Subarule

Ordered one (the spring) from the local dealer today - $7.00. A bargain. I could have bought the whole fuel door with spring.........for $70. And then extra $$$ to have it painted to match. Ridiculous price.

I'll see if it's available from my local dealer. And put it in the "Want" section of the classifieds here. If the dealer can get it I'm sure it'll cost 20X what it should.

I wouldn't know how to attach the spring either. Don't you have a fuel door unlock switch inside your car?

I seem to have lost the spring that snaps my fuel door shut. Anyone can walk by and open it, or snap it off (and the door itself is a replacement). I had to buy a locking gas cap this week because mine ended up missing. Anyway, where can I get one of the springs for the door, one that still has good tension on it? Subarule

Are you looking for a garage in which to place it? That would certainly get it out of the elements.

It's not about the dollar value. I'm a preservationist. I like to keep old things in their original condition. I guess you could say it's a hobby. From the reading I do on here and on the classifieds of this site, old Subaru's are being wrecked & parted out at an alarming rate. Or modified nearly beyond recognition. But that isn't my concern, I'm just watching the trend but it doesn't apply to me in any way. I was an antiques dealer & collector for many years, maybe that's where I get my preservationist leanings.

The cars originally sold with a 'high altitude package'. Mine came with it. I don't know what all it entailed.

I know it takes unleaded only. That wasn't my point. I'm trying to get/keep the car in original condition. The fuel door that I have is the right color. I just want it to have the original decal it came with on it. To have it reproduced would require a template, which I don't have. I was kinda' wondering if, out there somewhere, in somebody's garage, or a wrecking yard, there existed a gray fuel door with the decal still intact. Like I said, a minor point but it doesn't hurt to inquire. At the rate the old Subaru's are being parted out and/or heavily modified, there won't be a stock-condition mid-80s model left anywhere in the U.S. before long.

It wasn't a kid in a detail shop, it was the owner and he doesn't have anyone help him. He's had this shop for at least 15 years. I'm nearly 70 years old, a female and slightly disabled and it's been many years since I've washed my own car. See, you (the generic 'you') shouldn't assume everyone has the expertise and phyiscal ability to do things themselves to their cars just because they own & love an old Subaru...that's profiling.

My '86 GL wagon came with some lettered decal on the fuel door that said something to the effect of "unleaded only". What color was that originally? Is it possible to find that decal somewhere to place over the place where my original was? My car is that dark gunmetal gray and the fuel door is a salvaged replacement (with a real wimpy spring). Somehow my original one got taken off in some shop or other where I had my car and I didn't discover it for a few days. Of course no one knew anything about it. Why someone would remove it I have no idea - made no sense. Is there a way to tighten that weak spring? And the lettering, can that be obtained? Minor points, I know, but still, it would be nice to have it be right.

I'm leaning toward not doing it. The last time I had it done, at the detail shop where I take my car every so many years, the dist. got wet. And then it caused a backfire so bad that it blew out my muffler. So it ended up costing me more than what having a clean engine compartment was actually worth. The precautions are scaring me off since I would be turning it over to a detail shop & not doing it myself. And it's not even that grimy under the hood. It's just not spiffy-new -looking.

Thank you all for your replies - very helpful.

In order to steam clean it, what parts should not get wet? I have a Weber carb so I'm assuming it & its air cleeaner should be protected. Or not necessary? What about the distributor? Anything else? Or is steam cleaning under the hood a bad idea altogether? Car is an '86 GL wagon.

Possibilities: Rack & pinion shot CV axle shot bad wheel bearing(s)

With a Weber you won't have to worry about vacuum leaks because all those pesky emission hoses go away. I always had a flat spot when I accelerated from a low gear, with the Hitachi. It would act for a second or so like it wasn't getting any gas. It was super-annoying. All over with now. In my opinion, that is the best benefit of all.

I misspoke, I do have one of those little light gizmos. It must have never come on in all the time I've owned the car. Or it's been non-functional, which I doubt, because I don't let the gas tank get real low. Living where I do (SW Washington) I always keep in the back of my mind that it is possible that some day I might have to evacuate quickly. We live by an active vocano, the Pacific ocean and some serious earthquake fault lines. So I always keep plenty of gas in Sube-girl.

Mine is stock on my '86 GL wagon. Wouldn't have it any other way. I'm into preservation. Like the cars from the 50s & 60s that you see at car shows, that have been beautifully preserved & maintained. No Frankensubes for me.

Here you go: http://www.compressorsoftheworld.com/ They ship internationally. There is a very nice guy there in sales named Ryan (I think that's his name) who is quite helpful.

Take it off and look at the fittings, gaskets, hose(s) to see if any are compromised. My recommendation would be to replace all the inexpensive stuff related to it first, before delving into the carb itself.

I have an '86 GL wagon (bought when brand new) and mine has never had one. Even when I've filled the 12-gallon tank with 11.5 gallons (give or take a few cups) there was no fuel light on the dash. And where else would it make sense to be located? Almost forgot, it's all analog.

Bee-yoo-tee-ful!! That's the way that year & model should look. Thank you for keeping it like new & pristine.

Tail lights I can understand. The headlight bulbs on an '86 GL, for instance, are a PITA to get to. Best to put in two new bulbs at the same time, but that's just my personal opinion. I like to know that most of the "pairs" on my car are matched and of the same age.

I'll never ever understand why, when there is a pair of something on a car, like headlamps & timing belts, a person would replace just one at a time. The parts cost & labor is far less than replacing the 2nd one later on down the line. Just how cheap/lazy can a person be?

I'm a little confused. If you're going to buy a new battery, don't the vendors always have the specs (databases) for which batteries will fit in your year & model? Or, if you're looking at a certain brand, can't you find out what batteries of the brand are sized for your year & model?

How old of a Subaru wagon are you looking for? The year being no later than...??? This looks nice - maybe too new for you? General Disorder lives fairly close to where it's for sale. http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/cto/2566101461.html