Quote Originally Posted by lance corsi View Post
I'd skip the powder coated frame, since you'll be modding everything. In fact, I'd ask if FFR would sell me only the tacked-up frame and the body panels. Everything else will change. Do it!
FFR will not sell an unfinished, partially welded frame in any shape or form. I tried my best to get them to just tack on the front end.

While I like the idea of a Honda motor in an 818 (I have S2000 spindles on the front of mine) I don't think the boxer motor should be ruled out. Which begs the question of whether a Porsche motor/tranny would fit?
As mentioned here and repeatedly elsewhere, people tend to overwork and/or overboost a tired, stock Subie motor and have it fail fairly quickly.
Oiling issues during cornering G's is well-known and fixable.
They may be different, but I wouldn't call them quirky. I have built a few now, with forged pistons and sometimes better rods. I just pulled a motor from my STi track car that was built from a new factory STi shortblock with plain CP pistons, ARP studs and an 11mm oil pump with one 1mm shim. That and slightly improved heads for more R's. It had 70+ track hours on it and all that was wrong was I had started to burn two valves due to a lean condition that developed because of the fuel pump getting clogged. This engine produced 395 WHP or about 500 crank HP and 393 FPT on a regular basis and for two track events was boost-creeping to 26 PSI and there were no ill effects. This at 7K RPM! It was a great, screaming workhorse of a motor! I could have slapped on heads and kept going. I think the key to longevity was the KB pan, external oil filter, big Setrab oil cooler, Accusump and nine quarts of (race) oil capacity. That and a good breather/catch-can system that did not allow oil blown out to return to the intake.
I have Subie track buddies with similar successes.
There are some places however, that cannot build a reliable built motor. Be very picky about who you let build a high HP motor and use some common sense about it. My tuner knew how to work magic, as well. He would not wring the last 10 HP out of the motor on pump gas because he knew I would be asking a lot of it on the track; not just as a stoplight/drag burst. BTW, there is tons of good information on NASIOC, IWSTI and a few other Subie forums.