39 replies to this topic

[dem0nk1d]

Just went out anf bought my 1st, subaru... It's a 87 Gl Hatchback 3 Dr.. Well my question is is there any conversion kits out there... I am looking for something like a round headlight conversion.. Also anything else out there.. And what mods can be done with the ea71 motor?

[archemitis]

87 gl with an ea71? thats wierd... best mod for a ea71 is an engine swap.

[GeneralDisorder]

It's not a GL if it has has the EA71 - or it's not an EA71. Unless someone swapped it in. It would have to be a DL model, or possibly even a STD model to have that motor. But like I said - someone could have put it in.

If it's a GL, then it originally had a EA81.

Yes - put in a good used EA81, put the EA71's pistons in it, and a good cam, and get a weber for it. Then your talking 100 - 110 HP or so. The EA71 isn't without performance potential, but the cost of a used EA81 is so cheap, there's no reason no to do it.

GD

[AKIRA]

There are no actual kits for these cars, you have to dig the stuff out a junkyard.
I have never heard of anybody changing from quad square to round headlights, I have heard of making it a dual square lights.

you have an EA81 motor, not a 71.

there are alot of things you can do to it.
webber carb.-better carb
EA82 SPFI pistons-better compression
accel 8140 ignition coil with 8mm wires
180 or 170 degree thermostat,
better exhaust.
check out the link at the bottom of my post, my brat has the same engine as yours, and on my 2nd page I have a list of mods I plan to do.(more than I listed here).
welcome to the board and the seceret order of the GL!

[AKIRA]

the guys above posted while I was typing my response, thats why it seems a little late with the advice, I wrote it with the idea that Iwas the first person responding.

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Do you have a picture of your Hatch? There were 2 types of hatchback's offered in 1987. The EA82 and the EA81 versions, both are completly different. Since you said 3 door, i assume its a EA82, but i could be wrong.

-Brian

[dem0nk1d]

What's the biggest motor i can swap in the car using the same tranny and wirring... the EA81 is the 1.8liter motor correct. Is there anything bigger... Is there any rear wheel drive tranys instead of the FWD and 4wd... I have alot of know how with honda's so picking up info and knowledge with the Subaru is nothing to me... Also anyone make any aftermarket headlight conversions... I'd like to have some circle lights instead of the square kind... Let me know thanks.. I've only had the car for about three days or so.

[dem0nk1d]

here is a picture of the next project car... Project Black Agent

Attached Files

•  newcar.jpg   12.55K   76 downloads

[GeneralDisorder]

The EA81 is the biggest motor you can swap without changing the tranny too. If you want to go all out, get a donor legacy with the EJ22, and swap in the whole drivetrain. This is no small task tho, as you have to make big changes to the halfshafts and do up all the wiring etc. Not easy, but it has been done. The EJ22 is something like 160 HP.

No - no RWD Subaru's. You could just disconnect the front axles and make one tho. Why? 4WD and AWD are better.

GD

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Yup, looks like a 2WD '87 1600cc DL Hatch to me. Might be badged as a GL, but i would look closer into it, most definatly looks like a DL from here.

Good luck on any parts. There are larger engines, but they don't fit without ALOT of shoe horning. The EA82 and the EJ Series (2.0, 2.2, 2.5) are all overhead cam, making them alot wider than the EA71 and the EA81.

If you want to make it fast, get a EA81. Put your EA71 pistons in it, have the heads shaved, get a weber carb and a hot cam, and you should make aprox 100 to 110hp easy.
As far as body kits, light kits or other street mod's, good luck. Better find someone that can fabricate headlights.

-Brian

[GeneralDisorder]

That car came from the factory with an EA81 - no doubt about it. If you have an EA71, then the car has been mucked with by someone.

It's got 4 headlights - smells like a GL to me.

GD

[dem0nk1d]

Has anyone gone into head porting, on these motors.. And custom intake manifolds, exhaust manifolds... I have all the know how on honda's. So i can transfer all of it into my Subaru... Maybe i will look into turboing the car out... Custom turbo fabracation shouldn't be to hard if i can get another motor to play around with... What's the most horse power anyone has gotten out of these cars...

