variant13 Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 ...done this weeks ago. Hi there. My name is James, I am a 43 year old historical archaeologist for the federal government. I currently live in Rawlins, Wyoming, but I was born in New Jersey, and lived most of my life in Phoenix, Arizona. I plan to be in 'Raw-Town' as it is lovingly known, for the next 1-2 years; after which I hope to move on to a slightly larger venue (I'm hoping for Casper or Fort Collins). I am a long-time car enthusiast; I have owned numerous cars from a 1953 Mercury to a 1957 DeSoto Firedome, to a long, long string of 1950s and 60s full-size Pontiacs, all manner of air-cooled VWs (mostly Type I and Type III) and most recently I was toying with Model T Fords (this last ended in tears). In the 1990s I ran tight on spare money and was driving Toyotas almost exclusively, but in the last 6-8 years I've been driving modern Subarus, and have caught the bug. My current daily driver is a New-Mexico born 94 Nissan pickup that is honestly disgustingly clean, its only fault being that it is two-wheel drive. I am on the quest for an 82-84-ish GL wagon with a manual transmission and DR 4WD. There's one up in Casper, but I need to coordinate my schedule with my ability to get a ride up that way, and hopefully soon there will be a nice GL in my driveway. I want to thank those that have already given their comments and suggestions on my posts, and I look forward to a long relationship filled with laughter and tears. Peace! J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Shoulda', woulda', coulda' . . . makes no difference as long as you end up in the right place! And I think you realize that you're in "the right place." People here always seem to go the extra step to help a fellow Subaru-er out. Like Don_Quixpunch did in your earlier thread (thanks, Don--that was very nice of you.) So welcome to USMB. Learn, share, enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 4, 2010 Author Share Posted May 4, 2010 Share and enjoy, share and enjoy, joy through life with a plastic... Ahem. Don has been very, very helpful. Anyone on the board that is crossing through WY on 80 is welcome to ring me up and I can hook you up with some coffee or what have you (I have a cot and a spare room, too, if needs be). Happy to be on board. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 Hey, I just realised that there is an optional subscription to the forum. Had I known this weeks ago, I would have pitched in my sawbuck then, too! Eagerly awaiting my 83 GL. I'll post pictures as soon as she arrives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Quixpunch Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Speaking of old GLs, I was at the local Tear a Part yesterday and saw an 84 with power steering and pretty much every other power accessory that was probably available at the time. Also, another car had a full set of black wagon spokes. Let me know if you need anything that you can't find local. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 ORLY? I'll keep that in mind! There is NOTHING local. We have a yard, but it's basically all 1970s Chevy trucks and that kinda thing. I'll drop a note this weekend once I get the critter home. The wheels sound interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coylethebarbarian Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 welcome James! This is the place to be, as you already have probably discovered! What's the maximum distance you are willing to have a soob shipped or to travel? Price range? I find 80-84 soobs here occasionally in NM and AZ, but unfortunatley do A) not have the space for all and usually have just spent the alloted cash I had saved on another project! I'll keep you posted on what I find.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 Coyle, are you a bold barbarian? Or an old barbarian? ...because of course, there are no old, bold barbarians. Except for one... Anyway, yes, the lot here seem very helpful. I will go to just about any length to order parts, but I'm saving my vacation time for this summer, so the car really needs to be a one-day drive from central Wyoming. At this point, I can't even manage to score a ride to Casper to pick the car up, sheesh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coylethebarbarian Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Coyle, are you a bold barbarian? Or an old barbarian? ...because of course, there are no old, bold barbarians. Except for one... Now that reference, I haven't heard in a long time. Anyway, yes, the lot here seem very helpful. I will go to just about any length to order parts, but I'm saving my vacation time for this summer, so the car really needs to be a one-day drive from central Wyoming. It's about 11-12 hours from Albuquerque to Casper At this point, I can't even manage to score a ride to Casper to pick the car up, sheesh! Hey I know how you feel, no problem. I'll keep my eyes out for anything. I could always stash it at my house if I found one until you could pick it up...that is if it was in great shape and worth your trip...etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubieDaddy80 Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 Welcome! Welcome! Great group here that can help you with any issues and questions! Its more like a family here than just a forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 Sigh, OK turns out the guy doesn't really want to sell the car, hence the constant stalling. So, I'm back on the lookout for that ever elusive 82-84 GL wagon with dual range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 9, 2010 Author Share Posted May 9, 2010 OK, update. He called! Car is for sale, start driving! I get up there, and it's in pretty good looking shape, and it's sitting there running, clearly warmed up, no smoke, not hot, ticking right along, no throwout bearing noise. The guy is probably 23-24, seems like a pretty decent guy. 