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Only the auto trans models have the FWD fuse thing. I had a '96 and '99 Outback, both manual, and their drivetrains are fully mechanical (no electrics). FWD mode can also be used for 2-wheel towing. It was kind of a pain needing a flatbed the couple of times I had to have an Outback towed. I'm not sure if it would help mileage to run in FWD mode. The rear diff is still there to produce drag, and the driveshaft still spins with it, so there will still be some losses from that. The only place I think you would see a reduction in driveline drag is possibly at the center diff, but I'm not sure if it would be noticeable or not.
I never did any serious ecomodding to my Outbacks, mostly because I didn't have the budget or commute that I do now. I found in the 2.2L model ('96) that removing the intake silencer and installing a K&N drop-in element both helped initially, but it probably just leaned out the mixture because gains became less apparent after a couple of tanks. It also made the car loud with the throttle open. I was never able to get much better than 30 MPG at any point in those things, but I didn't have my SGII yet to help me out.
Maintenance note: Be sure to check/replace your timing belt soon, since you just got the car, unless you have previous owner's maintenance records saying it was replaced recently (assuming you're keeping that engine for a while). The EJ25 is an interference engine, and you don't want to deal with bent valves if that thing snaps.
As far as swap candidates, I think you're going to run into a lot of trouble if you want to mate an EA82 (or similar) to your stock auto transmission. I've played around with the idea of getting another Subie for serious ecomodding, and I think I would try and find a 6-speed manual transmission first (taller 6th gear), then wait and see if any of the new FB20 engines become available as people wreck their new 2012+ Imprezas. That's probably a little out of your price range and beyond your current goals, though. I just think you'll run into a lot of trouble either way, so you might as well save up a little extra and go all-out.
Removing the roof rack completely is pretty involved, but I did see a noticeable improvement from removing the cross-bars. I never got around to making a belly pan, but virtually no attention has been paid to aero under there from the factory. I think you'll see some good gains if you get your hands on a few sheets of coroplast and bolt it up there.
Good luck in your efforts!
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