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1987 Gl10 Turbo. Good first car?


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Hey guys,

 

So I found a 1987 Gl10 Turbo Wagon for $1000 (he says that the price is negotiable though) in pretty good shape for being 28 years old. For a first car I'm looking for something that I can daily drive to school (engineering student) and handle Utah winters, and I'm really digging this car so far, but I want to make sure it's the right choice.

 

here's the ad: http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/2383534?ad_cid=18

 

The good:

+138,000 original miles

+5 speed manual

+paint and body are MINT (some rust and small dent in front, but that's it)

+power everything still works, except the auto lock doors (even the power sunroof!)

+interior is decent to good (no ripping)

+Heat/AC works perfectly

 

The bad:

-clutch needs to be replaced (slips in 4th and 5th, but still drivable).

-needs new tires

-Turbo? I hear turbo ea82s have reliability problems? Anyone know what I should expect? (though turbo's are fun!)

 

 

So yeah. Should I go for it? I'm really digging this car, and I have no problem getting dirty and working on the thing, but as a student, I have a limited amount of free time (and money!). I hear it's not too hard to lift the engine and replace the clutch, which would be much cheaper, but I have little experience working on cars, though I know my way around tools. 

 

What's your guys' experiences with GLs?

 

Thanks,

Matt

Edited by mattsoft1
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Welcome!

 

... -Turbo? I hear turbo ea82s have reliability problems? Anyone know what I should expect? (though turbo's are fun!) ...

 

Yes, that should be the Weakest part, but if you Change all the Hoses, Clamps, Fluids, and the Thermostat / fan \ Radiator are in good working order to keep that engine at normal operating Temperatures, that Subie will be Good; otherwise you must know that Overheating and exploding worn / old hoses are the worst enemies of the Turbo EA82 engines.

 

Kind Regards.

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As you mention, the turbo ea82s can be problematic. If its been taken care of it may be fine for a while longer. Regarding the do it your self clutch job, people talk about it being easy because relative to other cars, its not to bad to pull an ea82. However, you are still having to pull the motor and as a newbie student, you can expect this to take you a respectable amount of time. Ask me how I know  :lol: Without basic shop tools, I'd plan on at least a week to be back on the road (first time took me more, with my job and school competing for my spare time). 

 

If you do decide to buy the car, I'd recommend doing the clutch before your classes start in a preventative maintenance style rather than waiting till it completely go out.

 

And then you find yourself in the classic scenario of now that the engine's out, good time to replace this that and everything else. You'd be kicking yourself after completing the clutch to have headgasket fail right down the road. 

 

Just keep the dollars added up.

 

Best case scenario, a clutch kit is ~100 + ALLOT of your spare time.  

Most likely scenario, clutch is ~100, reseal kit oil pump timing belts and everything to give you confidence in the car down the road ~250-300

Worst scenario, it can be allot worse! especially if heads are cracked. I highly highly recommend looking for headgasket symptoms before you buy the car.

 

If your looking for a super realiable 4x4 wagon and cheap, go with an ea81 gl. If you really like this gl10, and are willing to spend time and money keeping it up as a daily, then go with this one.

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By the way, I followed this web link:

 

 

And that wagon has nothing to do with an "Outback" model as the advertisment says.

 

However, it is the Luxurier GL-10 Model with SunRoof and Push Button 4WD ... 

 

Must be a Fun car to Drive / Repair and a good model to start learning about car Repairs. 

 

Maybe you can negotiate a lower price, especially due to the Worn Clutch.

 

Kind Regards.

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Thanks for the responses guys!

 

So I got to drive the car, and everything seems to run really well (started first try, ran cool, though I only drove it for about 10 minutes). I've never driven a turbo car (or a fast car for that matter), and it was pretty fun. The car has been sitting for about 6 months, and there wasn't any leaks or oil on the cement, so that's hopeful.

 

I kinda want to try to tackle the engine lift and replace the clutch, belts, whatever else. Since I already use my dad's car as a daily, I'm in no rush to get it working. I'd rather pull it once and replace everything that I should and be done with it (for a long while, hopefully). How much would it cost to replace the head gaskets, and how challenging would that be? Unfortunately, I've already started school, so it would probably be a multiple weekend project, but I have a bunch of friends and my dad who would be willing to help me too.

 

I'm really liking the car, so my plan is if I can talk the price down to under $700, I'll take it. 

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If you hired a car dealer mechanic to put in a new clutch, it could cost you $1500.  With that low of mileage, if it was working properly, it would be worth at least $2000.  You have to ask who has owned the vehicle.  Did they drive the chit out of it, or was the owner a little old lady who only drove it to church?  You can look under the engine and see what Generation heads you have.  Gen 3 is best and you would see "EA82" inside of a raised rectangle.  You probably will have Gen 2 heads.  Which is "EA82" with a raised line underneath it.  Does the engine use coolant?  The owner may not give you a straight answer about that.  Is their a residue on the bottom side of the radiator cap?  Is there black residue inside of the coolant overflow bottle..Is there a double core or single core radiator.  In UT, you would want to have a double core radiator.  Take is out for a drive and see if it gives off  white smoke out the exhaust, once it warms up.  You will have to drive it quite a bit to see if it uses coolant.  Look in the wheel wells to see if the rubber overload bumpers are still there.  You may have to have some welded back in, like I did.

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no one should be hard on a 28 year old turbo Subaru as it is still here now, not crapola after first five years or so ! and depending on what avenue of engineering you are going or interested in - it will be perfect for you. Just get a repair manual, some tools like lots of different 10mm spanners and sockets, thread repair stuff of choice, 36mm socket with 3/4" drive, a breaker bar to suit, keep old t shirts for rags, locate wrecking yards with same era subes, locate dealer for parts, make friends with rockauto and you will be fine

Edited by jono
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The turbo's problems come because the cooling system isn't good enough & they cook the heads. They're not race cars, so don't pretend it's one, even with the turbo.

 

If you've got the time you keep it off the road and do things properly, then subies are a great car to learn on. The drivetrain's more simply laid out than other 4 cylinders.

 

If you've going to do the clutch, as others have said, take some time to do other stuff on the engine while it's out.

timing belts

water pump

replace the small coolant hose that runs under the intake down to the block above the crankshaft. don't know about over there, but these fail here. Replace it with high pressure EFI fuel hose

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I have had bad luck replacing coolant hoses with fuel hoses.  The material's chemical resistance is different for the different uses.    I now use general purpose coolant hoses for the small ones from NAPA. 

 

Once you have the engine out and begin work, replace every coolant hose you find. 

 

Check the radiator closely, make sure all of the thin fins are still connected to the tubes that the coolant flows through. 

 

The cooling system is just big enough for these cars when in perfect condition.  The head gaskets do not survive running the engine with low coolant, so checking the level often can save you bigger troubles. 

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Thanks again guys!

 

Ok, so if I pull the engine, what should I replace and how much should that cost or all the parts? (so far i understand I should do the clutch, timing belts, water pump, hoses, and head gaskets) Would a radiator upgrade be a smart idea? 

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every old EA82T I have pulled has had crud blockages and Kangaroo Theodore pipes at the turbo for coolant, and the banjo bolt in underside of turbo side head coolant transfer pipe - little wonder they cooked after so many reliable years. A new oil drain back hose from turbo another good thing - use oil contact rubber hose in 5/8" ? and can use silicone hose in 1/2" for bending coolant hose below turbo and keep your membership up to date in here :)

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