This is not a battle between me or anybody else. its a play for good advice for a guy asking for just that.
As for engines lasting a fairly long time. Define a fairly long time. Is a year a good run, 2 years. 6 months, any of these numbers are unacceptable to my way of thinking when it can be done differently and made to last as long as it should with correct maintainence.
Yes the horsepower rating of the turbo is only a rough guide but when you are several hundred horsepower away from the recco I dont think that statement holds water.
Just how far away from my suggested 250 hp would you say a near stock rb25 engine is Adam. I would suggest that 250 is about right on the money given that i own such an engine and you have seen it dyno'd.
As for where this topic is, Hes a queenslander and so are we, why shouldnt he ask it in here. Why else even have this section. Lets just put up the qld events section so we know whats going on and delete all the rest. I rather like the idea of discussion among those of a similar locale. Eventually we get to meet and compare notes in the flesh.