interested buyer with lots of questions

First, let me say that I've done a great deal of research already and have exercised the Search button extensively. That said, I still have a few lingering questions.

The background. I've known about SVXs for a long time and have always been intrigued. For one reason or another, I never really latched onto the idea of owning one until recently. I test drove one almost five years ago. It was a horrible example, but I could see the appeal. I've been a car junkie since early adolescence, and I'm still learning more every day. In the last year or two, this junkiehood has mostly come down an overdeveloped interest in metallurgy and mechanical/electrical/chemical engineering, so don't be afraid of going into detail. I've historically been a Volkswagen man, but lately it's just not doing it for me. They were great cars for me at the time, but I'm starting to get angry at the details.

So, speaking of being angry at the details, my first question concerns the transmission. In my search for an appropriate SVX, I'm starting on the assumption that the transmission will fall apart and explode, Blues Brothers style, in my driveway as soon as I get it home. Right now, my current plan is to swap in the WRX 5sp. I've chosen this because it looks like the most straightforward solution. But I'm interested in hearing other possibilities as well. I'm curious about the manumatic 5EAT in the new LGTs. I'm not anti-automatic in a car this heavy. It's my understanding that this (and maybe all) 5EAT is slightly longer than the stocker. So is the only option a custom prop-shaft (the Audi term...same for Subarus?) or would the LGT prop-shaft make it all work out? In other words, is the distance from the back of the engine to the front of the rear diff the same in both cars? What about the spline patterns for the prop-shafts? Which then brings me to the rear diff. Assuming I get that far, are the entire rear ends interchangable or would I have to dig around inside them to change out the finals, and how difficult is that? Would I need anything downright silly in the wiring department? Is there some other painfully obvious setup that I'm missing?

Now, the suspension stuff. I have yet to find a source for even the stock rubber bushings, let alone something in polyurethane. Am I going to be making my own bushings on this one? Are there any swaybar options? Anyone have any experience with that $2900 coilover setup? Is it worth it over just the springs and Konis? Anyone know the stock spring rates? How about the offset and/or weight on the stock wheels? What offset should I use for a 245/40-17 on a 17x8 wheel? Is there lots of room or is it absolutely out of the question?

Now, the other direction... <puts on appropriate suit> I might be interested in trying to clear some 265/70-17s, which should be a good 7" or so taller than stock. Any chance that would work with stock hardware? Does anyone make a lift-kit, or would one for some other Subaru work? Are the springs physically interchangable with any other Subarus?

Okay, back to real life. How reliable is the engine itself? Assuming it's well-maintained, does it have any outstanding flaws that I should address as soon as possible? How much effort am I looking at to get to around 280bhp without forced induction? Assuming I start out with a big inhalation of nitrous oxide, how long will I have to hold the saran wrap tightly in front of my face before the EZ30 heads start appearing to fit perfectly? Is that Flatt Racing exhaust worth the price, or should I lean more towards fabbing up my own system? Should I decide to disregard the EG33 completely, do the EJ2x engines drop in without drama (physically, not electrically)?

And finally, the miscellaneous. What's the output on the stock alternator? Are the main gauges front- or back-lit? Sorry, that green has to go. If I pick up one with a 4EAT in miraculously good shape, how effective are things like external filters, auxiliary cooler, and that Smallcar shift kit at prolonging the lifespan of it? Are there any common electrical gremlins, particularly concerning the climate control? Did Subaru improve/change anything other than the transmission, OBD, or wheel bearings somewhere in the middle of its lifespan? Are there any really effective ways to put this monstrosity on a diet, or should I just be happy it's not a 3,000,000GT? I've heard of a passive rear steering system...is there a way to delete that? Is Depeche Mode's Ultra the best album to listen to in an SVX or is there something better? Am I completely out of my freakin mind with all of this?

Okay, I'm done now. Sorry for the length, but thanks for helping me complete my research.

[AFBeefcake]

I EG33 is a very reliable motor. I've only heard of like a hand full of them ever blowing up. Two were from NO2 like 135 shot.

For exhaust most people go with stebro or a custome system. It would be cheeper then the Flatt Racing exhaust.

