Leeroy

Hi Mark The badge on the right in the photo is correct for your 73 coupe. According to my parts catalogues it is correct from '72 to '75. it should match the GL grille badge if you have one (This badge does not have the '1400' script). OK I kept searching and have found the badge on the left comes from a '72 coupe. Although I cannot find it in the parts books I kept looking because it seemed so familiar. In The Complete Book Of Japanese Import Cars (Petersen Publishing 1972) there is a picture of a brand new 1972 US model GL coupe with the badge shown above on the left. More searching and I finally found a very early US sales brochure (I have always assumed this is from 1972) which shows the same badge on a coupe. Lee

Best bet is to get the chrome molding from a later Gen 2 Subaru. The later stuff is actually metal backed with plastic, unlike the earlier 'plastic chrome'. It does require some trimming to fit but looks great and does not deteriorate like the original plastic. I should add this information is something I read on SUBARU3's vintage Subaru website many years ago and not an original idea of mine! However once you trim the ends the fit is perfect.

The Gen 1 Brat is basically a 'Stage 2' in terms of coupes or sedans and therefore has a completely different glass and window winder mechanism. Stage 2 door glass is actually much longer from top to bottom and goes deeper into the door than the stage 1. I think it would take a lot of modification to fit stage 2 door glass and winder mechanisms into a stage 1, although I suppose it would be possible if you could source a stage 2 coupe (For Mark's situation in this thread).

I will try and have a look this weekend and let you know.

Yes the two door and the coupe have matching part numbers for the holders. If you are not able to source the holders in the US (Although I assume you will) I do have a 1976 Coupe parts car. I have not actually checked the holders, however I doubt they will be very rusty, if at all. They are yours if you want (and you pay for shipping ).

According to the parts catalogues they are not the same and have different part numbers. I would suggest the holder is longer to match the length of the coupe (or two door sedan) glass. Lee

You could buy one of these of Aussie eBay: Boss Kit The SAAS boss is drilled for both MOMO and Nardi bolt patterns so you can pretty much fit any 6 bolt wheel you want.

OK, so the plastic trim for the rear left hand side 1/4 window of my 87 RX sedan has finally decided to crack in half and part company with the rest (And ugly is how it looks!). Sourcing another trim piece should relatively easy, however, I have no idea how to remove it from another car without breaking the piece again. Is there a simple solution? It almost looks like Subaru meant the piece should never come off once it left the factory!

In Australia (cannot comment for NZed) only the coupe and hardtop came with the dual instrument cluster. They were designated GL or GFT for the hardtop. Our 4WD models were always DL's.

Jonv23 is right there are two sets of wires (with plugs or sockets to match up with the instrument cluster). One of these plugs has a separate wire with a female spade connector. You simply plug the yellow wire/male connector from the back of the cluster into this. Could not be easier. I sourced my instrument cluster from the US and changed the speedo to kilometres, as finding a cluster with a tach in Australia would be practically impossible!

From what I have read it is simply not true dual carbs will cause an engine to use more fuel. In some cases the opposite may be true.

From what I have read in various magazines over the years the hardtop was released late in 1973 as a '74 model in Japan (Nearly every Japanese manufacturer 'needed' a hardtop in their model line-up in the early '70s). This probably means NZ was the first export market to receive the hardtop (NZ has very early GSRs too). This body type did not arrive until half-way through 1975 for Australia (...it superceeded the GSR :-\) and came only with the 5 speed transmission.

Not sure you will be able to source trunk seals anywhere. I wonder if the 'glue in' seal used for Datsuns would work? This seems to be freely available but I have not had the opportunity to compare the seals.

Just got my hands on a 78 Hatch. Are you sure you have a 78 Hatch? Perhaps it is a 1980's hatch? It is my understanding EJ engines will fit far easier in 1980's model Subaru's (...and I have never seen a 1978 Hatch:)).

In Australia it would most likely be a SAAS boss. Check the eBay (AU) link: SAAS boss kit Not sure if they will ship to the US, but there must be someone who will. You can get both EA81 and EA82 versions. They are excellent quality too. I have a Nardi Torino wheel on my 1978 4wd wagon and a MOMO on the RX Turbo, both with SAAS boss kits. I think the MOMO came from early 1990s Liberty (Legacy) and the Nardi is from an early 1990s Impreza.

Excellent! I just have to say it is good to know you have decided to continue with the restoration, and I am really grateful you have posted pics. My '74 coupe is rusted out in the same area and I have always wanted to see photos before attempting the job myself. Could never quite work out how the two metal panels worked together, if you know what I mean. Photos make it very clear! And not so intimidating... My coupe is rust free except for that area (bad compared to yours :-\) and is the reason I brought a rust free '74 sedan (Currently my daily driver - I love it! ). One of these days I will fix the coupe - keep the photos coming!

Rust certainly takes hold in Japan! I love the look of 1960s and 1970s Japanese cars, in one word quirky!

We will have to agree to disagree on this point! Both engines are quite different in design (apart from being boxers or flat fours, of course. Quadrozontal anyone ). Just one example is the position of the camshaft. In the Arabella engine the camshaft is located above the crankshaft, while in a Subaru it is mounted underneath. My understanding is Fuji Heavy acknowledged they 'looked' at the Arabella but never brought the rights to the engine.

Subaru looked at a lot of flat engines in the 1960s before releasing the FF-1, even the Chev Corvair. However, there was never any sharing of intellectual property. Subaru looked at the other manufacturers engines before building one of their own design. That was pretty much the standard pattern for Japanese firms in the 1960s.

Cool video! Looks like a Rex rather than a Justy.

When I have had urethane pieces made the secret is to freeze the urethane (in an industrial freezer), this makes it hard enough to machine on a lathe and once it has warmed up returns to its normal softness.

Yes I did not think they where hard to find in the US or here in Australia for that matter! Unfortunately in Oz we need the lens that has an amber indicator and clear parking light (Only our very early 1973 models had the all amber assembly like the US with an aftermarket clear parking light added by Subaru Australia!) - now they are like hens teeth! I have tried to fit the full amber lens on the 'split' amber/clear light assembly and although they are the same shape the screw holes are in different positions.:-\

Hey Datsunrides, I actually have a NOS drivers side (in your part of the world anyway!) indicator lens which is broken on your coupe in the photos. If you cannot source any in the US (and don't mind paying for the shipping) it is yours. I also know a mechanic who has several of the passenger side lenses which I may be able to get my hands on. Cheers Lee