LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 it seems to me that with how much money some of you guys put into your ea's, you might as well buy an EJ legacy or better yet and outback (2nd gen) and you're already that much farther ahead of the game. Pros for buying an EJ: easier to find parts for already lifted more power easier to find stylin' more up-to-date safety more recognizable as a subaru will last longer Cons for buying an EJ: parts may be more expensive you may feel bad for beating up such a nice looking car the car itself is more expensive you may lose some of the "do-it-yourselftitude" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beegeer Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 con: dual range? it seems to me that with how much money some of you guys put into your ea's, you might as well buy an EJ legacy or better yet and outback (2nd gen) and you're already that much farther ahead of the game. Pros for buying an EJ: easier to find parts for already lifted more power easier to find stylin' more up-to-date safety more recognizable as a subaru will last longer Cons for buying an EJ: parts may be more expensive you may feel bad for beating up such a nice looking car the car itself is more expensive you may lose some of the "do-it-yourselftitude" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin Soldier Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Pros for buying an EJ: easier to find parts for already lifted more power easier to find stylin' more up-to-date safety more recognizable as a subaru will last longer Cons for buying an EJ: parts may be more expensive you may feel bad for beating up such a nice looking car the car itself is more expensive you may lose some of the "do-it-yourselftitude" Ok, when you say EJ do you mean like a 90's legacy or like newer imprezas and such? And by parts do you mean new parts? I like the EA coz they are a dime a dozen so I can beat on them and have two or three as spares. How is it already lifted? More power... Um yeah you got me there the power thing is definitly a pro. I surely wouldn't do half the stuff I do in a car I paid more then 1k$-2K$ for. I can't afford to pay someone else to work on my car so I need to be able to do it myself. Lastly. I am one of the odd ones that actually likes the looks of EA82 wagons. Not a big fan of the outbacks. Although I do like the new forester and no subaru is really ugly in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam N.D.J. Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Ohkay, here are some comparisons. We'll go with the Baja Sport, to my Brat. The Baja weighs in at 3400 pounds, stock, no add-ons. My Brat weighs in at 3000 pounds, fully loaded for the trail, with me and a full tank of gas and 2 3liters of Dew, thats with a 6" lift, T-case, extra diff and an H6. The Baja puts out about 160 horsepower and 166 Lb/ft of torque, my Brat has about pretty close to 190hp, and 220 Lb/ft. The Baja has a 5spd single range AWD tranny, I have a 5spd dual range tranny with an external T-case making it a 20 speed tranny, 4WD. You can get a used Baja for about 10-15K, I have about 4K into my Brat with all the upgrades, including the initial cost of the vehicle. The Baja is about 195 inches long, my brat is 152 inches long. (The bed on a Baja is 41.5 inches long, so I would have to cut the entire bed off to make it the same length, then whats the point without a bed?) The Baja has about 9" of clearance, I have 18" of clearance. The Baja is a 4 door (=not cool), the Brat is a 2 door (= cool) The Baja's bed is 41.5x49" (but of course I would have to cut it off, so thats a moot point), mine is 48x50", and thats after cutting 17" out of it. All in all, I would end of spending about 30K just to get a vehicle that is even close to being as capable as my 4K Brat, and it still wouldn't be as kewl. I won't go into the Legacy thing, some people are wagon people, I'm not one of them. Thats just my jist on why EA's are better. This is not the opinion of the USMB, USC, or any of it's affiliates, just mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahDL88 Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Pros for buying an EJ: easier to find parts for Not in the PNW, which is where you should be anyway already lifted My legacy and my OBS were both lower than my 88DL, and the lift for the EA is about half of the EJ more power Ahh, the beauty of the EJ Swap easier to find Refer to answer #1 stylin' Depends who you ask more up-to-date safety Can't argue there, touche more recognizable as a subaru Thats why you need stickers will last longer Cha, you know what, Uh un. Phase 1 2.5? D/R FTW I guess i'm biased too, but unlike Adam, i have a fondness for wagons, but ohh for a Brat, mmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyB0y Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 What Adam N.D.J. said! All I can say is the Baja is a SAD excuse for the brat's successor, there are more brats on the road where I live than Baja's too (should tell ya what kinda red-neck area I live in :-p ) Anyhow, power to weight ratio is where it's at .. haveing a EJ in my brat will be like having 280 horse & torque in a Legacy, I don't have the extra weight other than my bumpers, lift and tires and I haven't weighed it yet, but I'd be real surprised if my brat weighed more than about 2300 - 2400 even with my tools in the back. I can get a new to me part in the JY here for $10 - $20 bucks that would be over $100 new and if you gotta have new, just order online, shoot even one of the local JY'ds had pugs (not anymore I told you all about them ) So, thats why I drive an EA .. how many people in Baja's get notes on their wind-shields that say "I WANT to buy this car! BIG money call John ###-####" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike W Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Size counts for a lot. I chose an old Hatchback for my silly experiment because it was narrow and short. Old Soobs slip down overgrown trails, go around obstacles and turn around in places that a newer car, or Jeep for that matter, might need a chainsaw to do. "stylin' and more recognizable as a