The stock alternator is about 95 amp. I run a bosh 110 amp in my car, but I still need more power.

For suspention you can go with ground control coil overs and konis. It will run you about $1500 for the parts and you will be able to lower the car like 3 inches or rase it about a inche. One member does make a rear sway bar for the SVX.

I think some people on here are runing 18 X 8 rims without rubing, but I'll let them chime in on tire size.

[AFBeefcake]

Which bushings would you want to replace. Right now there is a group buy going on for front and rear polyurethane sway bar bushings as well as a polyurethane rear diff mount.
For other bushing you can always get new stock ones. www.subaruparts.com

If you do any type of trany swap, other then a US WRX 5 speed you will have to switch the gears in the rear diff. Doing this will allow you to keep the stock LSD.

Weak parts on a SVX are the transmission, rear wheel bearings, and brakes.

The brake problems can mostly be fixed with some good after market rotors, pads, and SS lines.

I don't know if 280 HP NA is reachable with out spending loads of cash. or ruining NO2

But heres what I stared to do to my cars motor

Stebro Cat back
MSD stacker ignition
Light weight pulley
ground wire upgrade
ECUTUNE stage 1V4
PWR aluminum radiator
Motorsport Warehouse Silicon Radiator Hoses
Accel air filter
removed the intake silencer
Smallcar stage 1 shift kit.

I hope to add in the further

ECUTUNE stage 2V5 with Z32 MAF
Delta Cams
Outlay engineering intake manifold spacers

[dwd1985]

Originally Posted by bahnburnr

So, speaking of being angry at the details, my first question concerns the transmission. In my search for an appropriate SVX, I'm starting on the assumption that the transmission will fall apart and explode, Blues Brothers style, in my driveway as soon as I get it home. Right now, my current plan is to swap in the WRX 5sp. I've chosen this because it looks like the most straightforward solution. But I'm interested in hearing other possibilities as well.
How reliable is the engine itself? Assuming it's well-maintained, does it have any outstanding flaws that I should address as soon as possible? How much effort am I looking at to get to around 280bhp without forced induction? Assuming I start out with a big inhalation of nitrous oxide, how long will I have to hold the saran wrap tightly in front of my face before the EZ30 heads start appearing to fit perfectly? Is that Flatt Racing exhaust worth the price, or should I lean more towards fabbing up my own system? Should I decide to disregard the EG33 completely, do the EJ2x engines drop in without drama (physically, not electrically)?

If I pick up one with a 4EAT in miraculously good shape, how effective are things like external filters, auxiliary cooler, and that Smallcar shift kit at prolonging the lifespan of it?

In terms of changing the transmission, look into a 4.11 or 4.44 outback transmission. Lots of memebers on this site have done them, and love them. They are much more reliable and very strong. If you manage to get one with a stock 4EAT, a permacool filter, auxiliary transmission cooler, and the smallcar shift kit will greatly extend the life of it, however, If I had a choice, I still wouldnt take a stock 4EAT over a 5 speed or a 4.44/4.11.
In terms of the EG33, it is the heart of the SVX, and thinking about changing the engine out with somethign else is considered blasphemy! The EG33 is a very reliable engine, and most people dont seem to start haivng problems until around 200,000 miles or more. But I beleive some member on this site has a "92 with 300,000 miles, on the original engine and transmission. So it all depends on how well you maintain, and how much you abuse it.

[Earthworm]

Wow, that IS a lot of questions!

Welcome to the site and enjoy your stay.

I'm the one organizing the urethane bushing group buy (as per my signature).

Now for some random answers:

Seraph can help you with dash lighting.
No one's put in a 5EAT due to the wiring nightmare.
I don't believe the $2900 suspension is worth the money. The Koni's and Ground Controls are only around $1100.
245/40-17's are a good size, 265/70-17's will never fit without serious body modifications.
No one has swapped a non-SVX engine into the SVX...yet.
Most people opt to design their own exhaust system, get a system from Motorsport Warehouse or go with the Stebro.
Alternator output = 95amps.
The main thing to remember with the climate control is that it's not designed to flow heat through the vents (so don't bother trying).

