Fuji Fellow

There are a couple more shops I wanted to mention, in the Austin area. One of them is called Leonard's Garage, which happens to be just a quarter mile right down S. 1'st Street from Joe Angel's Garage that I praised in the previous post. Leonard's is something of a performance shop, specializing in aftermarket exhaust systems, wheels, and general engine service. I haven't used Leonards for anything except the exhaust system (all new from the Y-pipe on back), and they do great work. For a later model Subaru, I'm sure they could process your DTC codes and help with driveability issues. The last shop that I want to mention here, is actually not in Austin, but in San Antonio. I moved out of Austin a year ago, and live in Seguin now (closer to work), and so my most all-time favorite Subaru service shop now is a place called EURASIAN AUTO, in San Antonio. They're on the north side, just off 281 north of the San Antonio airport. EURASIAN works on Mercedes and Subaru, and they are simply SUPERB. They're another 'class act' shop, like Joe Angel's, that does GREAT work, has reasonable prices, and uses OEM parts. PLUS, they don't give you any attitude if your Subaru happens to be in it's 'golden years', . My current Subaru is an 88 GL 4WD wagon, that was used and abused before I got it. It was always struggling with one wear-related issue after another... but EURASIAN has put it right for me. It feels like a NEW CAR now. I can't praise this shop enough, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend anyone in the whole Central Texas area who needs Subaru service, to consider making the trip to EURASIAN in San Antonio. This might sound like a commerical, but no, they're not paying me anything to say this. I just believe in Subarus, and in praising and supporting good shops that help us keep our Soobs on the road.

My 71 FF1 was the WunderWagon (best pronounced with German accent). My 82 DL Hatchback was Clyde (for Clydesdale - it just kept on going and going). My 88 GL Wagon is Seymore. For this, you'd have to have seen 'Little House of Horrors', the carnivouous houseplant that was always yelling 'Feed me, Seymore!". I had become used to the 40mpg of Clyde... then the sub-30 mpg of this wagon was like, always needing to be fed. (Actually the mileage isn't that bad when you consider how much more car is being hauled around, but the comparison took some adjustment on my part.)

I lived in Austin for 8 years, and I can tell you a little about places there to get Subarus worked on. I lived on the south side, near William Cannon and I35. That happens to be very close to Gillman Mitsubishi / Subaru. I only mention that dealer because they were physically close, and I could ride my bike over there to pick up parts or something I may have ordered. But like you, I learned to avoid using their service department. For one thing, their rates are HIGH, and then they do LOUSY work. Poor attention to detail, such as bolts left loose, plastic parts broken, etc. And half the time they don't even have parts on hand, everything has to be ordered... usually isn't the right part when it gets there. It's obvious this dealership doesn't WANT do do Subaru work, more like they're just being forced into it by the head office. For THE BEST place in Austin for major mechanical work on Subarus (in my humble opinion), check out an independent ASE garage called JOE ANGEL's GARAGE. They're on South 1'st Street, address will be in the phone book. Their rates aren't exactly cheap, but they're not as high as the dealer... and they do EXCELLENT work, AND they use OEM parts. Joe Angel's one of those shops that's a class act, where you get the feeling they really care about what they do. Back to the AVOID column: Japanese Auto Repair in Austin. Despite their name, I was told when I went there that they don't have a Subaru tech, and they don't want to work on Subarus. That could have changed by now, but I kinda doubt it. Fianally, if you're looking for used Subaru parts, there's a place just to the southeast of Austin called Jim Reed Motors (number will be in the book too). Jim Reed is a Subaru-only junkyard. It's in a little town called Elroy, which is about 5 miles out of Austin on Highway 820. They also sell rebuilt Subarus there. I've dealt with them for little items like fan blowers and such (and in fact they bought my dearly departed 82 Hatchback when it was totalled by some careless moron in Austin). It's a family business, definately country rural attitudes and the current owner there can be a jerk... but if you get past that you can find darn near ANY Subaru part you're looking for. Hope this helps.

