Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS

I owned a black '99 and a white '00, my first 2 Subarus -- loved both of 'em!

In reply to fornetti14:

I've always wanted one of these for an RSti swap.

I remember sitting in an RS at a car show years ago. I had been a rally fan forever, and even seen the car in action on some of the Caribbean islands, and wanted it to come to the US. When the first RS appeared, I was disappointed that we didn't get the awesome turbo version. Then I sat in one at the car show and fell in love. My wife had to physically remove me from the car.

It was worse a few years later when the first WRX arrived. It took three people to get me out of the car. I still have not owned one, but I have another 56 years, 9 months and 4 days to live, so there is time.

I've owned a bunch of subies including the turbo models. The 99-01 RS is still my favorite, despite not being as powerful as other models. It just feels right. I miss my 2000 rs sedan. If I could find another rust free one, I'd buy it in a heart beat.

sachilles wrote: The 99-01 RS is still my favorite, despite not being as powerful as other models.

+1. The wife and I still miss having an early single cam Forester around for the same reason, there's just so much GC DNA there. Greater cars than the sum of their parts.

A friend of mine had one and he got hit from behind in it.

Bought it back from the insurance company, swapped a Ver 7 turbo drivetrain into it, a cage and just won the Ontario Performance Rally Championship in only his second year driving.

Awesome cars.

I had an Blue '01 RS sedan. Awesome car. Sold it for racing $$. It's the only non-racecar I regret selling.

I also picked up a set of 2003 WRX front seats!

I think my ideal would be to take a 00 or 01 sedan, but would be happy with a coupe, and just swap in the 2.0 turbo from an early wrx complete with the wrx dash and keep the 4.111 gear box as a non race daily driver. I have the 2.0 4.111 combo in my race car and really enjoy it in GD body, I know I'd love it in the gc.

I could run my 02 WRX in the Challenge. I paid the PO $750 for it.

Nice car.. Love the pics. 2nd one down is now my wallpaper.

BBC

OK, I'm going to circle back and detail the motor that I'm currently building for it.

Prepped bare EJ25 as it came back from my local machine shop:

I have a good used rotating assembly (crank/bearings/rods) from a previous project:

Yes, I'm working on this motor in my laundry room downstairs in my house:

Wife doesn't spend much time in there so it's all good.

Head rebuilds usually cost me about $150-$175 and that includes a pressure test, valve job (& new valve seal installation) and resurface.
They come back looking new:

I like the single cam phase II motors due to their easy valve lash adjustment:
Its a simple jam nut design. The earlier dual cam motors have puck type shims and I can't stand them.

If the bore's look and mic out OK then I just have the machine shop clean and ball hone the bores. That keeps the cost of block prep down to about $50 and that includes cleaning out an oil pan. (I don't like to do the dirty work.)
Subaru blocks split apart and there are 4 areas that need to be sealed up with new o-rings:
3 of them are the same and the 4th is a coolant passage:

Finally getting some snow in SW, Michigan.

Super winter mode:

As a fellow GC6 owner, give them hell champ!

Nice car! good job bringing it back from the dead. looks good with some mud on it.