G'day & Welcome aboard
There's a lot of questions in there and I believe you'll find answers to most of them in the different sections of the forum.
Just a note that your car is an "MY'03" that is model year 2003; they were released here around May 2002. I will change your details to match.
A summary response:
Yes, timing belt first as well as tensioners, water pump, cam and crank seals while in there.
If you leave the cracked boot too long you will need to replace the CV; it'll probably be a complete axle replacement anyway which is what the mechanics tend to do because the labour involved in replacing the boot is prohibitive.
To use the existing springs you'll need to check if the vehicle height is within specification. I answered a similar question recently in the Suspension section and provided the specs. Check the first post in this thread for ride height: What is your ride height?
Have a look in the engine section to see if issues there match the behavior of your vehicle: EJ25 - 2.5L Non-Turbo (1998-2010)
Also, the centre bearing on your tailshaft may be worn; have a look in Transmission and Driveline for similar issues.
As to keeping it or not, well depends on its overall condition and how much you're prepared to spend on it. For example your timing belt job will probably cost A$800 - A$1200. Mechanics over here charge around A$90 / hour.
There's a lot of questions in there and I believe you'll find answers to most of them in the different sections of the forum.
Just a note that your car is an "MY'03" that is model year 2003; they were released here around May 2002. I will change your details to match.
A summary response:
Yes, timing belt first as well as tensioners, water pump, cam and crank seals while in there.
If you leave the cracked boot too long you will need to replace the CV; it'll probably be a complete axle replacement anyway which is what the mechanics tend to do because the labour involved in replacing the boot is prohibitive.
To use the existing springs you'll need to check if the vehicle height is within specification. I answered a similar question recently in the Suspension section and provided the specs. Check the first post in this thread for ride height: What is your ride height?
Have a look in the engine section to see if issues there match the behavior of your vehicle: EJ25 - 2.5L Non-Turbo (1998-2010)
Also, the centre bearing on your tailshaft may be worn; have a look in Transmission and Driveline for similar issues.
As to keeping it or not, well depends on its overall condition and how much you're prepared to spend on it. For example your timing belt job will probably cost A$800 - A$1200. Mechanics over here charge around A$90 / hour.