Jump to content
Ultimate Subaru Message Board

Which EA body style do I have?


Recommended Posts

I've been trying to find a definitive answer to this for a few weeks now: I have a 1987 Subaru GL 2-door Hatchback with a stock EA71 1.6L and 4WD hi/low and FWD. I've seen one person refer to the year of car dictating whether it's an EA71/81/82, but haven't found anything to confirm this. According to my VIN it has a 1.8, the 1600 badge and stock motor would say otherwise.

So, does all this mean I have an EA81 body style? And is this not a Leone?

Need to replace all shocks/struts and drill hubs to accept 6 lug with 26.3" tires. Would like to use struts that would give me a little more travel so I can get away with only a 2" body lift. If I have to stick with stock front strut the lift on the front is the main reason I need to know if it's an EA81. Gotta get that angle right. I have the 3 bolt strut mount.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Edited by HatchBrat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 Bolt front strut? That’s ea82 struts. Rear end should be a coilover strut if it’s ea82. 

 

I thought all hatches were EA81 style. But EA81 has a two bolt front strut and shocks in the rear. EA81 also has quad lights or dual lights with headlight surrounds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How do you know the engine is stock? If it's got a 3 bolt strut, and it's an 87 then it's a 3 door coupe. 

The STD hatch wouldn't have a 1600 badge, and in 87, a STD hatch wouldn't have a dual range. In fact nothing EVER came with a 1600 and a dual range that I'm aware of. The 4 speed D/R came out in 81 and was only ever equipped on 1800 engines. 

This is probably an 87 carbed 3-door coupe, with a 5 speed D/R that someone swapped in an EA71 and stuck a badge on it. 

GD

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Post some pictures.

 

Generally, we refer to the EA81 body style as a hatchback:

121617-1985-Subaru-GL-1-630x420.jpg

 

And EA82 as a coupe, even though they both have 2 doors and a rear hatch:

Subaru_GL_front_20080404.jpg

These overlapped '85-'88 in the US. AFAIK, neither was available with the 1.6 during those years, certainly not with dual-range 4WD. Is it a 4- or 5-speed?

 

3 bolt front struts is EA82. But not impossible to modify that. Just like the EA71 and 1600 badge.

Edited by Numbchux
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Numbchux said:

Post some pictures.
Generally, we refer to the EA81 body style as a hatchback:
And EA82 as a coupe, even though they both have 2 doors and a rear hatch:
These overlapped '85-'88 in the US. AFAIK, neither was available with the 1.6 during those years, certainly not with dual-range 4WD. Is it a 4- or 5-speed?
3 bolt front struts is EA82. But not impossible to modify that. Just like the EA71 and 1600 badge.

It is a 4-speed D/R

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, GeneralDisorder said:

How do you know the engine is stock? If it's got a 3 bolt strut, and it's an 87 then it's a 3 door coupe. 

The STD hatch wouldn't have a 1600 badge, and in 87, a STD hatch wouldn't have a dual range. In fact nothing EVER came with a 1600 and a dual range that I'm aware of. The 4 speed D/R came out in 81 and was only ever equipped on 1800 engines. 

This is probably an 87 carbed 3-door coupe, with a 5 speed D/R that someone swapped in an EA71 and stuck a badge on it. 

GD

You're right about the badge. The hatch was actually replaced. Just checked the block and it is in fact an EA81... *face palm.

Thanks everyone for all your input. Can finally get the gear I need.

Speaking of that, anyone have any good recommendations on aftermarket struts/shocks that will allow a little more travel and possible keep me from having to drop the strut mounts 2"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A word of advice.  Since there is overlap with EA81 and EA82 body styles that year, when ordering or looking up parts search instead for a '87 BRAT.  The running gear in the hatches and BRATS are mostly identical, and there will be no mixing up EA81 and 82 chassis, since there was no EA82 BRAT.

Just my 2 bucks

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, NV Zeno said:

A word of advice.  Since there is overlap with EA81 and EA82 body styles that year, when ordering or looking up parts search instead for a '87 BRAT.  The running gear in the hatches and BRATS are mostly identical, and there will be no mixing up EA81 and 82 chassis, since there was no EA82 BRAT.

Just my 2 bucks

Yep, I go so far as to look up an '83 or '84 Brat (or, when I need EA82 parts, '89), as that will eliminate almost any overlap with other models. I think there are a few trim changes, but for most parts, that should work.

Edited by Numbchux
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, NV Zeno said:

A word of advice.  Since there is overlap with EA81 and EA82 body styles that year, when ordering or looking up parts search instead for a '87 BRAT.  The running gear in the hatches and BRATS are mostly identical, and there will be no mixing up EA81 and 82 chassis, since there was no EA82 BRAT.

Just my 2 bucks

yup yup,

when ordering parts for my EA-71 1980 brat, i tell them it's a 78 or 79 brat just to avoid all the bs at the auto parts stores, im sure it's hell for 1984 and 1985 model years too, and 1989-1991.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, HatchBrat said:

You're right about the badge. The hatch was actually replaced. Just checked the block and it is in fact an EA81... *face palm.

Thanks everyone for all your input. Can finally get the gear I need.

Speaking of that, anyone have any good recommendations on aftermarket struts/shocks that will allow a little more travel and possible keep me from having to drop the strut mounts 2"?

Yep, definitely EA81.

Since the rear is just a shock, it's pretty easy to find a cheap longer-travel option. On the rear of my Brat, I'm running a Rough Country shock. It's easily been 10 years since I bought and installed them, but I'm pretty sure they were for a TJ, possibly lifted, and I think I used the Subaru bar pin (the pin through the bushing at the top of the shock) as the bolt spacing was narrower than the one on the jeep shock.

 

The front is much more unique, I don't know of anything even remotely bolt-on that would yield more travel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...