jj421

A while back, I read online somewhere, I think on a Cadillac forum, that flashing the high beams with HIDs makes them susceptible to burning out. I guess it depends on the car and the bulbs. Yeah, the high/low just changes the beam, not the amount of light. However, I know on my family's Explorer, if you pull the turn signal stalk towards you (the "flash to pass" feature) and hold it, both the low and high beam filaments are lit, ergo virtually doubling the amount of light. Still not that bright though. Definitely prefer additional lights. :-p

Yeah, I learned that a little while ago. I think some newer cars don't even have a "flash to pass" feature because of it. I don't usually quickly flash any of my lights on/off, so I don't think it'd be a huge problem. But I don't know. Again, I might get around to it later. My general goal for my car is to keep it as stock and original as possible, and I don't know how much HIDs would stray from that. :-p I might just do a HID conversion in the aux. lights, but keep the regular headlights stock.

They do look very nice, and bright! But like I said, I'm tired of messing with my headlights. Plus I got other things to pay for before I move to that. I need to replace the axle, bearings, and brake pads on both the front right and front left first. That's what I'm currently saving up for. Gonna run me a couple hundred. Then when I'm finished with that, gonna do some cosmetic work like repainting, then I might go back to the headlights. Apparently other people who also bought those aux. lights said you can do a HID conversion on them, and they said they were just as bright as expensive, name brand offroad lights. So maybe I'll get around to doing a HID conversion on all four lights. :-p

Well, if you go in and take out the headlight bulbs out of my car, it says "45 watt" on them. I don't know; I believe their the stock bulbs. They aren't super bright. Last time I was at the Pick-N-Pull, I grabbed a couple of 55 watt bulbs from an '87 GL (I think), but when I put the bulb in, it didn't really fit properly and the beam was all messed up. Just gonna stick with the 45 watts. I'm tired of messing with my headlights; I've FINALLY got them in a usable state, two months after I bought the car. My old GL had pretty dim lights. Not to mention that, due to damage, my right headlight was aimed up and too far to the right, unable to be fixed. But I always kept the "third eye" light on, so I could see better. :-p But it was an '81 GL, so of course the lights weren't gonna be that bright, haha. The headlights on my Loyale are okay. They let you see the road right in front of you, as well as some nearby signs, but that's it. The high beams feel like the low beams on my family's '99 Explorer. These aux. lights definitely do help, even though I never really drive at night. I should take photos comparing all my lights, or a video. Maybe.

Haven't done much, haha. Put oil & coolant in it; nothing special. Put gear oil in it, which is new for me. Finally diagnosed my check engine light, which was code 35, which is the canister purge solenoid. Freakin' gonna cost $115 and doesn't even affect the way the car runs, but I need it for emissions when I finally decide to get Washington plates, ugh. Haha, the only modification I've done recently (really at all for that matter) is install some offroad lights, well, driving lights. But hey, they're 55 watts, which are brighter than my 45 watt headlights. They're super helpful at night and I love their look. Plus they were only $25! :-p

Back in my 4-speed, Webber carbed '81 GL (EA81), I got ~25 MPG average. But the engine wasn't running right, so I'd say 30 MPG is realistic if you drive it like an old person. If you can, get a 5-speed. I don't know anything about the Brat, so I can't say if it'll work. But try for a 5-speed if it'll work. Converting it to hi-lo will also probably be difficult, but again, I don't know.

I glanced over it, since I thought it was cool seeing a 22-year-old manual. I think it'd be cool to scan the pages, put it in a PDF, and post it here for everyone's use. But I don't know if I legally can or if anyone would even use it.

Hmmm. I guess I'll try shifting at about 3250 RPM. Not gonna go up to 4K, as I feel that's too much. I'll probably go up to 3500 RPM max, as I don't wanna go any more. Well, I'll probably just do what the manual says. See, I've been basically following the shifting speeds on the right column, even for acceleration. You guys are telling me to do do what the left column says. Yeah, I'll try it. Just filled up my tank, so I'll shift how the manual and you guys say so and we'll see. Don't know about first gear, as it's got no power (compared to the other gears). I'll probably still shift to second at 2500 RPM (~15 MPH), but I'll follow the other shifting speeds/points. Looks like a 15 MPH shifting guide. Shift to second at 15, third at 30, fourth at 45, fifth at 55. Easy to remember. :-P

Hmmm, interesting, but in a way, makes sense. And you got an EA82? I'll be getting a new axle this weekend hopefully, and if I do, I'll try later shifts. Seems like since I've been uping my RPMs a bit, I've gotten worse mileage. But once the engine gets in its "comfortable region," maybe it is most efficient? I'll try once I get the axle.

Can't really explain your problem.... :/ But I will say that I hope it's nothing severe. Just before Easter, my EA81 started overheating and the radiator was overflowing and bubbling and whatnot. Couldn't drive more than 10 minutes before it happened. The coolant didn't have a "clay" look or feel to it, but it obviously had oil mixed in it. Turned out my head/block was cracked. Might not help you much, but it's just my two cents. Hopefully it's not as severe for you and you can get it fixed. For me it worked out in the end, since I got a newer, better Subaru. But still....