MilesFox, Does your Soob have A/C? When you partially pulled the motor, by removing the radiator to make room, did the A/C coils in front of the radiator get in the way? Or did you take them out too? (You folks are a goldmine of info, can't thank you enough.) James

MDJDC, You spoke of worn bushings in the shifter linkage. Could you possibly post any pics of just where these are, and what they look like? Thanks, James

I too have had 'fun' with the fan blower and resistor block setup. For me, it was when my windshield gasket weathered out (Texas sun, ya know), and the windshield started leaking rainwater. The water came down into the air ductwork, and pooled of course at the lowest points: the blower motor brushes, and the resistor block. The blower motor soon rusted and siezed up, and shortly after that the resistor block burned out. I put in a used motor from the junkyard, but with the bad resistor block this motor worked only at the top speed. So from Ebay I got another blower motor as a spare, and some used resistor blocks. Now (after sealing the windshield gasket) the fan motor works again at all 4 speeds. Does anyone know what specific Resistance values those coil resistors are? I know they're quite low, less than 1 or 2 ohms. I was wondering if one could rebuild that resistor block with some more rugged standard wirewound power resistors, something maybe not so delicate as those little ones in the stock unit.

I've heard it said by car dealers... typically the ones who sell some 'bigger' brand, and Subarus as a sideline brand... that they really hate selling someone a Subaru, because they know that's probably the last car that customer is going to need (!). From our experiences, I can believe that. My first Soob, was a 1971 FF-1. EA71 1600 engine, 4spd tranny. Got it with 50,000 miles on it, and it had 155,000 by the time I reluctantly parted with it. The engine and drivetrain were all original and still going strong. That car had bad brakes though - inboard drums that were subject to overheating in Tucson (haha), and natural rubber seals in the brake system that I'm told needed a special Subaru brake fluid. That is, regular DOT-3 fluid would disolve those seals... anyone remember about that? The next Soob I had was a 1982 DL Hatchback, only midlevel trim, but a beautiful car. It had the EA81 engine, 5spd manual, all original, and it was at 248,000 and running strong, when it was totalled when a woman turned across my lane in Austin. That car burned no oil still and had good compression... it would have made 300,000 easy. This current one is an 1988 GL wagon, EA82 1800 engine with 5spd dual range 4WD. I got it with 180,000 on it, and it's got 211,000 now... but it had a harder life before I found it. It's still on the original engine and drivetrain and clutch, but of course the timing belts and just about every gasket on the engine has been changed, always chasing oil leaks on this one. It MIGHT make somewhere in the high 200's eventually, no telling. I live so close to work nowdays though, I actually don't drive it but about 50 miles a week, so I'll probably wear out before it does .

My very first Subaru, a 1971 FF-1, with the EA71 1100cc engine 4spd and no a/c, got 39 to 40mpg on the highway. I had a modified exhaust on it, dual pipes with glasspaks, and had converted it from points and condenser to a Heatkit electronic ignition, plugs gapped to .50. It was an absolutely ugly little brown car, but it was MY FIRST Subaru, and I loved it. I'd still have that car if I could have found parts for it. I was on a first name basis with all parts managers and junk yards in Tucson, but eventually it became just impossible to find any parts for it. Wish I'd known of USMB back in the early 80's. My userID here is Fuji fellow, in honor of that long-departed Fuji Flyer (I still miss you, Pokuntsu-San, wherever you are). That car was replaced by a 1982 DL Hatchback, EA81 1600 5spd, with a/c. It too got an honest 40mpg at 100kph cruising speed. The biggest factor influencing that gas mileage was the tires. I had that car for 16 years, and put a quarter million miles on it, until some lady cut across to my lane at an intersection and totalled it for me. Pause for deep depression about that loss... that was one darned good car. Now I'm driving a 1988 4WD GL wagon. I got it used, with 180,000 miles on it, now has 211,000. It has the EA82 1800cc engine, with 5spd and dual range 4WD. If I manage the fuel carefully, it does good to get 30mpg on the highway. By way of introduction, I'm a new user to USMB. I've been a bit reluctant to get overly attached to this current Subaru, even tho it is arguably the nicest equipped Subaru I've ever had. But I think USMB might get the old fires going again... here's to a great resource you've got here. James in Central TX.

As for why the EA81 became the EA82... I don't know for sure how valid this is, but the story I've heard from different Subaru mechanics was that Volkswagen discovered that other then being water cooled, the EA81 was painfully close to being a clone of the old classic air-cooled Beetle engine. So much so that internal parts such as cranks and pistons and cams were interchangable. Again, I don't know how actually true this is, but VW supposedly sued Subaru for patent infringement, and won. Thus the EA82 with OHV and hydrualic lifters was sufficiently different to satisfy VW. Anyone ever heard more about this? James in Central TX.