Uberoo Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 currently Ive been looking at ramchargers and such because I seem to have massive issues with headgaskets on subaru's.Mostly ive had proplems with cheap cars and expecting them to be perfect.What If I were willing to spend a fair chunk of change on an EA81 car.IE really nice,low miles,never been overheated,full service history,etc,etc. I am having this crazy idea floating in my head about a EA81 hatch or brat with the EA82 FI and farm type tires(massive lugs,low speed,massive traction) and a welded diff.Now I found a way to make tires happen but Im not sure if I can the hassle of what my subaru's have been all over again. My dad is so fed up with the subaru being alwas broke he has offered to get a nice reliable rig.Only catch is I dont work on it.(theres ways around that...just no engine internal work.swapping carb to FI is ok... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reveeen Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 There are 3 things that affect vehicle reliability: 1) age 2) how it is driven 3) modifications Any 20+ year old vehicle that you modify, and drive the crap out of, is going to have "issues", be it a Subaru, or a military deuce and a half 6X6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave valiant Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 You have headgasket issues so you want to go with an EA82? interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 no.I want to go with an EA81.The EA82 isnt worth its weight in aluminum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBush Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Maybe someone else just needs to be the one working on it? Maybe there's nothing wrong with the Subie's you had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 I was told not to get an ea81 because the wires become old and brittle over time. And there a pain in butt to fix. Lots of people have ea82s here and dont have head gasket problems unless there a turbo. Look under for sale for mountain griz might be what ur lookin for. ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reveeen Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Maybe someone else just needs to be the one working on it? Maybe there's nothing wrong with the Subie's you had. I once had a customer who I gave a poloroid camera to, and told him: that whenever something "messed up", he should get a picture taken of the stuff, and the folks involved, after he had a dozen such photographs he should compare them looking for the common factor in his "mess ups", and eliminate that factor. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott in Bellingham Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Ive never had much problem with a Subaru , Ive never blown a head gasket of broke a axle, 3 things to remember with any car, they dont like ran out of oil, they dont like too much heat and they dont like high RPM , :-p :-p:cool: :-p :cool: :cool: , I destroyed a new clutch because I didnt know how to drive, I have blown a head gasket on a chev LUV and a Mitssubishi pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 this is where Im stuck.I never have run a car out of oil,I dont rod the piss out of them.And yet the subarus get hot just in traffic and then blow headgaskets.My saab on the other hand other than minor things(like motor mounts) hassent really given me any trouble.In deed the warmist it has ever been was about 3/4 of the gauge and that was pulling a hill with a lot of throttle and 109*F ambiant temps.The subaru seems quite content to overheat in 60*F weather just in traffic.But then again the subies I driven were a $600 84 brat(that had been overheated before I bought it:dead: )and a $150 87 wagon that needed a water pump...I wonder if a $1500 subie with no issues would be alot better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 cars dont just overheat sitting in traffic. (I am not trying to badger you, I am trying to convince you not to leave the Dark Side :-p) They Overheat sitting in traffic one day, only after 15+ years of reliable service, and accumulation of god only knows what kind of crud in the cooling system, or possibly water pump issues, or for any one of a number of reasons. My understanding is, just about any Subaru, you NEED to watch your radiator pro-actively, and make sure it stays in good shape; it is a regular vehicle check type thing, not unlike checking oil level, tire pressure, belt tension.. these things get more obscure, and more ignored, the further down the spectrum you go. How many people in RWD cars actually change their rear diff oil? or even CHECK it? Anyhow, my point was not to badger you and imply ANYTHING; my point was to say that any EA82 or 81 should not be considered "reliable" unless: the radiator has been inspected, cleaned, flushed, checked with the hand test, and you have a dependable aftermarket temp gauge in the car; or, you have replaced the radiator, hoses, water pump, and thermostat. It has to be done periodically; ANY used car is a gamble unless you have documentation. However, you will still have to do it sooner or later; thats the used car game. Keep your eyes peeled for a good running subaru.. and buy it, along with new all of the above. THEN, if you still blow your headgaskets because of a random overheat in traffic, go back to your swedish solution. Personally I'll have the Subaru. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 one thing i've learned with cars is if you start with junk it will always be junk. don`t rush into something just because its cheap or free. sure you can find good rigs for free or cheap, but it takes time. i have never had any major problems with a subaru as of yet. i bought my 85 brat off its original owner for $2200 and i couldn`t be any happier with the purchase. it was a little more than i like to spend but it is taken on 300 miles trips quite often, and ran 70-80 mph on the highway. give subaru another shot, but try to find one that is in nice shape. also use the KISS method w/subes. keep it stock and like it for what it is, nice reliable transportation that is a blast to drive even without speed. modifications usually result in more problems/loss of resale value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 I was told not to get an ea81 because the wires become old and brittle over time. And there a pain in butt to fix. Lots of people have ea82s here and dont have head gasket problems unless there a turbo. Look under for sale for mountain griz might be what ur lookin for. ben Ben, who told you this. And what wires were they talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 Ben, who told you this. And what wires were they talking about? probably one of my comments... I think every ea81 I've had and driven regularly has had some wiring issue. and not a lot of people like to mess with wiring. granted the ones I've driven the most have come from hot areas. (CA and AZ, which may take it's toll on the casing a bit more. If someone is looking for reliability and they are not going to do their own work, I would point them to a newer soob. Legacy or newer, especially around my neck of the woods, where it's very rare to even see a soob in the junkyards these days, and even rarer for it to be a ea82 (1 or 2 a year), and I haven't seen an ea81 come into a junkyard here in the last 4 years probably..... what wires? fan, IGN circuit in the fusebox, horn, power windows. not necessarily hard to fix if you like wiring, but costly if you're taking it to a shop around here to someone whos never seen an old soob before.