themixtoo

Ok, Just started the EJ22 swap and 3" lift to my '83 Turbo Brat clone. EA81T and auto trans are out. Rad, ac condenser, oil cooler, engine cradle (crossmember), brake lines, under hood wire harness, struts, strut rod brackets all removed. Engine bay cleaned (looks pretty good for 22 years in the snow belt) and the left front inner fenderwell removed so I can weld in the Impreza piece as it has special mounting points for the fuse box and battery. CHECK THIS OUT.....If I could only figure out this 'cut and paste' thing I'd send a better picture........as I get more done I'll send pix of each step.......Gary

Turbo EA81's were the first fuel injected 'Rus sold in the USA. They had heavy duty manually adjustable suspension, all had automatic pushbutton 4WD transmissions, also first model to have digital readout dash (some did have analog dash w/boost gauge) all had power steering, also first model w/vented front disc brake rotors, all had power remote mirrors w/gold TURBO emblem (usually power windows came with the power mirror package but I've seen Turbo Brat's with manual windows) all had 'GL' side mouldings and front/rear bumpers with gold inserts where the chrome normaly would have been. Front Star emblem in the grill and all Subaru name emblems were gold plated instead of chrome or brushed silver like on the 'DL','GL' or 'GL-10' models. Could be other stuff but it eludes me at the moment. Gary

The oil pump has an adapter about 2-2.5" long that screws on in place of the oil filter then the oil filter screws on to this adapter. The adapter has two threaded ports (I think there's only 2) in it that steel lines attach to. The rubber hoses you see in the above picture go over the steel tubes and are clamped with regular hose clamps. We never got the head light washer option here in the USA (cool option), just like we never got the rear window wiper for the 4dr sedan (it was in our parts books back then too)

You know, I hadn't noticed that untill I pulled the sway bar off and it's bigger (larger OD) than the bar on my '98 25RS. Gary

I think all '83 and '84 Turbo's sent to the USA had oil coolers. I have seen an '85 Brat Turbo so they may have made them for 3 years in the EA81 model, but I've never seen one in the 'flesh' and none came thru northern Ohio in 1985 as I had access to the log sheets of all Subarus sent to our area (I was a dealer parts manager at the time) Rear bumper was the same from '83-'87, just black there is no provision in the metal part to put the gold insert. However my Turbo Brat is actually made from 2 different year and model Ru's. I bought the '83 Brat in 1992 as the owner was going to send it to the scrapyard because it had been in a weird accident and wound up in Lake Erie with mud up to the lower dash (paid $150 and it had a toppercap on it). A friend found an '84 Turbo 2dr hardtop in a recyle yard in 1995 (damaged left front end), it was the same color code as the brat and even had the gold starburst aluminum wheels still on. I paid $450 for it. I really didn't want the 2dr Hardtop so out came the sawsall and that's how I came to have a Turbo Brat. I guess you could say I really have a Turbo Brat clone!! ..................Gary

I don't know if this has been posted before but..... As I began dissasembling my '83 Turbo Brat it occured to me that a couple of things (other than the obvious things like gold accents, etc) are specific to the Turbo Models and to the un-informed someone might just try to pass off a 'clone' soooo watch for the correct oil cooler and the front chin spoiler. Gary

Sorry, Stan. What I said was 'the label on the boxes' with replacement parts said LEONE/LOYALE in 1985 NOT THE CAR ITSELF (my wife had a '85 GL 4dr 4WD) as a matter of fact, it didn't even say 'GL' on the car anywhere. Gary

In this very unussual case the parts guy was correct. When the '85s came out, they were called Loyale's everywhere but Canada and the USA. When we received our first batch of collision parts from Subaru, the boxes said 'Leone/Loyale' on them.(I was a Subie parts manager back then)...........Gary:)

No...It's an '86. Only '85 had the mirrors that bolted to the doors below the window (like earlier 'Ru's and Brats) on EA82 models.... Gary.. Sorry for adding my .02 I forgot to look at everybody elses responses:)

Anyone out there need an FF-1 HOOD? I have one undamaged with the Subaru part # sticker still on it. It came from the factory in a reddish primer, and it's ORIGINAL OEM never installed on anything. $200 takes it (shipping may be a problem as it is really awkward) you pay the shipping or come and get it.. Gary in Cleveland

If this is a EA81 Turbo, the timing mark is on the front crank pulley and the Haynes is wrong. Gary w/Turbo Brat

I'm confused, I thought original post was about STI wheel on EA-82. Isn't this wheel on a EA-81? Does that mean even a Brat can have a STI steering wheel:brow: . Gary

Tommy, This is Gary up in Cleveland. I could help you tomorrow (Thursday 2-24) I have a car dolley. Call me on my cell @ 216.570.6510 and we can work this out.