'Mind if I run it around the block,' 'Not at all...' First impression getting in: rot by driver's side rear wheelwell, pretty thorough cancer, but the rear door isn't affected, so meh. Floors all are solid, having looked under the front new axles and boots. There is a manual choke butchered through the plastic under the dash, . There is an aftermarket ignition switch butched through the plastic dash, and a relatively new CD player screwed to the underside of the passenger's side of the dash with metal strapping and sheet metal screws . Dash is cracked, front seats are hosed. Shifter is very sloppy, but this is pretty easy, just a plastic bushing. You guys should have told me these things didn't come with power steering. Quite a surprise. But, I pull out into the street, the engine is noisier than I like (EA-81 - good? bad? indifferent?), sounds like it could use a lifter adjustment, if it were an air-cooled VW. First gear, quick rev, second gear, seems fine, third gear. Third. Gear. ...vroom, vroom. Rolling to a stop. Vroom, vroom. Car stops. In gear. Engine just idling away like nothing's wrong. Turn around, hop on a quick dirt road (this is Wyoming), pull on the 4WD, seems to pull strong, seems to be all 4, still no third gear. Back to FWD, turn around, onto the pavement. Down a side street onto a regular road; first gear, second gear with gusto, fourth gear... and it's fine. /shrug. Go for fifth. Go. For. Fifth. Sigh. The good news? I'm a moron, it's a 4-speed. The bad news? Ya, totally no third gear. Then, after I backed back into the guy's driveway, the T/O made it's presence known with a ch-ch-ch-ch-ch that spun down and went away once you disengage the clutch. Now, more bad news, the rot on the passenger's side is bad enough that the front passenger's door rattles noticeably when you close the rear passenger door. The inverted-T between the doors that blends into the rocker is completely gone. I did not buy the car. He wanted $900 and was willing to go lower, but I was frightened off by the rust, and the fear that the transmission and transaxle are one unit? Is this true? I would want a 5-speed anyway, but since it displays every symptom of having 1-2 kilos of extra-chunky transmission steel sloshing around in there, I make the broad assumption that the transmission/transaxle is ballast for someone's ploughing pickup? I just didn't want to risk having all that steel flying around in there on the loose, ready to strand me at Muddy Gap or Devil's Gap or any other gap. It does have five good white-spoke wagon wheels on it, but I just didn't think it was my project car (I don't want to START with a total basket case). I'm willing to put in a clutch, but having to un-butcher a ************load of wiring AND having to replace the transaxle... What do you chaps think? Should I cross-post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 Good call passing on that POS. Post in Wanted and consider coming up to the PNW to buy something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sioux-baru Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 Sounds like a candidate for a parts car. Omaha to Cheyenne is a days drive, depending on how heavy your foot is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 9, 2010 Author Share Posted May 9, 2010 I can make it from Grand Island to here in a day comfortably, I could probably do Omaha. I have looked in NE, but there hasn't been much around. I'll keep looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Quixpunch Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 A lot of us prefer the EA81. But I don't think it came paired with a 5 speed from the factory. The wheels are okay, but you can easily find more, if you buy a Subie for its wheels, they gotta be more special than wagon spokes. I agree that you were smart to walk away from that one. If you're looking for a car to fix up, the biggest hassle is major rust repairs. You might just think about getting a PNW or AZ car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 Only front wheel drive models... A lot of us prefer the EA81. But I don't think it came paired with a 5 speed from the factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 9, 2010 Author Share Posted May 9, 2010 Will they bolt together, a 5-spd and a DR? Or will the 4-spd get OK highway mileage? Or am I asking for too much from 27 year old technology? How much interchangeability is there? Had the rust on that one not been so bad, I'd have bought it for the body... Oh, and they don't use salt here, Wyoming cars are usually really solid, body-wise; this one must have been an import from NE or somewhere east. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Quixpunch Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 As long as you have an EA81 and not an EA71, the 5 speed will bolt up to the engine. Further modifications are needed for the trans cross member, shift linkages, and drive shaft. Also, you'll want to look into swapping your flywheel and clutch. There are a couple of threads about doing the swap into a gen 2 car. I'm gathering the parts to do the 5 speed swap into my gen 1 Brat and it's far more complicated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Quixpunch Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=0&nid=443&tab=list/view&ad=2479561 Dunno if this is in your range, but it looks pretty in the pictures and should be pretty much a turn key car. So far as I can tell, it has the dual range trans. It's an EA82t which a lot of people here aren't very enamored with. It's probably not so bad if you mostly drive on the street and keep up with the maintenance. But you should do your own research. According to the 'Subarus of the 80s' page, it's got MPFI. The SPFI and the EJ MPFI are highly regarded, but I don't know if the EA mult-iport setup is as good. If you decide you're interested, let me know and I'll give it a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 12, 2010 Author Share Posted May 12, 2010 Jeez, I'm just shy of the turbo. Not really what I want, but the car is otherwise close enough to perfect that I'd jump on it, other than the turbo. I'll think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Quixpunch Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I kind of figured that might be the case. If I were to buy it, I'd definitely plan on an EJ swap. Lemme know if you decide you want me to give it a look. At that price, I don't think it'll sell fast. I'm always browsing the classified ads for Soob stuff, so I'll continue to post when I see D/R wagons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
variant13 Posted May 12, 2010 Author Share Posted May 12, 2010 I really appreciate the extra eyes. There's still an 89 GL with a 5-spd and SR 4WD here, but it's a little beat for $1,200. If it were sweet, I'd do it, buuuut... I suppose that yoinking the turbo and dropping in like an EA81 with the SPFI would be an option, but a $2,300 project car... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Quixpunch Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 I wouldn't get a single range for 1200 unless it's in very good shape. It'll do well in the snow, but without a low range, it doesn't have the gearing to climb any steep hills. Were it cheaper, it might be worth swapping a dual range. But that's a bit of a hassle. Just so you know, DR trannys can be had in the junk yards here in SLC for around 100$. Depending on the car, you will need additional parts. If you buy a 4 speed or a single range car with the intent of swapping, do the research first. For all I know, the 5 speed DR might drop into a 5 speed single range car and only need the DR shifter? Or, it might require cross member modification, a different clutch and flywheel, both shifters and the drive shaft from the donor car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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