subaru" I guess that's a matter of personal taste. In Seattle there's nothing more run-of-the-mill than newer Subarus. I have considered using a 2003 OBS for an offroad car. It had been rolled but was mechanically sound...just seriously beat to heck. I was thinking of cutting off the body and putting an '80-'84 style wagon body onto the OBS pan and running gear. Would have been cool to have an almost brand new car but license it as an old one. And it would have been work grafting the stuff together, building frame, cage, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subeman90 Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 it is funny though how in the east there are JY's full of EJ22 and I can't get the simplest things for my 83 GL. I got to give the people that said d/r a +1 for sure. This is a little off subject but since I got the jeep I find 4lo very useful for some of the dumbist things that the impreza would just lunge at. I too like the looks of the gl/dl and for some reason I have a deep desire for a loyale sedan 4wd (even though I know where there is one.....got to stay strong) EA81's don't have a t-belt. They might be a little bit on the slow side but there are some definate advantages there. -1 for the ej's.....they have too much plastic on them to go offroading with. Its all about prefrence really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carfreak85 Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 The answer to this one is easy. I can't afford an EJ! HAHAHA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueRidgeSE Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I chose my 1987 Gl because I am a Subaru enthusiast who was tired of pulling my 1998 RS coupe up next to another clone WRX swapped car with the same mods that my family couldn't fit in and was expensive in speeding tickets. No more speeding tickets and my bumper will be up to the mirrors on a WRX plus DUAL RANGE 4WD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Easier to lift EA81 (?) EA's are simpler design, easy to work on. So much cheaper. Offroad power? If you want that shouldn't you be looking at a 4L diesel? Plus its hard to find dual range EJ's here, and impossible(...maybe not) in the USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballitch Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 like said before, why would you go offroading in a $4k-$5k car? you wouldnt, its just not smart, or practical. if you do wheel an EJ car, cool, your one of the few that has the guts to do it. the whole power issue, ya sure the EJ has more power......but guess how i solved that problem. as far as parts and car availibility, depends on where you are, just like alot of things. the wheelbase in my EA wagon is nice, not to mention turning radius that beats out most cars on the road today. DUAL RANGE!!!!! i used it on the freeway a couple weeks ago in REALLY slow traffic = no throttle usage. ya my car is ugly, so what. it can go places even i dont think is possible. also, if you read up a bit, you will find that quite a few parts from the new gens will swap onto ,with little to no modification, the EA cars. take rear diffs, and front diffs for example. anyway im rambling. ~Josh~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 my 81 wagon is higher off the ground(before I lifted it) than my dads 01 obw was before we sold it. ej = expensive 5spd singlerange awd transmission cant hold a candle to a 4spd d/r when it comes to durability and utility off road ea81s are bulletproof, can hold up to the abuse alot better $300 for a running ea81 wagon in decent shape I have yet to see a 6" lift on a newer subaru you dont see pre-85 subarus everyday, my 81 sure has a lot more style than any newer subaru which is like every other car on the road up here. oh and to top it off, I can slide into trees and rocks(and trust me I have many times on the ice when I was playing ) going 15-20mph with little or no body damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fishums Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I personally know from experiance that an EA 81 hatch with minor strut tower renforcemnts is fully capable of landing 5 feet of verticle air time on a daily basis. They are also light enough that on a trail you can almost man handle the car yourself if you get stuck, which is a very rare ocasion in itself. They are narrow and small enough to sneak down trails that are created by ATV's! The turning circle is smaller. With a trip to the junk yard and the finding of an XT you can have a limited slip rear end bolt on! you can run gigantic tires and get incrediable ground clerence with road worthy mods for under $1000. Having a 4x4 D/R is incredible, you can crawl up hills that even ATV's think twice about. Depending on the state you live in you can ignore emissions without getting into trouble! No ECM with miles of wiring to deal with. You can run 86 octane and have a better power to weight ratio for 1/100ths of the price after modifications~! All while getting better gas mileage! WOOT! If you break anything on the car, it doesn't cost you tons of money to repair. How much does a WRX head lamp lense cost these days? compaired to my $5 dollar rectangle at autozone :-p To inssure the vehicle it is less! I am sure for time trials, and actaully on track racing, g-force in curves and all that you have got the GL hatch beat hands down WRX drivers. (so why not just drive a porsche instead) But come to my house with your WRX some time, and you can try and follow me trough the woods, down cliffs, through mud bogs, over saplings, through creeks, over logs, and up hill climbs! Somehow I doubt you $500 dollar plastic roll pans, and 1 wheel spinning AWD will hold up. Your car is more street friendly I will give you that, but nothing else. I'll drive my 74 bug low rider if I want on road preformance. You can keep your crumpel zones, and air bags. I'm not planning on crashing my ride. The chick magnet styling of a 2-door hatch, that can be driven anywhere on make out occasions is definately more my style! :cool: Peace, Fishums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84gl Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 