HI everyone, I am josh in AZ, I have been building IH scout's for rockcrawling to street-rods at my buisness respecki customs (shamless plug http://www.respeckicustoms.com). I bought a saab 9-2x with the flat-4 because my 9.5 mpg daily driver was eating me alive. I have alot of friends in the import scene, and I know all about the saab-subaru thing. The saab dealer is interested in me modding my new saab out on their bill, if they can paint it all cool and I attend the dragstrips on a regular basis. Of course I said yes! The sky IS NOT the limit. I can't go wild and crazy, but I want to bring it up to ~300 whp for this season. I know this engine is relatively high in the static CR area, so should I get some pistons made up to bring it down to about 8:1 and boost it to hell? What would you do if you werent paying for it, needed it now, and wanted it to kick ***?

I want to go from 160 brake HP to 300 WHP.

 

A 300whp-anything car is not much kinder to your wallet than a 9.5mpg daily. Especially an AWD Impreza with brick wall aerodynamics.

MPG and hp are mutually exclusive.

Drive car harder --> pump longer --> ownz your wallet harder. Not to mention ya gotta use gourmet gasoline (91 or higher) with a turbo.

You could do a small turbo kit but I don't think anything more than 5psi would be safe on the high CR motor.

If you really want, you should do an engine swap with a WRX or an STi to get the EJ25T.

 

What happens if the pistons are milled down, or I were to have some made up @ a lower static compression than the EJ25T, and run MORE boost?

 

All you will really want to do with that car is a US STi engine swap, with some basic bolt-ons, a larger turbo, and the usual supporting mods. They can get that done for $8-10k and you'll be pushing 350 whp.

 

Sounds like a plan. Now to find an STI owner willing to part with oh..Everything.

 

Repeat these phrases after me:
"Dibs on your motor!"
"Dibs on your drivetrain!"
"Dibs on your wheels and brakes!"