Subaru conversion Options

[zipedadoo]

I got this 1971 1.7 car about 3 years for $1800 for my son to drive to high school.

I painted it in the garage and it looks good from 1000 yrds or so..(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I got it running pretty good. And did the brakes, wheel bearings, shifter bushings, fuel lines etc.

I did ok for a year or so but it developed massive blow-by.

So after discussing our options we decided to put a subaru engine and transmission in.

We more or less just followed those that have gone before us...so nothing really new.

But we did learn a few things and thought we would share a few pics.

First the donor........

A 1995 outback with a 2.2 5 speed.

95-96 is when Subaru changed from OBD I to OBD II so its just about the worst year car to get for a conversion.



I pulled the engine and transmission, wire harness, full pump, fuel lines, radiator etc.

Once I got the wire harness cut down I hooked the engine up and got it started. Just to see if it would run.



I replaced the timing belt, oil pump seals and valve cover gaskets to seal up the Subaru. I also modified the transmission to 2wd. I welded the gears and made my own block off plate. A rear view......



This car has a mechanical speedometer cable. The VSS is the speedometer head in the dash. So I did some backwoods engineering and connected the Subaru cable to the Porsche cable to make the speedometer work. Then I made a speed sensor from a Subaru ABS sensor and some 1/4 key stock welded to a hose clamp, which was clamped to the inner CV joint....



The speedometer works but it reads about 20 mph fast.....good for a teenager...(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

We put the radiator in the engine compartment. My son plays the guitar and needs the front trunk for the amp...We live in northern Az. So we might get away with it. So far it runs right at 190 degrees without the fans on.




So far the air scoop has not dragged on anything. But he will have to watch it.

[DBCooper]

Actually on a lot of swaps it isn't that obvious what was done and how, so somewhere down the line if someone else tries to sort things out it will be hard. Your's is right there, is up front, makes sense, and is totally logical. It'll work out well. Only suggestion I'd have would be after he tears it off make the replacement radiator scoop is flexible. I make this suggestion from experience.

But you know the biggest and most important thing about your conversion? "we had fun and the car is a blast to drive." That's it, what it's all about, nothing more, nothing less. You got it right and it's perfect. Good job.