Again, totally understand that these engines like the higher revs and I'm not "pleasing" it. Again, if I hurt the engine, it's my fault and you can say you told me so, haha. But I mean, like people say, these are durable engines, and when they designed it, they should take into account that there will be people that drive it at lower RPMs. Like an old lady looking for a grocery getter or someone who doesn't know jack squat about cars and could care less about operating it in it's normal range. So I can't be killing the engine too quickly. Then again, it's got a quarter of a million miles, so it's seen its day. And I don't think many people that fall into the two groups I just mentioned would buy a 5-speed. It's just I don't feel like I'm pushing the engine, which I think should be made more apparent. I do notice myself, thanks to you and others commenting, shifting a bit higher at ~2750 RPM, but still not really high enough. :-p

I understand what you're saying about dogging the engine and whatnot. On my mom's '99 Ford Explorer, the automatic transmissions shifts up WAY too early. You can just feel the engine dying as you push the gas harder to get it to shift down. You also have to keep in mind, I'm not driving fast. I'm driving like an old man. If I put my foot farther down, I'll definitely kick the RPM's up. But I'm only putting my foot down the first 25% or so of the pedal movement. At a point, the RPMs stop increasing and just stay where they are, until you give it more gas. These aren't correct numbers, but park, put it in neutral, and give it say 25% gas and hold it. The RPMs will climb to 3500 (again, might not be right, as I've never tried), and it'll stay there. You have to push the gas more to rev it more. So, basically, that's what I'm doing on the road. Not giving it enough gas to get up to those engine speeds. I know what dogging the engine feels like, because, like I said, the Explorer does it all the time. You give it more gas, can hear the engine work harder, but you don't go any faster. Just like being in a higher-than-necessary gear when riding your bike. But at these lower engine speeds, it feels and sounds just fine. If I put it in fifth gear at 30 MPH and give it gas, then yes, it definitely feels like I'm dogging it. Again, if I put my foot down more, I'll definitely shift later. But again, my focus is on fuel economy. I had actually miscalculated my MPGs. I actually am getting ~33 MPG, which is higher than what multiple websites say this car gets. And still keep in mind half those miles were done with an extra ~500 lbs in the car.

Looked at it, and I really don't know if I wanna do it. I'll probably go to the Pick-N-Pull since there are two '90 Loyales there and if I can get the axle out of one of 'em, then I can probably put it in my car.

Sucks you are far away.... I mean, it looks simple, but at the same time, difficult. Not too worried about the CV joint near the wheel, but the inner connection to the transmission. Especially putting the new axle in. Looks like it be a pain to get to.

Yeah, it took me that long to get to 60 since I had my family in the car, 5 wheels in the trunk, and I was taking it easy. I really have a bad (or good) habit of preferring fuel economy over performance. I usually shift at about 2300-2500 RPM, which in the next gear drops to 1500-1800. So far I have tons of fun with it, taking it easy. I don't really want to push it too hard, especially until I get a new right front halfshaft. The inner and outer CV boots are torn, and the previous owner's mechanic said the actual axle is bad. So I gotta sell some stuff and buy the axle, then make the money for the mechanic's costs. I'd replace it myself, but I don't have the tools and don't wanna mess anything up. Sucks about your GL wagon 86gl-10trbosdn. I don't want anyone to drive this. My sister wants to drive it to practice driving a stick, but I don't want her to mess up my transmission or burn my clutch. She drove my GL and was grinding gears and whatnot. This is too nice to let her beat up.... In terms of mods, I probably won't do much. Like I said, I want to replace the axle before I even go offroad. I still took my GL offroading with a torn boot, but this axle is so much worse. I gotta get it fixed. Then after I do, I only will take it on some easy trails. Not major offroading. So no mods really needed. I do like seeing these wagons all souped up with offroading stuff though. But again, I have to drive 60 miles a day just for school, so fuel economy is quite important to me. A lift kit, bigger tires, roof basket, etc. won't help that much, haha. And like I said before, I keep my RPMs between 1500 and 2500. On the freeway at 60 MPH, they're at 2750 in fifth gear, which is good for me. I think between 1500 and 2500 is best power and efficiency, at least for my uses. Once I get that axle, I might open her up more. So I just crunched the numbers so far. Turns out that in ~263 miles, I've consumed ~10 gallons of fuel, which relates to ~26.3 MPG. Not bad, especially considering at least half of those miles were driving with my family in the car and/or with 5 wheels/tires in the trunk. That's 1 more MPG than I was getting with my GL on average with only myself in the car.

Sam, welcome to the forums and the Subaru "cult." Hopefully your Legacy will last a while, especially with those high miles. But yeah, great, cheap cars. You'll love being a Subaru owner!

I like it! Not a huge fan of other makes of cars, but I like this, especially with the EJ. It'll look really cool with it all fixed up and "restored." Way too much work for me though.

