If you are serious about the engine swap, then a L is a great plan. Get the oldest cheapest, and best condition one you find. Then do your swap and get whatever body parts you like. It will be cheaper in the end almost for sure. Especially if you want a intense swap, like STi motor, tranny, brakes and everything.

If you want to stick with N/A then you are better waiting and getting an RS. Unless you want to change all the body parts anyway, but it doesn't sound like you do. RS has a bigger motor, ABS, and a few other goodies you can't get in an L, or at least aren't standard. I would get an 00-01 cause they have the best front bumper IMO, and they have a MAP sensor which is easier to deal with, and best of all a rear LSD.

So I hope that helps. Cause that is what I would do.

 

Wait till you can find an 01 RS........that way,if you want to drop in a EJ20 you can use the same tranny, everything.......just got to change the ECU and engine(and some very minor things)..... Fast very fast

 

all of the impreza from 93-01 share the same chassis so almost all of teh parts are transferable form car to car. as my friend put it they are lego cars. you can put any EJ series eninge into an impreza using the stock mounting points, and i believe all of the trannies are switchable. so if you wanted you could switch from a 05 wrx tranny to a 94 legacy FWD tranny with no probs. all of the body panels shoudl be swappable. since they are the same sizes. the bolt patterns might change alittle but that isnt a big problem. it is fairly easy to make a 93 L look like an RS you just need the hood, headlights (rare) and front bumper. maybe a V6 spoiler for effect and you basically have a RS except w/ a different engine. however most of the imprezas have the 2.2l engine which is invincible. the phase 1 2.2l should have forged crank shaft and piston rods from the factory. granted you wont have the extra displacement, but if you want to swap any way it really doesnt matter.

i already kind of covered this but the engines you can use are almost endless, becuase with some modding you could even use the EA engines form GL or loyales (dotn know why you would want to when you could run a ej20 or JDM or USM STi set up, or better yet the 2.2l Turbo motor from legacy turbos.)

if you want to do a swap i say get an L becuase it will no doubt be cheaper leaving you more money for your swap.