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FOLLOW UP: I tested all wires up to the radio and replaced proper fuses, (glass Fuse on radio unit). Seems like my Clarion stock radio took a crap . now begins the hunt for one. Thanks for yall's help.

Yeah all the Euro stuff is complete trash. VW is near the top of the list of "do not buy" Euro trash. People that buy Euro cars new are hilariously uninformed or are just buying them on lease with the full intent to trade it in after 3-5 years. These cars are the automotive equivalent to the latest model cell phones - designed for a "lifetime" of the lease term. After that the manufacturer (if they haven't been sold off to the Chinese like Volvo) could care less what you experience is with it. You aren't their customer - the guy that traded it in is. GD

.02: the wider the gap the better the combustion. From HERE: So, run the widest gap you can that doesn't cause issues - knock, etc. Remember the MFG recommends what works for all their vehicles and commonly available fuel....doesn't mean it's optimum for YOUR car.

The Subaru accessory hitch is not rated for an ounce more than the car, and vice versa. They do not publish any information about which is the weak link. But it's fairly substantial, replacing the factory bumper beam, and bolting to the ends of the frame rails. I have no personal experience towing with anything that new, but I do tow all the time with our '04 Outback H6. I have a 3500lb hitch on it, and an auxiliary transmission cooler on it for that reason. We own a 14' Aluminum boat with a 25hp Evinrude on it that I tow at freeway speeds fairly regularly. We brought it camping this summer, with the car loaded with our camping gear (with a toddler...lots of gear), bikes in the boat, etc. I'm sure we were well over GVWR. I had to turn the A/C off on the inclines as things were getting hot, but it was also over 90*F. I put my aunt's 19' Fiberglass deep vee open bow with 85hp Outboard (the internet told me 2500 dry) in the water this spring with it. It did fantastically on the ramp, but the drive was only about 5 miles, at a max of about 35mph. My concern with towing with a newer Outback would be the CVT, as there's potential for a lot of heat build-up there. I'd monitor transmission temperatures VERY closely (OBDII should be able to display this), and adjust driving style accordingly. Early and late in the season means cooler air temperatures, which helps considerably. Ultimately, if it's a relatively short tow (say, 100 miles or so) and can be done at slower speeds (maybe a scenic route), I wouldn't hesitate to do it....

Hey there, Posting my 86 Subaru 3-door. I'm the second owner, bought it in 1998 from the original owner. If I remember correctly, she brought it to WA from Florida. It's sitting on 242k miles, and has been an everyday driver, the only major engine repairs being the headgaskets per usual, and a clutch just after I bought it. Here it is last year. The paint isn't original, I swiped a post about 8 years ago and had to replace the passenger quarter panel, so I had it painted to match the original color. Beyond that it's all stock. Unfortunately, it was hit and run a week ago, so the front driver's side quarter panel is gone, along with the wheel & suspension. I've decided to go ahead and repair it, so hopefully I'll get to post pics of the car running in the future. Anyhoo, that's my baby. It's driven coast to coast without a hitch, best car I've ever had.

I would also say buy it, at least it will be in the community. I've owned my turbo wagon since 2003 and it has been one of the most reliable cars I've owned. The bodies and interiors are all 99.99% the same as non-turbos, the differences start to show up when you get to the engine (and the trans, but its not really that different from any other 3AT). Obviously any part of the intake and exhaust system will unique to the EA81T. The exhaust can be fabricated by anyone, but the intake hose from the filter housing to the turbo is NLA and they are getting old and brittle, so check that hose. The cylinder heads are different as well, since they have castings for the fuel injectors, and they will all crack between the valves eventually (This is not the death sentence it is in an EA82T, my engine has cracks on at least two cylinders and doesn't use coolant or overheat. The blocks can interchange with the later EA81s, but it must have a threaded boss on the case for the knock sensor. The fuel system is different, from the tank to the cylinder heads, as is the ignition system and emissions control parts. Most of these parts can be replicated, repaired or recreated using ingenuity. The parts that are really going to hang you out to dry are the ignition control module, ECU, cylinder heads and a few other electrical engine control related bits. These parts do not exist (give or take) in the aftermarket and will stop you dead if they fail. As for the manual transmission conversion, don't let GD scare you, it's actually a really simple conversion. I didn't hammer my trans tunnel, but I did grind down an unused boss on the transmission case that was tapping the trans tunnel. New transmission mounts help keep the trans from flopping around too, but both EA-series chassis have garbage transmission mounts. The conversion would allow an opportunity to improve that. Most of the conversion is just unbolting the AT parts and replacing them with the appropriately modified MT part. The wiring is simple as pie and you can keep cruise control if you do it right, again, really simple. THis could be done in a long weekend if you had all the parts on hand and no bolts are rusted/broken during R&R. I only drove the car for about 40 miles with the AT (no 3rd gear when I bought it) before I swapped mine. I went with the EA82 transmission, flywheel and clutch, but that made the swap a little more complicated. I needed sleeve-shims for the flywheel bolts and customized shifters and transmission crossmember to adapt the later trans. I wouldn't keep the AT in the long run. Drive it until the 3AT dies, then swap it, these cars deserve a manual. As far as the turbo setup being completely useless, I'm going to call bullshit. Stock vs. stock, the EA81T makes 13% more hp and 36% more torque than a big-valve USDM EA81, and that torque peaks at a lower rpm as well. The area under the curve on the EA81T puts the n/a version to shame. All it takes is one WOT pull through third gear (with a manual trans) and you'll know who's king of the EA81s. Tuning can be done to the engine because it's such an old design, it's fairly simple to trick the system into making more power. True, there are no software upgrades available outside of stand-alone engine management, but you can turn up the wick safely, just make sure you've got enough fuel to avoid a lean condition and that your cooling system, temperature gauge and cooling fans are all working. Turbocharged engines love exhaust work and swapping the mechanical fan for an electric one will free a few more ponies without getting into the range of making "unreliable power." I've done just exhaust work on my car so far, but have had plans for more power for years. Then I got a WRX and left the wagon alone, but I may dip back into hopping up the EA81T it soon. Let us know if you have any other questions.

Just picked this fine little thing up a couple weeks ago, been sitting for 14 years. Has a little rust on corners but I will be properly fixing them as soon as the engine is running. For giggles I threw a jump starter on the dead battery and tossed some fuel in the carburetor as the tank was dry and pump seemed to be unhappy, it fired up fairly nice considering the condition it was in. Will be posting more soon! In the process of rebuilding the hitatchi carburetor currently and will have pictures and video soon!

Updates: TDF is still running strong as my everyday driver until they start salting the roads. I painted the pushbar and added a roof rack from a `95 Legacy.

I've had a lot of issues getting the Weber in this car to run right, some of which have been completely unrelated to the Weber like the vacuum advance causing a massive air leak and some things that are related like the carb body being so worn the choke plate was getting stuck closed causing it to run terribly. All that is straightened out and I'm fixing the oil leaks one at a time. Slow and steady wins the race... it's proving to be a very reliable and VERY fun to drive car. Quickly becoming one of the best Subarus I've had so far. I'm totally hooked on the lack of a B pillar. Shows 256,000 on the odo, but the speedo stopped working a few years ago. I've probably put a total of 15,000 or so miles on it.

Ive picked up a 1983 RX Leone a few weeks ago. Plan is to tidy up/ restore it. It is a runner but needs a bit of work doing to it. Hopefully mite have it running back on the road soon ( few Weeks ), depending on chance of getting time to work on it. Its a 1983 model twin carb EA81, 4speed manual with Hi/Low. In a grey color.