Whitestorm Posted January 26, 2019 Share Posted January 26, 2019 Hello everybody! First time Subaru owner here. I just picked up an 1986 XT Turbo 4x4 complete with the digital dash! Aside from one patch of floor pan rust and the typical rust on the front left subframe, the underbody is pretty minty. Car is straight with the exception of some damage in the front right corner. I still need to figure out fixing the popup on that side, but I just ordered the last new passenger side fender in North America! (Sorry! ) Aside from the dashboard being mincemeat the interior is pretty mint too, not a single rip in the seats, original floor mats, fully functioning dashboard. Radio is dead but I'll take a look at it. Only major problem with the car is she has a wee bit of rod knock and she hates warm starts. She also doesn't like idling after letting off the throttle too quick. My bets are either the IAC or the coolant temp sensor. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with her yet but my ultimate goal is a rotary swap. However since that would be very very expensive, right now I'm heavily considering a B swap! But that's for another post . Unlike many (seemingly) of the other new XT owners, this will absolutely not be a rally car but instead a clean street car. It may be some years before the word "clean" can apply but who knows! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyeights Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Congrats! I have always liked the XT's. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Welcome to the forum! With the knock, it’s definitely knock and not lift tick (aka the tick of death or TOD but it’s actually harmless). Cheers Bennie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitestorm Posted January 27, 2019 Author Share Posted January 27, 2019 7 hours ago, el_freddo said: Welcome to the forum! With the knock, it’s definitely knock and not lift tick (aka the tick of death or TOD but it’s actually harmless). Cheers Bennie Oh I definitely have lifter tick too, the engine practically sounds like a sewing machine lol! Reason why I'm looking into an engine swap is because I realllly don't want to keep the EA82T! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 1 hour ago, Whitestorm said: Oh I definitely have lifter tick too, the engine practically sounds like a sewing machine lol! Reason why I'm looking into an engine swap is because I realllly don't want to keep the EA82T! That’s fair enough whitestorm, I’ve ditched mine for an EJ22. A wrx engine and box basically bolts into one of these. Custom tail shaft and gear linkages are needed and a cut down wiring loom. But overall it’s a pretty easy conversion. Cheers Bennie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 Looks like either an 85 or 86. I just happen to have a blue steering column cover if interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitestorm Posted January 27, 2019 Author Share Posted January 27, 2019 (edited) 34 minutes ago, el_freddo said: That’s fair enough whitestorm, I’ve ditched mine for an EJ22. A wrx engine and box basically bolts into one of these. Custom tail shaft and gear linkages are needed and a cut down wiring loom. But overall it’s a pretty easy conversion. Cheers Bennie I'm looking into swapping some non-subaru engine into it but I may end up going with an EJ just because of how much more simple it would be! How much did you swap cost you? If you don't mind me asking. I'm not super familiar with Subaru engines, especially when it comes to their prices lol. 33 minutes ago, john in KY said: Looks like either an 85 or 86. I just happen to have a blue steering column cover if interested. Yup its an '86 so you're right on the money! I got lucky with the interior, only parts I need is the trim around the radio and a new left control pod (or at least the plastic housing). My dash is basically nonexistent due to cracking but I'll get some foam and re-wrap it or something like that! Also to those that know these cars, was the sunroof an option or standard? I was amazed at how big it is on such a little car. Edited January 27, 2019 by Whitestorm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Don't know if it was an option but my 85 had one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 4 hours ago, Whitestorm said: Also to those that know these cars, was the sunroof an option or standard? I was amazed at how big it is on such a little car. I think its standard on XT Turbos but not the nonturbos. But I’m not positive, but it seems to be the case The optional XT6 sunroof was different too, it doesn’t come out but rather retracts and/or lifts up and is smaller so I’d guess the very rare optional roof is different than the standard one as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_freddo Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 @Whitestorm - no worries in asking. My conversion was done over ten years ago and it’s still running sweet. And I reckon mine is on the cheaper side as I took my time to do some research as to what I wanted/needed. I purchased parts when sales were on at the parts yards. I also put my L gearbox in the front EJ cases to avoid an adaptor plate and EA flywheel/clutch setup. All up, I probably came in at $1200AU. This was spent over a 12 month period with all work carried out by myself. That’s an educated guess. It could be less. Actually, this is what I remember: engine $125 - 50% sale loom donated ecu slipped in with the engine gearbox $175. Had an ea box spare. Mods = my time. New seals ?? timing belt ~$250 rear seal $30 efi pump $150 