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I'll Try my Best to Shorten this Very Long Story: Today, I Was Drivin' my Weberized "BumbleBeast" Wagon in the Parking Lot of a Huge Shoppin' Mall, when an Old Gentleman Started to Yell at me: "Stop!, Hey You Stop!" ... ... He Took me by Surprise and I Was about to Park my Wagon nearby, so I Did it and the old man approached Saying: "...That's a Really Beautiful Old Subaru you Have..." and he Started to ask me Questions about How did I manage to Fit Those "Standard" wheels in my Subie, also about the Engine's Deep & Loud Sound; Very Kindly I explained some Details... "Weber Carb, I Knew it!" he Said... Long Story Short: He accompanied me to do my errands while we were Talking about Old Subarus for almost the whole afternoon... even we ate lunch Together. He said that He was the Master Mechanic at the Local Subaru Dealer's Repair Shop Long time Ago (Late 1970's to Late 1980's) and he had the opportunity to go in 1983 to FHi in Japan for Training Purposes. Also he Said that at the Training's end, the Japaneses took the Students for a some sort of "Tour" around their Factories, including their Research & Development areas; he saw some Prototypes and some Engines; also some sort of museum and many other Things... He Said that the Third Gen Subaru Leone (Usually Known here as "Loyale" or EA82) was ready to be sold since 1983 but the Japaneses wanted a New Engine to suit the New Car before Launch it Worldwide. Well, Looking to the Subaru's History, you can Confirm the date of the first prototype of that Model... ...they were in the Development of the New Engine for that car; He said that they originally wanted to have a 2.0L Engine to be their "Top of the Line" propulsion for that Model, and the Developments were going on that Way, having the USA Market on Mind as their First Costumer who demanded \ wanted / needed more power from their compact cars. They Already got the EA81 that was a 1.8L engine so, to Make a Newer EA Engine with the Same Displacement does not make any Sense, Right? But their Problems were two: First the SOA's Old Campaign that sounded since 1975: 'Inexpensive, and built to stay that way' broke part of their enthusiasm as the Bigger Displacement engine would Killed the "Stay inexpensive" Idea by increasing Fuel Consumption numbers in EPA charts and somehow increasing import taxes... And Second: the EA Engine Design Platform was Pushed somehow to its Limits... especially with the addition of a Turbo as they where already selling Turbo MPFi versions of the EA81 in Japan since late 1982. So, the Japaneses downgraded the Prototype EA91 engine by destroking it, and Built the EA82 as we Know it, Basically Their novelty was limited to the implementation of Timing Belts ... ... and using the SOHC designation which was in fashion, along with the "Turbo" word, on the 80's. The Old Man Shared many more Stories with me, but the one about the 2.0L EA engine in the Original Prototypes (Codenamed EA91) of the Third Gen Leone, was the Most interesting to Share here... After some errands together and an awesome lunch time, we've talked for hours, He Left the Place with a Big Smile in his Face, going to do what I Did with my Subaru "BumbleBeast": to Change the 4x140 Lug Pattern, redrilling the hubs to let fit "Standard" 4x114.3 wheels on his Old Subaru Leone... Kind Regards.
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