Advantages of an RS turbo?

[-Go_Hawks!-]

Please bare with me, and I am a noob and not exactly automotively gifted.

So I am thinking of getting a 98-2000 RS Coupe and putting a turbo on it (stage 1 w/intercooler or stage 2, I don't really know), one that will run about 7 psi. (Well it won't be for about 2 years when I graduate college and get a real job, but that is beyond the scope of this question.) So I am looking at about $8,000 for the RS and then about lets say $3500 for the turbo and $500 for needed parts or whatever...extremely rough guesses which will do for this purpose. My roommate suggest that instead of spending $12,000 on turboing a RS, I should consider spending $5,000 on a '95 AWD Turbo Talon. His argument is that it will be have the AWD, have comparable speed and much cheaper.

I was just wondering what you guys thought? I expect to receive a little Subaru biases, but I don't care.

[Jay!]

If you're planning on a mix-n-match project anyway, start looking into an older Impreza L (because they're cheap) with a USDM or JDM EJ20 swap (because factory turbo motor will be more reliable in the long run.)

I have an RS, and I'm wary of ever turbocharging this motor without going all-out and completely rebuilding it, because every case I read ends up dying in about a year.

[LjasonL]

Advantages:
More displacement means you can make more power with less boost
better powerband
better throttle response
less lag
more ultimate potential
gobs of torque

Disadvantages:
shorter life span than using a factory turbo engine
gobs of torque (tear up the transmission if you're not careful)

If you build it right, it should last just as long as a factory turbo ej20. That means, at the least, new pistons though, which will be $400-$500. A stock internal engine should last a good long time on only 7 psi if it's tuned well and you treat it right. Another thing you might consider is a USDM STi shortblock, you can get one for around $1,400 and it will be a 2.5 and already "built" for the power. That includes the cranks, pistons, rods, and everything else below the heads. The just bolt up the heads from whatever model you get (doesn't even have to be an RS). I've been thinking lately and I think that's what I'm gonna do with mine.

As far as a Talon goes, I think if you want the Impreza, you should get it. Drive the car you want, and you'll be happier with it in the end than if you get the car you "settled" for.

[SeeSubyRun]

about how long would you expect a turbo'd RS can contain itself with stock everything without blowing up... and whats the best possible route to be able to prolong this inevitable death. (i.e. pistons and such) also about what boost should be run. i too am working on this project as well and dont want to blow up my engine just short of putting the turbo on.

[dropmech]

A friend of mine is running only 3psi on his RS and keeping up with non-modded WRX's. He isn't running any more boost because he didn't change any of the internals. Seems that 3psi is a safe boost until you were able to rebuild the engine with stronger compnents.