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Looking Into Second Gen Wagons


jlh92

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I'll be looking to buy one as a winter beater/ project car in the spring or early summer and was wondering if there's anything I should watch out for.

 

What should I expect to pay for one? I'd like to stay under $1800, less if I need to fix things right away.

 

I've heard that 1995 was the best year for the 2.2l? Is this true? Is '95 the last year of the non-interference engine?

 

How does the 2.2 differ from the 2.5 in looks? I want to make sure I don't get a car someone swapped a 2.5 into. Is there a foolproof way to tell the engine is stock to the car?

 

What different trim packages where available?

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Where are you located? I will be selling my 97 Legacy GT wagon 5 speed soon. Headgaskets, timing belt, water pump, all gaskets on engine replaced, new clutch and the list goes on. I am in Wenatchee, WA 98801

 

 

joe r

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I have owned a 1996 Legacy L wagon since it had 130,000 KM. It now sit at almost 360,000 KM and I recently took it on a 2000km roadtrip and had no doubt that it would make it.

 

Things I have replaced in the last 230,000kms:

 

Clutch (I did this on the side of the road in the middle of a roadtrip haha)

Fuel Pump

Alternator

Struts

Camshaft Position Sensor

Oil Pressure Switch

Knock Sensor

Timing Belt/Water Pump twice

Cam/Crank Seals

Valve Cover Seals

As well as normal consumables like brake pads, oil etc.

 

The best story I have from this car is from when I was driving to Oregon last year and the front crank seal (at the oil pump) popped free and was resting against the back face of the timing belt drive pulley. It was loosing a quart of oil every 150kms but at least it was consistant. We carried on with our roadtrip, flushing a total of 3 gallons of oil through the engine and making a hell of a mess of the bottom of my car and any car that followed too close hahaha

 

I have done every bit of work on this car myself and it has taught me a lot about working on Subies. I picked mine up for $4800 CAD in 2007, it doesn't owe me anything and just keeps on ticking (literally... it ticks when the oil is low haha)

 

I enjoyed this car so much that I now also own a 2005 Legacy GT and a 2000 Impreza that I'm building into a stage rally car. We still drive the old 96 Legacy a lot though, still putting around 2000km a month on it.

 

Here is an interesting thread... after reading it I'm not sure that my car has the non-interference engine, though I was pretty sure it did. My 1996 (Date of Manufacture: Sept '95) has the single exhaust port heads.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/22258-which-cars-came-with-the-good-ej22-motor/

 

As far as idetifiying a EJ22 vs EJ25, it is stamped on top of the block, right around the alternator. I would go take some photos for you, but work currently has me 10,644 km away from home! lol

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My first two Subarus were first gen Legacy's; a 91 L FWD sedan, and almost immediately a 91 Sport Sedan (AWD Turbo). The first gen's are SOLID cars made to last. And when I say "solid" I don't just mean built well, I mean rigid and heavy duty. You can just feel it in the doors when you open and close them. I'd personally get another one any day of the week if I saw a nice one for sale. But I know you want a 2nd gen.

 

The EJ22 is bulletproof. Many people have put 300,000+ on them. I wish they still used them. The EJ22E is a little under powered, while the EJ22T, with only 30hp over it's NA brother, has a nice punch to it thanks to the forced induction. You can add an intercooler, intake, full exhaust, and push around 200-220bph.

 

However, the N/A EJ22E at 135bhp has a closed deck block, and forged rods. It's design is unique to the USA, and theoretically can handle high levels of boost up to 300hp with stock internals.

 

Two things that I can think of off the top of my head that's visually different between the EJ22 and the EJ25 are that, first off, the EJ22 is SOHC and the first gen 2.5L (EJ25D) is DOHC, which would be the most likely swapped in 2.5L. Secondly, the EJ25 has a plastic box attached to the throttle body that acts as an intake plenum, where the intake tube just goes directly to TB on the EJ22.