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 I guess I take for granted the fairly low heat here in the mountains. I've rarely seen failures of these parts out here. Its usually the rust that kills them. I've also never seen first hand an ea81 with a bad head gasket. But I've heard they do exist... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RONAN Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 one thing i've learned with cars is if you start with junk it will always be junk. don`t rush into something just because its cheap or free. sure you can find good rigs for free or cheap, but it takes time. My last purchase was Scoobs embarassment to the car market. Bought it out of a salvage yard for $200. Sank a little of my time and $500 in parts to put it on the road. It`s paid for itself at least 3x over in MPG savings with present fuel costs. I don`t need the visual effect to get me from point A to B. Just one mans opinion:headbang: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reveeen Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 one thing i've learned with cars is if you start with junk it will always be junk. don`t rush into something just because its cheap or free. sure you can find good rigs for free or cheap, but it takes time. There is junk, and then there is JUNK.............. I buy junk, then I know exactly what I have, a new slick paint job is not hiding anything, and no one is pretending (I call those JUNK). I drag my junk home, and because I don't "have" to drive it, I have time to re-build it. I do not sweat spending $1000-2000 getting my junk "in shape" for driving down the road, $2000 is 5, count them, 5 $400 monthly payments. I average 3 years reasonably trouble free out of my re-built junk, or 36-5, or 31 months without a car payment. Yes, it's a gamble, I am gambling my time and skill, along with $2000 against $14,400 (36X400). To loose means you just have to work at it a little more. Seems like a win-win to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 depends which way you look at it i guess. if you buy a $200 junker, and put 500 into it, then you are up to $700 and it could still look like junk and run good. for $1000 and a little shopping you can find a nicer car, and save your time on something that was well taken care of, looks and runs good. and i wasn`t comparing a $1-2k soob to a new $14k car, i was comparing buying a junker impulsivley vs being patient and waiting for the right deal to come along. its well worth the wait IMHO. i've messed around with junk before, and you can keep putting time and money into it, but you still won`t come out too far ahead of a car that was always taken care of and not beaten on by a ricer kid or pounded off road. plus an all original car is usually worth more than a pieced together car that has had the motor/trans/interior/body panels/ ect replaced. ebay is proof of that. in the end you get what you paid for. it a funny thing though seems like people are always posting on here and other boards complaining on how thier free-500 dollar subaru is giving them problems and what junk they are or how they'd like to throw a brick through its windshield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reveeen Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 depends which way you look at it i guess. in the end you get what you paid for. I find those $1200-4000 cars are never what they are cracked up to what they are supposed to be. It is like buying a used motorcycle, I have never bought a used motorcycle, no matter the price, that didn't need swingarm bearings/bushings, and/or steering head bearings, used is used, do the best deal you can, but never consider it 'over'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 to each his own. next time you buy a car, just consider looking at something that is turn key, always taken care of, clean motor inside and out, very few dents, little to no rust, no tears in the seats, never smoked in, good tires/brakes/clutch, and possibly 1 or 2 owners+dealer serviced. there are cars in that range that still can be ho-hum or junk, but there are also ones that fit the bill above. just takes some shopping around. of course there will always be a time where parts need to be serviced or rebuilt, but that is expected in all cars, but a car that has been maintained will need fewer repairs, and usually minor ones that are spaced out, and not all at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted August 20, 2007 Author Share Posted August 20, 2007 http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/car/398938136.html This is what Im thinking of buying.then I just have have someone drive me out there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinnyhb Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 i would think that a lifted subaru with a weber carb might not be a 'reliable' car. then again, you never know who owned it like was said before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 If your only thinking of giving it another try, don't bother. Get a light truck with a decent frame under it and be happy with that. A truck will take more abuse and stupidity than a car and will probably be just as reliable. I'm not saying don't buy a subaru, but if you're going in to it with a bad attitude of being burned once, I woudn't buy one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 If your only thinking of giving it another try, don't bother. Get a light truck with a decent frame under it and be happy with that. A truck will take more abuse and stupidity than a car and will probably be just as reliable. I'm not saying don't buy a subaru, but if you're going in to it with a bad attitude of being burned once, I woudn't buy one. Buy a 500 dollar truck, abuse and neglect it, and you will be just as unsatisfied if not more than with you're subie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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