MoscowSubaruDude Posted May 3, 2006 Share Posted May 3, 2006 So I was at the pawn shop the other day, lookin for some tools, and was speakin to the lady behind the tool counter. Conversation ensued, and, as it frequently does, turned to my Subaru. Long story short, she offered me an 87 GL with 5spdD/R that's been sitting out on her property for the last 4 years. Has 387k on it, ran perfect when parked. Here's the question. Having zero experience with the EA82 series cars whatsoever, I need a list of pointers. I'm gonna go out in the next few weeks and get it running, and need to know what to look for/troubleshoot beyond the usual plugs/battery/tires/etc. Is it even feasible to get it running again after 4 years without any problems? Great deal, can't beat the price (free, she wants it gone) and I'm gonna go for it, but I want to be able to drive it into town. It's out in Davenport, so needs to run semi-normally to get it home. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, as well as stories of 'Well I did that once, and this is what worked...'. Thanks a ton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundeye Posted May 3, 2006 Share Posted May 3, 2006 Trailor it. Really. My experience in bringing cars back to life that sat for years has shown nasty things showing themselves at bad times. Tires coming apart, brakes blowing out, brakes locking up, trash getting sucked up in the fuel pickup, angry WASPS! NO FUN. I could keep going.... I've brought to life countless air cooled VWs over the years and every Subaru I've owned, I bought sitting somewhere (except the WRX, of course). The longest was an XT that sat for 13 years. The fuel system was the biggest pain in the arse. I use 2 years as a magic number. Anything over that and I replace everything that is made out of rubber in the fuel system and clean the fuel tank. Carb gets disassembled and cleaned with new seals. Complete tune up (plugs, wires, etc. Cooling hoses, water pump, thermostat, accy and timing belts get replaced. Oil + filter. Tires get replaced. Most importantly....BRAKES. Fluid gets changed along with mast cyl, wheel cyls, caliper seals and flex hoses. A general rule is all fluids get changed and anything rubber that holds a fluid gets changed. All of that stuff doesn't cost all THAT much, esp. considering you are getting it for free. You will then have a safe and reliable vehicle. It may sound like alot but trust me, a couple hundred $$$ is worth saving yourself a miserable time on side of the road or a nasty accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoscowSubaruDude Posted May 4, 2006 Author Share Posted May 4, 2006 So my next question is... who's got a trailer/truck type combo that would be willing to loan/assist with this project? It'd be a few weeks, and I'd be more than willing to work around anyone's schedule. Gimme a few days warning, and my schedule is about as flexible as a ramen noodle. Any takers? There's beer in the offing, plus gas money (gotta love being 21:P). Or, where can I rent a truck/trailer outfit, or perhaps a cheapie transport service? Thanks in advance folks. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundeye Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 If I lived closer, I'd hook you up. Surely you know someone with a full size truck? You could use a tow dolly which can be rented from U-Haul , but I would REALLY recommend changing the rear tires at least with some cheap used ones. Do not trust the ones on the car. One separation I had was on a set of tires that looked new. They still had the little tabs sticking out on the sides and tread. They sat for a few years untouched and all were inflated and held air. They lasted about 30 miles before one threw the tread (luckily I was not going too fast) If you are on a tight budget and absolutely must drive it (provided you can bring it to life in the field), at minimum replace tires with known good ones (used 13's are cheap!) and go through the brakes as mentioned above and check the steering. Those are the big items will keep you out of a courtroom, hospital or grave. Everything else will only leave you on the side of the road cursing and kicking a door. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gl-boost Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 I could help you out with this one. My 87 GL-10 Sedan turbo 4WD was in by the previous owners driveway but in the field type brush part not on black top. Was there for about a year and a half but I have had not had much rouble. Only time it broke down was when my coolent turbo hose blew apart, but I managed to drive it home. Expect any rubber items to be dry rotted and cracked. I had to replace two tires. Check for frame rot from siting. Oh and expect a mouse nest in the HVAC system, I had one and I found it alive in my trunk compartment. Hope this helps some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ever Victorious Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 I resurrected an EA71 hatch that sat for 6 years in a field. I did have to trailer it home, even if I did get all the necessary work done to revitalize it in the field, the brakes were seized and the tires were almost completely rotted. To get it going again, I ended up doing an oil/filter change, air filter, spark plugs, serpentine belt, drained the gas and refilled the tank with fresh gas, and gave it a new battery, new tires, and new coolant (important, as by now, even in a "sealed" system, the coolant in there has completely broken down) and brake fluid. Once the brakes were actually FREED (by dragging the car with a truck), they actually worked just fine. The car did always smoke/burn crap on startup, so there's obviously more that I could have done to get it running better, but I suppose that is the "minimum". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keltik Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Found an 86 XT Turbo that had been sitting on solid ground for 4 years. Popped in a new battery and drove it home....Insanely lucky id say! Of course its not exactly problem free but it still runs. KELTIK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Tires for sure (even 4 good temp spares would work for a short trip), but the rest is dependant on where it was parked, the environment and such. I bought my 86 sedan after sitting for 3 years. Jumped it, drove to the gas station and put 10 gallons in, and drove it 20 odd miles home. Since then I've put 8,000 on it. It was parked in good condition tho, and only because the guy broke a screwdriver off in the ignition switch. The feedback carb was crapola, so I threw on a Weber. The tires were shot, so I got some used ones. My rule is if the tires still have air in them and ok tread, drive it. If they are flat don't bother trying to inflate them. All in, I'm $100 for the car, $109 to register it, $190 for the Weber+Rebuild kit+Adaptor, and a case of oil and some filters. It's my daily. I pulled the timing covers off as I'm unsure of the belt condition. They look alright, but I keep and extra set with tensioners in the trunk, and with no covers I can change em with a 12mm deep socket in about 20 minutes. I re-tension the belts every so often too, but I'll just run them till they break. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstSubaruGLwagon Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Trailor it. Really. My experience in bringing cars back to life that sat for years has shown nasty things showing themselves at bad times. Tires coming apart, brakes blowing out, brakes locking up, trash getting sucked up in the fuel pickup, angry WASPS! NO FUN. I could keep going.... LOL yep ,, don't forget hidden diapers, Spiders!- eew!,, Fire Ants,,ect ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoscowSubaruDude Posted May 6, 2006 Author Share Posted May 6, 2006 ok... so I've formulated a plan, because I am on a extremely tight budget, aka not much spare. Get 4 junkyard suby rims, mount used tires on em, take em out there. 10 gallons new gas. Spare oil/fuel pumps/filters New/good junkyard calipers/drum cylinders, and pads. Coolant. New fuel/brake lines if the old ones look like crap Now for a bizarre question: Will a carbie intake from an ea81 fit on the ea82 block? I'm not sure if it's MPFI or not, but if it is, i'm counting on the injectors to be wholly shot, so I figure I mount that on there, jerry rig a fuel system up, and it'll get it home. Anything else ya'll can think of, lemme know, I'll be headin out there probably next payday, after I do some work on the current roo (wheel bearings and an axle) Thanks a ton. Chris PS: Also in the plans is a 'bug bomb' intended for house-type infestations... I figure in such a small space, it should kill/drive out anything smaller than a deer, with that concentration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ever Victorious Posted May 6, 2006 Share Posted May 6, 2006 Unless it was originally a CA car, an '87 D/R is going to be carbed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoscowSubaruDude Posted May 7, 2006 Author Share Posted May 7, 2006 Good... less electronics to play with 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.