Dog1 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 My current work car is getting a little long in the tooth. I have a 1984 Subaru GL with 213,993 miles on it. I paid $500 for it when it only had about 165,000 miles on the odometer. A combination of body rust, oil use by leaking (about 1 quart every 400 miles), off and on again radio, etc is causing me to think that I should be looking and saving up for a newer Subaru replacement work car before long. What year and model Subaru would you pick for a 20 mile a trip to work (frequently in snow and ice) vehicle? P.S. I am amazed how rugged this vehicle has been. I live up above 8000 ft elevation(Colorado) on a dirt road and this car has been a real tank. I drive around stuck 4x4 Trucks every winter. Dog1 Dog1@BigMail Box.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benebob Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Personally it sounds like a 92 Loyale would do the trick for ya. Find a nice lower mile, rust free 4wd and go to town. Only thing it is missing would be low range but even that can be had if you don't mind swapping trannys with a EA-82 GL wagon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Keep it, lift it, and get a legacy as a daily. The EA82's are getting to be nearly as old as what you have, and they tend to be a bit more problematic than what you have now in some cases. Timing belts, headgaskets and lifter ticking to name just a few of the problems they have that the EA81 (what you have now) don't. Those problems seem to have been fixed for the most part on the EJ series engines in the Legacy and Impreza line. Just my opnion tho. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Partsman Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Whatever you get, get it fuel injected and M/T for better mileage. Gas is creeping up to $1.80 a gallon around here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soiuxbwarrior Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 If you liked the model buy one just like it so you can swap parts for free. It may be time to upgrade to the boxy loyale style. Dont get an auto tranny for the mountains unless you want to be passed by the 18 wheelers on I-70. Check ball joints on a Colorado car. Mag-chloride eats them for lunch.Try turning a few bolts to see if the mag froze them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the sucker king Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 i'd say it all depends on what you're looking to spend. if you can find a good '80-'84, they are arguably the most dependable, you already have one for parts (and you loved it), AND they are cheap to buy. there are a couple from that era in the denver post right now. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog1 Posted March 4, 2004 Author Share Posted March 4, 2004 Thanks for the info. I plan to save up about $3000 for the next car. As long as it has a good radio and I don't think the body rust is going to drop me out of the floor boards, I'm happy. A few dents and dings in it aren't a factor(in fact, they cause SUV owners to rethink the wisdom of cutting in front of me). Based on your input, I think I'll hunt for a little old lady driven 1980-84 GL, standard transmission , low mileage (150,000 or less, hey it's a Subaru!). I think I'll go out and see what a Loyale looks like just to see if I like the body style. The 1984 I have is a two door hatchback. Should I expect the same performance out of a station wagon version of the same vehicle? What about gas mileage ($1.49-$1.59 a gallon here)? Sorry if I'm asking what might appear to be dumb questions, but I tend to drive vehicles for a long ,long time. I still have and drive my 1977 Dodge Powerwagon(258,000 miles) and my 1973 Dodge Challenger (218,000). I just can't afford to feed them at todays gas prices. Hence, the Subaru work car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickytrus Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Yeah, I have three of the loyale series vehicles..... The wagons (not in colorado) get 28 local 30 highway.. the sedan get about 30 local 32 highway... From what I understand the motors came with two different horsepowers...... can't remember the exact hp maybe 90 and the other was 110.......... The wagons definetly have more peep.... gets out of its own way...... but yes, they like to leak oil and antifreeze.... but. I find it a nice go-cart to work on....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 There's no difference in the drivetrain of a wagon and a hatch. For the years you are looking for, they are both EA81, and with the exception of auto trans versions (83 and 84 Auto's had hydro lifters), all are 73 HP. The hydro engines are like 80 HP. Your hatch weighs a bit less, and also has a smaller gas tank. If you have $3000 to spend, and are looking for a reliable car, then get a legacy. The EA81's are indeed reliable, but they are all nearly 20 years old at this point, and repairs are inevitable. I own two EA81 vehicles in Oregon, niether of which have ANY rust, and my Brat has 130k, and my wagon 162k. Both of them have had a LOT of maitenence to keep them in top shape. It's not that they have a lot of miles, or that they weren't cared for - my wagon was VERY well cared for in fact. It's the age. The rubber is starting to go all over the place - the windsheilds both leak if you park them at certain angles. The tranny mounts are shot - the engine mounts will follow soon. Both of them needed the distributor rebushed. I have done ALL the axles multiple times on both rigs. The carbs didn't run right at all - The wagon has a Weber now, and the Brat a reubuilt Hitachi. I'm not saying not to buy one - I LOVE them myself. I'm just saying don't expect a no maintenence daily driver from them. The people you are talking to here are largely mechanics on the side that work on their own rigs. I would never reccomend an EA81 to anyone looking for a daily - unless you buy more than one, and have all of them ready to go all the time. Safety in numbers so to speak. And expect to spend quite a few hours with them getting them into shape. You'll have to install a decent stereo too - you can't hardly hear the stock ones at freeway speeds. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeky Moose Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 203,000 and still chuggin along.. 32 mpg, paid $60 fer it :-p the 85-94 wagons all had a body style like this, + or - the roof rack, turbo, alloy wheels, etc.. paid $500 for this one.. the body died from rust at 290k.. engine and trans are in my shed cause theres nothing wrong with them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis ex24 Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 find a legacy or impreza. early to mid 90's cars can be had for what youre looking to spend. the 2.2L is a workhorse and more refined than any EA series engine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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