I've been trying to find a definitive answer to this for a few weeks now: I have a 1987 Subaru GL 2-door Hatchback with a stock EA71 1.6L and 4WD hi/low and FWD. I've seen one person refer to the year of car dictating whether it's an EA71/81/82, but haven't found anything to confirm this. According to my VIN it has a 1.8, the 1600 badge and stock motor would say otherwise.

So, does all this mean I have an EA81 body style? And is this not a Leone?

Need to replace all shocks/struts and drill hubs to accept 6 lug with 26.3" tires. Would like to use struts that would give me a little more travel so I can get away with only a 2" body lift. If I have to stick with stock front strut the lift on the front is the main reason I need to know if it's an EA81. Gotta get that angle right. I have the 3 bolt strut mount.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Edited September 24, 20187 yr by HatchBrat

3 Bolt front strut? That’s ea82 struts. Rear end should be a coilover strut if it’s ea82. 

 

I thought all hatches were EA81 style. But EA81 has a two bolt front strut and shocks in the rear. EA81 also has quad lights or dual lights with headlight surrounds.

This seems like a mixed bag of bad information. It sounds like an "EA81" style hatch. STD. With EA71 engine.

 

Your best bet would be to post a few pictures of the car you describe. 

 

87 GL 2 door = EA81

EA71 was probably installed a long time ago

3 bolt front strut....a typo or miscommunication...

How do you know the engine is stock? If it's got a 3 bolt strut, and it's an 87 then it's a 3 door coupe. 

The STD hatch wouldn't have a 1600 badge, and in 87, a STD hatch wouldn't have a dual range. In fact nothing EVER came with a 1600 and a dual range that I'm aware of. The 4 speed D/R came out in 81 and was only ever equipped on 1800 engines. 

This is probably an 87 carbed 3-door coupe, with a 5 speed D/R that someone swapped in an EA71 and stuck a badge on it. 

GD

Post some pictures.

 

Generally, we refer to the EA81 body style as a hatchback:

 

And EA82 as a coupe, even though they both have 2 doors and a rear hatch:

These overlapped '85-'88 in the US. AFAIK, neither was available with the 1.6 during those years, certainly not with dual-range 4WD. Is it a 4- or 5-speed?

 

3 bolt front struts is EA82. But not impossible to modify that. Just like the EA71 and 1600 badge.

Edited September 25, 20187 yr by Numbchux

SUBARU SERIAL NUMBER VIN DECODED_2.doc

Edited September 25, 20187 yr by Subarule
Wrong format

I tried to delete my previous post but could not for some reason.

No idea how I missed this, it is a two bolt front strut... Have to many projects to keep my mind straight. Next time I'll try not to waist peoples time. 
So, guessing this is an EA81 then.

4 hours ago, Numbchux said:

Post some pictures.
Generally, we refer to the EA81 body style as a hatchback:
And EA82 as a coupe, even though they both have 2 doors and a rear hatch:
These overlapped '85-'88 in the US. AFAIK, neither was available with the 1.6 during those years, certainly not with dual-range 4WD. Is it a 4- or 5-speed?
3 bolt front struts is EA82. But not impossible to modify that. Just like the EA71 and 1600 badge.

It is a 4-speed D/R

That's a 4WD GL hatch. Should be an EA81 1800 engine. Could be an EA71 fat-case swapped from a STD hatch but those are exceptionally rare so it's doubtful. Probably someone stuck a 1600 badge on it and it's really an 1800. 

GD

5 hours ago, GeneralDisorder said:

How do you know the engine is stock? If it's got a 3 bolt strut, and it's an 87 then it's a 3 door coupe. 

The STD hatch wouldn't have a 1600 badge, and in 87, a STD hatch wouldn't have a dual range. In fact nothing EVER came with a 1600 and a dual range that I'm aware of. The 4 speed D/R came out in 81 and was only ever equipped on 1800 engines. 

This is probably an 87 carbed 3-door coupe, with a 5 speed D/R that someone swapped in an EA71 and stuck a badge on it. 

GD

You're right about the badge. The hatch was actually replaced. Just checked the block and it is in fact an EA81... *face palm.

Thanks everyone for all your input. Can finally get the gear I need.

Speaking of that, anyone have any good recommendations on aftermarket struts/shocks that will allow a little more travel and possible keep me from having to drop the strut mounts 2"?

A word of advice.  Since there is overlap with EA81 and EA82 body styles that year, when ordering or looking up parts search instead for a '87 BRAT.  The running gear in the hatches and BRATS are mostly identical, and there will be no mixing up EA81 and 82 chassis, since there was no EA82 BRAT.

Just my 2 bucks

5 hours ago, NV Zeno said:

A word of advice.  Since there is overlap with EA81 and EA82 body styles that year, when ordering or looking up parts search instead for a '87 BRAT.  The running gear in the hatches and BRATS are mostly identical, and there will be no mixing up EA81 and 82 chassis, since there was no EA82 BRAT.

Just my 2 bucks

Yep, I go so far as to look up an '83 or '84 Brat (or, when I need EA82 parts, '89), as that will eliminate almost any overlap with other models. I think there are a few trim changes, but for most parts, that should work.

Edited September 26, 20187 yr by Numbchux

5 hours ago, NV Zeno said:

A word of advice.  Since there is overlap with EA81 and EA82 body styles that year, when ordering or looking up parts search instead for a '87 BRAT.  The running gear in the hatches and BRATS are mostly identical, and there will be no mixing up EA81 and 82 chassis, since there was no EA82 BRAT.

Just my 2 bucks

yup yup,

when ordering parts for my EA-71 1980 brat, i tell them it's a 78 or 79 brat just to avoid all the bs at the auto parts stores, im sure it's hell for 1984 and 1985 model years too, and 1989-1991.

23 hours ago, HatchBrat said:

You're right about the badge. The hatch was actually replaced. Just checked the block and it is in fact an EA81... *face palm.

Thanks everyone for all your input. Can finally get the gear I need.

Speaking of that, anyone have any good recommendations on aftermarket struts/shocks that will allow a little more travel and possible keep me from having to drop the strut mounts 2"?

Yep, definitely EA81.

Since the rear is just a shock, it's pretty easy to find a cheap longer-travel option. On the rear of my Brat, I'm running a Rough Country shock. It's easily been 10 years since I bought and installed them, but I'm pretty sure they were for a TJ, possibly lifted, and I think I used the Subaru bar pin (the pin through the bushing at the top of the shock) as the bolt spacing was narrower than the one on the jeep shock.

 

The front is much more unique, I don't know of anything even remotely bolt-on that would yield more travel.