KiwiGL

DOC rangers are underappreciated imo, it's a hard job at times with all the track maintenance etc Blanket Bay lodge is it? Few Lord of the Rings stars stayed there...

The above poster is a little confused. Both the push-button 4WD and the dual-range are front wheel drive (FWD) under normal tarmac driving. The 4wd button activates a vacuum solenoid that engages the coupling and thus the rear wheels. Moving the 4wd lever to the 4wd position achieves the same thing in a dual-range. The difference is that in the dual-range, you can move the 4wd lever up one more notch and engage the 1.59:1 dual-range gearing, which allows you to climb and descend steep slopes safely and/or do hill starts with a trailer on (the Subie low range has syncromesh so can be shifted whilst moving). Neither gearbox is a true all wheel drive (AWD) setup as neither has a centre differential and as such these vehicles are designed to be 4wd on loose surfaces, like gravel, only and not AWD for street use. Engaging 4wd on asphalt will risk damaging the gearbox, axles, tyres etc. Only the rare (2500 sold) RX turbo had a true AWD gearbox with a lockable centre differential and a 1.19:1 dual-range, as far as the EA chassis vehicles are concerned. As far as EJ chassis vehicles are concerned, they are full-time AWD with a viscous centre differential with no locking mechanism. Some markets eg New Zealand, did get a dual-range manual transmission however. I owned one, a 2002 Forester. Also had a 1987 GTX Turbo touring wagon (3AT though). The above is true for manual subies only. Also, cool wagon man, always loved the EA82 wagons. The rear tyre carrier is mint. Looks like your roof racks are for a raised roof touring wagon though!

Clean Brumby, always liked those massive NZ canopies! My late grandparents built a place in Arrowtown in the 70s so I spend most holidays up there, live in Dunedin rest of the time. Beautiful part of the country, always liked Glenorchy too, there's some great fishing around there up the Rees, Dart, Greenstone, Diamond lake/creek etc...

Not to clog up Nico's thread (insanely fast btw) but that's almost identical to mine minus the H-type wheels and red TURBO decal on rear doors! Mine was an N-reg 1987 GTX turbo with the 3-speed auto and switchable 4wd. No centre diff so FWD on tarmac. Torque steer was crazy! The paint on mine was wrecked too, that blue didn't age well and I think it contributed to the terminal firewall rust in mine.

If you're keeping the standard EA82T and wish to run a WRX TMIC, you should try and locate a 'spider' intake manifold off a turbo Vortex/Alcyone/XT coupe. These have the intake pipe on the rear of the manifold like an EJ vs the top like a standard EA82T intake manifold - it would make your life a lot easier! http://www.ausubaru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13110 I was going to attach a pic but it wouldn't let me. Google 'subaru spider intake ea82' for more.

Especially considering you're in completely the wrong section of the forum considering the title of your thread.

Pity I sold off my wrecked Foz or you'd have been welcome to the raised Kings and brand new rear kyb struts for the cost of shipping.

It'll be a 6-speed manual, same gearbox as used in the newer Subarus. No DR unfortunately. This Euro-spec model was also sold here, they're nice cars! Very economical compared to the petrol variants, I never understood why Subaru didn't sell the diesels in the US (even if they were manual-only until 2013).

Having been in a GC8 JDM imported WRX, on ultra-low variable-rate Kings springs, I have to say the ride was terrible even with the variable rate King springs... The problem is that when you lower a car by 30-40 mm you lose that much upstroke in the suspension travel, and a Subaru only has around 70 mm to start with. I know my Foz had about that! Does it feel like you're constantly thumping the bump-stops, or if it's just really harsh?

Try rebuilding the original carb, or perhaps a Weber. Then a 2" exhaust and tune for it. That'll net you some more power. EJ swaps apparently aren't that difficult as far as conversions go, but I haven't peronally doen one. Clean car anyway! one more thing, are those alloys 14"? They look like they might be. If they are then 27" BFGs will go right on without needing to hunt new rims!

Love it. Should have come from the factory like that.

Those A pillars don't look too bad. Once you take the windscreen out you'll have a better idea of the scale of the problem though, mine had rusted down behind the spare wheel well and behind the front mudflaps too - the front end wasn't held on very securely. But mine looked worse than that! Difficult situation owning two...

I wouldn't bother with brakes on a single rail trailer... You guys in the US seem to have much lower tow ratings than here in NZ, here that Outback would be good for 1500 kg braked (~3000 lb) and 750kg unbraked (~1500 lb). Same as my old 2003 dual-range manual SG Forester, 2.5 NA engine.

Didn't scare me off. Personally I'd restore it, the EA82T is a solidly performing engine with new HG. I love the look of the JDMs too, having grown up with plenty like that one in NZ. The HGs killed most of them though. I used to have an EA82T with 3AT 4wd NZDM, rusted out a year back though. If the body is solid, I'd redo the HGs, replace all brake pads and fluids and any shot lines, and look for the damaged interior panels and replace those as needed.

Great find, hope you can get it restored and on the road as it's in excellent condition apart from the (few) rust patches.

That right-hand drive EA81 RX coupe with the rally decals is seriously rare! I wonder if it's still got the factory works EA81S engine with the twin Weber IDF downdraughts? Would have been epic seeing the late Possum Bourne driving this in the 1982 Rally of New Zealand...

Sweet work, getting closer by the look of it! Would be a waste to give up now. Pity I'm down south, seeing this in the flesh would be sick

Those SUB4 guys in NZ created some DOHC EA82 heads at one point... Crazy good fabrication. It would be interesting to see how much power one could get out of a built EA82T with these heads and a spider manifold...

Try Japanese auto wrecker sites, all JDM Outbacks and Foresters and some early Imprezas/Legacies had the dual-range in Japan too. Pre-98 models have a 4-bolt bellhousing and some had a cable clutch setup but just leave 4 bolts out and you're fine. Some early 1.8 Imprezas had a 1.59 dual-range ratio with a 3.9 diff ratio. All JDM Foresters will have a 1.447:1 reduction with 4.11 diffs, Outback/Legacy are 1.19:1 reduction with 4.11 diffs. I'd go the Outback box and put a L-series 1.59 in it (some custom work required) or a 1.447 in it (direct swap) as the first and second gears are physically wider on the Outback gearbox (the 1.447 Forester box would probbaly blow 1st or 2nd behind a turbo engine)... If you're importing an Aussie box, the first-gen (SF) 2.0L Foresters had 1.447 and 4.11, the second-gen (SG) 2.5L Foresters had 1.19 and 4.11, and all Outbacks/Legacies had 1.19 & 4.11. I think your Baja would have a 4.44 diff ratio from the factory so either way you'll need to swap that? Or go 4.44 in the front diff too for more low. Hope this helps.

If it's an SF turbo, it'll almost certainly be JDM.

If it's JDM, the speedo will end at 180kph, NZDM at 220 or 240 kph. Easy way to tell. Also if it's not registered in the year it was made is a clue too.

I thought the 5th you went for was the highest available?

That's all fairly straightforward work for a solid body, you won't regret buying this beaut I'm sure! Nice catch.

awesome idea, what are the legalities of driving a hack job on the road in the us?

Damn, sorry to hear about that! It's always tough when a car you've put your time and effort into gets smashed, I know that feeling all too well... IDK about replacing the pillars and roof on a monocoque though - you might want to look into where the body panels are stiched together and pull the sections apart there rather than cut and shut, just to make it a bit stronger. Seam welding some more the firewall and other pillars would give the passenger compartment more strength too while retaining the front and back end as crumple zones.