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:confused:

 

Not sure what it is your confused about, so I'll expand on the whole sentence you quoted:

 

When I was more involved with LegacyCentral.org, I ran into more than one person that was pushing +/- 250hp from a boosted EJ22E with stock internals.

 

It's been so long since I've owned a first gen, however, I couldn't give you the details.

 

The EJ22E is a motor that was specifically designed for the US market.

 

 

In fact, all this talk about early model Legacy's has got me looking online for another first gen and putting my GC8 coupe aspirations aside for the time being.

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Where are you located? I will be selling my 97 Legacy GT wagon 5 speed soon. Headgaskets, timing belt, water pump, all gaskets on engine replaced, new clutch and the list goes on. I am in Wenatchee, WA 98801

 

 

joe r

 

Central Missouri currently. Will be moving to the Madison, Wi area soonish. Not looking to buy at the moment, but thank you for the offer

 

 

Here is an interesting thread...

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/22258-which-cars-came-with-the-good-ej22-motor/

 

As far as idetifiying a EJ22 vs EJ25...

 

Thanks!

 

My first two Subarus... were first gen Legacy's; a 91 L FWD sedan, and almost immediately a 91 Sport Sedan (AWD Turbo). The first gen's are SOLID cars made to last. And when I say "solid" I don't just mean built well, I mean rigid and heavy duty. You can just feel it in the doors when you open and close them. I'd personally get another one any day of the week if I saw a nice one for sale. But I know you want a 2nd gen.

 

I like the first gens, but the girlfriend doesn't like the look and there would be little to no local parts source.

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I like the first gens, but the girlfriend doesn't like the look and there would be little to no local parts source.

 

If I didn't buy a car based on what my wife thought, I'd NEVER had a car that I liked lol.

 

I do, however, understand parts becoming ever more scarce for the first gen. That's why I love the forums. But the 2nd gen GT's can look pretty sexy.

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Ideally, I'd want an EJ22E in a 97 GT; ALL the muscle and reliability!

 

EJ22E is/was an open-deck block. It cannot, under any circumstances, handle boost. Ask Douglas Vincent -- he spent thousands putting a S/C on his.

 

The 22T is closed deck, but does not have forged internals, they're just better made (read: less cheaply) than their newer turbo counterparts. EJ20G/K, which was only JDM/EDM/Aus, had forged internals and was also closed-deck.

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If I didn't buy a car based on what my wife thought, I'd NEVER had a car that I liked lol.

 

I do, however, understand parts becoming ever more scarce for the first gen. That's why I love the forums. But the 2nd gen GT's can look pretty sexy.

 

I'm not completely knocking 1st gens out of the picture. If I find a good wagon for a good price locally I may not be able to resist.

 

Ideally, I'd want an EJ22E in a 97 GT; ALL the muscle and reliability!

 

Honestly I'd love to have a '98 Foz with the EJ22E in it. Not sure if that's okay so say around here lol.

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Sorry, I was watching Arrow while typing all that earlier and wasn't paying attention as I should have.

 

I meant to say that the EJ22T has a closed deck. However, I was always under the impression, and it was discussed on that forum, that the EJ22T had a forged crank and rods, but cast pistons. THIS is the motor that can a beating on stock internals.

 

My apologize again for the confusion.

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Sorry, I was watching Arrow while typing all that earlier and wasn't paying attention as I should have.

 

I meant to say that the EJ22T has a closed deck. However, I was always under the impression, and it was discussed on that forum, that the EJ22T had a forged crank and rods, but cast pistons. THIS is the motor that can a beating on stock internals.

 

My apologize again for the confusion.

 

I love Arrow! In fact, I do the NeilaRey Arrow workout while watching Arrow! I have a friend who got me into it, mostly because him and his sister think I look like Stephen Amell. (Kinda, but not really. He's Flip, so, I guess we all look alike to him?)

 

Yes, the 22t is quite a hardy motor, but only slightly more stout than the current STis; no engine is immune to knock and/or overrev, even with forged rods.

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