1977 4WD

[dziuggy]

Hey guys! I just picked up 1977 4WD wagon. It is california car without rust, seems to be original paint and interior. Odometer is 8900, but might be 108.

 

It started and drives, but front drivers side wheel make a lot of noise grinding and clicking (cv shafts and bearings?). Is there a repair manual online? 

 

I got it through the auction so it has lien sale papers and I need to smog it,does anyone has advise on CA smog? i believe subaru did not have catalytic converters right?

 

I want to keep the car, but need to make sure it is not huge pain to to repair / register. If I can't get it smogged I might consider selling.

 

any advice recommended. Here is few pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

[spicypeanut]

Hello fellow Californian. Grats on the new find first of all. In going through the hassle of getting my 78 snogged, the car originally shouldn't have come with cats. That said, I would rebuild the carb, have it tuned and see if it passes. If you can't get it to pass, just have a cat installed by a local exhaust shop.

[75subie]

if you decide to sell the car as-is please let me know. Will be in California early to mid May. Sent you a message. I miss my 76 wagon. Jon

[DaveT]

I had a 76 like that one, except only 2 headlights. And a 78 that was blue. 2 of the simplest and most reliable cars ever owned.

 

Your noises are probably the cv shaft. That old out there, might need seals for the wheel bearings.

 

The bearings are standard ball bearings, any industrial bearing supply place will have them if car parts places don't carry them.

[kookeyes]

Nice Sube. I had one very similar in the late 80's ( 1979,same color, luggage rack and spoiler, I guess you call it),  but I had a 2 eyed 2wd model. Loved the car, but had two rounds of cv joint clicking issues, once when I bought it and a few years later before I traded it in. Nostalgia found me buying another one last year (79 blue 2wd automatic). Too cheap and in too good of shape to pass up. One CV axle will need to be replaced as the boot is torn and beginning to click on turns, so a common issue to these models, I guess.

 

Found a weird listing on Craigslist about this car. Calling a beloved Gen 1 "worthless" is heresy in my book, but wondering what's up with this ad? Sour grapes, maybe?

 

 https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/6095140459.html

 

Good luck on the car. It's a beauty. Hopefully inexpensive to fix the drive problem . I just bought a new cv axle on Ebay for 60 bucks. Doesn't look to complicated to replace.

[dziuggy]

Nice Sube. I had one very similar in the late 80's ( 1979,same color, luggage rack and spoiler, I guess you call it),  but I had a 2 eyed 2wd model. Loved the car, but had two rounds of cv joint clicking issues, once when I bought it and a few years later before I traded it in. Nostalgia found me buying another one last year (79 blue 2wd automatic). Too cheap and in too good of shape to pass up. One CV axle will need to be replaced as the boot is torn and beginning to click on turns, so a common issue to these models, I guess.

 

Found a weird listing on Craigslist about this car. Calling a beloved Gen 1 "worthless" is heresy in my book, but wondering what's up with this ad? Sour grapes, maybe?

 

 https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/6095140459.html

 

Good luck on the car. It's a beauty. Hopefully inexpensive to fix the drive problem . I just bought a new cv axle on Ebay for 60 bucks. Doesn't look to complicated to replace.

 

 

Lol nice find, yes I bought at the auction fully intending on keeping it, but my wife is not having it so I put in on craigslist to see what happens. And got a call from the guy who was at the auction complaining that he wanted car for himself and he thought I wanted it for myself, so he didn't bid on it..... and now he is mad ... etc.

 

So I can only assume that is him, could care less though some people have nothing to do, that is fine with me. Car is on ebay at the moment we will see what happens, if I can talk my wife into keeping it I will though.

 

thanks for your replies!

 

 

Also one wheel was loose a bit and made noise after I have tightened it it runs nice now, just some clicking when turning (cv).

 

Only issue I am having now is hard starts when car is cold, it can take 5 minutes before it starts, i'm thinking fuel pump? There is no choke right? Once it starts it runs great. When you turn on you can hear pump? or something running in the front (passenger side) not sure if it is related. Any ideas about that?

 

regards!!

 

Ziggy

Edited April 28, 2017 by dziuggy