I don't think I'd try to reach those speeds, haha. It took me about a mile to reach 60 MPH, but then again, my family was in the car and I had those five wheels/tires in the trunk. But yeah, it is a lot better than my GL, especially as the GL had an exhaust leak, missing vacuum lines, severe hesitation when accelerating, grinding gears, etc. The fuel injection is great! I went offroading in my GL once in the snow and got stuck on this hill. Stalled it a few times and almost flooded the carburetor. And yes, I hate pumping, haha. Hopefully I won't get pulled over... I doubt I will, haha. And yes, I'm surprised at how clean it is. Get a new headlight and windshield, and a paint job, and it'll look great! Oh, and change those pedals. Saw some pedals at Fred Meyer for ~$10 I think. Might buy those if they work.

Wow, 90-horsepower! I need to get on down to the drag strip. Again, thanks for the tires. It'll get me to and from school safely. Great cars for learning. I learned how to drive stick and how engines and stuff work with my '81 GL. Now I'm just slowly moving up to more complicated cars. I have a feeling I'll be pulled over someday for going under the speed limit, especially on a steep hill. My GL got me to and from school every day (~60 miles round trip), and hopefully this Loyale will be that loyal.

It is an EA82? I know the general setup between these engines, but I don't know the difference between 'em. Well, in that case, how much horsepower does the EA82 produce? Just curious, haha. Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have said the A/C works. I didn't really try it. But even if it doesn't work, I like the windows rolled down better anyways, especially in a manual. The previous owner did say it leaks a bit of oil, which I'm used to with my old GL. Lots of coolant in there right now, but I'll keep an eye on that. I always check my fluids every week. Just right now I'm dealing with the power steering.

So, yesterday I got myself a red 1990 Loyale wagon. I gotta say, I'm loving it! I had to watch my '81 GL wagon get towed away on Easter, which was sad, but I think I like this wagon better. I thought I'd just post details and pictures about so you all can see. Sorry if it's boring. So I bought this baby for $825, which I think was a steal. It's a 5-speed and has the EJ18 motor in it, which I like much better than the EA81 in my GL. It's got the push button 4WD, which is really nice. There are over 250,000 miles, which is a lot for other cars, but not for a Subaru. It's running great! It's got $500 worth of new exhaust on it, so it's nice and quiet. Shifts great through all five gears and reverse, and the clutch is still good. A couple months before my GL got towed away, I had bought a new Interstate battery, which I've transferred over, so I've got lots of electrical power. Alternator charges the battery great. All the lights work, and no cracked lenses or anything. Body is in decent shape, but there is some rust here and there and a few minor dents. Interior is in GREAT shape! I didn't have to clean it at all! Back seats are ripped a bit, but nothing major. Heat and A/C work well, just the fan only blows at the lowest speed until you push and hold the speed selector knob. Clock and oil pressure gauge don't work, and unless the EJ18 motor runs really cool, I'd say the temperature gauge reads a little low. Clutch and brakes are good, but some idiot put some racing pedals or something on the brake and clutch. Normally I wouldn't mind, but whenever you take your foot off the clutch, it creeks, which is annoying. Power steering works, but it might have a leak. I topped it off with fluid that has a sealant in it, but I will have to wait and see if it leaks. The passenger side inner and outer CV boot is torn, so I'll need to get that replaced soon. Will probably go by a Pick-N-Pull and see if I can find anything. Parking brake was weak, but I tightened that up no problem. When I bought it, my right rear tire would go flat really fast, and another tire was not far behind. Today I just picked up four wheels/tires and a spare from Ben, AKA "tractor pole" for $30. Tread is good on two tires but pretty bald on the other two, but otherwise they're good until winter. Put those wheels on and now I can drive with confidence. Thanks Ben! Windshield has two cracks in it and two rock chip things in it, so it's probably illegal, but I'll replace the windshield when I get a fix-it ticket. My passenger headlight is pretty dirty, but still works great. I'll either clean it or get a new light, but it's not on the top of my list for things to do. I am going to get some Washington plates, since it has Montana plates. Oh, and one really cool thing about this car is I have the original manual, brochure, and warranty information from the guy who first bought it from the dealership in 1990 in Wyoming. Yeah, I may have bored you already. Sorry, haha. I just wanna post on here more and show off my new car. You guys here are the only people I know that see the good parts in these cars. All my friends in person only see that bad things about my wagons. Always making fun that someone has probably smoked pot in 'em or something. That is probably true on this car, as I bought it from a couple of hippies. So yeah, I just wanna post more on here. I might make a video of this car when I have more time, but until then, just pictures. The last picture is of when I was changing the tires/wheels. There's also the picture of the pedals, the racing pedals.

Happy Easter to everyone else, from Sammamish, WA! I didn't have a happy Easter as I just watched my '81 GL wagon being towed away behind a tow truck on its way to the junk yard. LOVED that car, but the stupid head(s)s/cylinder(s) were cracked. Nothing I can do but put the $350 I got from it towards a second car (the Subie was my first car).