April 29, 200619 yr Hi, I'm a noob to this site. Just acquired a older Subaru and need help identifying it so I can start the long restoration process. I have a VIN but i don 't seem to find any info on it anywhere. Any info on where to find info would be much appreciated.
April 29, 200619 yr if you have a pic, we can tell you the year.... if not, does it have single or dual round headlights? what numbers are stamped on the front pass side motor head? they should be ea71 or ea81.
April 29, 200619 yr Author I have pics but cannot post at this moment. It has a single round headlight per side. I will check out the stamp. Thanks
April 29, 200619 yr here is the pic below. looks like a cool project. that plow looks awesome, would you say it was made for it, or is it something that was adapted? oh, i`m guessing the car to be a 1978 DL wagon
April 29, 200619 yr Author I was told that the car was originally purchased by a local town to be a plow vehicle and has been ever since. It has changed hands various times and now it is here. It only has a little under 61K on it. It will be a project, but with a little time and help it will be a fun car again.
April 29, 200619 yr what are your plans for it on the resto? stock or modded? alot of the guys on here, including me can help you find the parts you need. good luck, Jon man, i have to find me a plow like that one, it looks awesome!
April 29, 200619 yr Author i'll let you know if the plow is staying on or coming off. The wife wants to restore it to stock, i'm thinking sleeper with a couple of STi goodies.
April 29, 200619 yr if you do decide to go the sleeper route, i definatly would be interested in that plow, it would go nice on the brat:D i go up to NH every now and then, so let me know. i don`t know if you would be interested, but i have a set of mag rims/tires that would fit your car, and i also have a higher compression ea71 engine, with a weber carb that will boost your horse power by alot. take care, Jon
April 29, 200619 yr The 1978 model had dual head lamps. So I would guess this is a different year model. But definately a DL Wagon none-the-less (I have 2). R
April 29, 200619 yr Just checked, it looks more like my '76. That model had a smaller motor (EA63 IIRC) and a different interior than the 78. Also, I think those only had drum brakes all around, not disc like was an option on the 78.
April 29, 200619 yr i have absolutly no doubt, that car is a ea71, and DL, and its also definatly a 78 or possibly a 79.
April 29, 200619 yr i have absolutly no doubt, that car is a ea71, and DL, and its also definatly a 78 or possibly a 79. I have both a 78 and a 76 DL here. The car in the pic looks more like my 76 (single headlamps, no rack, subaru name on front-drivers-side of hood) than like my 78. Although, my 76 had additional orange lights in the front grille. 1976 Actually, looking at it more, I'd guess it to just be something other than either the 78 and 76 R
April 29, 200619 yr Found a pic of a 79 wagon online: it's interesting that Subaru went to dual lamps on the 78, but went back to singles on the 79.
April 29, 200619 yr you could get single headlights on a 78 DL wagon (cricket has one).....the stage 1 76s had a totally different body than a stage 2 1977,78,79 my bet is its a 78 or 79, i`d even bet a lunch on it:lol: nice 76 btw:brow:
April 29, 200619 yr It's a '79 by the 4WD badge on the grill,unless it was changed at some point. The plow looks like my SnoWay which was what was offered here from Subaru of New England,and maybe other "plow market" regional distributors. I'd really appreciate any pics of the mounting,especially up on the spare tire deck under the hood.
April 29, 200619 yr yeah it looks like a '79 DL wagon just like Paul said, the front "4WD" badge is different then the earlier style "4 Wheel Drive" badge. And yes, the DL in '78 came with the single round headlights, the quads were stock on the GL BUT you could order a DL with all the options a GL had. Everything from A/C to interior to the headlights... It's a '79 by the 4WD badge on the grill,unless it was changed at some point. The plow looks like my SnoWay which was what was offered here from Subaru of New England,and maybe other "plow market" regional distributors. I'd really appreciate any pics of the mounting,especially up on the spare tire deck under the hood.
April 29, 200619 yr Author Upon a little further inspection I came across a sticker under the hood that says it complies with 1979 emmisions. The VIN starts with A67L if that helps. moosens I will email you some pics of the plow setup.
April 29, 200619 yr the first 4 digits of the vin for gen 1 Subarus, well the gen 1 stage 2 Subarus, specifies if its a coupe, sedan, hardtop, brat, wagon and if its 2wd or 4wd. Here's a rundown in my '78 FSM... US models 2-door Sedan (STD, 4GM) - A26L-209001 and after 2-door Sedan (DL, 4GM) - A26L-409001 and after 2-door Sedan (DL, AT) - A26L-732001 and after 4-door Sedan (DL, 4GM) - A26L-507001 and after 4-door Sedan (DL, 5GM) - A26L-662001 and after 4-door Sedan (DL, AT) - A26L-612001 and after Coupe (DL, 5GM) - A26L-909001 and after Hardtop (GF, 5GM) - A26L-808001 and after Hardtop (GF, AT) - A26L-310001 and after Station Wagon (DL, 4GM) - A66L-710001 and after Station Wagon (DL, 5GM) - A66L-302001 and after Station Wagon (DL, AT) - A66L-612001 and after Station Wagon (4WD, 4GM) -A67L-010001 and after Also, Brats vin numbers started with "A69L"
April 29, 200619 yr Congrats on your project! Looks like a keeper! These cars are getting rare indeed.....esp, with a plow! Feel free to contact me too if you have concerns or questions. There are alot of knowledgable folks on here. Todd http://m2.aol.com/subaru3 subaru3@aol.com
April 30, 200619 yr i'll let you know if the plow is staying on or coming off. The wife wants to restore it to stock, i'm thinking sleeper with a couple of STi goodies. Listen to the wife Grab another to add the goodies... they're addictive! That plow will come in handy in NH don't ya think? Use it for what it was intended... my vote, restore it to stock and enjoy!
April 30, 200619 yr yeah it looks like a '79 DL wagon just like Paul said, the front "4WD" badge is different then the earlier style "4 Wheel Drive" badge. And yes, the DL in '78 came with the single round headlights, the quads were stock on the GL BUT you could order a DL with all the options a GL had. Everything from A/C to interior to the headlights... According to the FPM there really is no GL model listed from stage II '77 thru '79. It's either a Std or a DL if 2door sedan, DL only if 4door sedan, GF if a hardtop, coupes were offered with DL or FE livery Wagons were all DL except the 4WD which is the Frankenstein of the line. My '78 4WD wagon has quads,a front end protector with winch,A/C installed. OSU,get in on the windshield gasket group buy.We need more people.You WILL need this gasket sooner or later if you don't already.Check your passenger side floor under the carpet.Notorious location,occasionally caused by thru dash duct.....but 95%++ from that windshield gasket. Glad to see the old school still cranking out in New England.My '78 goes to work,kid's school,etc. every day at the moment.When called to duty my car has yet to fail. Make it solid,get it rustproofed.Show the SUV idiots what's intelligent like a thrifty New Englander should. I'm going to put a sign on mine."Less demand,less crying" pertaining to the oil supply/costs ratio we're given. That plow should be plenty easy to disconnect so you can get a solid 30+ mpg.
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