Quote Originally Posted by DigDug View Post
The $20K was based on reading the description at Factory 5 website: $12,990 for the kit, and "everything" else you need from a donor car, prices ranging from $3K to $7K depending on year, condition and mileage = <$20K. Guess I shouldn't believe "everything" I read!

It didn't sound realistic to use an engine with 200K miles and not have some expense to freshen it, but like I said, I'm not familiar with Subaru longevity. So (realistically) what kind of money are people spending outside of the kit cost? Or put another way, what kind of $$ to rebuild/prep the engine/drivetrain?
I'm actually going through the process of rebuilding donor drivetrain parts right now. I had an unknown-condition engine and a higher mileage transmission. It cost be about $1K for engine rebuild components- complete gasket kit, water pump, oil pump, timing kit, bearings, piston rings. I'll be spending another $600-$700 on cleaning up the engine parts and machining my 2.0L heads to match my 2.5L block. For my transmission, I bought a $260 OBX diff that was used but in very good shape. Then there's probably another $100 in replaced bolts, sealant, and shop supplies.

So, long story short, you're looking at about $2K or a little more to refurbish a high-mileage or unknown condition donor engine and transmission to top-running shape.