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'82-'83 GLF convertible ?????'s


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Hi...

My cousin has an 1982 or possibly 1983 Subaru...{duh! sorry}.... GLF.

It is a convertible...manual 5 speed....I do believe it is only a 2wd {oops! 2nd sorry, guess I should have had all the pertinent info b4 posting. Will have it by tomorrow.}

 

He was led to believe that this car was a "Rare-Classic",......"much-sought-after by collectors" automobile. The only problem is: I can not find very much information about it on the web. Only that it was an aftermarket convertible...without Subaru's permission.

So....That's were I'm hoping that some of you can help. I would greatly appreciate any additional info you might have about this car. Is it as valuable as he was led to believe ?? Is there even a 'market' out there for this car, or should he just hang on to it as an "oddity" ??

 

I can answer any questions you might have about it...tomorrow.

 

Thanx !!!! in advance to anyone who can help & I hope that everyone reading this post.... IS HAVING AN AWESOME DAY !!!

 

Mahalo! :banana:

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Welcome to the board. Had some awesome times in Santa Cruz when I was a kid. A rare oddity is a good way to describe what he's got. We have seen them go anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the shape it is in. It is not a hugely sought after car by the general collector comunity, but to a subby nut it is one of the grails. Can you put up a couple of pictures for us???? Thanks, Tim

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I heard from a very reliable source that there were some made in New Jersey for the east coast....and the others were made by an outfit in or near Beverly Hills...or somewhere in CA.I always thought that they all came from CA,but this guy who told me knows his stuff.

 

 

Please let us know any VIN numbers and if there's a special badge on it with production numbers.

Thanks and good luck with it.

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Okay...here is what I've found out so far:

 

It's a 1982 {June}.... GLF VIN: JF1 AW44B6 CB31 7334

5speed....2wd.....2 door....has AC.....mileage: 073,750.2

 

Under the hood says: {hope this makes sense}

engine family-CFJ1.8v 2FAA2 {109 cid}

AIV/TWC + EGS/EGR

evaporative emission family - RU

 

The aftermarket/convertible doo-hicky was done by: Matrix3

There is a plate on the trunk that says: Matrix3

1781 Placentia

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

There is also an: M3 plate on the dashboard, and inside the

door frame is a little metal plate that says:

"Matrix3" This vehicle was altered & conforms

to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle safety &

bumper standards ...As Of: 10/82

Serial# 7334-1103

 

The car has the original "Matrix3 Owners Manual" and all

receipts and paperwork for work done on it. There is also a

metal plate attached to the back of the Matrix3 manual, that I

am guessing originally came from Subaru, with the VIN &

GVW and all that good stuff.

 

As for the car's condition:

I think it's in pretty good shape for being 20+ years old

{But then what do I know...I drive a Ford Ranger :-\ }

I'll take some pics in the morning and post them.

 

The engine looks pretty clean {once I got over the fact that

the spare tire is in the engine compartment} & doesn't look

like it's dripping any vital fluids.

 

The body it's self is in really good condition. There is a small

ding on the passenger side, near the gas tank lid.

It's a Gold/Bronze color {tag sez: Paint Color #44}

The paint is in pretty good shape, with a tiny amount of...

I really wouldn't call it rust....maybe...oxidation around the

edges of the trunk lid.

 

The upholstery & carpet is shot.

The padding on top of dashboard is cracked.

It has the cutest little pop-up mirror in the glovebox.

 

Okay....now for the 'rag-top'...

The top is in semi-decent shape. No rips/holes/tears.

There is about a 2" part of the seam that is starting to

pull apart towards the back window.

There's a motor in the trunk to raise/lower the top {it works}.

The back plastic window is in good shape.

 

Well...that's about it. Hope this info helps. I'll post the pics tomorrow

morning.

 

Thanx...Chef_Tim & Moosens for the input...mucho appreciate it. ;)

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Yep, a 'rare oddity' just about sums it up. A real cherry one from '84 sold recently on E-Bay for about $3550, but from what I recall that had all service manuals/records, was fully detailed, low mileage, no rust, 4wd Turbo. Personally, I prefer 5spd. :brow:

 

Be great to see pics of the car, they are rare and the more documentation posted the better for the historical record.

 

--wd

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Can't be an '83, there were no GLFs then.

 

Most convertibles were made out of '83 GL and GL-10 coupes. A very few were made from lease return and used coupes--I have an '81 DL convertible that, so far as I know, is the only one of its kind. Convertibles with power tops are somewhat rarer.

 

wolfdog--good to see you're still on the board. I still have some coupe parts down here for you.

 

Andrew

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  • 5 years later...

I just stumbled onto this thread and I wanted to reply (even though it is an old one.) I have been researching coach convertibles for several years, so any of you that can enlighten me as to the different companies that did the work, I would be grateful. I would also like to see photos of your Subaru convertible!!

Here is an article I wrote on the subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coach_convertible

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