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Welcome to the USMB, Dave. We're a real cross section here--from folks who understand what's going on in that hunk of aluminum up front to "Hmmm, I wonder what that tube does?" And everyone tries to help each other! Your voice will be appreciated, And when you can, show us some pix of your Imp on a beautiful PEI road!

I don't know what condition your 86 wagon is in now but bear in mind that it's worth a whole lot more intact than it would be if altered. I don't if these mid-80s Subarus were intended for hard off-roading but I suspect not. I don't recall off-roading with actual cars to be a thing in the mid-80s. I think Subarus were intended to be all-weather vehicles. I bought mine as a daily driver in hilly Colorado high country. What did Japan automotive engineers know about off-roading in the 1980s?

I like the hunt of trying to find OEM parts. I realize that some are impossible to obtain but I'm not about to change the original look of my 86 wagon. It has a Weber carb and aftermarket front axles & brakes but otherwise it's all stock, except for the usual things like plugs, filters, brakes and the like. I bought it because I like how it looked and how I could use it and I'm not about to mess with that. I keep getting asked by guys, when out in public, if I want to sell it. Hell no!

Hello all! I just found this site and needed to be part of it. I'm Dave, I work at my local Subaru dealership as a technician and I just bought a 1997 Impreza a few weeks ago. It's a dream come true! I'm hoping to be able to contribute some of my knowledge and gain some while I'm here!

In GD's defense: Whereas I don't believe anything residing in my driveway is "dead" per se, I have the benefit of 20 years accumulated knowledge playing with these cars, as do most of you. In short, we all know what's up. When someone shows up who is uninitiated, it would be disingenuous for us to present these as viable daily drivers without some skill, knowledge, and other stuff to drive. These "new to Subaru" people need to be told in no uncertain terms the realities. That's what GD does. He's not emotionally attached (like most of us,) so he can tell the pure, unadulterated, ugly truth. Once they know what's up, and decide to press on, then we are here for emotional and parts sourcing support To the OP- Good luck with your build. You have other cars to drive, so this should be a fun project for you. Grab a beverage and read. There is a TON of information to sift through. Dan

I agree fully. The EA Soobs were built for this kind of use and I don't think huge tires and a lift is going to get you out of any places you otherwise couldn't given your intended use case. Plus I prefer the stock look of the EA's anyhow. As to the dying of the EA platform, it has sometimes been difficult (very), to find certain parts for my 82 HT resto but I have yet to need something I outright couldn't find. Some parts I have even found new, if not OEM. My list includes glass, fuel tank, axles, engine parts/ gaskets, interior bits, cassette player .... and so on. Not for the faint of heart but still doable; for now.