thealleyboy

I'm glad Miles jumped in on this. I had been thinking about converting this car into a 2wd 5speed, and going with the carb setup he describes. Still might if Bard doesn't want to fool with it. This isn't a bad car, but it doesnt really fit into my plans right now. Jim (Subaru 86) had won it on Ebay then decided it wasn't worth repairing it as a Turbo AWD (I agree). I really need the turbo and 4wd stuff for my 89 turbo touring wagon, but I will leave everything else intact if Bard wants to take it on. The car apparently overheated and cracked the head, and the guy left it at the machine shop, so the motor is not even complete. I'll fill you guys in on more details when I get it home. Bard, this would be a good conversion to document, if you decide to do it. John

Chances are, the whole grid has issues. When you leave the defroster on too long. the elements become brittle and start to disintegrate. One fix is to buy a new grid kit (not reccommended). You'll have to remove the old grid, and getting the new one to line up straight can be tricky. If you do it wrong, it might work but will look like sh*t. The best solution is to replace the glass with one that is known to be good. You should probably get a glass man to do this unless you know what you are doing. Another option is to replace the entire rear hatch. Easy to do yourself, but good luck finding the right color. good luck, John

Chances are, the whole grid has issues. When you leave the defroster on too long. the elements become brittle and start to disintegrate. One fix is to buy a new grid kit (not reccommended). You'll have to remove the old grid, and getting the new one to line up straight can be tricky. If you do it wrong, it might work but will look like sh*t. The best solution is to replace the glass with one that is known to be good. You should probably get a glass man to do this unless you know what you are doing. Another option is to replace the entire rear hatch. Easy to do yourself, but good luck finding the right color. good luck, John

Skip: Nicely done!! One comment tho... I wouldn't necessarily discourage replacing the ignition switch. Not too $$ if you have access to used ones, and not terribly difficult if you have a right angle drill/or attachment. John

The exception is the 2.7 six (hardly anybody has parts for those), but otherwise CCR does a great job!! There are other options though, including building your own from a good core. A used or "import from Japan" might be worth a look too. I don't think 3 bills for a solid turbo car is out of line, but I live in Ohio and I'm a sucker when it comes to Subes in need of TLC. I wouldn't stress over the price too much if it's the model you want. John

Naw...Lubing it won't help... That motor is on it's last leg, so do yourself a favor and find a replacement quick. You NEVER want your EA82 to melt down on you. A lot of them end up getting scrapped due to a blown headgasket or cracked head. good luck, John

Aki: I ran that size snow tire last winter on my 93 Loy 4wd wagon. I liked them very much, and will be using them again this winter. The height was nice for heavy snow, and they performed well in all types of weather. I thought they were actually a little quicker than what I was driving before winter (195/55/15's on Pug alloys). John

I must admit I don't know the newer generation Subes very well, but the XT6 sure looks like it can deliver the goods. Mine is a 91 AWD model, and though it's not completely "roadworthy", I can't help but be impressed with the way this thing is designed. All the systems appear to be top-notch, and there are lots of little extras that contribute to an overall awesome package. Simply put, this car has just about everything you could possibly want in a Sube. The specs I've read back up the fact that the XT6 could hold it's own with some of the best on the road. The guy I bought it from also owns a BMW, and he thout the XT6 outperformed his Beamer hands down. The six is what sets this apart from the other Subes in my mind. It adresses the shortcomings of the EA82's, while preserving the simple basic design and durability of the OHC 4's. Sustained hi speed driving should not be a problem, if that's your thing. Too bad they didn't let the xt6 live long enough to catch on. A turbo six model might have saved this car if Sube hadn't pulled the plug so quickly. John

Based on what you said, I would probably eliminate the fuel system (including the carb). Not sure exactly what Skip suggested, but bypassing your ignition circuit will help you eliminate some other possibilities. This is a good "quick and dirty" test. A bad/weak coil (or maybe wiring) can definitely give you the symptoms you describe. This makes more sense - now that the fuel system has been ruled out. good luck, John

Stace: It sure sounds like a fuel delivery problem to me. Ignition is one piece of it (a big one at that), but you gotta have fuel to keep the engine moving. The fact that it runs for five seconds then dies is a strong indicator that it's fuel related. A "quick and dirty" is to start at the carb and check fuel pressure. The most precise test is a fuel pressure guage, which is a small investment. You could also shoot the fuel into a conatainer and and make a judgement call as if the pressure is strone enough. You might get lucky and have a clogged fuel filter. Might not be a bad idea to start here anyway if its been awhile since youve changed it. A fuel pump could also be up there, but you aren't that far yet. Check for fuel pressure, then we'll talk... good luck, John

One very important thing would be to find out why the headgasket went kaput.. did you overheat the car? [/b] This is definitely a biggie.... Also, the extent of the "meltdown" will have a lot to do with whether its worth paying to have the job done. Did it overheat time and time again? If the heads are cracked or warped, you can tack a few hundred more onto the $1000 estimate. (A new head gasket on a warped or cracked head won't do you any good.) At that point, a used or rebuilt motor will be your best bet. My advice: get a second opinion, particularly on the condition of the heads. The mechanic may say he can't say for sure until it's torn down. That's ok, just make sure you know how much he's going to charge you to get to that point. With the motor out, you have lots of options. Even if you don't want to try to overhaul your old one, installing a replacement is something you could probably handle yourself. You may be able to pick up a good used ea82 from one of your Sube brothers on this board. good luck, John

