Quote Originally Posted by richardchan2002 View Post
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The engine in my Subaru (completely stock unmodified) was replaced at less than 20,000km (fortunately under warranty) so I’m not a big believer that low mileage means much. I would take a higher mileage motor that is driven regularly over a lower mileage motor that is not.

I’d go with a short block because it usually comes with enough warranty so that you can easily sell the car. Plus you don’t have to worry about any other damage that you might have missed when you repair the issue (it’s not always guaranteed that you know what the issue is the first time around).

At the end of the day it’s all a gamble. It’s not always a guarantee that a short block replacement will go smoothly either.

It’s been a long time since I’ve needed to look for a short block but jdmsource came through for me many times (sometimes finding local engines too). I have also used car-part.com a few times with good results - it gets you access to parts all over North America.
What kind of Subaru was it? What failed?