Sierradump

Well I found a 1992 Loyale now... Owner doesn't know if it is turbo or not. Going to look at it tomorrow... Would this be a better vehicle than the other two I was looking at? It is newer but it has 140,000 miles and is all original (no rebuild)... What kind of mileage can I expect this car to get to???

WOW! Lots of good opinions and I really appreciate them - but it seems to be a split 50/50 between the 1984 and 1985! It seems as though the manual tranny will last longer than the auto. And since the automatic tranny is already busted; if I go with the 1985 it is ready to drive... The 1984 Turbo is a Nevada car and does not come with a California smog cert. I have had issues getting Nevada cars smogged but found a loophole:grin: I can register and insure it in Nevada using a PO Box I have! I agree that the 1985 is probably a fuel filter issue. are there 2 filters or just 1? I read yesterday (but can't find the post now) that someone swapped the fuel filter but had to take it to a shop to have the 2nd fuel filter changed? The 1985 DOES come with a California Smog Cert. which is a huge plus; HOWEVER - In my county here in California, we only have to smog the car when we buy it - THEN NEVER AGAIN! I had a 81' Jeep CJ5 that I bought with the 4cyl, passed smog and threw a Chevy V8 in it and never had to smog it again! So modifying the Subaru after I buy it will NOT be an issue... True that I will not really need the Turbo power for putting around town - but it would be nice to be able to get back forth to Reno without riding the slow lane all the way!!! I think I can get the 1985 for about $300 and it seems like that is what I am leaning towards. I like the manual transmissions and @ $300 it seems like a good deal to just use as a commuter for a 3mile roundtrip I have everyday! More opinions are very much welcomed!

True, My 4WD Truck is an automatic and it is nice in the snow - but I think that manual transmission will come in handy for the mountains... Especially with a 4CYL motor... I just wonder if that 4CYL motor will pull its own weight up here at 6200ft! My truck has an 8cyl diesel and since it is NON-TURBO it chugs and puffs up hills barely at the posted speed limit! I mainly want the Subaru to get good gas mileage - another plus for the manual transmission! So when I go to look at the Subaru - WHAT KINDS OF THINGS SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR??? Any dealbreakers? Thanks again!!!

So should I go with the Manual Tranny 85 GL? It also comes with a smog cert. which is a HUGE plus since I live in CA... Since they are only part time 4wd does that mean the DRIVER has to shift into 4WD? Is it safe to just put it in 4WD once the snow falls and leave it in 4WD all winter long (it snows ALL winter here)... Basically like a 4WD truck? Do these subarus have locking hubs then????

Wish I could buy both but I don't have the room!!! I don't really have the room for whichever one I will buy - it will have to live outside (no room in garage!). I like the idea of the manual transmission - but am scared it will have NO POWER up here in the mountains (but I can always downshift!). Is there any difference in the drivetrain/AWD features of these two models? They are both AWD vehicles right? will they have a HI/LO gear shifter for the AWD???

First time looking at a Subaru... I found what I think to be a good deal on 2 different Subarus. But need some advice... Of the following two vehicles which one will be better in the snow at an elevation of 6,200 ft? One has a manual transmisison but NO turbo. The other has a Turbo but an automatic transmission... NOTE: I do live near Carson City, NV and apparently there is a wreckyard/junkyard that I could possibly find parts to convert a naturally aspirated GL to the Turbo/FI???? Is it cheaper/easier to convert the motor to TURBO/FI or an Auto Tranny to a Manual Tranny! What is the FT4WD I see everyone mention? From what I can tell, it is a locking center diff, like the feature the late 80's Audi's have??? WOULD EITHER OF THESE 2 CARS HAVE THIS??? SUBARU #1: 1985 Subaru GL Wagon (4 door). 50k miles on rebuild - 170k original miles. 1.8L Naturally Aspirated (carbureted) 5 Speed Manual Transmission issues: Owner says car dies sometimes due to some issue with not getting gas? $400 SUBARU #2: 1984 Subaru GL Wagon (4 door) 30k miles on rebuild - 180k original miles 1.8L TURBO (I assume fuel injection?) 3 Speed Automatic Issues: Owner says the car won't shift into 3rd gear - but runs GREAT. $300 WHICH OF THESE IS THE BETTER CAR FOR THE MOUNTAINS? I like the idea of the manual transmission for the hills, but the turbo might make more of a difference???????????? Thanks guys! I trust your opinions!