Classic car needs a full rebuild cost about 2K but I can have a new US spec 2.5L bottom end put onto my headers for a bit more.

What do you reckon, and would I be able to get away with insuring it as a 2L or are there any companys that will insure a 2.5L conversion.

I need this to be a daily driver but this would apparently give me more power.

Or rebuild as cheap as poss and part ex for a evo 260

Help

 

Go for the 2.5litre


Andy

 

check with insurance first

 

For the cost, I'd go for the 2.5.

 

stick with a 2.0 unless you have insurance clearance and enough spare cash to get the engine remapped. Do not try and con the insurance company, they are not stupid.

 

Any ideas on who would insure me on the 2.5 conv?

I am 28 and currently with Liverpool Victoria.

 

LV wont i believe.

 

You wont get the best out of the 2.5 untill you change turbo and go ta fully mappable system

 

If you choose to change to 2.5 - performance awsome
BUT - you will need other bits and pieces changing to get the best out of it. It can get very expensive!! (turbo/ intercooler/ injectors/ fuel pump/ ECU +remap....clutch+gearbox!)
Also - something that lots of people have never mensioned on here despite lots of talk about the 2.5 conversion - insurance is a complete nightmare.
Most companys just won't insure it. Of the few who will, increase in displacement = hugh hike in premium!!!
You could not declare it, but in the event of total loss - the insurers inspector may well find out - in which case - no pay out. OUCH !!! Also bear in mind that unless you declare it, then if the engine/car is damaged - insurance cover will be for basic car, and won't include the cost of your shiny new engine mods!
(Speaking from experience - have over 9 years no claims, and after phoning every company in the yellow pages [yes, every one!], only 3 would quote, and even one of those said ~£4000 )
In short - no other commitments - go for the 2.5!

Dxx

 

why do you need to go 2.5 with forced induction anyway ?

 

How the hell would the insurance inspector work out if that a scoob has had a 2.5 conversion? He/she will look for the obvious things such as alloys and cosmetic mods that were not declared.

 

Unfortunately - insurance assessors do this kind of thing all day every day. Like i said, some may not realise, and so no problem, but then again, if you get a clued up one, they will be able to look at the block, and tell what it is. Just as a bit of an example - some of the "experts" on here could look at a block and tell you weather it's closed or open deck just by the surface of the metal (something clever about one of them being smooth, and one of them being groved underneath- all beyond me )
Dxx

 

well, in the case of a minor accident they probably won't be that thorough....but, if you wipe out a bus queue, resulting in millions of pounds of compensation claims they will take the whole car apart if necessary and check every part against the blue print. then if they find the 2.5 bottom end they will invaidate the insurance and you'll be responsible for the millions of pounds worth of claims.

 

Slightly related: What do people with V8 (etc) kit cars do for insurance?

Surely, if you modify the impreza enough, you could get insurance with one of those kit-car specialists?

 

Sure could. I had a Nova a while back. Pretty much everything was modded - 2.0 16V engine (modded), Cosworth brakes, Avo Coil-overs, seam welded shell, Rally-X wide arch bodykit, bucket seats, harnesses, roll cage etc, etc. Nobody would insure that car as they said it had too many mods as pretty much only the roof and boot hatch was the only thing not modded. In the end I got agreed value cover with a kit car insurance company which cost me £460 a year fully comp.

 

The engine block has the size cast into it, it takes about 2 seconds to see if you have a 2.5 or 2.0 engine.

 

or just get motro traders insurance and drive what the hell you want like me!

 

Friend of mine went this route without reading the small print, tried to claim and was asked to provide evidence of X amount of car sales. He'd sold none, his insurance was void.

 

About kit car insurance - tried few of them as well for quotes. Some did indeed quote - but for my car - quite expensive.!!
Dxx

 

Looks like the chavs really have arrived on the scooby scene then! Lying to get insurance is stupid - just wait till you need it!

