88HatchMonster

Here's the link to the board writeup on the swap if you haven't found it already: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49952

Please forget about the air locker for now, it's been discussed here ad infinitum and no one's actually ever done it with stock subie diffs. As for using the rear diff off of the EA82--it's only necessary if your impreza doesn't have 3.9 gearing already. Check the sticker on your diff to find out. There is no need to change your rear axles. It's the front that you need to use the FWD imp axles for. Here's why: AWD Impreza front axle spline count: 25 4WD N/A EA82 D/R front axle spline count: 23 FWD Impreza front axle spline count: 23 I hope that is clear enough! good luck!

I think that's a very good idea, Jon. I'm not a big fan of hood scoops, so I think the cowl induction look could be a nice alternative. The shape you marked out seems to match the lines of the hood pretty well. I wouldn't cut out the triangular front part though. I would just cut up to it (maybe a little past it) and then bend the flap upward 2 or 3 inches and then just patch the sides with two long skinny triangular pieces of sheet metal. That way it would be nice and sleek and you'de avoid the homemade laundry chute look.

Check this post: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=57559 NKN I80723 Thats a Subaru 25/23 spline DOJ. http://www.nknjoints.com/ is the company. Johnnyboy in Christchurch, NZ picked those up at his local CV shop. I had no luck finding them in the US. and Shops want about $150 a piece to make the axles (which is a fair price, actually). What I'm gonna do is use some EA81 FWD auto axles and swap on some early Legacy inner joints I have. I've verified that the splines match up, with a junk set I had. Hopefully the good pair I just got from Jerry also work with the Legacy joints and cups. I'll let everyone know how it works out when I get around to trying it.

I haven't hardly torn into my blue one yet. I know what I said about not putting the carpet back in, but I want to make that one kind of swank, so I'm thinking about just doing rust bullet and then maybe dynamat ($$ haven't price that yet ) and then new automotive carpet with a vinyl backing. Just the thing I definitely would not do is put the stock carpet and insulation back in... That stuff's the kiss of death up here.

Let's see, I think I used about a quart of Rust Bullet (two coats brushpainted) $37 I used the one gallon herculiner kit. It's the perfect amount for the whole floor. $90 Paint brushes from the dollar store (throw aways so no cleanup) and latex gloves, about $5 So that's $132. So worth it IMO.

Put down Rust Bullet or Por15 after you patch the holes and then do the bedliner, or else rust could form again under the bedliner. No way I'm putting the carpeting back down as that's what held moisture against the floor and caused it to rust in the first place. I think the bedliner looks way cooler anyway!

Below is a pic of the setup I've got on my hatch. Stock rad, but the car's got a 4" lift and a custom angle steel lower rad support, which may have given me slightly more wiggle-room. Everything works great though. I found the right angles and sizes I needed in 2 prebent hoses and used a 1 1/4" plastic hardware store coupler to connect them. BTW, the stock EA81 rad with a 12" hayden fan does a phenomenal job cooling the EJ22. No worries there.

I make and sell them. You can PM me. Also check out my website: http://mroseusa.com

That car is in EXCELLENT shape for the North East. I would call it a GEM, actually. Here's some before and afters from fixing up my 88 hatch. Notice the big patches I had already welded in on the floor in the first pic and the scary missing rocker panels! The silver paint is Rust Bullet (a product similar to por15), the bedliner is Herculiner. If you want any tips just let me know. For now hopefully this will provide some inspiration...

Haha, I was right! $100 Looks pretty awesome to me! You better snatch that right up!

Impressive! You're wagon's a beast, man!

First see if he wants you to just take it off his hands, ya know get it out of his yard or whatever. If it's all there and he wants some money offer him $100. Outside of our little circle, people don't put a very high value on these cars, I bought a running hatch for $5, running Brat for $100, etc... With only 74k there's probably not much wrong with it other than the rust, tires and fuel issues from sitting for a long period of time. That car could be TONS of fun! Definitely look into it!

Problably doesn't have to be matching, but I don't even have an extra tire/rim that has the same bolt pattern as the four on my hatch, cause I converted to 6-lugs. I know I gotta make it, I was the one that yelled "no excuses" already, haha! ... that was before I knew it was gonna be 6.5 hours away, though! I'm gonna try my best though! Looks like it's shaping up to be really cool.

