lyons Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 (edited) I was on this forum a year or so back, when I was working on an '86 GL. Unfortunately, that wagon was rammed by someone who didn't notice they had a red light... Here I am again, looking at getting another older Subee Need some advice on this little hatchback - it seems like a good buy, but I wanted to check it out with those more experienced.. It's a 1981 Hatchback, EA-81 engine, 4wd. The interior is clean, exterior clean except for one small rust spot. The engine bay looks nice, mostly clean, some rubber looks a little weathered...though visible seals look nice on engine. It apparently hadn't been driven in two years, and it's been sitting outside, though in sunny Colorado weather...I tried to fire it up, and after a dozen cranks, it fired up nice, on a cold day (20F). It idles a little high, and you have to tap the gas to get it back down, but not too bad. The owner does have records of regular maintenance, and seems to really love the little "nugget" as she calls it. The one main thing I'm concerned about is the oil looks like a latte - its a creamy light brown color and a little bubbly - but it has been sitting for two years. IS THIS NORMAL FOR A CAR THAT HAS SAT FOR A WHILE? She's asking $850. It would probably need belts, plugs, wires, hoses, fluids changed, filters..axles look good, underbody looks good. Is this a fair asking price?? She is firm on it.. THANKS FOR THE ADVICE! I'm thinking about asking her if I could drain and fill the oil, then run a compression test on it to make sure the head gasket is good.. The owners description: Details of mechanics: 1) Car has sat for two years, was running up until I parked it due to the fact I purchased another vehicle. 2) Carburetor rebuilt recently but does need adjustment. 3) New brakes 4) New muffler 5) Tires in great condition Needs a look at and or fixing: 1) No head rest for drivers side seat 2) Carburetor rebuild/adjustment 3) Basic maintenance (oil change, plugs, wires) Edited March 8, 2011 by lyons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLwagonlove Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Hey man. I am here in Fort Collins, and bought an 85 GL wagon two weeks ago. They were also asking 850, it seems to be the asking price on GLs right now. I looked for about a month until I finally decided to make an offer on one. So I got some cash together, and offer the guy 400 bucks on the spot. He took it! So 850 seems high to me. There's other GL wagon on the FOCO craigslist for 750 right now. I think it's a 87? It's been on there for about 2 months, and the price has went from 1200 to just 750 last week. You might want to take a look. My GL is a 85 with 112,000 miles on it. That 87 looks pretty good too, but it has 200,000 on it. Anyway, good luck. I bet you could get it for 500 bucks easy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 A good condition (cosmetic) hatch for $850 is a great price - even if the engine is shot. One that is running/driving and looks good can fetch $2500 to the right person. They are rare - almost as rare as Brat's anymore. And prized because of their short wheelbase. It is not a wagon and you can't compare prices to one. The owner may not know that - but even if the engine is toast it's likely worth $850. I would buy a cosmetically perfect hatch with a blown motor for $850..... and day of the week. Sounds like there may be some serious issues if the oil was brown looking - may have popped a freeze plug while sitting or has a bad head gasket. Note the color of the oil to the owner and that the engine is likely a total loss (maybe not - but for purchase price you have to assume it is) and see if she will come down. If not - let her stew about it for a week and then come back. I got my hatch for $250 and haven't replaced the engine or tranny yet. They are out there - just be patient. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyons Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the input - I've also been trying to find another older subaru wagon or hatchback for a little while. I saw that Foco ad! Cool you grabbed it, for $400 that's not bad! Wasn't that the one with carb issues? I might have a solution for you if you've got carb problems - I happen to have an (almost) full fuel injection conversion for an EA-82..let me know if you're interested.. What I'm really wondering about is the OIL COLOR?? If that's not a bad sign, I might jump on it - she doesn't want to drop lower than 850, unfortunately, but the body is in great shape (hopefully the engine too..) oops - JUST SAW GD's post - THANKS FOR THE ADVICE! "may have popped a freeze plug while sitting or has a bad head gasket" - Any advice on how to check for these?? Edited February 8, 2011 by lyons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suberfox Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Hi Lyons.....I have been looking at that car for a LONG time. Just ask GD. Too far away for me to check out though. I couldn't find anyone in your area to check it out for me. In my conversations with her I was under the impression that there are engine problems with that car but then, when she re-advertised it, they were no longer mentioned. She started out firm at $1000 and