[AvPPoW]

PM'd you cancer

AFBeefcake:

How hard to hook up the Bosch alternator? I can get those in about 170A.

Bushings...all of them. I saw the swaybar mount bushings, but that's it. No endlinks, no control arms, no trailing arms, no subframes, no differentials. 3600 pounds is a lot to drive around...I'm really wanting things to happen right away. Like I said though, I'll buy new OEM bushings and make poly replicas if I have to...could probably even sell complete sets and make a few bucks. I'd just rather avoid the hassle and initial expense if it was an option.

dwd1985:

I'm not against using some alternative 4EAT, but I am concerned about the rear end. Are the corresponding rear diff units interchangable or is there a difference in form factor that will necessitate digging around inside the diffs? If I can swap out the whole mess, I might go that route, but if I have to dig inside, I'll probably just go with the WRX 5sp to save myself the headache.

I know F4s are probably blasphemous around here...like 1.8Ts in urQs (gross!), but we all have to do what we have to do. Audi made a bunch of I5s to choose from for an urQ swap, but Subaru has only made three F6s that I know of, and the ER27 and EZ30 blocks are both out of the question. I really like the F6, but if and when it craps out, I'm not convinced I'll want to replace it with another. F4s are plentiful and well-supported. Then again, if the F4 was an easy swap, I'm sure at least one person would have done it by now. Maybe I'll have to look into a 996 GT3 swap or something <drool>.

Earthworm:

Thanks...I generally don't do forums, but the signal:noise seems pretty high around here.

Thanks for the lead on the GCs...I'll look into that. 3" down and 1" up sounds like it would cover my needs very nicely.

Haha...in an Audi, you won't get heat out of the center vent. Audi felt that it would make the driver sleepy. I'm used to that sort of thing.

AvPPow: PM'd you right back.


Thanks for all the answers everyone...keep em coming.

[ensteele]

Welcome to the site. I think you will find that this place is a little different than most forums. Welcome aboard.

Okay, I did a quick check on GCs site for the sleeves, but they don't list SVXs. Are they for some other model that fits our cars too or what? In other news, what's a Subaru Legend? ...not familiar with that one.

[AFBeefcake]

The Bosch alternator I got was a direct fit.

[Earthworm]

Originally Posted by bahnburnr

Okay, I did a quick check on GCs site for the sleeves, but they don't list SVXs. Are they for some other model that fits our cars too or what? In other news, what's a Subaru Legend? ...not familiar with that one.

When I ordered mine I got them through Subaru of Gwinnett. I don't know where everyone else got theirs though.

[TomsSVX]

Call the Phone # on the Ground Control home page. They will assist you in the order and help youy select what spring rate will work best for you. Also, if you are interested in swapping over to a manual trans or a differently geared auto, I can always be of assistance

Tom

AFBeefCake: Sweet! What car did yours come from? And if you're interested in bumping the output, have a look at www.ultranator.com .

Did a little more reading, and it seems like people are cutting up their struts quite handily. I'm going with the $2900 setup. Why? It's not that I don't trust my own hackjobs...it's that I trust them less than I trust other peoples' ideal solutions. Looks like they use standardized springs, so if I want to adjust the rates later, after I study the geometry and corner weights and actually drive one around for a while, I can do that. I can't believe nobody else makes a non-hacking solution.

Tom...I've also discussed this with John. Seems you two don't live far apart. I've already talked him into letting me help him...join the party if it's okay with him.

New topic... I've been thinking about section widths and scrub radii and offsets and, well...any chance someone makes some wider fenders? Looks like this is one of those rare cars that uses seperate sheet metal for the fenders and roof. Am I putting that on the list of things I'm making in my basement, right under the bushings and swaybars?

[TomsSVX]

The koni GC is an awsome suspension setup. The best available. If you don't like the idea of fabrication, then you are looking into the wrong vehicle to modify.

Tom

[AvPPoW]

I can't speak for the other suspension setup, but the Koni/GC's are verrrry nice. I was really impressed with them when I drove Tom's 5mt.

I wonder if anyone on this board even has the other setup. I haven't heard much it other than poking around Dayle's site. I'd like to hear from a member who actually has/had them on their car