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Cold Weather Package


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I'll have to hunt through the service memorandums,etc. that I have and see if the instructions are around.I brought home just one package and emptied it out.I did not see any instructions with the package,so I'm sure the dealers must have gotten some nomenclature of this.

 

Pretty cool,no pun intended.It's the carb shield that we're all familiar with from the EA81.

 

Here's the postmark and label from the package:

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September 1979....

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PCV stepdown:

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Vacuum Hose connection sticker comes with it.

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Let me try to find some more info on them.Meanwhile if somebody wants to add info please do so.

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Yes,and unfortunately the owner is in poor health.I was talking to Charlie who took home some of the parts,etc. and he was reading in the guy's paperwork that he/they were getting way behind on credit before they bailed.

 

From the looks of it they closed their doors in early 1980....does that sound right?

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I'm sure that's true in a few cases,but hey,there's several kits here and I only own two vintage Subarus right now.You guys will be welcome to some of them,I'm sure.

 

Meanwhile,anybody know anything about the individual parts,their function,etc.? I haven't gotten to ask the older guys yet.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Let me try to find some more info on them.Meanwhile if somebody wants to add info please do so.

 

My brother worked in the warranty dept. for Subaru South through '83. He knows about that cold weather kit because I remember him talking about it many years ago. He knows a bunch of other stuff like that from the same time period (and has a memory like an elephant). I'll call and ask him tomorrow to see what he still remembers...

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OK, I got the scoop. The kit was associated with an interesting (and apparently tense) little chapter in Subaru history.

 

It seems that several variations of the Hitachi carburetor used from '77-79 exhibited a little problem with sustained high speed driving at temperatures below about 28 degrees. The problem was that the throttle plate would stick open, causing a very unnerving "cruise control from hell" effect!

 

The problem was mostly reported in 2wd MT vehicles where a cold enough air blast into the engine compartment was capable of cooling the carburetor enough to cause the problem. Apparently some runs of carbs had close enough tolerances for the problem to happen, but most did not.

 

Having experienced the problem himself, my brother said it's really scary when the throttle sticks open at 75 MPH with a tight curve coming up! The reflex of depressing the clutch was also an interesting experience!

 

Apparently, the only part that's really needed is the plastic shield. The other parts were designed to help, but he felt they were mostly put in the kit to help with appearances and impressions of the "lawyer" kind. Not known how many accidents resulted from this, but somehow a recall was avoided. The kit was sent out as needed (mostly to Northeastern and Rocky Mt. areas).

 

My brother worked in the warranty dept. for Subaru South through '83. He knows about that cold weather kit because I remember him talking about it many years ago. He knows a bunch of other stuff like that from the same time period (and has a memory like an elephant). I'll call and ask him tomorrow to see what he still remembers...
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