If you cant afford it dont buy it - its that simple

 

WRX, check out the Insurace section and make sure you can get cover. Insurance companies don't like capacity increases. But I got mine covered by A-Plan and they were enthusiastic and helpful. I simply described my mods as "2.5l standard US short-motor, with induction and exhaust modifications." That is 100% honest and they were happy. If you list all your mods and every nut and bold, as I did with another insurer in the interests of openness and honesty, the list got very long and frightened them to death. But don't even think about not declaring it - utter madness.

But as others have said, to get the best out of a 2.5 you'll need an uprated turbo (mine's a TD05), fuel pump and remap, possibly injectors depending on the year of your car and the power you want. Mine has 440s which should be good for 350bhp, but the limiting factor is the gearbox which can only take a max of 300-350lbs/ft, depending on who you ask.

If you want a really lazy but powerful car, the 2.5 will give it to you but you'll need other upgrades to make the most of it, which means around £4k. Call David at API Engines.

Alternatively, why not fit a good used 2.0l block? Mine's sitting on the garage floor and there are quite a few others lying about and can be had for a few hundred quid. Job done.

Cheers,

Richard.

PS Edited to add, don't forget to change the log book to 2.5l - it saves the insurance inpsector getting his hands dirty

 

Hi Richard

How much is your insurance for your 2.5?

Andy

 

Andy, my premium is just under £900 fully comp with all the trimmings, but comparing quotes is almost impossible. For example, I'm old, full no-claims, clean license, car garaged, CAT 1, good postcode etc.

A couple of other things I forgot to mention. A-Plan weren't too bothered by what I had done to the car, they just wanted assurance that the power increase would not exceed x% above stock, and a receipt from API Engines to prove that the work was done to a high professional standard.

Richard.

PS Edited to add, call Darren on 01635 874 646 and he'll knock £30 off if you mention my name

 

If I may add some points on the conversion: Obviously, the 2.5 will not only have more torque and power all through the rev range, but it will also be a lot more responsive because off-boost it produces a higher volume of exhaust gasses. Being bigger, however, the rev-limiter should be a good 1000 rpm lower than the 2litre one you are used to.
I also doubt it's "a little more than 2k" to swap to 2,5 litres. It probably is something liek that to just get the block, but I would tend to think that you'd be needing a new turbo, new piping, new ECU and a whole load of things with that. Not to mention the obvious new clutch, if indeed you get a power hike. 4k sounds a lot more close to home for the total cost of the deal, but as Hoppy correctly pointed out, it's only just the begining. There really is no way to get a lot more power cheaply. It simply is impossible, 2.5-litre or not. Personnaly I'd seccond Hoppy's oppinion and get a well-sorted and good condition 2-litre lump, and spend some cash on that. I honestly doubt you will ever feel the 2litre turbo slow (unless your turbo is too big, a comon error in judgement), especially with the boring roads in the UK.
-Antonis

 

i am pondering the 2.5 question myself

my engine hasnt blew up or anything but it is noisy in the cold mornings, i figured it would be FAR better to plan ahead and have the engine swapped before it blows to smithereens sumtime in the futre and have to fork out for a lot more extra cash

insurance is the only thing putting me off to be honest, hard enough getting cover for jdm cars as it is IMO

serously tempted by the traders policy thing, after all, i am actually in the trade with me owning my own valeting company, im coverd for any car while on the site premisis so i can probably enquire about upgrading that to on the public road, cant actualy see it costing more then my current premium imo

 

Insurance would put me off too, and imagine trying to sell the car to Joe bloggs and explain its got a 2.5 lump in there.

A well built 2 litre can be very capable and reliable IMO.

See the RCM built STi9 in Jp car a few months back? Well over 400 bhp IIRC.

MB

 

true but you would always be thinking
"if i want more in the futre will i be better of with the 2.5"

plus if i tell my mate with his evo 8 that im getting a 2.5 engine he will cry

 

Yes, we shouldn't let these side issues get in the way of more gee gee's

I have since slapped myself

As the STi5 is know for blowing up I have given this some though and although tempted, would just go back to the STi5 lump.

MB

 

Engineer@uni, 2.5 blocks cost around £1.5K (or a little bit cheaper on a group buy!)