efi rated rubber fuel hose ~$50 (18 months later after lift came) exhaust 2.25inch cat back $450. Seems I was about accurate not including odds and ends like male/female spade connectors, aftermarket fuse panel, loom wrap and tape... all prices are in Australian dollars no doubt your market will be different and I’m sure thing’s will have changed somewhat since my conversion. And what I’ve done isn’t the only way to do it - others will have experience to share and there’s are already many threads about it on the forum I’m about to crack into the same thing for my brumby soon. Just waiting to hear from the engineer Cheers Bennie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitestorm Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 On 1/28/2019 at 4:01 AM, el_freddo said: @Whitestorm - no worries in asking. My conversion was done over ten years ago and it’s still running sweet. And I reckon mine is on the cheaper side as I took my time to do some research as to what I wanted/needed. I purchased parts when sales were on at the parts yards. I also put my L gearbox in the front EJ cases to avoid an adaptor plate and EA flywheel/clutch setup. All up, I probably came in at $1200AU. This was spent over a 12 month period with all work carried out by myself. That’s an educated guess. It could be less. Actually, this is what I remember: engine $125 - 50% sale loom donated ecu slipped in with the engine gearbox $175. Had an ea box spare. Mods = my time. New seals ?? timing belt ~$250 rear seal $30 efi pump $150 efi rated rubber fuel hose ~$50 (18 months later after lift came) exhaust 2.25inch cat back $450. Seems I was about accurate not including odds and ends like male/female spade connectors, aftermarket fuse panel, loom wrap and tape... all prices are in Australian dollars no doubt your market will be different and I’m sure thing’s will have changed somewhat since my conversion. And what I’ve done isn’t the only way to do it - others will have experience to share and there’s are already many threads about it on the forum I’m about to crack into the same thing for my brumby soon. Just waiting to hear from the engineer Cheers Bennie Wow thanks for the great little writeup! I've been doing a lot of research on swapping a B series in but I don't think I can get the engine to spin backwards (Honda engines spin counterclockwise...) without spending a lot of money. I could do a K swap but then the engine cost is much higher (plus the adapters needed). So until I have enough money to rotary swap it I think I'll keep a Subaru engine in it lol! EG33 is my favorite subie engine and I know its been done before so I think that's what Ill end up doing. Theres certainly a little bit more work involved but I'll do it for that amazing sound. EJ would be the simplest (probably smartest too) and if your swap is anything to go by nowadays, pretty affordable too. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkyboy Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Congrats on the find bro! Cool! She has the 85 premiers too? Dope! Factory Subaru 4x140 alloys are a tough find these days! I am also the proud owner of an 85 xt turbo, she's a sweetheart! If you saw the rotary swapped xt that was rally racing on YouTube, that dudes an animal, and if turbo, you have to go without a hood, or cut a blasphemous hole! So don't go that route unless you love rotary that much, but slammed rwd rotary xt? Hells yea! But for ease and low cost go ej swap, I did it on my 86gl and don't regret it for a second! The cost was almost negligible, I found a $500 donor 95 leggo. I'm ej swapping mine someday. And slamming her as lower than low. Did you know that the car on the digi dash was designed by Atari? And the prototype (acx ii) had a printer? And first production car with a CD player? Mercedes? No. 1985 Subaru xt, before most people even had cds! Have you seen the guy with the LS6 tt in his xt? Ridiculous! But there is an annual gathering of xts (og years only, no bs outback xts) at the tail of the dragon, so we'll team up to pass him, while the sti swapped guys wait on the turbo lag, we'll get that 7,000 rpm ea82t thrash to the top! Lol Cheers man, happy wrenching! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitestorm Posted February 5, 2019 Author Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) 7 hours ago, sparkyboy said: Congrats on the find bro! Cool! She has the 85 premiers too? Dope! Factory Subaru 4x140 alloys are a tough find these days! I am also the proud owner of an 85 xt turbo, she's a sweetheart! If you saw the rotary swapped xt that was rally racing on YouTube, that dudes an animal, and if turbo, you have to go without a hood, or cut a blasphemous hole! So don't go that route unless you love rotary that much, but slammed rwd rotary xt? Hells yea! But for ease and low cost go ej swap, I did it on my 86gl and don't regret it for a second! The cost was almost negligible, I found a $500 donor 95 leggo. I'm ej swapping mine someday. And slamming her as lower than low. Did you know that the car on the digi dash was designed by Atari? And the prototype (acx ii) had a printer? And first production car with a CD player? Mercedes? No. 1985 Subaru xt, before most people even had cds! Have you seen the guy with the LS6 tt in his xt? Ridiculous! But there is an annual gathering of xts (og years only, no bs outback xts) at the tail of the dragon, so we'll team up to pass him, while the sti swapped guys wait on the turbo lag, we'll get that 7,000 rpm ea82t thrash to the top! Lol Cheers man, happy wrenching! So much info ahhhh! Didn't know these