their as tough if not tougher than most new trucks go better cheaper to run and keep running and are simple to work on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 ok, lemme make a few clarifications when i said already lifted i meant outbacks only. i also was really thinking about the SUS over the wagon someone made a comment about the gen 1 2.5, sorry, i meant more specifically the tank that is the 2.2 i never said anything about the baja. anyway, to sum it up a little better, i meant my car. by the way, i came up with another pro for EJ: though there's no D/R we have found out recently that a 4x4 switch can be easily hooked up. i wheel my car every chance i get 96 Legacy LS 2.2 outback struts 205/75R15 Trail Mark APR cherry bomb snorklectomy and a couple of Hellas up front Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 oh, and i'm not trying to argue, i just think it's fun to weigh the pros and cons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike W Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 EJ Pro: Quieter, more noise proofing. EA81 Pro: that hard to describe "good vibe." Sort of like that associated with air cooled VWs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 EJ Pro: Quieter, more noise proofing.EA81 Pro: that hard to describe "good vibe." Sort of like that associated with air cooled VWs. oh, yeah, i'm a big proponent of the "good feeling". that's why i've done to my car what i've done. i feel good driving it, no matter what people think of it, or even if they notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooptyGL Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 Size counts for a lot. I chose an old Hatchback for my silly experiment because it was narrow and short. Old Soobs slip down overgrown trails, go around obstacles and turn around in places that a newer car, or Jeep for that matter, might need a chainsaw to do. i have never felt bad when ive been in free range's old hatch(es) when they have gone flying off the road into the oregon national forest. i did on the other hand have a problem when i wheeled 'round in my 94 gt lego with the outback lift and goodies...it just felt wierd driving around in a car that expensive...but im over that now....once it was stolen and totalled and the insurance came back i was stoked to buy a REAL subaru...see sig...it will never get stuck on me ever. i still drive 'round with a chainsaw in the car just in case though.... btw....my carbed ea-82 gets 30+ mpg consistantly...how 'bout factoring in your MPG into the pro's / con's - neal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 btw....my carbed ea-82 gets 30+ mpg consistantly...how 'bout factoring in your MPG into the pro's / con's - neal ok, but there's someone here, i think with a lifted hatch that gets 8mpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooptyGL Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 ok, but there's someone here, i think with a lifted hatch that gets 8mpg well that sure would suck to be him...unless he didn't give a flying-hoot about what he had to pay for go juice. oh and i meant to put out a + for OB struts...im pretty sure i used the springs off my lego though... what does your ob lego get with the fuel injection...i cant remember if you said it had a lift, bigger tires and all the weight that comes along with that....i dont ever think my 94 gt ever got 30+ mpg....maybe once probably downhill after the borla headers, catback, and the cone went on did you -greengod86- manage to source the engine spacers?...that was a beeoch to pull and then ghetto rig in there with bolts way too huge and mad washers to compensate. free range..the dude who was constantly crashing the ea models into schit...supposedly has seen forester struts slide into re-drilled slots, but i cant remember if he did that onto his lego or if it was ontosome one elses ea. Mud Rat would know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 well that sure would suck to be him...unless he didn't give a flying-hoot about what he had to pay for go juice. oh and i meant to put out a + for OB struts...im pretty sure i used the springs off my lego though... what does your ob lego get with the fuel injection...i cant remember if you said it had a lift, bigger tires and all the weight that comes along with that....i dont ever think my 94 gt ever got 30+ mpg....maybe once probably downhill after the borla headers, catback, and the cone went on did you -greengod86- manage to source the engine spacers?...that was a beeoch to pull and then ghetto rig in there with bolts way too huge and mad washers to compensate. free range..the dude who was constantly crashing the ea models into schit...supposedly has seen forester struts slide into re-drilled slots, but i cant remember if he did that onto his lego or if it was ontosome one elses ea. Mud Rat would know. engine spacers? what are you talking about? i've just got a legacy with outback struts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooptyGL Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 engine spacers? what are you talking about? i've just got a legacy with outback struts no in that case you would have an outback. in order for the ob strut swap to be done correctly you need to source a plethora of suspension parts from the doaner outback...like bushings and the FREAKING ENGINE SPACERS THAT GO BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND THE CROSSMEMBER...it is a very common modification to lego's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 no in that case you would have an outback. in order for the ob strut swap to be done correctly you need to source a plethora of suspension parts from the doaner outback...like bushings and the FREAKING ENGINE SPACERS THAT GO BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND THE CROSSMEMBER...it is a very common modification to lego's. no, in that case i have a legacy with outback struts. i'm missing about 40 horses and 3/10 of a liter. not to mention the stock fog lights, red guage needles, door ajar picture in the dash, and the larger grill. 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.