I think it might run better with the E81 and get a weber 32/36 than with the supercharged EA63.

 

Well I'm not one to tell anyone what to do. I don't know what the owner wants, and I don't know what kind of budget you are working with,... but you gotta keep that supercharger/side draft weber on there!! It looks so mean! I understand wanting to step up the CCs a bit from an EA63, but perhaps you could fit the supercharger set up to an EA81, maybe re-jet the weber?

 

Do you think there is anything interesting in the case? Modified cam maybe? High compression pistons?

Well I'm not one to tell anyone what to do. I don't know what the owner wants, and I don't know what kind of budget you are working with,... but you gotta keep that supercharger/side draft weber on there!! It looks so mean! I understand wanting to step up the CCs a bit from an EA63, but perhaps you could fit the supercharger set up to an EA81, maybe re-jet the weber?

 

Do you think there is anything interesting in the case? Modified cam maybe? High compression pistons?

 

The owner told me to get it to run and drive for him, do what I think is best. If it was mine I would have done an EJ22, but he wanted to stay with a carb and something that looks more original. Other than that it's up to me what to do.

 

The EA63 is done for. It must have been detonating bad with the supercharger. I found a melted spark plug. I tore it down and one head is melted in the chamber, the top of one piston is on the way out. It's got a couple of valves starting to burn and one cylinder is pitted from sitting. It's just got stock pistons, it does have an aftermarket cam, there is an old school sticker on the car for it too.

 

The EA81 on the other hand is in nice shape. No wear in the cylinders, everything looks good. I'm putting it back together with all fresh factory gaskets and putting a weber on it. That's what's going in the car.

 

I know people like the supercharger, but it's small and unreliable, it obviously killed the EA63. It was made in the 50's for 1200cc VW's and it's too small for an EA63 no less an EA81. They don't make any real boost anyway. The guy who owns the car isn't really into subies, he's a vw guy. I just want the car to run well for him and be reliable.

Hey if you are just getting it running well, that's a different story. I thought that you might be getting her back into the shape she was in when she was racing.

 

All that EA63 carnage you mentioned sounds worthy of a few pictures.

 

I just picked up a very modified EA71, very cheaply. It was probably raced at one point in its life. Hoping to do some of the tear down this weekend. Hope it looks better than your EA63!

The EA63 isn't horrible, but it's got detonation damage. I would post a pic but my camera has dead batteries. I'll do it soon.

 

I just found out I goofed. The trans I got won't work with the EA81. I grabbed the bellhousing from the car I got it out of, it was an EA71. The bellhousing won't bolt to the EA81. I guess I should go back and grab the EA71 from the junkyard also.

The 1972 Subaru RX coupe (Like a GSR but more 'competition orientated') came standard with 4-wheel disc brakes in Japan. Also had the five speed manual. These brakes are, to look at, nothing like the later turbo models that people retro-fit.

 

The chrome was toned down on this model too. There was no chrome in the window gaskets the windscreen wipers are also black. There were 'RX' stickers on some and a rear badge on others, depending on the year.

 

The advertising brochure I have for the 1974 model pushes the 5 speeds/4 discs.My favourite though is the brochure for the 1972 model it states the following;

FRONT ENGINE FRONT DRIVE/FLAT FOUR ENGINE/5-SPEED TRANSMISSION/4-DISC BRAKE HARD SUSPENSION/QUICK STEERING/BLOCK PATTERN RADIAL 155SR-13 (I love the block pattern bit!). Unfortunately the rest is in Japanese so I cannot read it:-\, but I can still look at the pictures!

 

Got any scans of the advertising brochure.

and more pics of the RX etc

ive seen 1 pic of RX 1400

I got the EA71 this morning from the same 80 wagon I got the trans from. It only had 90,000 on it. I pulled the heads off and it looks nice inside. I don't know if I'm going to split the case or not, probably not, it looks good to go with fresh gaskets.

 

If I did split the case I could put the bigger cam in it out of the EA63 along with the pushrods and rockers from that engine. EA63 and EA71 take the same valvetrain part right? Anyone know for sure? But the cam is an unknown, I don't know the specs on it. I could measure the lift and put a degree wheel on it and get the duration fairly close. I don't know if it was ground with the supercharger in mind or what. I'm thinking not worth it, I just want it to run well. Putting an unknown old school cam in it might not be a bright idea.

 

I have to run out and get batteries for my camera and take pics of all this.

I have to run out and get batteries for my camera and take pics of all this.

 

Yes absolutely, lets see some pics!

Here's the engine bay with all the old wiring and hoses mess pulled out, degreased and pressure washed.

 

 

 

Then the row of EA's left to right- EA71 I got this morning that is going in the car with fresh gaskets, EA81 I wanted to put in, but didn't match the bellhousing pattern and the EA63 already back together, would need a lot of work.

