New Guy From the Spokane Area

[BrianAbington]

Hey guys,

 

As popular as Subaru's are in the pacific northwest I have had a hard time finding info on the car I am looking at buying.

 

I have been told to have a compression test done on the engine and have the carb checked out.

 

Let me give you a bit more info about the car and you tell me if there is anything else to watch for.

 

I found a car at a local dealer:

 

1986 Subaru GL 2 Door Hatch back

 

EA71 Carbeurated Engine, 4 speed manual, and 4x4

 

Just over 161,000 miles

 

My wife and I drove through the lot last night and I was in love.

 

I went back in the day light and was very impressed by it.

 

It is the shiny maroon color I honestly think a good cleaning and polishing would do amazing things for this car.

 

The body only has a small pea sized dent on the top of the drivers side fender. The rear bumper is dented in the middle, but the body itself only has a small dent behind the bumper that I can cover with half of my thumb.

 

I looked at the roof and it looked like a rather flat finish...I thought maybe the clear coat was gone. I brushed my hand across the roof to see if the surface was rough and I brushed away a thick layer of dust to reveal a shiny surface underneath. This tells me it has sat in a garage for a loooong time.

 

Before I looked at the interior I noticed on the upper right part of the windshield was a sticker from the Factory that stated that it is illegal to drive the car with the plastic seat covers still in place. Thats impressive that a sticker as simple as that survived this long.

 

The left bolster on the drivers seat is worn and shows the foam...it looks like an elbow and palm was frequently pushed against it to help somebody stand up. I didn't check it to see if just the seam split or if the fabric is ripped.

 

That is the only problem I could find with the interior.

 

Beyond that the fabric on the seats look brand new no other wear or fading. The dash and console both look new, all other trim looks new, the carpet looks new. I didn't have time to dig around in the hatch but the rear window was pretty fogged up so I think it may have a leak in the back.

 

The condition inside and out tells me this was probably a grandma/grandpa car that was always parked inside when it was not being used. And when they took it to church/the grocery store it was never in direct sunlight for very long.

 

The brakes, and calipers look rusty and the original white wheels have some surface rust spots. I didn't see any leaks from the brakes but I plan to take it to Les Schwab to get the calipers checked just to be on the safe side.

 

The engine looks like it has an oily layer on the bottom so it does have a leak some where, I couldn't squeeze my head past the skid plate to see were exactly but it looks like its concentrated towards the middle so I'm thinking oil pan gasket.

 

I had my son with me so I didn't take the time to look under the hood or start it up yet. So that will still be the deciding factor when I go back again on monday.

 

As I stated before I plan to have the carb and compression tested. I was also told that the older EA series engines do feel a little rough/vibratey at idle and while driving but if it feels like its moving around a lot the engine mounts may need to be replaced.

 

If I it compresses good and has no serious issues I plan to get an oil change right away so they can change that oil pan gasket and will also have the transmission oil, and differential oil changed.

 

I also plan on doing a tune up as well but need to wait for a chance to use a friends garage because our apartment complex won't let tenants do even simple work in the parking lot.

 

Any other thoughts?

 

Thanks,

Brian

[Indrid cold]

Look at the number on the engine again.. that should be an EA-81, it is on top/front of motor, just to the left and under the distributor on the block.... I could be wrong but ... possibly they wrote it down wrong or told you wrong.

 

I would love an 86... You didn't say price.. but off a lot I bet you are lookeing around $1,200 to $1,800 ?????? could be as much as $2,000. but more than I would spend.... unless I had the money..

 

If you are going to own one of these YOU have to learn to work on them. Not haveing a place to work on them sucks but sounds like you have a friend that can give you a little space. The great thing is ...... everything... I love my Hatch and wait for the snow!!!

 

You have some Subaru diehards in the area, this site and some reference books (How to keep your subaru alive) will keep the car on the road if you know how to do the basics, you can learn to work on these and they are not that hard to work on. Depending on your local mechanic isn't the best way to run these as it just adds needles costs as these are older cars and do need their love and attention, but there is a reason they are still on the road... the just go and go the more you love them...

Edited January 9, 2011 by Indrid cold

[nickolai]

Hi, welcome to the board!

 

It sounds like you've found a pretty decent car assuming the compression and carb checks turn out good. The ea71 engine is quite reliable, and it's not uncommon for them to hit 250k or higher, granted regular oil changes and good maintenance.

 

The 4wd in these cars is awesome and in my opinion is better than a lot of trucks. I've driven my subie though snow as deep as the hood! It was fresh snow, and pretty light though....

 

The 4spd tranny is ok for speeds under 60 or so, but if you plan on a lot of freeway driving you will be running the engine at 4000 + rprm.

 

One thing I would look for is rust on the underside of the car. You want to make sure it's not bad in any place that looks like its part of the structural integrity of the car.

 

Also, some common wear items are the front steering/suspension components. Namely ball joints, tie rod ends, and inner tie rods. I would want to jack up the front of the car and try to shake each front tire by hand. If there is any play at all, try to see what part is worn. Ball joints and tie rod ends are fairly cheap - about 15 and 25 dollars I think, and fairly straight forward to replace, although there are some tricks that make it easier. Inner tie rods are more expensive and more of a challenge to get at but they can be done. I would also inspect the integrity of the cv boots while looking at the steering components.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Nick

[BrianAbington]

the EA71 was my assumption. All the google searches I did on these cars pointed to the 71.

 

I am pretty handy with cars, I have always had to fix stuff my self. This is just the first time I have not had a place to do it. The only other car I have ever had with a carbeurator was my 69 lincoln continental 2 door...it had a brand new Edelbrock 750 on the 460 so I never needed to adjust it.

 

I can easily learn about this car...but I find that enthusiasts are a great resource to learn about quirks to look for before buying.

[Turbone]

Welcome to USMB.

We take Subaru to another level here

 

I think the Canadian version had a EA71, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

All the 81's and up that I've seen have been EA81 tho.

There are lots of upgrades you can do to it, rear disc brakes, Weber carb, 5spd swap....the list goes on.

If you cant find info doing a search, just ask.

For examples of modified Hatches, do a user name search of Pooparu in the Retrofit forum and mine in Offroad.

[Idasho]

Welcome aboard Brian!

 

There is a few peeps on here from Spokane, as well as a few from the surrounding areas.

 

I live down in Moscow.

 

If you find yourself in a bind and really need a shop to get something repaired, let me know. Im sure we could work something out. :cool:

[BrianAbington]

thanks guys,

 

My parents had a subaru wagon when I was a kid. I was only 5 or 6 but I remember I loved riding in it through the snow.

 

That is part of why I'm so excited about this car.

 

I grabbed a brochure about the new Outback at the dealership yesterday and I think my wife is falling for Subarus now as well.

 

We were discussing it last night and I think that even if the engine is shot and we pay only a couple hundred dollars for the car and then rebuild the engine it would still be totaly worth it.

 

I'm at a point in life that I am no longer concerned with making my cars as fast as possible. Any work will be to take it back to its original glory.