opus Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Utterly amazing, if I must say. From NW MT through ID, into NV. Lot of long mountain grades, snow, and wind [individually]. 30 mph headwinds, 85 hp when new, 258K miles....you do the math. Who needs hp when you have 3rd gear? Straight pipe with converter and resonator sounds like an angry lawnmower. Wow, those seats are a horrific thing! Gotta do something about that. Sweet spot was 65mph at about 3000rpm. 28mpg and not a drop of oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redhill Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 That's what I'm screemin about! Red Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man on the moon Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 When I first bought my Loyale (August a few years ago) I drove her to my parents for that same Christmas from San Francisco area to Detroit area. About like you said: I left California a bit earlier than planned in order to beat a storm coming in off the coast (Donner Pass is frequently closed during storms). Started snowing as I hit the flat area at the top, coming down into Reno the sky cleared up and it was clear sailing all the way...to Winemmucca, about 150 miles down the road. Stopped for gas and Coke (it was 1am, or so). Got back on the freeway and almost immediately the stars vanished and the snow started, and didn't let up until I got to Fort Collins, CO some 36 hours later. Ice, snow, drove in the drainage ditch for a while (on purpose, it was easier to see than the road), through what I found out somewhere in Wyoming was the storm of the century. Well, for Nevada it was storm of the 'century'. In Wyoming they called it "oh, another Saturday". But I digress--it was like you said--through everything the car was solid and happy, even putting out 30mpg at 30mph/in third gear for 200 miles. I was really glad with my choice of car at that point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjamachine Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I've driven my '86 GL wagon in sand on both coasts of the U.S., deep into Baja Norte and Sonora, Mexico, and into Quebec, way past Montreal. When I took it to Canada last month, the French Canadian border patrol couldn't wrap their heads around WHY someone would drive such an old, banged-up car all the way from California (has Calif. tags). They were convinced I had drugs in the back. The best part was when one of them asked, "But why doo yoo 'ave zee car part in ze back?" He was referring to my pile of Hitachi carbs and extra AC compressor... What can I say? I'm weird! Car works great though, and always gets between 26 and 29 mpg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I drove a FWD DL in a snow storm 150 miles and it did very well. I did not get stuck until i got to my destination and decided to hoon around and ran up on a snow bank. the local police were not entertained, but they loaned me a shovel to dig my way out and go on about myself. Mind you this car was a 3ay. but manually shifting it made for some outstanding driveability.(for a 3at) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaruby Doo! Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Ice, snow, drove in the drainage ditch for a while (on purpose, it was easier to see than the road), through what I found out somewhere in Wyoming was the storm of the century. Well, for Nevada it was storm of the 'century'. In Wyoming they called it "oh, another Saturday" Hahah you hit the nail on the head on that one. Owning a Subaru in Wyoming during the 5 winter months is pure enjoyment everytime you cruise by someone in their p.o.s. fwd and they wonder how a little coupe/sedan/wagon just passed them in 6" of powder:brow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus Posted November 30, 2011 Author Share Posted November 30, 2011 Actually its more fun passing people in their 3/4 ton Powerstrokes that are in the ditch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I bought an 87 GL in April and drove it from New Jersey to Nevada and back for burning man and all I changed were the spark-plugs. I was also carrying about 1,000 pounds of ************ in and on it. And at points couldn't get above 35 mph going over the mountains. When I got back to Jersey the water pump blew. :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_dude Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I had an '87 wagon 5spd d/r and took it from E. TN to Omaha, Nebraska and from there to Golden, CO. MAN what a DOG on the interstate. It was pitiful. The seats SUCKED too. 28mpg? I get better out of my Outback. No love for Hitachi carbs here!!! However, I do believe that if it was equipped with better seats and spfi I would have thoroughly enjoyed driving it and probably would have gotten better mileage too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Actually its more fun passing people in their 3/4 ton Powerstrokes that are in the ditch. yep so true. Around here, people watch me drive by in any one of my Soobies. I give then encouragement...that they can get to work if they had a scoobb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I love driving my GL on the beaches in NC, all the guys with the big huge trucks give me the weirdest looks. What IS that THING!!! It's a little car, how does that drive on a beach?!? That being said, driving it 1100 miles from ME to NC was fairly uneventful besides a seized front axle, little car did pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 No love for Hitachi carbs here!!! This wore out Hitachi was flawless. You can rag on them all you want. I have a Brat with a Weber and it would have been no better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 My 1985 BumbleBeast came Running from California (USA) to my Country (Honduras) that year, My Familiy and I have Traveled All Across Central-America with it; Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa-Rica and Panama... Always Fully Loaded with 4 or 5 people & Baggage... Something interesting I've found on the EA82's is that the More they Run, the Better they Behave!!! Have you noticed that? Kind Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 My 1985 