 

If anyone is looking for an EA81 this one is nice, I even have a new headgaskets for it, you can buy it real cheap, money will go back into the car.

 

 

Tomorrow is cleaning parts day, get it all ready to go back together.

Lots of good progress to report. EA71 is all put together and in the car along with the 2wd trans. It was kind of a pain to deal with. Somebody had welded plates to the engine mounts to move the engine forwards, probably from when it had a VW trans in it. I had to cut all that out to get the engine to sit right. It's also got solid engine mounts in it. The Gen 2 trans I got for it didn't have anywhere for a Gen 1 trans mount to bolt to. Considering that it has solid engine mounts anyway, I made a solid trans mount for it also out of angle iron bolted to where the shifter bracket bolts on the trans and bolted to the back of the crossmember. I got the Gen 2 shifter to work in the car ok. I cut some off the plate that the shift lever sits on and bolted that to the floorpan. There is a huge gaping hole in the trans tunnel from the guy who tried to install a D/R 4wd trans in the car. :-\

 

 

WOW! Looking good! You'll be done in no time.

Hell yeah man, looking real good. I also noticed you were transporting that engine in a older Suburban like I used to have.

Hell yeah man, looking real good. I also noticed you were transporting that engine in a older Suburban like I used to have.

 

Thanks, this thing is really coming along now. I will post more pics tonight.

 

That's my beater suburban, parts hauler, tow vehicle etc. It's got 230k and runs like new, doesn't leak or burn anything. But it has rust holes big enough to put your hand threw. Oh yeah and a 3" lift with 33's, headers and dual exhaust. It doesn't get used much at 10 MPG.

Thanks, this thing is really coming along now. I will post more pics tonight.

 

.

 

 

YAY!!!!!

I can't wait to see the finished product!

I can't wait to see the finished product!

 

Hope you guys aren't disapointed. It might not be much to look at if you expect a restored show car. The owner of the car told he wants to keep it mostly as found. I'm just doing all the mechanical work to get it running and stopping. But if you like old school you will like this.

Most of the stuff is connected to the engine. I'm waiting on the weber carb kit to come in. I'm working on rewiring everything now, I cut all the old wiring out, it was a mess. There was no factory harness in it, just wires everywhere randomly connected. I should finish all the engine work this week and do the brakes next.

 

Does anyone have a 72 FSM with a wiring diagram? I need to know what wire does what for the wipers.

 

More pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is that the battery in back?

Is that the battery in back?

 

That's a fuel cell in the trunk.

 

I haven't decided where to put the battery yet. I might put a lightweight race battery on the spare tire shelf under the hood, or else it's going on the passenger side floor. The battery was mounted on a piece of folded over sheetmetal under the hood.

I did some work on the wiring today it's mostly done. I ran almost all new wires and fused all the circuits. I need to pick up a battery and and alternator for it now.

 

Next week I'm doing the brakes. I'm going to make a seperate thread with pics of the brakes, I'm not sure exactly what it has, I might need some help with ID on them.

 

 

 

Are you making this street legal again?

Are you making this street legal again?

 

No it's never been on the street. This has been a race car since the day it was new. It's the first factory Subaru race car in the US.

This car is just about done. The weber carb is on now. I should be firing it up in the next few days. Just need an alternator now. I think I am going to put a GM one on it.

 

Needs a pretty new starter too

Needs a pretty new starter too

 

The starter actually works fine despite how it looks. I was told not to worry about painting anything.

 

 

So it runs! It fired right up on the first try. No funky noises smoke or anything. I didn't get an alternator yet so I didn't run it long. I drove it out into the driveway and back.

 

The radiator leaks, not sure what to do about that yet, I haven't seen any sources for a new one. I might have to just solder the hole up.

 

The brake pedal is ok, not perfect. I've bled the heck out of the brakes, if I pump it a few times it gets a little better. Maybe the master cylinder is going bad? I don't know if this is a specific master cylinder for the 4 wheel discs or the same as all the other gen 1's? Maybe that's even the problem, it might be the wrong one and too small?

 

The brake pedal is ok, not perfect. I've bled the heck out of the brakes, if I pump it a few times it gets a little better. Maybe the master cylinder is going bad? I don't know if this is a specific master cylinder for the 4 wheel discs or the same as all the other gen 1's? Maybe that's even the problem, it might be the wrong one and too small?

 

On my DL sedan i got an new brake master cylinder its was the same as an datsun 1200? But i still found the brakes didnt work as well as i thought. the brakes were all overhalled. new or rebuilt stuff i got. even after they had bed in. but they were drums all round. i got them the best i could do.

you could maybe just adjust the break pedal movement? that mite help?