Columbus had it's coldest night in half a year, and I had to get out the scraper this morning. It became pretty obvious after a few minutes of driving that there was no hot air coming out the defroster ducts, and the front and side glass was not clearing up. Tried various settings on control switch and fresh air vents - nothing would divert the heat onto the glass. I am not a big fan of the Sube climate control system. Much too complex, and no clear advantages, IMO. I don't know the system very well, but I have a feeling I'm gonna have to learn it before all is said and done... So where do I begin? Any quick and dirty tests on these systems? My guess is it's gotta be electrical or vaccum related. Any advice is appreciated, John

Smitty: I finally was able to reach someone at the house. Hopefully, I'll be able to check it out tonight if the owner is home. According to the add, it runs good and is in good condition. Hard to tell if the 67k is a good thing (well-maintained) or bad (sat around forever). I'll know more later... John

Like I said, if any of you are serious about this car, I'll be happy to try to help out. I don't think I can justify buying it myself since I have projects out the wazoo right now. I'm sure I'll kick myself later... John

Richie: Good stuff!! I still haven't talked to the guy yet. Left messages, but not returned. When I track him down, I'll try to get the inside scoop on where this thing came from. I'll copy down the VIN and see if I can find out where it originated. John

The guy is not answering his phone... The number is (614) 871-4451. If anyone is seriously interested in this thing - go for it!! I'll be happy to act as an intermediary. I need an excuse to not buy it myself... John

I saw an ad in the C-Bus paper over the weekend for an "83 2dr convertable". 67k GC $850. I havn't called yet, and probably shouldn't since I've got my hands full as it is. Still, if this thing is for real.... Do any of you guys know anything about these? Is this a true factory car? Is this worth going after? thanks, John

There are at least 3 places I know of: dash, firewall, plate in doorwell. There is supposedly at least one more stamping on the chassis. To do an "identity adjustment" properly would be quite a big job. The dash has to be changed out for starters, and the door plate would have to be drilled out and reinstalled "cleanly" too. You could probabaly get away with spraying undercoating along the firewall to make those markings less obvious. A half-rump roast job will only attract attention from nosy cops. First thing they do on a traffic stop is look thru the glass at the vin plate. If the dash dosen't match the interior, or the tag appears altered, Mr Ociffer will keep right looking (if he's got any sense at all). You'll be accused of driving a "stolen" vehicle, even if it was junked out by the prior owner. If you are caught during an accident situation, you would be in some serious sh*t because the insurance co. won't be legally responsible for paying any claims. Greedy insurance types are notorious for finding stuff like this and invalidating otherwise legitimate claims. definitely be careful if you get a Sube with an "Identity Crisis"... John

Bard: Email me thealleyboy@yahoo.com John

Bard: Ive got a pretty decent 85 GL in Columbus, that needs a good home. I bought it to convert to 4wd but found another toy to keep me occupied (91 xt6). I've got under $500 in it. Email me if interested. I might be interested in yours for parts. you can use it for a trade-in {lol} John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

Believe it or not, Japanese cars have come a long way in the way of rust protection. Some of the ones from the 70's and early 80's were notorious rust buckects. Your Loy is has the typical rust found on Subes in these parts. Restoring the body would not be worth it on that car. If you just want to just keep driving it, structural integrity is what you've got to be concerned about. Safety can mean life or death- everything else is looks. Get it up on a lift and take a good hard look at the floor pan and rails. As far as the body rust, you can keep it under control without too much effort. It'll look like sh*t, but you'll extend the cars life by a few years. I'm talking about grinding rusted spots, treating with extend, and spot painting, or undercoting in the non-visable areas. You might want to do a quickie fix in the rear quarter area, since those holes will allow moisture and fumes into the cabin. You can do this from the inside by sealing off the open cavity with sheet metal and caulking the seams. The extererior will continue to deteriorate but the inside will be protected. Of course you can do much more to make it look better, but eventually the rust will catch up to ya. Don't go overboard. You don't want to send a Sube to the yard with a perfect body but no floorpan... good luck, John

You know, he may have had to replace all that stuff because he's trashed it out... I must admit, I'm kinda anal when I don't know a cars history too well. But it sounds like he's going overboard since you've been up front. Don't take it personally. "You can't please everyone so you gotta please yourself" John

Yes, I'd like to hear more from our friend in Japan. I do pick up bits and pieces thru the Honda pipeline, but that's mainly the corporate manufacturing viewpoint. I'm talking people that make a living building and selling cars. The Japanese people here are trained to function in our culture, and I'm not sure they are a fair representation of their country. It is interesting to know what the average folks think too. John

Miles: Bexley is east of Columbus. Jim's stopped over a couple times. Easy drive, right off of I-70. We should defintely do a garage party sometime this fall or winter. I got lots of stuff too, and it's about time to clean things out. I won't put you guys to work the way Jim does either!! I've got a woodburner, fridge and good tunes of course. Or I will try to catch up with you guys somewhere else. John

Yes, very interesting. Sounds like much of what I've heard turns out to be true. I wouldn't hesitate to use one of these, but the cheap motor oil issue kinda bothers me. 2X a year is not frequent enough, and the climate there would probably be considered "extreme" by our standards. John