Ever Victorious

Yes, Ed... one and the same... I thought you knew already? Still working for CompUSA, but I've moved to the new Lynnwood store.

As long as it's a wagon and not a hatch. :-p The '83 DL hatch I just picked up is an EA71, 1600cc.

Besides EA81 seats, will anything else bolt into place? Like an XT or EA82 seat?

Minor update - I started cleaning all the debris off of the car and out of the trunk area... and I found an area of rust that could be considered "cancer". The good news is it's on the underside of the hatch itself. I also determined the rear window seal to be too compromised to reuse, so I guess it's off to PaP to get a rear hatch.. (Ed said there's one in Lynnwood right now, complete with glass). I've got the bulk of the pine needles, helicoper maple seeds, earthworms, and broken glass out of the various nooks and crannies and the trunk. Started to pull up the plasticized rubber trunk lining... found that the sound deadening mat underneath was soaked. Pulled all that crap out. (Oh well, a little louder... but a little lighter too). The metal underneath is just fine, no rust at all. Tomorrow I will prep the engine and see if I can fire her up. If I have any time after that, I'll see about getting that rear hatch, as well as beginning the gutting procedure. Oh, and more good news... there IS a drain plug on the underside of the gas tank, draining the gas should be a snap.

Welcome aboard. I see you're from OR, so in addition to the knowledge of this board, you've also got a cadre of members near you.

Yeah, the body is in surprisingly good condition. There are a few spots I need to go attack with a wire brush and primer, but overall it's really good. For now, just fix and drive. If the price of gas ever goes down again, then I can have fun with it... (yeah, fat chance of that ever happening). Well, maybe I just need a better job.

Well, thanks to Scoobywagon, Freebiemobile made it home today. The resurrection process can begin. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=14593 Here are a few shots I quickly snapped. I'm also glad Scoobywagon was there to take a look at the car with me as well, because if it was just me alone, I probably would have freaked out and run away. At first sight, I noticed that in addition to the rear hatch glass being broken, the rear quarter glass on both sides was not hanging correctly. The hood was stuck closed, all four brakes were frozen, one tire was flat, and the interior was, well, a loss. But I also noticed something else... though the VIN indicates the car is a Standard hatchback, the badging on the rear as well as some equipment found in the car indicates that it is actually a DL hatchback. Well, we had to haul her out from around the side of a house, and when we hooked up a tow rope and started pulling, the brakes broke free very quickly, and the car could easily roll on its own. Put air in all tires, and swapped a rotting tire from the rear to the front so SW could put it on his dolly and we could have 2 good tires on the ground. So.... now that I've got her in my garage, I can see some stuff about her... The hood wasn't fused or broken, there was just so much debris under the hood seams from being parked under a tree that it was stuck. it now opens fine. The rear quarter glass on both sides are simply missing a couple pieces of mounting hardware, which I may even have the parts laying around my garage to fix... (and if not, Home Despot would have it). The body is in PHENOMENAL condition, all things considered. The hood has a couple dents in it, and there's some rust spots, but all of them appear to be just minor surface rust... I haven't found any major patches of cancer or holes. All of the body panels except the hood are in really good shape, with no dents I could see larger than a quarter. The car IS actually its original color, though badly faded. Color code indicates Toreador Red. Actually inside the bay looks pretty clean, given how long it's been sitting. I will start the prep process tomorrow. Missing its spare, but oh well. Exhaust looks to be completely intact. Surface rust on the pipes, but the muffler doesn't sound rotted, and neither SW nor I could immediately see any holes in the piping. The interior is basically a complete loss. The car was not properly covered, and it got wet. simple as that... so basically everything has to come out. Everything behind the driver's seat I had intended to do that to anyway, but I also will need front seats and a steering column at the very least. (Anyone know if the Tilt column from a GL will bolt up?) OK... now some stats stuff. Odo shows 197k on it. EA71, supposedly in very good condition when parked. 4-speed FWD manual, brand new clutch just before it was parked. And here we go...

I just found out from Scoobywagon that he and I have something in common... We're both Soob nuts, and our wives are both animal nuts. So I guess we all just tolerate each other's "imperfections"... hehe.

Man, that's a beautiful piece of hardware... first year they made the 4WD's, too... really takes me back. I seriously hope one of you can spring it... would be an utter travesty for that good looking of a classic to go to waste.

Interesting that yours had dual carbs... must have been a special order or setup, but not an RX (at least not in this sense). The japanese RX is clearly 4WD... and judging by the brochure, where it breaks down gearing, it looks like it was a 4-speed single-range... count the gears and look at their ratios... 1st... 3.636 2nd... 1.950 3rd... 1.344 4th... 0.942 Reverse... 3.583 next is 1.000/1.203, which... wouldn't that be final drive? then 3.700 would be rear diff ratio, right?