wheels were rare! I thought they were hubcaps actually until I took a closer look at them lol. And yeah I'd love to have a turbo rotary with the Subie tranny still attached for AWD power! I think the guy who did his had a hole cut for the carbeurator/intake no? He was using the old 12a engine I think, from the 1st gen. Idk that idea's realization won't be for quuuuite some some lol. EJ is definitely the smartest move, affordable and easy to come by, I love everything about the EG33 though! I never knew the dash was an Atari design so that's super freaking cool, makes sense too when you look at it. And good god no I don't know about an LS swapped XT. That's bloody insane I love it! I've found the problem with the XT community is how tight it is with very very few pics or videos making it to the interwebs. I bet there is a lot more activity on Facebook no? Maybe its time I finally get one. Other problem is you search Subaru XT and get the Forester XT ugggg. I have seen the TOTD meet and I'd love to go. Bit of a hike from NY though! There's a yellow XT there with a black hood that's super sexual, but I can't find any good pics of it Edited February 5, 2019 by Whitestorm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkyboy Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) What a way to get into old subes, quite possibly the best! 85-87 also have the much more desirable flat bumpers. 88-91 guys swap them, if you see it call them on it, cause the tail light is different (sube symbol in the middle) too bad these don't have the headlight actuators with the knob like 80s firebirds, I like your car is winking, I would do that at shows! Eg33 with a turbo will definitely smash! Just a na ej22 made my GL so much faster and easier to live with! 81 factory hp from the factory? Not even adequate for most of us in the US. 135 hp dosen't sound like much, but it's a 63% increase and ej parts grow on trees. My GL will murder my Camaro drag racing! Lol! This forum has a number of old school sube experts, and seems to be the most active, there is a subaru xt only forum, but it's broken last I checked. I never got into Facebook myself...you get better google results if you put a year first. Take her to a show and wait for the confused looks and "what the hell is this car?" And a few guys will say cool! An old Subaru xt! My goal this summer would be the suspension work and take apart the ea82 to see if she's mortally wounded (cylinder heads cracking between exh ports is the number one killer). If not, reseal and thrash! And a nice coat of black primer Eventually a ej22 with turbo add on I understand an na engine can be low boosted with no mods! The ecu can handle about 10 psi I've read...no need for megasquirt and honestly probably enough to start breaking things or too squirrely to keep her on the road! I have everything already...hehe so if the ea82 is broken swap time! And free ea parts! Welcome to the old school subaru family man. We're worldwide here, the Russians and aussies think they are nuttier than us Americans, but i beg to differ! There is a guy in Alaska like Subaru survivor man, pouring water into the intake to check valve seals - works, but dunno how, haha! Oh and did you name yours yet? Mine is Ghost The thing i love about subaru, is that they seemed to be the most experimental in the 80s. Everyone was all coked out and weird to begin with back then, but Japan always takes the cake cause they love not making any damn sense and making an assymetrical steering wheel shaped like a gun? And the door handles by the feet? 3 f**king D digital dash? Wtf dude this really happened, look! Haha! They let their freak flag fly with the xt and there is nothing like it! The only time I was more proud of an auto company being themselves was when in 75 the govt. mandated the 5mph bumpers, so for the 73 model year the camaro was available with half a bumper (the infamous split bumper that is beautiful, but copied far too much) American muscle will always be the coolest cars hands down, the man hated them! But nothing so beautiful and powerful since then... And yea the bastardization of once proud names is extreme here and makes me sick...be ready when you tell someone 86 xt and they ask "oh outback or forester?" You're a weirdo now, embrace it. Can't blame them for not knowing about a car that will always look like it's from the future somehow...haha! Chevrolet Malibu maxx SS anyone? U kidding me? Subaru sucks after 96 (engines) and 94 (bodies) with few exception, like the 98 2.5 rs...pretty body, but everyone got that as the wrx while we got that ugly frog face bug eye one...wtf? And I'm in Colorado so the tail is a bit of a drive for me too, but i understand the West coast Subaru show is like mecca, so suit up man! We'll roll together from CO in a F'n xt convoy! I'll need two friends for my 86 and 88 GLs to go to that show! I'm for real man, within a few years at the most! My GLs, the baby lion and Skye. The red has the ej22. https://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/165601-xtv8-build/?tab=comments#comment-1374305 Edited February 6, 2019 by sparkyboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitestorm Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 On 2/5/2019 at 5:13 PM, sparkyboy said: What a way to get into old subes, quite possibly the best! 85-87 also have the much more desirable flat bumpers. 