Subarule

Seems it takes a very special kind of adhesive, from my readings about "how to" on the 'net. I'll feel better if it's done professionally or quasi-professionally. I want it to look like it came from the factory.

Not good.

Rats, I got an email from JC Whitney today saying that my order has been cancelled. Apparently the manufacturer can't make or doesn't stock the correct size & shape of backerboard for my year & model. Back to square one. I can use my old backerboard, just have to get that same material. Anyway, very glad I have a wagon.

Yes, a wagon. Glad to hear it's the easiest. I was thinking it would be - all that room to maneuver.

I've never seen a headliner off a car but I'm guessing that the fabric is attached to some kind of board? I ordered a kit from JC Whitney that supposedly is custom-manufactured for my year & model but I have no idea what the steps are for replacing headliners. The fabric does look like the original. Some #!&*%$@# broke into my car a few years back, from the cargo area, it appears and it look likes a screwdriver or prybar was use to punch holes in the fabiric and probably into the backerboard. I imagine he was having a meth-deprivation crisis. All that damage to the interior (it could have been worse, much worse) and nothing in my car worth stealing to feed a habit. Took my spare dog leash out of the glove compartment, fer cryin' out loud. Mind you, I won't be doing this myself but I'd like to be educated beforehand as to what is supposed to happen, in what steps. Should any auto upholstery place worth the name be able to do a good job on this?

That's very hard to say - "brat bed length". A real tongue twister. I was merely reading it and it was an eye twister as well.

A new rotor & cap would be good to replace. And inexpensive. I'll assume all the vauum hoses/lines are old - replace them. Worth every penny.

I couldn't say if it's safe or not. Yours sounds much worse than mine, going by the noise you describe. You wouldn't want your steering or any component of it to break on you while you're driving. I'd say, pay a good mechanic to put it up on a rack & take a look.

Break that $800 down into how many years it should last if the car is treated well. Less than $100 a year for good drivability and peace of mind. Initial sticker shock hurts but you have to think about how much it actually costs over the long haul. I had about 123K miles on my 1st clutch (original) and only replaced it because some other major overhauling was being done (which was not even critical but I had plenty of money to make the car like new at the time) and it seemed like a good opportunity to throw a new clutch in there. There was nothing wrong with the old clutch but age was going to catch up with it. I had over 80K miles on my original set of brakes before they had to be replaced. Shift nice, don't ride the clutch or the brakes and they will last you for that many miles. I don't baby my car either. But neither do I abuse it. People who ride their brakes need to be removed from the gene pool. LOL

It's not that simple of a question. W/out knowing your year & model, I'd say the front axle/steering is shot. CV joint or joints shot. Very likley you will need to replace the whole rack & pinion unit. That's just a w.a.g., of course. But I recently had similar.

The GL has the padded plush material on the visors. What is the headliner material like in the GL-10? The same plush material as the visors? I prefer the perforated leatherette. More of a "racy" look. But in the GL just the headliner has that. Seats in it would ne nice. That's the probably the big difference right there - the instruments. Personally, I don't like digital gauges. They remind of those cheesy LED & LCD watches from the '70s. Man, those were ugly.

Maybe instrument clusters differ between the DL, the GL and the GL-10? I don't know, never been in a DL or GL-10. Did the GL-10 only have vinyl-trimmed seats or was there an upgrade in seat material? What about headliner material? My GL has the perforated leatherette, don't imagine there is an upgrade from that but what's the material on a DL (stock) headliner?

Just to clarify more, my '86 GL (not the GL-10) has those as well. The GL-10 must have some additional add-ons.

GL-10 just means the most "luxurious" options available for that year as far as driver/passenger comforts. Windows is windows, only difference being (in that year, any model) you either have electric or manual type. So having a GL-10 means that you have electric..."luxurious". LOL

I think price is an entirely personal perspective. Depends on what you would use the car for. A play-around toy? A daily driver? Something you wouldn't mind if it crashed & burned in a mud-run? Something you want to be dependable for any driver? Something you want to look good and last? Hard to give an opinion on price if we don't know what the purpose of the vehicle might be.

Whatever my 'Ru needs, she gets. And she gets the real thing.

I keep my wagon totally stock.

Thanks for all the replies. Very detailed - nice. I'm a little old lady and I just want to have some sockets around for the occasional tweak or to change something out, both car and household use - nothing major. They don't need to last me a lifetime, just be servicable when needed. I have a small socket set but it is not metric and nothing in it seems to fit my 'Ru. I have plenty of wrenches, both box and open-end.

I got sick & tired of trying to hold onto a grocery cart on a slight slope, hold up the tailgate and load groceries into my car at the same time. I've been dealing with this for a few years...enough was enough. Not that expensive of an investment, and if they last only half as long as the originals (24 years) then it's more than worth the cost. I have a station wagon because I need a station wagon and unhindered (not to mention non-painful) access to the cargo area is very important.

Ebay. The seller has a business web site as well: LiftSupportsDepot.com I am not affiliated with this seller or business in any way, other than I bought from him or her, and am very pleased with the product.

Or tailgate lifts or whatever you may call them. I got my new ones installed yesterday and they are awesome! It was past time to replace the originals on my '86 wagon. They had just enough gas left in them to act like they might hold (and they wouldn't hold at all if it was damp outside) but then they would creep down and clunk me on the head & neck. Very irritating when I'm loading and unloading groceries in the rain. Or anytime. These new ones are so good that you open the tailgate and raise it up just a little bit and then the lifts take over and strongly raise the gate to the most open position. Yeah, baby!

Thanks for the replies. Then do I want a 3/8" or a 3/4" drive? Or does it matter?

I think I'll get one to have on hand. For mid-80s Subarus, what size range should I be looking at? Thanks in advance.

Probably a matter of how far a drive it is from the start point. I'm closer to Portland so I would go there but someone in Seattle is much, much closer to Tacoma (and of course the greater Seattle area). It would be about a 3-hour drive from the Seattle area to Portland, whereas it would be about 30-40minutes to Tacoma.