Wrong thread for that.

Hey guys - Just gauging interest in this one... Who here would be interested in holding a non-ORV meet in WA, just to talk shop and raise money/food for charity? the local Kia club is interested, and would do a joint meet if asked...

Must... attend... #8! (C'mon, you all know that's the reason I'm getting Freebiemobile, right? hehe)

Why does that request sound familiar? Oh yeah... I got dibs on Scoobywagon and his truck for this weekend.

Hey, if you're going to drag non-80's cars into it... '76 DL Sedan (vista blue) '90 Legacy L (Royal Blue) '93 Legacy L (White) So neener!

One of the last posts in the "you might be a soob owner" post got me off on a little bit of a tangent. Rather than hijacking that thread, I'll just start a new one here. It started with a comment that Colorado has a lot of light blue EA82 wagons. Well, that got me thinking. Who here HASN'T owned a light blue EA81 or EA82? It seems to me to be one of the most common colors Subaru made. So... if there is anyone who hasn't owned a car of this color, let's see it in big bold annoying letters. Also, I'm just curious to see what all colors people have owned, to see what is the most common. Oh, and if it was repainted a non-soob color before you got it, that doesn't count. EA71's count, if they were in an EA81 body. basically, looking for colors that Subaru produced between '80 and '89... I have owned: '82 DL wagon 2WD (burgundy) '82 GL wagon 2WD (light blue) '87 GL sedan 4WD N/A (light blue) '84 GL wagon 4WD N/A (beige/cream) '84 GL sedan 4WD N/A (black) '83 GL sedan 2WD (silver, I think... bought it from edrach, maybe he remembers) '87.5 XT 2WD N/A (graphite) Whatcha got?

From your description of the problem, am I correct in assuming this feeling occurs even when you're NOT applying the brakes? If my assumption is correct, check your ball joints... my Optima had a bent lower ball joint retention bolt, and it caused the exact symptoms you described.

\ I doubt it. I painted a computer with that stuff, and it would scratch like crazy if I accidentally hit it with my foot...

I do intend to replace the plugs. Is this for keeping the cylinders lubed or breaking up any potential "gunk"? How much is "a little"?

K... would probably be a good thing for me to snag once I get it home. Any other things I should know once I get it before I try to resurrect it?

Good advice on the brakes, hadn't thought of that. Doesn't coolant break down, though? How do I drain the gas in that tank? just siphon?

OK, Thanks to edrach for seeing if he can get me some help. So far, no call from his neighbor, but that's ok. If push really comes to shove, I can see if father-in-law will loan me the Durango and I'll try to hunt down a dolly. I got a call back from the guy after he found the title and verified the VIN. He simply made a mistake when he listed the year on Craigslist. he thought it was a 74, but both the title and the VIN indicate '83... It is an '83 EA71 Hatchback (just the standard version, not GL or DL). Not exactly a '74 coupe, but I'm not going to scoff at a free Subaru. It's going to need at least the rear hatch glass, if not a full rear hatch. The glass was busted out, but he says it's been covered. He says the car ran and drove fine when it was given to him and parked, 6 years ago. A new clutch was put in just before it was given to him. What I need, is help with what I should do to prep the car before I attempt to start it. It's been sitting for some time, so I realize I will likely need to replace the battery. Also, I know that the oil and coolant should be drained and refilled, and the gas should have some sort of stabilizer (not sure what) added... and that replacing the plugs and air filter wouldn't be a bad idea either. Any other tips from those of you who have resurrected a long-idle engine?

Car's in Carnation, needs to go to South Everett. Mapquest estimates 40 miles.

Car's been sitting 6 years, can't trust the rubber or the brakes until I have a good look-see at them. Besides that, I don't have a vehicle I could LEGALLY tow the vehicle with the distance necessary (40 miles)...

Hey all you Washingtonians out there... First off, apologize if this is posted in the wrong forum, however this is kind of a time-sensitive issue and I know most of you read this forum more than any other. If any of you have a truck with either a tow dolly or a car trailer, and time to kill this Saturday, or at the latest Sunday, please let me know ASAP!!!! I got a big old "merry christmas" in my inbox this morning... the guy with the alleged '74 "hatchback" on Craigslist emailed me, saying it was still available and to give him a call. I called him and got more info... we're still confused on just what it is, so he's agreed to call me back with the VIN if he can get it... car's sitting at his ex-gf's house. Anyway, he says he'll be around this weekend, and that I can haul it off. So if any of you can help me tow it, I'd be very appreciative... I'll hire a tow truck if absolutely necessary, but it would be nice not to have to. I'll pay for your gas and throw in lunch, too, if you're willing to help. Pleeease... help, if you can.