thealleyboy

I would keep the "recieving" car stock if it were me - even if it means no proportioning valve. It's pretty straightforward. The only thing that might make it tricky is if you bust a brake line. I would transfer the hard lines from the "donor" car if at all possible. They are shaped perfectly. The lines going to the stock drums will have to be bent pretty drastically to reach the caliper, and this always makes me nervous. The biggest difference I noticed is straight, strong, stopping with no lockup. Again, consider turning the rotors and new pads if you are picky about your brakes. Also, do a thorough job of bleeding (replacing) your old brake fluid. good luck, John

I wouldn't worry about the MC if the existing one is good. You'll have excellent stopping power with the stock setup. I would recommend investing a little in turning your rotors, new pads and a hardware kit if you want that nice solid "newer car" feel. good luck, John

LF: Good news. There are a couple of easy "Alley" solutions to all your cup holding problems... 1) Old standby - big roll of duct tape. You just simply place it in a handy spot, and rest your drink in the middle hole!! Make sure you get a nice new sticky roll to make good contact with your carpeting, dash, etc. 2) My favorite - go to your hardware store and check out the plumbing section. Look for a 3" (or 4" for Big Gulps) PVC cap. Then {optional} head over to the paint dept and find a color that matches or contrasts your intererior. Finally, get a pack of self stick velcro connectors. Paint the PVC cap, and attach one of the velcro's to the bottom of the cap, and the other to dash carpeting etc. This works well for multiple locations. Much cooler than those cheap-rump roast Kmart door mounted cup holders, and sturdier too. good luck, John

SS: The 89 EA82 models, in any trim line, are the cream of the crop as far as these cars go. They were well-equipped, and the mechanicals had been perfected by that year. The problems you mention shouldn't kill the deal if the price is right. A minor ("high hit") front end collision should pull out fairly easily, and a condensor is a simple bolt-on replacement. Don't assume that the collision is what's preventing your A/C compressor from cycling on. There are many possible causes. If you want to drive a Sube, better learn how to do these axles. No biggie in terms of expense if you buy a used axle and do the work yourself. The sticky gear may work itself out over time. I jammed mine up braking in gear, and it did the same thing you describe for a while. Eventually, it smoothed out. I would say that if the gear is holding, your tranny is ok. Again, 89 is a good year, so don't let the problems scare you off. good luck, John

If we end up off-roading in Zanesville, there are lots of campgrounds in the Buckeye Lake area. My backyard...driveway...you guys have my neighbors (and the Police Dept) trained!! Jim, I'll ask your friend next door to put you up in his spare bedroom John

If you are interested in getting into body work, I encourage you to give riveting a shot. You may surprise yourself with the results. If you decide to get the panels from Mills, ask for Bill @ extension 116. good luck, John

Dark-colored oil isn't necessary something to freak over. It is normal for motor oil with the detergent additives to get dirty - especially in a neglected motor. It will start to clear up, but it may take half a dozen changes to get amber. This tells you that the oil is doing it's job in gently cleaning out your engine. John

There are all kinds of theories and opinions on this topic, as evidenced above. I base my comments on what a professional fleet manager taught me about maintenance. I'm talking about someone who's livelihood depended on making the "right" decisions in managing several thousand cars over the course of his career. His educated opinion was that virtually all vehicles fall under "extreme" driving condititions - as defined by the manufacturer. This is especially important when a car is still under warranty. It is nearly impossible for a manufacturer to sucessfully challenge a claim for a vehicle that follows the severe duty schedule. Therefore, the 3000/3 rule applied for all vehicles in his fleet. The comment about condensation "burning off" through normal driving is not correct. (take a sample of used oil to a lab if you don't believe me). The only way to rid your system of h20 contaminated oil is to drain it. Oil does "break down", but changing at 3000k almost guarentees that it will not deteriorate to the point of causing wear. John

It's usually 3000K or 3 months. I always assumed that it takes this long for moisture and contaminants to build up to an unacceptable level. True that you could go longer (in terms of miles) with modern oils. Problem is, condensation will still be a problem in three months regardless of the quality of the oil. good luck, John

TS Welding is best, but you can also do an excellent job with rivets. As long as you properly prep and seal the repair, it will hold a long time. Any body shop can weld those panels, but most of them are snobby about doing "small jobs". The bulk of the job is finish work, and that's where the time (and $$) is. Email me for details on riveting if you decide to go that route. good luck, John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

Yes, Mills has the rockers, and also rear wheel arches if you happen to need those. I have used both, and would recommend going this route if you do not have access to rust-free vehicles. Mills uses OEM guage sheet metal, and they leave a generous amount of surrounding metal to attach to the vehicle. These will require a little more trimming and finish work, however. good luck, John

Old school gearheads used to do this all the time. The issue is your fuel pump and how "finicky" it is (not as big an issue when they used mechanical pumps). An older electric pump may not like it, as the second filter introduces additional resistance, as stated above. If you change both filters once a year, you should be ok. May as well clean up the fuel sytem too while you are at it. If you let the fiters go too long, the resistance will build up quickly and wear out an older fuel pump. good luck, John

Mills Supply in Cleveland carries these caps. If that's the extent of your rust problem, it sounds like its worth considering. John

