thealleyboy

Wha...no Corinthian leather in the old Subes??? Armour All is actually dicey for ALL types of interior materials. Supposedly accelerates the oxidation of vinyls, plastics etc. The best protectant is the stuff they use for interiors in boats (can't remember the brand name). Another tip from my "clean up shop" pal... John

I think the process is covered pretty well by the comments above: a: Dry out the car completely b: Kill the mold c: Clean up the upholstery and panels d: De-stinkify the car I like using bleach to kill the mold but you hafta be careful because it's so harsh. The best air freshener {IMO} is throwing a bar of deoderant soap under the seat. Something strong like Irish Spring or Coast. Learned this trick from a professional "used car reconditioner". good luck, John

Yeah, it's EXTREMELY likely to be the T-stat, by what you describe. It may not be seated properly, or defective. The "pan of water" test will give you more clues. Using OEM is a good idea, but to be honest, I've never had any major problems with the aftermarket brands. I do replace them quite often (3/36), however. The low cost would justify an OEM, if that's your preference. Coolant level may be another possibility, if the T-stat checks out. good luck, John

My understanding is that if it meets the emissions standards at the time of manufacture, you're good to go. Make sure you have this data when they do their E-check, so you can challenge them if they try to pull some sh*t on you. If you are lucky, the sticker will still be on the underside of your hood. If not, you can get a replacement sticker thru Subaru of America. Any kind of mods will get you in trouble. Just stick to the original configuration and you'll be fine. Do a thorough "maintenance tune up" before you go in to make sure you are running clean. I'm talking about things like PCV, charcoal, breather filters etc. good luck, John

Steve: You are going to have a hard time finding good, rust free OEM bolt-ons in this part of the country. Those older ones especially. I would advise you to choose your project car VERY carefully. Maybe bring one in from the NW as suggested above. You'll be so much more ahead if you start off with a solid car, rather than trying to save a few bucks on a car that's only marginal. There are some sources of aftermarket fenders and patch panels I know of that cover the EA81 era Subes. Howevy, no one does doors/shells/skins that I know of. Email me if you need more info on the aftermarket sources. good luck, John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

This is starting to sound like an East/South/Midwest Subaru pilgrimage... All roads to Billy's, then out to Iowa... I'd love to meet up with some of you guys somewhere along the line. Paul, maybe I can catch you on the way down to GA. And for you guys driving thru the Midwest, Columbus is a good place to make a pit stop. Maybe a few other strategic stops along the way, where all the Sube derelicts in the area can gather for a short while. Could be a lot of fun... John

Just imagine what you could do with 4wd and a set of snows!! John

Hey Dubbs: I have one of those TW's, but haven't done the interior yet. But I have done what {I think} you are attempting to do... You'll need to take the molded headliner out of the car. You have to be careful not to tear the cardboard while pulling it loose. You have to peel the old material from cardboard backing, if possible, or at least clean up the surface. I found this spongy, foam-backed cloth material, at one of those womens sewing shops that worked out great. Not sure what it's called. It was available in several colors, and looked like something that would normally be found in a car interior. I bought an oversized piece, and attached it to the cardboard backing using spray adhesive. I flattened the cardboard out so that the material would bond against the countours of the headliner perfectly. Then when the adhesive was dried, I trimmed off the excess material with an exacto knife. Looked very professional, and probably cost about $20 total in materials. JC Whitney, and others also sell replacement headliners, but they are considerably more expensive. good luck, John

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Billy sent me my stuff w/o any probs. He even threw in a "God Bless America" poster which is still hangin in my garage. There's got to be something more going on here. I just don't think he's intentionally trying to screw anyone. It's never too late to make things right, and if you are reading this Billy, it's time. John

Brad: Let us know the details on that 88... The ones I have done were on 86-87 medels, so there may be differences. Ken: I think you are correct about the switch not being directly interchangeble. But with the help of a wiring diagram, it's possible to switch parts/connectors to make the newer one work. X: I didn't know that about that fastener. I'll try your non-drilling method next time. Monk: I'll betcha your ignition switch is a replacement. I think they used those special fasteners to prevent theft. John

The best way to get it off the column is to carefully drill out the rivets. Once the heads of the rivets are off, the assembly comes apart into two pieces. Problem is, how to get a drill on the rivets at that angle. One way (the fastest and easiest) is to use a right-angle drill. This is a good investment if you don't already own one. Another way is to take apart the steering column. They are not all alike, but I've seen some that are bolted together using an opposite-threaded fastener (clockwise to loosen). You can then take the section that has the switch off, and put it on your bench or drill press. To reinstall, you will need the metric fastener that threads into the base of the ignition switch. You have to be careful not to damage the soft aluminum while drilling out the rivet. Should work on your Brat with little or no mods... good luck, John

You should be on your 5th set of hoses by now!! Do em all. Very cheap insurance in the long run. Maybe consider the rad too. These cars can't take the heat, so don't chance it. good luck, John

I am not a big fan of the Hitatchi design. I started working on them on the old Datsuns, and have had mixed results. In fact, if I was down to rebuilding the OEM on a decent car, I would have it done professionally. Your original carb is your "ace in the hole", and you only have one shot not to blow it. The most important thing is to keep your parts in order during dissassembly and cleaning. It's easy to get things crossed up if you are not careful. This means lots of baggies and coffee cans. This tends to slow things to a crawl, so be prepared to put some time into the job. The carb kit is very important too. Some of them cover many models, and have extra parts that can cause confusion. Try to find the right kit for your model. When you get it back together, you have to deal with adjustments. I think the Hitatchis are hard to tweak, but then again I'm no expert. I would encourage you to take a stab at it, and hope for the best. Rebuilding a spare would be ideal so that you can keep your OEM intact. Then, if the rebuild doesn't work out, you can have your original rebuilt by a pro, and still be in good shape. good luck, John