[TheSubaruJunkie]

The 1st step is to STOP ASSOCIATING SUBARU's WITH HONDAS! hehehe, there is almost nothing in simularity between the 2. The only thing they share, is they have pistons. Everything else is completly different.

Look into aircraft modifications. GD, that car, being a 2WD, can most definatly have a EA71 in it. Even 4 headlights doesnt mean its a GL. 2WD DL's still have quad headlights.

The EA81 is a popular engine for the small aircraft guys. You can get modified heads, intakes, exhaust manifolds, rockers, pushrods, cams etc. through them. they arent cheap tho. A fuel injection system from the aircraft guys runs alittle over $3,000. Good luck turbocharging that engine. There is a turbo version of the EA81 that has MPFI instead of the carbbed version. good luck finding one tho.

-Brian

[GeneralDisorder]

Yeah - everything you have talked about has been done. It's VERY expensive because unlike the honda's, Subaru's are not popular with that crowd. The Aircraft guys have gotten around 200 HP from the EA81 with no trouble at all, but the parts are expensive since they have not been mass produced. Beleive me, it would be cheaper and easier to drop an EJ22T into your car, than to try and get 180 HP from an EA81. The EJ22T's are readily availible, tested, and proven to last a long time producing the HP you desire. The conversion has been done, and you would end up with a 5 speed AWD car that would smoke just about anything (except new Subaru's, hehe). Get a wrecked turbo legacy as a donor, and forget about the EA81 if you want power.

Also - if you did by some method get 200 HP from an EA81, you would blow the tranny in now time, and the clutch couldn't handle anywhere near that. The tranny weakness cannot be overcome, and you would have to switch to an EJ tranny - which won't bolt to the EA81 anyway, so your back to the EJ22T again....

I thought that the DL's didn't have the four light setup? Maybe it's a 2WD trim thing....

GD

[TheSubaruJunkie]

After 1985, the EA81 series was kept with 4 headlights. As a matter of fact, after 1983 I dont believe they made any subaru's with the 2 headlight setup, except for the Hatchback STD that has 2 single round headlights all the way up to '89 at the end of its production.

Ej22T would be alot of work. it would be cheaper than pulling 160hp out of a EA81. Ive never heard of a EA81 gaining 200hp, but its not unheard of. Im sure a turbocharged, intercooled, prepped and ballanced EA81 could reach 200hp, but not reliably.

-Brian

[GeneralDisorder]

I had an 84 DL 4WD wagon with 2 headlights.

GD

[TheSubaruJunkie]

2 round or 2 square?

-Brian

[GeneralDisorder]

2 square - there's pics in the gallery....

GD

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Ive seen the pix. Its your parts car right? Wierd, i coulda swore the single square lights were discontinued in '83.

Does the door tag say its a '84?

-Brian

[GeneralDisorder]

I would have to check on the door tag - it was titled as an 84 though.

I don't have the car anymore, but it will be here in my driveway tommarow for an axle job, so I'll take a look then.

GD

[PHATBRAT]

check out www.paeco.com very expensive but they know their sh*t.

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Check the tag, it could have been sold as a '84 but manufactured in '83.

And yeah, Peaco has EVERYTHING except the modified heads. Check out Sub4 engineering for the sweet heads.

-Brian

[GeneralDisorder]

Even if it were made in 83 - lots of 84 models would have been. The car year always starts before the actual year does, and in order to get them here for that, they would have had to produce them a month before that date to ship them and all. 83 manufacture date just means it was made in 83, not that's it's an 83 model. Also - the previous owner to me bought it brand new, and had the original WA state title stating that it was an 84. Now - maybe the dealership ripped them off and sold them an 83 as an 84, but I find that unlikely, and I can't imagine the title people would have screwed that one up. It just doesn't make sense for the title to be wrong - especially since this was the original title....

GD

[TheSubaruJunkie]

True, of course I could be wrong. I have a 1983 Sales brochure that gives a complete model lineup, and i don't remember seeing any models offered in that year with 2 headlights. I'll recheck, i could be wrong.

-Brian

[GeneralDisorder]

Here is one from the 84 brochure in the image gallery.....

http://usmb.net/gallery/album77/1984_i

GD