kona Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hi Folks. Check out this new-to-me 1988 Subaru GL Wagon with 5 speeds, dual range 4WD, and the SPFI EA82 engine. It is well maintained, totally stock with only 132k miles and minimal rust. I'm pretty excited today. Big kudos admins and users of the USMB, which was a critical info source supporting my decision to by this wagon. ::::CLICK HERE FOR FULL GALLERY:::: ---- http://s1080.photobucket.com/albums/j321/dendrodan/1988%20Subaru%20GL%20Wagon%204WD/ Researching the interwebs pre-purchase, I was disappointed not to find a photo gallery detailing this model. Perhaps the next person in my shoes will appreciate the photo gallery linked above. CONDITION It did well yesterday on I-17, 65-70 mph for the 2+ hour trip from Phoenix>Tucson. Only my second GL/Loyale to every test drive, but it seems VERY clean inside and out. Good pickup and the turning radius if phenomenal. 4WD Lo (just tried for a second) is a crawler. Rust seems minimal, only obvious place is front driver window post as pictured above; wheel well areas and undercarriage look great. Clear coat is going..gone and exterior rubber window seals dessicated/going. Slight dent in front driver fender from some punk kid driving by and kicking it, minor bumper damage. The PO was the 2nd but owned since 1990/18k and did almost everything himself. Provided detailed listing of his work since 100k. In last month, he reportedly did timing belts, drive belts, front half shafts and lower ball joints, repacked wheel bearings. Moving forward, I would appreciate any comments, input, or thoughts on the vehicle. I'm not a daily driver, but this will be my primary vehicle. Fuel economy and utility are my primary goals. After my mechanic gives a thumbs up to the PO's maintenance work, I'll start improvements: THINGS IT NEEDS 1) Plugs, wires, distributor cap. 2) Alignment/new tires - keeping 13" wheels. want high-ply but torn between all terrain and low rolling resistance 3) Bike rack - really want to get the bikes behind the car. crappy clip-on style may work for a short time but hitch mount preferred 4) Roof rack - for trips with my cargo box THINGS I WANT 1) custom bumper for hitch mounted rack and full size spare. 2) paint? BACK STORY This is my first post, although I've lurked around a bit. Several friends are long-time Subaru fans and given my outdoors-oriented lifestyle, I always wanted one. I'm a student with low income, and although primarily a bicycle commuter, I need wheels for the grocery and to get into the mountains and out of this hell-hot Sonoran desert where I've been living for ~3 years (read Tucson). My 1993 Honda has too many miles to continue maintaining and its no fun anyway. I saw this '88 GL Wagon and cursory research indicated reliability, ~30 mpg, and DUAL RANGE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE!!!. As of day 2 on Phoenix craigslist, the PO hadn't yet managed to uploaded photos. After 1.5 hours on the phone and a first peek at the photos, we agreed upon a fair price. He held it 1 day until I could drive 2 hours to Phoenix to check it out. During/after the sale we went to lunch together and talked about it for around 2 hours. Based on what I've seen here and elsewhere, I think I did fine on the price and got a great car. As you can tell by the novel-length first post, I'm stoked. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadberry Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Nice Find! thanks for posting the pics too! I like it; want one too.. cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Thats a really nice looking car, good find! Welcome to the USMB:grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanurys Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I like the rare headlight protectors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractor pole Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 that is a really clean car! I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayakertom Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Good find; looks like it didn't come with factory ac, which helps keep the engine from running hot and eases access for maintenance. Too bad no factory roof rack. I'd second the hitch mounted bike rack - too easy to scratch up the tailgate with the clip on bike racks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 very nice.... Timing belts? any history on when they were replaced? Made my first visit to that area last year... beautiful country. Noticed the 116 deg. temp their today.... toasty... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellets Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Boy I wish my 88 gl looked half that good. Congrats. By the way full size spare fits fine under hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstsubi Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 anyone know where to get the headlight covers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kona Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Thanks for the welcome and nice messages. I have virtually no auto wrenching experience and am clearly out of my league on this board. That said, I have a Chilton's manual, know how to use the search function and am looking forward to some maintenance work on my own and with a helping hand. This seems like a reasonable car to get experience with basic stuff. The PO really talked up the headlight covers and the number of lamps they saved him from buying. He also mentioned that dropping the hood was what caused them to crack, so caution for future owners. A quick google search indicates this is the part number for the headlight covers: WAD7282273 and that they're not terribly expensive: http://www.drivewire.com/search/?N=0&sv=0&VN=4294967240+4294964890+4294964686+4294967247+4294967215&Ntt=headlight+cover&Nr=AND%28universal:0%29. The A/C option wasn't selected on this vehicle, which I believe originated in western WA. A/C is always nice in the desert...but as mentioned I'm better off without it in this oldie. I'll do my best to limit the driving to the cooler hours or up in elevation. Yes, the heat here is intense and parching, as most evidenced in the paint and window seals. Fortunately he had a dash cover all these years so that isn't cracked. Citing the heat, the PO reportedly did the timing belts every 30k...but he also drove 5-6k/yr. The current timing belt has less than 1k. Glad to know a full size spare will fit under the bonnet...had planned to check when I get new tires. I haven't measured yet but wondered if the stock spare wheel is appropriately deep. Thinking of going with a 175 70 R13 because more options seem available and 10mm width seems minimal since mpg is a primary concern. Any thoughts or preferences? Keeping the spare under the hood is great by me, that leaves more room for the bike rack in the rear. Plus that will mean one less pin to pull/arm to swing to access the hatch. That said, this SJR bumper looks like just what I had in mind: I wonder what that costs to purchase/ship?! Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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