@Stan Galat posted:"If you wanna' play, you gotta' pay".
I have been talking to my Subie tech more than once over the years for what I would consider a best option should I ever need an engine rebuid.
If I was building again from scratch a subie 6 cyl is expensive to do but great torque for 60 more lbs of weight. In a Ghia no issue, in a 356 more work but doable. A 6cyl can be done but they are not cheap to rebuild either and a subie trans bolts right up without issues. Of course an Atom Link is what would be done for ECU.
I would contemplate a 4 cyl as well in a forged piston NA setup with more goodies to get a 200hp engine but in reality a stock ECU is by far an easier route for the newbie who wants to turn the key and go experience or have 10000 mechanics at his disposal, anywhere.
Since I have been talking to my Subie tech more than once over the years for what I would consider a best fit, they continue to come back to say a 4cyl turbo setup is the best bang for any buck with the possibility of getting the least turbo lag with the right setup.
So you do have to pay to play but then with low mileage that is driven in this car get what you want or what your budget allows. The subie route is by far the most cost effective way without the P tax but then if you drive the car so little then get a P drivetrain your cost will not be out of this world unless you get a mishap.
Just saying.