BumbleBeast came Running from California (USA) to my Country (Honduras) that year, My Familiy and I have Traveled All Across Central-America with it; Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa-Rica and Panama... Always Fully Loaded with 4 or 5 people & Baggage... Something interesting I've found on the EA82's is that the More they Run, the Better they Behave!!! Have you noticed that? Kind Regards. This is very true. I let my GL sit for two weeks. When I went to drive it the steering u-joint had pretty much frozen up making it scary to steer... Another time I let it sit and the brakes stopped working. A few other things like this. But when I drive it regularly it does perfectly fine. It just needs attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubies Subie Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Something interesting I've found on the EA82's is that the More they Run, the Better they Behave!!! Have you noticed that? Kind Regards. I've noticed that with mine, the more I drive it, the better it runs and drives. I've done a lot of reading on the boards, and it seems most people are really down on the ea82's, they just don't like them, they claim that the Legacy’s with their EJ22's are better, and that may be true, to some degree. but what I've found for such an unwanted car, for the most part, (because no one wants them) you can buy one really cheap, and when I go to the wrecking yard, while most cars are pretty much completely stripped clean of any usable parts, I find that the old EA82 cars are virtually untouched. You can buy a used motor for one for dirt cheap, 100 bucks or so, and lets face it, while it may be a higher maintenance car then a Legacy with an EJ22, it’s still cheap, and easy to work on. An EA82 is something a lot of people are comfortable with, and have confidence in, and in the grand scheme of things, let’s face it, there are other makes and models of vehicles out there that are a whole lot worse than an old EA82. People say, swap out the EA82 for an EJ22, if your after horse power and you have the money and don’t mind spending it on such an endeavor, I suppose it’s ok, but when you add up the cost, a EJ22 motor, tranny adapter plate, wiring harness, and everything else that goes with a swap like that, then figure in your experience, or expertise to actually get the job done, and it becomes obvious that for some of us, we’re better off sticking with the old stock, slow, underpowered, yet cheap and easily fixable EA82. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I've noticed that with mine, the more I drive it, the better it runs and drives. I've done a lot of reading on the boards, and it seems most people are really down on the ea82's, they just don't like them, they claim that the Legacy’s with their EJ22's are better, and that may be true, to some degree. but what I've found for such an unwanted car, for the most part, (because no one wants them) you can buy one really cheap, and when I go to the wrecking yard, while most cars are pretty much completely stripped clean of any usable parts, I find that the old EA82 cars are virtually untouched. You can buy a used motor for one for dirt cheap, 100 bucks or so, and lets face it, while it may be a higher maintenance car then a Legacy with an EJ22, it’s still cheap, and easy to work on. An EA82 is something a lot of people are comfortable with, and have confidence in, and in the grand scheme of things, let’s face it, there are other makes and models of vehicles out there that are a whole lot worse than an old EA82. People say, swap out the EA82 for an EJ22, if your after horse power and you have the money and don’t mind spending it on such an endeavor, I suppose it’s ok, but when you add up the cost, a EJ22 motor, tranny adapter plate, wiring harness, and everything else that goes with a swap like that, then figure in your experience, or expertise to actually get the job done, and it becomes obvious that for some of us, we’re better off sticking with the old stock, slow, underpowered, yet cheap and easily fixable EA82. man.....*sniff*...that was beautiful man..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 ...and it becomes obvious that for some of us, we’re better off sticking with the old stock, slow, underpowered, yet cheap and easily fixable EA82. Yes... I Love my Weberized EA82, I know it feels "UnderPowered" Sometimes but it seems like it runs with the odor of the Gasoline; and gotta Love the Boxer Rumble Sound thru the Weber! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Yes... I Love my Weberized EA82, I know it feels "UnderPowered" Sometimes but it seems like it runs with the odor of the Gasoline; and gotta Love the Boxer Rumble Sound thru the Weber! Coming down the block..... It's a porsche! It's a lawnmower! No! It's...oh. It's just a subaru. =P I really shouldn't get on the forums till I've had some coffee...hahaha:drunk: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 I've noticed that with mine, the more I drive it, the better it runs and drives. I've done a lot of reading on the boards, and it seems most people are really down on the ea82's, they just don't like them, they claim that the Legacy’s with their EJ22's are better, and that may be true, to some degree. but what I've found for such an unwanted car, for the most part, (because no one wants them) you can buy one really cheap, and when I go to the wrecking yard, while most cars are pretty much completely stripped clean of any usable parts, I find that the old EA82 cars are virtually untouched. You can buy a used motor for one for dirt cheap, 100 bucks or so, and lets face it, while it may be a higher maintenance car then a Legacy with an EJ22, it’s still cheap, and easy to work on. An EA82 is something a lot of people are comfortable with, and have confidence in, and in the grand scheme of things, let’s face it, there are other makes and models of vehicles out there that are a whole lot worse than an old EA82. People say, swap out the EA82 for an EJ22, if your after horse power and you have the money and don’t mind spending it on such an endeavor, I suppose it’s ok, but when you add up the cost, a EJ22 motor, tranny adapter plate, wiring harness, and everything else that goes with a swap like that, then figure in your experience, or expertise to actually get the job done, and it becomes obvious that for some of us, we’re better off sticking with the old stock, slow, underpowered, yet cheap and easily fixable EA82. Bravo...well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaruby Doo! Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 My 1985 BumbleBeast came Running from California (USA) to my Country (Honduras) that year, My Familiy and I have Traveled All Across Central-America with it; Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa-Rica and Panama... Always Fully Loaded with 4 or 5 people & Baggage... Something interesting I've found on the EA82's is that the More they Run, the Better they Behave!!! Have you noticed that? Kind Regards. I have noticed this with my 88 3door, if I don't drive it every day it doesn't perform as well especially in the cold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjamachine Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 man.....*sniff*...that was beautiful man..... word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjamachine Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 word. I've noticed that with mine, the more I drive it, the better it runs and drives. I've done a lot of reading on the boards, and it seems most people are really down on the ea82's, they just don't like them, they claim that the Legacy’s with their EJ22's are better, and that may be true, to some degree. but what I've found for such an unwanted car, for the most part, (because no one wants them) you can buy one really cheap, and when I go to the wrecking yard, while most cars are pretty much completely stripped clean of any usable parts, I find that the old EA82 cars are virtually untouched. You can buy a used motor for one for dirt cheap, 100 bucks or so, and lets face it, while it may be a higher maintenance car then a Legacy with an EJ22, it’s still cheap, and easy to work on. An EA82 is something a lot of people are comfortable with, and have confidence in, and in the grand scheme of things, let’s face it, there are other makes and models of vehicles out there that are a whole lot worse than an old EA82. People say, swap out the EA82 for an EJ22, if your after horse power and you have the money and don’t mind spending it on such an endeavor, I suppose it’s ok, but when you add up the cost, a EJ22 motor, tranny adapter plate, wiring harness, and everything else that goes with a swap like that, then figure in your experience, or expertise to actually get the job done, and it becomes obvious that for some of us, we’re better off sticking with the old stock, slow, underpowered, yet cheap and easily fixable EA82. YEAH! Three cheers for a great diatribe!!! Hip hip...HUZZAH!! Hip hip...HUZZAH!! Hip hip...HUZZAH!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stubies Subie Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 YEAH! Three cheers for a great diatribe!!! Hip hip...HUZZAH!! Hip hip...HUZZAH!! Hip hip...HUZZAH!! wow, I didn't realize that what I said would stir up so many responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man on the moon Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 I haven't noticed the not driving=problems thing, but I have noticed another pattern. Anytime I do a repair to one part of the car, another decides "OH, I need attention too!" and will stop at nothing (or sometimes will stop altogether) until I've fixed it. I umpteenth what Stubie said, ftr. I like being able to find parts readily, though it makes me sad to see so many EA82s in the yard. I do eventually want to do a 22 due to power needs for future...journeys. But in the meanwhile the stock motor is good as ever and makes me smile . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogbone Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I've noticed that with mine, the more I drive it, the better it runs and drives. I've done a lot of reading on the boards, and it seems most people are really down on the ea82's, they just don't like them, they claim that the Legacy’s with their EJ22's are better, and that may be true, to some degree. but what I've found for such an unwanted car, for the most part, (because no one wants them) you can buy one really cheap, and when I go to the wrecking yard, while most cars are pretty much completely stripped clean of any usable parts, I find that the old EA82 cars are virtually untouched. You can buy a used motor for one for dirt cheap, 100 bucks or so, and lets face it, while it may be a higher maintenance car then a Legacy with an EJ22, it’s still cheap, and easy to work on. An EA82 is something a lot of people are comfortable with, and have confidence in, and in the grand scheme of things, let’s face it, there are other makes and models of vehicles out there that are a whole lot worse than an old EA82. People say, swap out the EA82 for an EJ22, if your after horse power and you have the money and don’t mind spending it on such an endeavor, I suppose it’s ok, but when you add up the cost, a EJ22 motor, tranny adapter plate, wiring harness, and everything else that goes with a swap like that, then figure in your experience, or expertise to actually get the job done, and it becomes obvious that for some of us, we’re better off sticking with the old stock, slow, underpowered, yet cheap and easily fixable EA82. Well said! I simply can't understand the bad rap that EA82s get on this board. Keep on top of the timing belts, replace oil pump mickey mouse gaskets every 200k miles or so, and enjoy the engine for 3-400k miles or more. What's with all the hate? I currently own two Subes, my '91 Loyale, and a '91 Legacy that my son has claimed. So, yeah, I can compare an EA and an EJ. The Legacy will win a drag race against the Loyale, so what? I am happy with my little EA powered Loyale, 90 horsepower and all. Guys at my work, most of them drive newer 4wd trucks (and they have their share of issues/recalls believe me), yet they see me get to work in the same snow they do, but do it with a vehicle I payed $200 for and that gets around 28 mpg. Long live the EA82. :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.