Conversions?

[tobiasglass]

Hey all! Name's Kyle, I've been lurking around since High School cause I'm an insane Subie fan!! I love the older ones in particular. Growing up in Maine, my family has always had at least one Subaru in their possession since I was born in '89. But I was wondering about a purchase that I'm most likely going to be making soon.

 

I'm (again, most likely) buying an 82 GLF convertible tomorrow. The guy doesn't really know what he has ( I knew more about it than he did lol) and is selling it for really cheap. I had a few questions to ask the people who know though...

 

--I was told the driver's seat in it was broken. What other kinds of seats would fit in place of the stock ones, and what colors would suit it best? I was thinking black leather with blue Alcaantara inserts. (The car is white with a blue top and blue interior btw)

 

--Can the headlights (not the side markers!) be converted to the third gen Leone/Loyale style single-piece units without a huge undertaking? I know that changing the grille would be extremely likely, but I think the look would be awesome.

 

--Are the tail lights the same ones as on the Hatchbacks? Just curious, might be easier to find that way.

 

--What car has more modern-looking bumpers that might fit? I can do some fab and fiberglass work, just not insane customizations lol.

 

--Would it be expensive to get a windshield for it? The one in it now is broken, and I know the GLF is a rare-ish car here on the East coast. My dad has a regular hardtop quietly rusting to death in their backyard up in Maine, and I thought maybe I should get what I can off of it when I'm up there next.

 

--Lastly, the steering wheel. I really preferred the one on the '85 and up HB and BRATs, and want that one for this car. Looking for someone in Florida that might swap me?

 

Btw, common issues to look out for? Y'all know best and thanks for any info!

Edited June 5, 2009 by tobiasglass

[Turbone]

No on all counts but the last one.

Pretty much have to stick with stock seats, unless you have access to a wrecking yard with some 90's Mazda Protege's (http://ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=99875). Converting others require rail modifications.

No on the headlights.

No on the tail lights, they are coupe specific.

No on the bumpers.

And no, it shouldnt be to expensive for a new windshield.

And yes, you can use a newer steering wheel (EA81). It will bolt right up.

 

These cars look cool just the way they are, stock.

Especially a convertible. To go making mods to it like your thinking would ruin its appeal, IMHO.

[Bucky92]

The front windshield will run about $300 new.... dont ask what a rear one would cost ( if you had the hardtop like I have )

 

I agree with turbone on doing the mods..it will ruin the car. I am doing a full restoration of my 83 GL-10 coupe and to me its worth it knowing they are so rare...and the convertibles...I know of one other one in mass owned by a member. Even the regular hardtop can be hard to find parts for since so much of the car is coupe specific.

There are some spots underneath that should be checked for rust. Check everything over well for water damage from the top possibly leaking ( if it was kept outside) Also check for rodent damage.

The carbs can be problematic and you can either do a weber swap or an SPFI conversion...both are covered here alot.

 

Good Luck with it

[tobiasglass]

Okay. I know they're rare as hen's teeth, so I guess it probably would be a good idea to leave it mostly stock. I'm sure it'd just depreciate the value if I did a whole bunch of crap to it.

 

And thanks, I'll check the rust, water and other things before I decide. I'm sure for $800 though it's a terrific deal no matter what shape lol.

[The Dude Abides]

Yea the convertables are a rare breed for sure. ive only seen 3 in pictures. Please include pictures.

[tobiasglass]

Oh believe me, I plan to cam-whore the 5h1t out of it lol. :cool:

[zukiru]

 

can't wait!

[Ever Victorious]

If you can find some EA81 seats in decent condition (increasingly harder to find thesedays), you can get them reupholstered to look stock. Otherwise, an early 90's Protege seat is almost a direct bolt-in replacement. And if you have a decent upholstery shop near you, you can always see about getting those re-done in a stock fabric, or very very similar.

 

For the steering wheel, you can just unbolt the existing wheel and bolt on the newer style wheel. Don't take the whole column from the donor car unless your existing tilt column is shot. This is because the '80-'82 EA81's and '83+ EA-81's use different turn signal switches, and their wiring is not particularly compatible/spliceable. If you DO have to take the whole column, put your old turn signal into the new column.

 

As the convertibles are so rare, anything dealing with the top will likely have to be worked on by a local rod/custom shop, and cost a pretty penny. If the top is not damaged or broken, protect it and care for it as well as humanly possible. Your wallet will thank you in the long run. Even when my dad had to replace the top on his Miata (common as all hell), it was expensive. Imagine what your custom Subaru setup costs.

 

And +1 on the pics!