Hi to you people whom Im sure I'll get to know well.  Today my husband, a 98 Forrester s/tb owner  purchased one gorgeous black 2002 manual b4 for me. I especially love this car because it has definitately walked the wildside. The story so far involves the original female owner from interstate who bought the car   with added sunroof and  surface protection etc.entirely on credit and then somehow blew up the motor. The car was repossessed and found its way to our friend and importer of s/tb. He was able to fit new(18000 k) Japanese motor to  Aussie complianced car (husband knows more about and is more interested in the technical details) and now she's mine.
I have noticed on the various b4 sites I have visited, much talk about pinging and turbo lag etc. neither of which at this stage is evident with this car during the several test drives  hubby has taken, even in the near thirty temperatures of last week.  I dont care about the turbo lag if it surfaces (hubby does) but i would be concerned about pinging if it were to occurr  and subsequent damage to this car that I am so strangely attached to.
p.s. Hubby's st/b definately has lag when you plant it but not if accelerate steadily. Pinging not an issue.