kdixey

Rubber hose? I was wondering if it was a setup like that. I am hoping its not a hole in the top of th etank, but I suppose I could patch that as well. Kevin

I would imagine that there has got to be some way to fix that. Aren't there flexible hoses I could use to replace the filler neck? Ah well, I guess the next step is to get in there and see what is going on. Onward! Kevin

I have noticed recently that when I fill up the tak with gas on I on occasion get a smell of gas very strongly inside the car. About a week ago I noticed a small puddle under the passenger side rear wheel at fillup and atributed it to a bit of overflow. Yesterday I got a chance to see it in action...when I am filling up after about 3/4 full there is a small amount of gas dripping between the body panels in the wheel well. Curiously the tank does not leak AFTER it has been filled. I am thinking that there is a problem with the tube that leads to the tank. HAs anyone else had a problem like this? I'm not even sure where to begin. I would imagine it is something I can get in there and fix. I'm open to suggestions. Oh yeah, it's and 4WD GL wagon with 190K and my daily driver. Kevin

I would bio-engineer a race of lizard warriors to declare me god-emperor and carry me around on their scaly backs in my 86 GL wagon that is filled with precious gems from the fabled ape city of Opar. ...and I'd also put a decent cupholder in the wagon

Off to the junkyard it is...

I noticed that the adapters were discontinued, I was wondering if the Impreza one fit the EA82. I heard rumors to that effect but I can't remember where. I like Grant steering wheels but I thought that grant adapters were not available for EA82s. hmmm.....

I had a problem with my stereo that sounds familiar...it would only turn on after I applied the brakes. I would suspect a damaged speaker lead or a loose connection at the speaker (factory speakers have a solder connection on the speaker that could be cracked). If you have the inclination, I would rewire the speakers. It is an easy job and might be easier than trying to track down a damaged wire. The hardest thing about the job is getting the little clip on the window crank off so you can pull the door panels. Kevin

According to the specs I've read there are no momo adapters for between the 84 GL and the Impreza . Now, I have seen quite a few 85 and later GLs and such sporting nice steering wheels...so what's the sercret? Does the Impreza adapter fit the 85 and later GL or is there some great subaru secret I am missing? Is it off to the junkyard for me? Kevin

My wife have been looking for a decent commuter for her to drive about 100 miles a day, so we have been looking at Imprezas and Foresters (she is partial to Subarus). Since I have an 86 GL I find that I am more used to cars costing $500 instead of $5000. So here is the question. We found a 99 5 speed Impreza OBS with about 70K miles on it at a local dealer. The dealer is offering it with a 25K mile engine and powertrain warranty. The car is listed at $7995. I looked it over pretty closely and it appears to be sound mechanically (although the clutch feel like it is slipping) but it has some unusual issues. First it looks like it had an encounter with a tree. There is a medium sized dent on the pillar above the passenger side rear door. There are also numerous teeth marks on the interior (from a large dog) and most curiously the tail gate is bent at the niges. It looks like the previosu owner backed into something with the tailgate up and bent the hinges. The sales person has said that the tailgate and the dents will be fixed (although I am dubious that they will agree to fix the dents). Is it just me or does $7995 seem high for that? If so, what would be a more appropriate price? Kevin

blown fuse. Now all I need to do is replace the bumper Kevin

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have a go at it over the weekend and check back to let you know what I found. Kevin

So I got tagged by a hit and run and my front bumper got bashed. The blinker on the driver's side still worked but in that spastic style that happens when the bulb is broken. Now all the blinkers are out. I was thinking it might be a fuse that has gone out. Anyone have any wisdom before I set off into the land of ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS? Kevin

86 GL 4WD wagon with 188K rough miles and a number of things still to fix. I get about 29-30mpg no matter what I do. I have heard of these cars getting 40mpg but I find that hard to believe (although I am open to the possibility). Best mileage I ever got was on my 80 Honda Civic GL (I miss that car sometimes) I got 49mpg once while traveling cross country. Kevin

