My '86 Subaru GL just died and I'm looking to get rid of it. We blew a radiator hose, it overheated and probably cracked the cylinder head. In any event, it's no longer driveable but is probably repairable if somebody wants to go through the effort. Perhaps somebody just wants to use it as a parts car. I know I could get a few bucks for it if I just junked it but I'd rather see it go to a good home with somebody who might get some use out of the good stuff that remains.

 

Scott.

 

It is EXTREMELY unlikely that the head has cracked (unless it is a turbo version, EA-series don't crack heads).  They do have headgasket failures, though.

 

Saying that the head is cracked will get few inquiries; saying that it needs headgaskets will be more successful for you.

 

Cheers!

How did it just die? What are the symptoms?

Change the timing belt.

Where is it?

Change the timing belt.

Probably won't help much after a blown radiator hose and overheat.

All original with no maintenance. Probably sat for long periods of time. I could see both happening simultaneously in regards to old rubber and one stress causing another stress.

 

I wish i could come save this car as it would not be much effort to fix beyond the cost of hoses and head gaskets.

 

If you go through the trouble of removing the heads for diagnostic purposes, then by all meands do the head gaskets.

 

What will happen is a mechanic will find cracks between the valves and tell you they are junk and blame it on the overheat, where in fact the cracks would have already be there and are a common occurrence and almost every pull -off head will have them. Ther eis no water passage where you will find this crack. There are TSB notices about them. 

 

So if you know this, and your mechanic knows this, he can go ahead and make repairs re-using the same heads successfully. You ,your mechanic, or whoever ends up with your car.

 

What i am saying is the car is salvageable first before writing it off as junk. Junk it if it's crashed. Engines are repairable or replaceable. Old cars are not replaceable. We like old cars. Anyone who could not save it for you would wish to know it was saved.

Edited August 16, 201312 yr by MilesFox

So when you crank the engine does it sound like it has compression?

if your looking to get rid of it, how much do you want? im over in lakeville and desperately looking for certain parts to restore my 86 brat gl

^^ I second "if your looking to get rid of it, how much do you want?" and preface that with: What's the rest of the car like? How bad is the body?

Pic? Location?