88-91 guys swap them, if you see it call them on it, cause the tail light is different (sube symbol in the middle) too bad these don't have the headlight actuators with the knob like 80s firebirds, I like your car is winking, I would do that at shows! Eg33 with a turbo will definitely smash! Just a na ej22 made my GL so much faster and easier to live with! 81 factory hp from the factory? Not even adequate for most of us in the US. 135 hp dosen't sound like much, but it's a 63% increase and ej parts grow on trees. My GL will murder my Camaro drag racing! Lol! This forum has a number of old school sube experts, and seems to be the most active, there is a subaru xt only forum, but it's broken last I checked. I never got into Facebook myself...you get better google results if you put a year first. Take her to a show and wait for the confused looks and "what the hell is this car?" And a few guys will say cool! An old Subaru xt! My goal this summer would be the suspension work and take apart the ea82 to see if she's mortally wounded (cylinder heads cracking between exh ports is the number one killer). If not, reseal and thrash! And a nice coat of black primer Eventually a ej22 with turbo add on I understand an na engine can be low boosted with no mods! The ecu can handle about 10 psi I've read...no need for megasquirt and honestly probably enough to start breaking things or too squirrely to keep her on the road! I have everything already...hehe so if the ea82 is broken swap time! And free ea parts! Welcome to the old school subaru family man. We're worldwide here, the Russians and aussies think they are nuttier than us Americans, but i beg to differ! There is a guy in Alaska like Subaru survivor man, pouring water into the intake to check valve seals - works, but dunno how, haha! Oh and did you name yours yet? Mine is Ghost The thing i love about subaru, is that they seemed to be the most experimental in the 80s. Everyone was all coked out and weird to begin with back then, but Japan always takes the cake cause they love not making any damn sense and making an assymetrical steering wheel shaped like a gun? And the door handles by the feet? 3 f**king D digital dash? Wtf dude this really happened, look! Haha! They let their freak flag fly with the xt and there is nothing like it! The only time I was more proud of an auto company being themselves was when in 75 the govt. mandated the 5mph bumpers, so for the 73 model year the camaro was available with half a bumper (the infamous split bumper that is beautiful, but copied far too much) American muscle will always be the coolest cars hands down, the man hated them! But nothing so beautiful and powerful since then... And yea the bastardization of once proud names is extreme here and makes me sick...be ready when you tell someone 86 xt and they ask "oh outback or forester?" You're a weirdo now, embrace it. Can't blame them for not knowing about a car that will always look like it's from the future somehow...haha! Chevrolet Malibu maxx SS anyone? U kidding me? Subaru sucks after 96 (engines) and 94 (bodies) with few exception, like the 98 2.5 rs...pretty body, but everyone got that as the wrx while we got that ugly frog face bug eye one...wtf? And I'm in Colorado so the tail is a bit of a drive for me too, but i understand the West coast Subaru show is like mecca, so suit up man! We'll roll together from CO in a F'n xt convoy! I'll need two friends for my 86 and 88 GLs to go to that show! I'm for real man, within a few years at the most! My GLs, the baby lion and Skye. The red has the ej22. https://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/165601-xtv8-build/?tab=comments#comment-1374305 Dude you sound EXACTLY like the guy I bought my car off of, minus the fact that you know stuff about the platform lmao! My car is actually from Colorado and I had it shipped over here earlier this month! Not sure on a name yet but I'll have the think of one. I can't wait to take her over 200k miles (only about 500 away) then she can enter the second phase of her life haha. And yeah man I'm pumped to be apart of this old community, can't wait to show up at Subie meets and blow everybody's mind with the car they've never heard of lol. I have a friend with a spare EJ22 longblock so maybe I should just go that route lol! Of course the other day I found out the the EG33 will really easily spit flames with an exhaust sooooooo that got me convinced lmao. I agree one the production of this car, everything about it is just absolutely wild and its amazing to think that it actually made it into production! The closest thing I could think of is the Starion which is also on my to-buy list I'm DEFINITELY keeping an eye on that V8 swap some of the things the dude was saying was WILD and for the most part I agree with him. I love performance cars that keep the original feel, So aside from maybe a few small things inside, my interior is DEFINITELY staying as it is. The exterior will have some very slight modifications over time but nothing that would take away from the car. Nice wagons by the way! I would have sprung for a GL-10 wagon since I can actually get those around here but my 240 satisfies my wagon needs right now and its RWD too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkyboy Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 (edited) DUDE!! I saw that car! Cheers on that bro I'm glad she went to a good home and the name will come naturally, my mom named my blue GL! My xt is named after the pepper, cause i was in a food naming phase, a 1978 chevy g30 rv named noodle, an e34 wagon named pickle, and my beloved xt ghost And tell your friend jack move on the ej22! Edited February 7, 2019 by sparkyboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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