left it on CL for a long, long time without selling it. She has now dropped to $850. My take with this nearly 200K mile engine is that I would assume the engine is no good and plan for that. If the engine turns out repairable I'm that much ahead. From what you are now saying about the rest of the car, namely no rust, I would probably buy it planning on a new engine and bringing the car up to it's original shape as much as possible. It all depends on the money you have to drop into the car if it turns out to have serious problems. I have been waiting to see if anyone would go look at the car and report here. I thank you. Good luck! I hope you let me know if you buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I would snatch it up like GD said and drop a good EA81 in it and keep on trucking. I want to see some pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suberfox Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Hey, Lyons....did you buy it? I would like to track that car to find out if it has serious problems or just minor things. I looked at it for so long I would like to keep track of it if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyons Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 I'm headed over today to give this little "nugget" another run through. My plan is to change all the fluids and check for serious leaks, and do a compression test...See if I can get it the 15 miles down to my place. I'm alright with buying it for $850, she won't come down on it, but it seems like it could potentially be an alright engine. If not, I can go from there and might have a nice project for a while She states that she was testing the market when she listed it for 1k, and she has known all along it has carb issues. She claims she posted on here a while back asking about the issues, as she and a friend were going to try and fix it up. We will see what it feels/looks/sounds like with new fluids... I'll try and get a message up here tonight and let folks know, but I work late, so maybe in the morning...I will try and grab some pictures of it Thanks to all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suberfox Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Yup....she did come on here but she is not good with writing on the puter. She loves the car and I always wondered, if it runs OK as she says except for a high idle, why she parked it for 2 years? Anyway....I hope it's ok and you get it. It will be fun to track along with you since I had an interest in it for so long. Good luck, Lyons & keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyons Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 Well, just got back from checking it out again - I did an oil change, filled the radiator (it was empty), checked the freeze plugs, and ran a compression test. The freeze plugs were in place, the radiator held liquid just fine, even after warming up and driving a bit. The engine does sound pretty nice... The compression test came back as follows, from drivers side rear, moving clockwise: 135, 140, 110, 90. WOULD THIS INDICATE A HEAD GASKET, OR JUST WORN OUT RINGS? IF ITS RINGS, ANY ESTIMATES ON HOW LONG I COULD DRIVE BEFORE HAVING TO REPLACE THEM? I drove it around the block for a minute, and it did pretty well, as far as I can tell..it does have a little hesitation when starting off, like a wheel bearing is dry or emergency brake a little stuck, or... I'm ready to buy it, if I can be confident that it's not an immediate issue. I will have time later on to replace head gaskets or maybe rings, but want to be able to drive this for a couple months without serious issues... It obviously has a carb issue (with idling), but I'm more than willing to deal with that. No batteries for the camera, so no pics, sorry! PLEASE let me know what opinions people have on the compression readings. Thanks again, much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 I know EA81 headgasket issues are like the EJ22, they blow when overheated severly. Since you said you added quite a bit of coolant. Do you think it was ran low and driven for an extended period of time overheated and blew the head gaskets out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyons Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Potentially..The owner states that it was probably low when parked, but that it never overheated. So it must have gone somewhere, maybe out of a small leak in a hose while it was sitting...or maybe it did blow a head gasket. It does blow some smoke on startup, which seems to go away as it warms up. I figured maybe it needed a valve adjustment. I went through some older posts on compression checks, and have decided I might have messed up the last two readings, the 110 and 90. I tested the two on the drivers side with all plugs open, new oil, and jumping from a strong battery in a running car. I had the owner turn the ignition to crank it over. However, I put the drivers side plugs back in before testing the passenger side, and I didn't disconnect the fuel pump before testing any of them. I now see that these reading could be inaccurate.. In any case, driving it down the road felt good - I'm going with that feeling and gonna buy it. I'll give it a good compression test when I get it home - I'll let you all know how that goes - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 A compression test will probably not show a bad head gasket that is still able to run. Almost certainly not in fact. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suberfox Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 You say it smokes on start up....what color? It COULD be, and I'm not saying it is, a blown head gasket or crack that seals up when the engine heats up. You describe a typical symptom. Does it run a little rough when starting it cold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyons Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 It's white smoke on startup. Yes, it runs a little rough, I have to hold the gas to keep it at 1500rpm about a minute before it warms up enough to hold an idle. It's not coughing or jumping. GD - I'm still reading up on this site quite a bit and learning a ton all the time. I realize I may have some things confused. Thanks for your correction and input. What would show a bad HG? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Darb brown, milkshake material inside the radiator when you look in. The coolant smells like car exhaust is a starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Gotta be able to pass emissions and not overheat on the Dyno in Boulder County. If you want me to come look at it with you let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suberfox Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Lyons must have bought that car....don't see it on CL anymore. Wish he would let us know if he did and let us know how it turned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I talked to him today, he hasn't been able to get a hold of the lady and buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suberfox Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I had serious communication problems with that lady. Geeze....hope she didn't sell it to someone else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the sucker king Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 $850 sounds like a lot around here if it may need an engine. I think it comes down to how bad you want it. With patience and time you can find a clean hatch body for next to nothing. I got a clean bodied hatch out of a gulch off route 36 north of Left Hand for free, I took parts and scrapped the rest. Wish i didn't but my point is they are still around here if you keep your eyes open. just sayin... by the way lyons, why is your name lyons? I live in Lyons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suberfox Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 So.....anyone find out about this car? Lyons buy it? Someone else buy it? The lady used to put it on CL, then take it off only to put it back on again. I have a hunch that with Lyons' interest someone may have bought it this time. Haven't heard from Lyons since he did all the stuff to it to test it etc. I would love to know where that car went. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyons Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Hey folks - sorry to keep you hangin on a reply - I DID buy the little hatch! Spent the $850 hoping it wouldn't be a lost engine....drove it home just fine, but the oil pressure dropped as soon as it warmed up. Didn't push it, just cruised at 35 and made it home slowly. Re-sealed the oil pump, replaced the pressure sender, and flushed the engine, changed all the fluids. Threw new tires on it, replaced the belt and a few hoses, all filters, plugs, cap and rotor. The oil pressure still ran low (it was reading 50 at startup, then 10 psi or so once it warmed up, running 20w50). Took it to a shop to see if they could diagnose HG or main bearing. They claimed it was just old and a little sloppy, that I should drive away and not worry. Drove it home, started the next day with a blast of smoke out the tail, and I knew something was up. A few miles down the road I lost heat and a lot of power. I'm thinking HG's...I limped it down the canyon to a shop, and sure enough. The HG's are shot and the main bearing is banging around. I have a few projects on my hands at the moment, and have never rebuilt an engine...don't think I can take that on right now, though I am up for projects. I'd need some help though, I figure. Anyone out there have a good EA81 engine they are looking to sell? The shop I took it to (superupair, any experience with them here?) as I limped into town does have a used 1600 for sale, but I am having a hard time with the idea of even less power...thoughts? Sucker King, when I signed up on the board I did live in Lyons, just east of 36 & 66. Just moved up Lefthand Canyon near Lickskillet. We should grab a few at Oscars sometime... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suberfox Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 A guy in Iowa had one for sale on here not too long ago with, I believe, 80K on it. Cheap ,too, as I remember. Do a search in the sale section. Glad you got it, Lyons and, no, don't put a 1.6 in there. Be patient. The EA81's are around. Post up some pix when you get a chance. I've been dying to see more of that car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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