my area, especially modified. Any info or opinions would be great, thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrendelGT Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Always get the manual! Unless you have a serious need for an auto, you will most certainly enjoy it more while you modify it. I'm hunting for my first Subie as well and I've come up empty. I'm talking to a dealer that purchases cars at auction and can source me what I want. If you have a relationship with a dealer start there or at a local Subaru dealer. They will be more than happy to buy and ship a vehicle to a guaranteed customer. I feel that the risk of buying a car without a compression test is more than offset by the joy of having the exact car you want. The more you love the car the easier it will be to fix, no matter what happens. Besides, if the motor blows 350whp is easier achieved with a salvaged STi power train swap. :woowoo: Order a car with flawless interior and exterior and you'll at least look sexy when you get towed:cool: choosing a car that traditionally was chosen by middle aged men and successful 30s means the odds of finding a clean example are high. If the car was treated well interior and exterior, chances are low it was abused. Provided you do all the maintenance and recommended reliability upgrades found all over this forum, you should at least have a decently running vehicle. If there are low compression signs and damaged valve indicators, start driving gently while you build yourself a sexy sti engine and tranny. Once you have the power pack built, go crazy! Have all the fun you've ever wanted to have for fear of damaging the motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redryan98 Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 generally speaking, manual transmissions are more reliable. That said, I haven't head of many issues with the subaru autos and they'll be easier to find. an auto trans may fail but a manual trans will need, at some point a clutch so your looking at a potential expense either way. Get whichever you think you'll like more. Manuals are usually a love/hate relationship so I'm surprised your in between. Go with your gut. If you have your heart set on a manual, wait to find the right one. You'll have to live with it for months/years so do what you think will be better for you. I see far too many "wish I bought a manual" threads, and no "wish I bought an automatic" threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AF_3C2 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 There are some threads on here concerning some modifications needed on an automatic when running higher engine HP levels. As for the manual, push at your own risk. Stock clutch may stand up to a Stg 2 setup, but you will have to go to Stg 3 with an upgraded turbo to get 350 WHP- at that point your stock clutch is not going to hold up and you are more than likely going to put your engine internals into an early grave. Go with what Gendel recommended and pick up an STi drivetrain from a wrecked car and start building it out if 350 HP and track days are in your future. The STi manual is much stronger than the typical Subaru 5 speed, but there are options for strengthening a 5 speed. Remember that most people don't track their LGT/OBXT- they weigh a lot more than your typical WRX and don't have nearly the aftermarket support for performance products. That being said, I believe the LGT would be easier to mod than an OBXT, despite the similarities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fergie Posted January 30, 2014 Author Share Posted January 30, 2014 Awesome!! Thanks a lot for the info guys. I kinda figured that most would gravitate towards the manual. And rightfully so! 350whp may be a little lofty for my ambitions but I like to know there are options if I get to the point where I would reach that power level. Hopefully it doesn't take long to find a decent one. But I am willing to wait as long my current dd is still going. I have found a couple OBXT's around me (4.5 hrs away) but they have about 130k on one and 150k on another both being around $11k for manual. Is that an amount of mile that I should be concerned with? They look(in pics anyways) like they have been taken good care of. I would imagine service would have been done regularly if they made it that far. And just as a side note, what does an used STI engine go for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AF_3C2 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 $11k sounds a little high, but may be normal for your location. They could be asking that high and expect a lower offer. Did you check NADA or KBB for average prices for your area and mileage? Used STi motors vary in price depending on mileage, use, and whatever someone is willing to pay. If you want to do it right, go talk with a local builder/tuner. If you want the cheap now/expensive later route, you can pick up a used motor, or better yet a wrecked car (depending on how it was wrecked) from an insurance auction and do a full swap. The short block itself is releatively cheap- you can get new/remanufactured ones from your local dealer or forum vendors for about $2k. To get 350 WHP, you looking for 400-420 crank HP, which can be done on the stock pistons, but not recommended. If you go the newer shortblock, get better pistons. Sourcing a good set of heads might be hard and expensive though, not to mention the ECU changes needed to run them. This is where picking up a wrecked auto auction STi is going to make up for all the issues of having to peice-meal a setup- you can pull it all from the donor car, including the beefier transmission. Search around for insurance auctions- there are a few national sites that will do the bidding for you without requiring you to have a dealer license, but be sure you understand all the fees and requirements to do so. Sometimes a local shop can do it on your behalf if you have them do a swap. If you just want to do the longblock motor now, keep checking the for sale classifieds and over on NASIOC. The current generation USDM STi motor is an EJ257. Also check your local craigslist. You have the option of just picking up empty crackcase in good condition to use for a rebuild, and I have seen those in my local CL ads. EDIT: This seems a pretty decent price for the power levels you are looking for: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2592698 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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