Jump to content
Ultimate Subaru Message Board

New to USMB. Here's my lovely '86 GL Hatch.


Recommended Posts

I used to drive an '06 Impreza. It was a lease car, and the lease ran up. During the time I had it, I put just under 16,000 miles on it. Car belongs to my mom now.

I spotted this '86 GL on a used car lot and had to snatch it up. Runs great! It had 115,605 miles on it when I bought it in May, and has accumulated a few more, being my daily driver.

gl1.jpg

gl2.jpg

gl3.jpg

gl4.jpg

gl5.jpg

 

I'm currently trying to find the little hatch lifter arms. Mine are worn out. Autozone said they'd special order them for me, for $36.99 a pop. Seems pretty expensive. Does anybody know a good place to get parts for older Subarus for cheap?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty nice find there!

 

Since you live in Washington, you have a lot of close-by members you can use as resources, as well as the classifieds section here being quite good for finding parts.

 

I'd post an ad in the parts wanted section. someone may have them and would be willing to ship them to you for a few bucks, if you don't mind used parts.

 

Pull-a-part yards, if you have any near you, are going to be your friend.

 

Can't really see the top of your dash to see what kind of condition it's in, but your dash vents amazingly look intact. You'll want to keep your dash and dash vents in as good of shape as possible. $25 or so for a dash cover might be a good investment if yours is still in good shape (the sun in Wenatchee is MURDER on car interiors!)... and look into plastic conditioners to keep your vents from drying out and cracking into a billion pieces.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would sugest the junk yard but you won't find the gas struts that don't leak. Best bet is to buy a new pair. Try www.rockauto.com

 

Be careful with the side-window latches. They break easily and are near impossible to find.

 

Otherwise - that's a fine example of a hatch and very low mileage. The EA81's are routinely good for 300k with good maintenance.

 

GD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the site... Nice Hatch... mine is an 84...

 

Love the Hatchs...

 

Smart move if a person doesn't have to have a nice car for long range business etc... why dump money into a lease when a nice 86 Hatch does the trick...

 

I have been 5 years with out a car payment.... screw the banks!

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

Both my side window latches are broken. One is held together with a zip-tie, and the other has a rusty nail holding it together. Neither work. The plastics inside are pretty good, save for the plastic cover on the cargo light, which has crumbled into dust.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't help with the side window latches, save for advising you to put a post in the wanted section on the site... or if you don't need to open them, just zip tie them shut permanently.

 

Anything else, just use the search function or ask. You name a project and it has either been done on this board, or at least researched thoroughly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

Nope, that shape hatch was always EA81, same as the Brat/Brumby.

Subaru wouldn't have gone to the effort of modding the front chassis rails to fit an EA82 between just for this one bodyshell.

you're right, did not see the shape of the back end of the hatch, was just looking at year models and not the pictures.
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...