There are a few around, but they are expensive. If your core is rebuildable, that might be your most cost-effective solution. Even having someone do it for you might be worth it. Parts alone will run you 250-350, and that's not including any machine shop work. I do know that CCR has them, but they are in the $2000 range. Definitely too rich for my blood. However, you can be sure it will be a rock-solid motor. I have seen used ones on the XT6 site. Those are priced more reasonably, and the guys that have them are into xt6s too. Sorry, I don't have that link on this machine. Email me if you need that address. good luck, John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

BC: If the sleazeballs don't want to play fair, you have several cards you can play. For starters, the insurance co must provide you with a rental car until you settle. Make sure they understand that you have no intention of taking their lowball BS, and are willing to wait it out if neccessary. As far as a "fair" settlement, you have the law on your side if you take it to trial and are truly after fair compensation. Forget the Blue Books. They don't apply to cars from this era. You have to go by whats on the market, and what they are selling for. Find one that you would consider, then adjust the settlement amount to make it comporable to what you had. Remember, both insurance companies (including yours) want to settle quickly and for the least $$. Make it tough on them. Insist that your insurance co sue the other to get a fair settlement. They are supposed to represent you after all. (they'll resist of course-they won't want to pay for legal expenses). Don't let them off the hook. Finally, don't be intimidated. You have final say. good luck, John

Thanks Cal, Thought that's how it was routed thru the starting circuit... John

Trying to help a fellow Sube owner with a likely NSS problem via email. The car is an 85 GL 2wd A/T wagon. I'm thinking the NSS is located under the console assembly on that model, attached to shift lever. I'm guessing it's the thingy that makes that nice "click" as you move the shifter up and down. Does my memory serve me correct? I don't want to lead this person down the wrong path. It's too cold outside to be xperimentin'... thanks, John

Bill: #1: The fuel pump and filter are good advice, but it could be stale gas too. The car may have sat for awhile before the auction, and the dirt may have fouled up your fuel system. Get a tank of fresh gas, and some fuel system cleaner, then re-evaluate. #2: Low coolant can make your car run cold, and a leaky head gasket can make your coolant run low. If you top it off, and it dissapears without a trace, it could be going out the tailpipe. Lets hope I'm wrong on this... good luck, John

Unplugged the motor and ran jumper wires direct from battery to test the motor...it works fine, goes up, goes down. but will not work from door switch. There is full power going to the switch module - tested with multimeter. [/b] The switch would be my first guess, but I wouldn't rule out the wiring between the switch and window motor. The wiring in your door is subject to moisture and harsh conditions. If you have any doubts, run a continuity test between the connectors at the switch and window motor. If you go to the yard for the switch, may as well grab the section of wiring to the motor while you are at it. good luck, John

S-Noob: I prefer the FI models myself, and 88-89 was the best year for the EA82's, IMO. That being said, I think the Hitatchi's get a bad rap. They often get blamed for problems that have nothing to do with fuel delivery. No wonder you hear "horror stories" about them. If you take a non-carb problem, then start messing with a pain-in-the rump roast system like the Hitatchi, you can have a real mess on your hands in a hurry!! I would look at the car you want first, then worry about making run right later. Get one with a solid body and all the hardware you want. If it's FI great, but I wouldn't rule out a carbed vehicle at all. Just make sure the carb is the problem before jump to conclusions when you start having drivability issues. good luck, John

Russ: I would go thru and check your bulbs, bulb sockets, and electrical connectors before even thinking of messing with the switch. Some of the symptoms you describe can be the result of an incomplete circuit. Not sure what you mean by "intermittant" and "funny noises". If you mean that the light comes on but doesn't flash, then I would strongly suspect a bulb. If it doesn't come on at all, or only if you wiggle the turn lever, then the switch. A rapid clicking noise would also point to a bulb or loose connection. good luck, John

GD and Dusty: Thanks for the great advice!! Based on what you said, I'll stay away from the Redline kit. I really do want a new Web vs. a rebuilt one. No time for hassles right now, besides it will be going on a nice car. Tim: I'll try the old fashioned search for "Webber Carb". Again, if anyone knows of any hot deals for a new Web, please let me know. John

Well, I hope I don't get whapped upside the head for askin such a stupid question, but... I'm in the market for a brand new Web for my 86 (EA82) 4wd wagon. I had kept some notes on potential sources out West, but I cant find them (Wifey probably threw them out). I'm looking for the carb, conversion kit, and anything extra that I'll need for the setup. A Sube-Specific, all-in-one package would be ideal. Lowest possible price, of course. If anyone has a good current source for any of these items, I would shore appreciate the info... thanks John

scoob: Yeah, those ea82's are all around, but there's gotta be a story if it's sitting there in the shop. Maybe it was the class project back in 87. I would go for it if you can get the school to let it go. And why shouldn't they? That motor isn't going to teach anyone about what's happening in 2004. I would talk to the instructor and see if he'll let you take it home . Tell him that the class needs to get up to speed on the newest Honda and Toyota 4's. You wouldn't be lying. good luck, John

Subwoohoo: I'm getting ready to start one too, so we'll be going thru many of the same steps. I haven't even begun to look for rebuild parts. I didn't know that CCR sold kits, but it makes sense that they would. They are great people to deal with. Email me off the board and we'll compare notes John thealleyboy@yahoo.com