RenaissanceMan Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 So the other day I picked up an 82 GLF 2 door coupe for $80, and drove it home. Its got all the bells and whistles, PS, AC, Cruise, Power windows... (it must have been real nice when it was new. Its lived next to the ocean, so there is some major body rot around the windows. (but it appears to only be surface, nothing structural) One of the rear quarter windows is busted. It has trouble idling sometimes, and the throttle cable can stick (looked under the hood, its corroded). The only other major issue is that it needs new front CV's of course (they all do). Which for me I can throw a set in for about $95. Its FWD, auto, ea81, got a roof rack, and the interior has seen better days thats for sure. So it drives pretty comfortably, and it goes as fast as any other subaru of the era. So all the issues I know I can fix.. been there done that... So is it worth keeping and driving around or should I grab the engine and throw the car in the dumpster? Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 I would worry about the rust I can't see. Is any of the rust through the body? Body work is very time consuming and sadly unless you love the car to death, its not worth it. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted April 8, 2007 Author Share Posted April 8, 2007 well, I dont think I wanted to do much to the body work, I was just debating if it was worth the time and money for me to fix the mechanical issues and drive it Keep in mind we dont use salt out here in CA, so the undercarrige isnt an issue as much as around windows and the like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 if you have other vehicles and would rather not part with the time and money then probably not. otherwise a good driving car with an EA81 that don't have many issues to speak of, it would certainly be a great DD for the next few years fairly easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy D Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 mike, you should do what i was thinking of doing.......convert it over to 4sp d/r and lift it and go mob the thing......dont junk it please, they are pretty rare cars and if you were just gonna junk it, at least, AT LEAST, go wheel it a little....i might have a 2 in lift for you in a couple months. shoot me a pm please....i got yahoo IM too -Dalton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Mike,can you post some pictures? We've got a few of these cars here that maybe yours could help out."WagonsOnly" has a few and a convertible...or two? Here's mine: Which also resides near the salt water. This car does indeed have rot -not just surface rust- underside,so a solid body would be welcome for WagonsOnly or me if I keep it much longer. You can see that the weatherstripping and interior are in excellent shape.This car only has 45k on it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 That was my first subaru. God that car was fun to drive. It was the first car that I ever had that was loaded. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 I'll try to post some pics as soon as I can get my camera back (and also I'll post some pics of my lifted brat) anyway, so I decided to go ahead and replace the axles. I been drivin it around today. Other than the interior is kinda gross, and it could use some idle adjustment, its kinda fun to drive. Never owend a car with a trunk before. Cost of the car - $80 New axles - $95 (employee discount lol) Replacement antifreeze, radiator cap, battery terminals, and replacement wheel stud - $15 3/4 tank of gas - $20 So far the car hasnt really cost me anything worth complaining about.. Maybe tomorrow I'll get some seat covers and throw in some carpet. I just think the interior needs a little help. -Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 dude that interior looks awesome. having nice interior is one of the hardest things about an older vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Since you are not interested in restoration, I would be most concerned with safety issues with this car. Even though you ony see "surface rust", I would still consider rust the biggest potential safety threat. Subarus have some quirky rust issues, and it gets progressively worse as you go back with each Gen. Sea salt is bad news because it is present in evaporated form in coastal regions, and can enter (and corrode) the unseen areas of your car. If it were mine, I would remove the carpeting and lower interior panels and get a good look at the uni. If you have access to a lift, that would be good too. It will be pretty obvious (visually) if the car is too far gone. If it turns out to be structurally sound, you can take this opprtunity to treat any rust, and apply a coat of Rustolem. This will go a long way towards slowing down any deterioration due to corrosion. The mechanical stuff is secondary (IMO) to the rust issues. You might get lucky and have a solid uni, but I would verify that first before putting alot of time and effort into this car. good luck, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 good point john. i posted pictures of what happened to myxphalyx (member here), his RX rear wheels both collapsed inwards due to rusted out rear crossmember. the rear wheels collapsed in to the point they were wedged against the inside of the car. i would check those rear suspension areas, indeed i have been more discerning about that since his incident. scarry that he had just drove it an hour and a half on the interstate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 Well here she is... I put in a pair of axles, and some seat covers. So far she's treating me pretty well. It may be a piece of crap inside and out, but I still love driving it, just because of how much better gas milage it gets than my brat (turbo). And there ya go. My $80 car. -Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Doesn't look too bad Mike. If you want to do a "quick and dirty" unibody inspection, you can look at the underside of the rear wheel arches, especially the area nearest the doors. Also, the rails/shock towers up front. You may have gotten lucky, and got a solid car on your hands!! good luck, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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