Wow, working cruise? I've got A/C in my blue one but no cruise, that's pretty swank! I got my front fenders painted so far and then I had to go back to work for a while. :-\ I've gotta lay into my hatch hardcore the next couple of weekends if I'm gonna make it to the meet! Also gotta order one more swamper and toy rim to have a full size spare!

The difference between 2" and 2 1/4" is so minimal that I could see even overlapping the pipes slightly and simply welding all the way around. Or you could snip 6-8 quarter inch deep notches in either pipe and either flare it out or scrunch it down over the other pipe. It need not be an exact science, especially if you have a mig welder handy. Doesn't mean you have to butcher it, but I don't think you need to be cutting parts on a CNC machine... Just K.I.S.S. on this one. You're gonna have the most trouble snaking the two pipes together where they will meet and not interfere with anything else under the car. There's nothing you can really engineer to solve that problem you just gotta go in and start cutting bending and welding. And yeah, they have every kind of step down/step up hardware you can imagine. They also have prebent pieces for cheap too. Usually when I'm building an exhaust I pull out all their angles and lay it out on the floor in the store, and then buy some extra pieces that I think I might need as well. Then I just return what I don't use. Get a bunch of clamps and hangers too. I weld everything up, but use clamps to clamp on the rubber hangers. *Edit: OK I guess I see the reason for the adapter flange, so you can bolt to the headers instead of welding the whole thing together... I would take the flange that's bolted up to the header right now and just saw it off from the rest of the pipe and grind it flat, then just weld 2 1/4" to that, and there's your adapter.

Am I reading something wrong? 2" to 2 1/4" muffler pipe? Why can't you just use a two dollar step-down piece from the auto parts store?

One of those super rockcrawlers with the STI motors was bolted up to a powerglide, I believe.

SOHC fits no prob. DOHC requires a little pounding on one side or cut and weld.

When you're going through deep water, you'll often get a wave that comes up well over your hood and up the windshield. People put them up as high as possible just to be better safe than sorry. I think the location you're talking about could get dumped on pretty easily when that wave comes up...

Wow! Nothing beats having that engine up on a subframe, huh? Also gotta hand it to Mudrat for that clever add-a-shock setup. Just perfect simple engineering.

Their website is a disaster but I managed to find this: Basic SUV/4x4 Vehicle Requirements: Seat belts and rollover protection for all occupants Four Wheel Drive, low range is not mandatory Hard mounted tow point front or rear Recovery strap (no metal hooks on the ends) Full size spare Battery tie down Orange safety flag At least three vehicles in a group I think a roof is considered "rollover protection." So I think we're good...

Look at all that room! Me thinks you need bigger tires on that hatch! Anyway, looks like about 45.6 deg. with the push-bar and 49 deg. to the bumper. Perspective is likely throwing everything off though.

Answers in bold. There are many many many threads on this subject... here's one that hits the nail right on the head for a lot of your issues: RGuyver's WRX Brat Definitely do some searching and keep us updated on this project!

Here's a progress report (pic taken today): '88 hatch w/ EJ22, 4" lift, 6-lugs/swampers (duh!), full frame, rear discs, 2 1/4" exhaust, etc. It runs like a motha', it's solid as a rock... but as you can see, more than a little naked right now. The hatch grew up right here in NY, meaning lots of rust. Well no more, I rebuilt the entire body top to bottom in metal last winter (thats a full rocker panel fabbed from scratch and a new quarter skin on the back, same on the other side). So with all the metalwork done I'm on body and paint right now. Also gotta do something for doors, maybe tube doors, cause it's awesome wheeling like this. Not so cool in the mud, but I'm sick of fixing rust and my original doors are pretty bad. Anyway, can't wait to get her back on the road, luckily I got a bud who's doing NYS inspections again! In the back is my stock '87 from my av. Jon, I might have a brat tranny for you... I could of course bring it to the meet, but if you want to get it sooner I could maybe bring it as far as Albany. I've also got a set of stock steelies. They're like black/bad red spray paint I think. We definitely have to get everyone together and get a nice group shot. Those old Hatch Patrol lineup shots are SO badass! We don't know what or where yet but we've got a date... July 15th You've got a month and a half, so no excuses you guys!