I agree that "outer" body rust - whether on the unibody or bolt on panels, is not as serious as it sometimes looks However, less visible undercarriage rust has the potential to make your car extremely "unsafe". The floor pan and rails will tell you alot, and if it has spread to the shock towers or trunk/cargo area, forget it. If you have any doubts about structural integrity, remove the carpeting and side interior panels and examine the rear wheel area. You may be surprised at how much deterioration is actually there that is not visible. good luck, John

I'd be real careful if it's got the typical midwest road salt rust. If that's the case, your talking "parts car". Probably in the $100-200 range tops. good luck, John

NKX: Body shops use pneumatic sheet metal shears that do an excellent job. A reciprocating saw with a short, fine tooth blade will also work. For spot welds, I like using a special drill bit which seperates them cleanly. Blake: It sounds like you can definitely work the existing panel into shape. I'm assuming you don't want to try it yourself, though this would be an ideal job for a beginner if you want to take a stab at it. MAACO, or just about any body shop can do this job. What they'll do is grind the metal bare, and bump or pull out as many of the dings as they can. Then they'll lay some bondo over the area to smooth it out. The area will be completely sanded, primed, and finally spot painted. A panel replacement would involve attaching the new metal and sealing up the seams - plus all of the finishing work described above. You don't want to replace a RQP unless absolutely neccessary. good luck, John

After re-reading your post, I have to question whether you even need to replace those quarters. Unless, you have serious body damage, or major rust, you may be able to repair what you have. Replacing the quarters should be your last resort. Remember, the RQ's are part of the unibody. Can you post some pix? Maybe your repair is not as major as you think. good luck, John

Doc: That Sears guage should be fine. First thing is to make sure your battery is at full stregnth. Next, you'll want to rig something up to ground the coil wire. Two alligator clips and a length of wire will work. Run the motor to operating temp {if possible}. Remove all the plugs. Ground the coil wire. Thread the guage into the head, and make sure it is sealed, so no air escapes. Let the moter spin for approx 10 seconds for each cylinder. There is no particular cylinder order in this procedure, but always take at least two readings to assure consistancy. If you want opinions on what the readings mean, post your results here. good luck, John

LC: Wagon or Sedan? To my knowledge, no one is reproducing the wagon rear quarters. But if you have the sedan, Mills Supply in Cleveland has them. I have done rear quarters on EA82 wagons a couple different ways. On my 86, I used a pair of rust-free panels from a Board Member from the west coast. I also installed new wheel arches and rocker panels (from Mill Supply). Getting the panels attached wasn't too bad, but there is a fair amount of putty work involved. End result: Excellent On my 89, I fabricated panels using common and inexpensive materials. For example, I used metal framing ties (building material) to reconstruct certain areas, and also HVAC galvanized panning metal. Fabrication was a bit time consuming, and there was quite a bit of putty work. End result: Good I would not recommend either of these methods if you've never done body work before. But if you've taken sheet metal in high school, and have repaired plaster walls sucessfully, you can probably handle it. You'll have to invest in some decent metal tools. good luck, John

Sounds like a couple of good scores!! Hope to get a chance to see them one of these days. You've got lots of good resources in the area for whatever you end up doing, so don't hesistate to ask if you need something. Good Luck, John

Hey Vincent & Gary: A lot of Sube derelicts in this area have been coming out of the woodwork lately. If you trouble finding a car or parts, make sure to let us know. As Jim said, we will probably have some sort of meet in the spring. Hope to see you then, if not sooner. John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

Not sure I understand how the rear wheel "binding" and the clutch could be related. This is especially true if your model is 2wd. There is really nothing "adjustable" on the rears of gl10's anyway, as those have the rear disk brakes. I would get some clarification from the mechanic as to what was adjusted and why. Given that you are experience "binding", my best guess is a siezed rear wheel bearing. This would have nothing to do with your clutch - unless the boys at the shop took your car out for a test drive during lunch, and got a little carried away... good luck, John

Those, in a nutshell, are the weak links mechanically. You could include the cooling system too, but if you are meticulous about following the service schedule, a meltdown is unlikely. Structurally, the EA82 series is prone to rust. And when it starts, it spreads quickly. Even if the body looks good, I would still inspect the inside of the rear quarters, the bottoms of the doors, and frame rail caps. If it is at a dealer, it has probably been detailed to mask any flaws - so be especially careful. good luck, John

It's hard tellin until you see it up close and personal... An 88 that's rust-free and in good mechanical condition could easily be worth that. If you can verify that the maintenance schedule has been followed (either thru the dealer, or prior owner), $1-G for that car could be a bargain. Most people on this Board are looking for a "deal". Sometimes the best deal means you gotta spend a little more. Low price and good deal are not always synonomous. good luck, John

Hey Doc: That's f-ing hilarious!! Every time I drive my 93 Loy to the dealer, all these guys with bad ties come out and gawk at my "classic". One dude was amazed that they actually stored the spares in the engine compartment on those older Subes. The Puegeot alloys with Subaru centercaps always throw them for a curve too.. Problem is that "real" mechanics are few and far between. Not only with Subes, but across all makes. Truth is, a lot of the amature Sube derelicts on this Board know more about their cars than the ASE mechanics working at the dealers. Your best bet is learn as much as about these cars yourself and eliminate the hassles and frustrations of dealing with incompetants at the shop. These are relatively easy cars to work on, and they are cheap and forgiving. Perfect if you have interest, motivation, and a screw (or two) loose... good luck, John