Engine swap

[tidd1340]

This is going to be the last winter on my 89 GL.The NY winters are killing the body.I want to swap the engine and D/R 5 speed into a better car.I would like this to be as close to "plug and play" as possible.What years would I look for? Do PA. cars tend to rust as bad as NY cars do? Im trying to look as close to NY as possible.

[zyewdall]

Any EA82 car should work. '85 to '94 I think (obviously only the EA82 ones from those years). Since it's an '89, its SPFI, I assume, so an '88 to '94 body would have the correct wiring harness... otherwise you might have to swap the intake manifold to whatever came with the body, carbed, etc... Not sure about the '93 and '94... did they go to a MPFI EA82 then?

 

You might consider going farther afield than PA -- if you could get one from CA or OR or WA somehow, you could get a completely rust free EA82 easily. East coast is just horrible for cars (I was shocked when I saw a friend's '98 outback from Boston -- my '82 wagon was in way better shape rustwize...)

[Caboobaroo]

First off, it depends on what engine the donor body has in it. If its a turbo'd model, then forget it. SInce you say its an '89, I'll take a stab and say its an SPFI EA82. You can swap the motor and fuel injection setup into an older carbed EA82 rig or swap just the fuel injection over to an even older model EA81 rig but its a bit more work.

 

I agree with Zyewdall. If you can find a nice one on the west coast, spend a few extra bucks and have it shipped. There's a few guys on the east coast who do that regularly it seems.

[Andy FitzGibbon]

Yes, Pennsylvania cars rust just as bad as New York cars. Pennsylvania has rust laws, so they look a little better than the ones in NY, but they usually have the same amount of rust.

Andy

[idosubaru]

a GL hatch is an EA81, a GL Wagon is an EA82. completely different engines if you want a "plug and play" swap. i guess everyone is assuming it's an EA82 and a wagon...maybe because the GL hatch didn't come with dual range? but either way it's best to specifically tell us what vehicle/engine you have.

 

and then it would be good to determine if it's SPFI or MPFI and turbo or not.

 

if you match all of that up it'll be a direct swap, very simple. some late 80's EA82's are PT4WD transmissions (not dual range), but yours would bolt right in. the only issue you would have is that the center consoles would differ...for a positively easy swap you'd want something that already had dual range, so the console and all are a direct swap. but if you can work around the console and PT4WD swap issues, you would broaden your options considerably. Loyale wagons are fairly easy to find, so keep your eye out for a rust free one...but they are not dual range.

 

yes, new york isn't alone, the entire northeast is rather problematic with rust.

[tidd1340]

Mine is an 89 GL 4 dr sedan..thanks for the tips.Whats an aprox. cost to transport a car across country?

[subaru360]

Mine is an 89 GL 4 dr sedan..thanks for the tips.Whats an aprox. cost to transport a car across country?

 

With a big shipper like DAS in the range of $800-1200 with a smaller shipper you could possibly get it a little lower. Check http://www.dependableautoshippers.com or for smaller carriers post a wanted ad on http://www.uship.com

 

Cars from PA rust horribly.