Ever get a look at a Cane Spider? They are large and run fast. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Huntsman_spider_white_bg03.jpg Kevin

It's not a Hobo spider, it's an Orb Weaver (in fact Orb Weaver's eat Hobos) not particularly aggressive and does not have the same type of necrotic effects that the poison of the Hobo does. BTW, when I replaced my side mirror lat month I found a yellow jackey nest (a good sized one) inside the old mirror...now THAT's a unfriendly tenant Kevin

Dang! I got so wrapped up in the joke I forgot to post the rest of what I was going to say... I have to agree that "fair price" seems to be dictated by supply and demand. I paid $750 for an 86 GL with 182K miles. It doesn't leak oil (although it does burn a bit) had a decent interior and as I have been working on it so far the problems have been manageable and not that expensive to deal with. Remember that with a car like that you should figure that you'll need to put some money into it to deal with whatever ails it. As far not being very powerful...yeah well, welcome to the world of EA82 Subarus. There are some things you can do to maximize what the car can do, but don't expect miracles. The best desciption I have come across (I think was even on this board) for the 80's subarus is..."ugly, slow and tough as nails". That being said, I have a 2002 WRX as well, and to be perfectly honest I prefer driving my 86 GL for most things. It is an peculiarly fun car to drive. Kevin

Did Lattés in Seattle come down to $5?

I picked up a $6 testing light (best advice I got) and rewired. Had to bring power in from the battery. Rewired the speakers with new wire. In the end it was simpler than sorting through the existing wires and i suspect it works better as well. Kevin

Consider that your going to probably put anywhere from $200 - $500 into it. You say it needs CV jopints and brakes and with that much mileage I'd be surprised if there aren't more than a few other things that will need ot be fixed (especially if you want to fix it up and sell it). Kevin

...almost forgot Northwet is right, that is not an 86. Kevin

I'd say $200 - $350. It looks pretty rough (but then again it's sitting in the weeds). If it was pristine inside it might go for more but with the money you'll need to put into it (CV, brakes etc.), the highe mileage etc. I would be inclined to offer low. Kevin

I don't know if this will help but I put Impreza OBS seats in my GL and I did it by moving the GL seat rails to the Impreza seats. It involved drilling new holes on the bottom steel of the Impreza seats. I suspect with the interchangability of Subaru parts that the Legacy seats will be much the same. I explained the process here http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=60027&highlight=impreza+seat+swap Kevin

Veeeeery Nice!

The deed is done and I have tunes in "brownie". I pulled the old aftermarket deck that only worked if you hit the brakes and have a brand new sony in dash CD with a pair of 4" speakers in the front in the factory holes and soon to have a new set of 5.25" in the rear (and maybe a set of 6x9's in the tailgate if I get ambitious. The speakers were glued in and needed a lot of "encouragement" to let loose. The constant power from the battery was gone and the fact that the color coded wires looked like they had been rewired by someone that was color blind made finding things a real challenge. The $6 testing light was the best advice I got. I ended up having to run a new line from the battery to power the deck (basically replacing the one that was AWOL). A little electrical tape, some zip ties and decent pair of strippers and your in business. After this experieince, my own advice on install is... 1. Use twist on cable nuts. If you put them on correctly they do a great job and they can be removed if need be (don't forget to electrical tape it afterward) 2. When in doubt rewire. It's easier than putting a new exhaust on or retrofitting seats 3. Run new wire to the speakers. The door panels come off easily and the factory wire is 20 years old anyway. Remember that 18 guage is fine if you are not using an amp. Most wiring harnesses have 18 guage in them and fancy phoenix gold (or what-have-you) won't sound any better if you are connecting to the deck with 18 guage. If you plan to add an amp later then upgrading the wire is a good idea. 4. Attach the new speaker wire to the old wire and yank it through to save some grief. Now if I an find the illumination circuit I can have the deck's incredibly BRIGHT light dim with the interior illumination. Kevin

Where can I get one of those? Are they still available?