That's funny, I came home from work last nite and there were five 'Rus in the driveway. When I left for work in the morning there were only 2. Gary

Yea, I had an '85, blue interior and red BRAT stripe. Mine had special grafics put on it before it went on display at the Cleveland Auto Show in March of 1985. The 'Ru display that year had 2 Brats in it, my white one and a silver one with the exact grafics. Before I 'gave' mine away it had power windows and mirrors (taken from a '84 station wagon), factory Hitachi A/C (ordered one piece at a time from Japan) and '84 GL-10 gray cloth interior (door panels and seats). Where the silver Brat is today I don't know, but I sure miss my very first Brat because it was so special. Gone but not forgotten LOL:) Gary

I know what you're saying, but for some of our newbies the overlap production of AE81's and AE8s's can be very confusing. When Subaru continued producing AE71(Brats)while the AE81 wagons, hatchbacks, 4-doors and 2dr hardtops were current it was confusing just a little. But when they started the EA82's in 1985 and continued the 2dr hardtop till Dec.1984 and the Brat to '87 and the Hatchback to '89 every thing just got more confuzed. I won't even go to the Loyale/Legacy overlap of production. And here we go again with the Baja/Legacy. Gary

All Turbo's were automatics, Turbo's were only '83.5 (starting March of 83) and 1984. So only 1.5 years of production. I don't think I've ever seen an automatic Brat without a Turbo, but I could be wrong, I've only owned three so far. All were 4 speed dual/range. The only one I have currently was made from two cars, an '84 Turbo hardtop and an '83 GL Brat. Gary

I agree, My wife's first 'RU was an 85 4WD 4dr Sedan. I added the turbo rear spoiler (little glue-on black one) a 2dr without that stupid rear hatch should have been the way Subaru made it in the first place. You should have seen the disappointed looks on the salesmans faces when the first one (3 dr hatch) showed up at the dealership I was working at back then. Gary (also rarely called normal) in Ohio

Joe's web site is done very well, but there is one mistake in the 1995 info. The Outback option on the station wagon did not include rear disc brakes and ABS, got one and those sure look like drum brakes to me. Gary

A little known tidbit also is...What does the grill look like? If it is painted the same color as the car you have the 1.8. If it is gray and has two vertical dividers in it you have the 2.2 engine.(I have a '95 Impreza Outback with the gray grill and it's a 2.2). Gary

You had better double check the year of this RX as Subaru didn't make a 1985 2dr RX. Gary

Only Turbo BRATS came with power steering, but lots of 82-84 wagons and GL-10's had this option. Gary

Yes, to 1. First RS was built in Feb 97. I don't know about No.2, Sorry:) Gary in Cleveland.......'98 2.5RS, '83 Turbo BRAT

Miles, Intersting you would mention Sidney, Ohio. The AMC club I belong to was invited a few years ago to tour the publishing facility of 'Cars and Parts' magazine (best mag for these doing older restorations, and not just domestic stuff) there. Nice little town. Last year our club was invited to an AMC car show in West Manchester, Ohio (2 exits east of the Indiana line off I-70) BP and BurgerKing on the NE corner of interchange (I never forget a burger place!)I think it was Ohio RT 127, anyway on the west side of 127 there was a Brat parked in a driveway and my friends in the club all knew about my 'RU addiction, so when we met at the car show (we got separated on the way down by an accident on I-70, none of us involved) everyone commented that they were thinking about me. On the way back I passed a Subaru dealership just off I-270 north of Columbus and on the front line facing the interstate was a STI (Oh yea, my AMC wasn't ready for the show that day so I drove my '98 25RS) and I couldn't pass up stopping in for a look-see. The salesperson let me drive it around the parking lot (it was 5pm on a Saturday) and then asked me just what it would take to put me in it right then and there. She didn't like my answer, laughed and walked away. Here was my answer...My 2.5RS is kind of special (made on the morning of the first day of regular production June-97) and is unmolested except for the gold 555 decals which I personally traced off the '97 Pro Rally car that was at the Cleveland New Car Auto show in March of 1998 and had a local sign co. put in his 'puter for me, I said an even trade sounded good to me. ALLWAYS WANTED TO SAY THAT:grin: Maybe I could meet up with you guys some day................................. Gary 'The Mix' in Cleveland