What the heck is that?
Moderators: Subie Gal, 2stroketurbo
What the heck is that?
Just what I said when digging through an elderly neighbors garage. I'm sure others have similar stories about the way they found their 360s. Mine was just 2 doors down the block and completely buried with assorted household garbage for the past 25 years. I could see the rear side vents behind the rear side windows, but that was all. 5 years go by with me occasionally asking about the mystery car. I think she told me it was an early Subaru, but since I had never seen one, and I had really no idea. Finally 2 days ago, while helping to carry some groceries in from her car, she actually brings up the subject. Why don't you take the little car in my garage, I really would like to clean up that space. It was sort of like king tuts tomb unearthing the little beast. It turned out to be a 1967 360 deluxe sedan. White with red interior. Kind of a sharp, spry older lady, she told me how much fun she had driving around in the car. There were several dents with some sort of story regarding each, but boiled down to the fact she admitted it was her bar hopping car many years ago. I pumped up the tires and pushed it up the sidewalk and into my garage. For the 15 minutes it was sitting in front, there must have been 5 people who stopped on the street with the same question I originally pondered, What the heck is that!? What I hope to find out in joining this forum is the first few things I should do to get it running, and what I should not do. Hope you-all can help! Thanks[/i]
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subaru360nut
- Club Founder - 360 Guru
- Posts: 4000
- Joined: 20 years ago
- Location: Tucson AZ (I'm Ed Parsil)
I think it would be a big help to you to join the Club and get the BOOK OF REPRINTS with all the technical articles we have printed since 1979 (oveer 500 pages). But meanwhile:
Drain whatever gas there may be in it. Since it hasn't run in 15 years, it may have had real gas, not "reformulated fuel" which leaves everything in the fuel system coated with crud. Otherwise you will need to clean the carburetor (the book tells how to do this) and flush out the tank really well.
Remove both spark plugs, pour about 1/2 teaspoon of 2-stroke oil (TCW-3 rating) down each plug hole, turn the engine over by hand, replace the plugs, and let it sit overnite.
Check the timing, should be 13 degrees BTDC static.
Put a gallon of REAL gasoline in the tank (try a Marina if all your gas stations have ether or ethanol in the gas) and make sure there are no leaks. Remove the vacuum hose from the little pipe that comes from the left of the intake manifold, and remove the carburetor bowl cover (3 screws). Hold the bowl cover above the bowl, and see if fuel is running. It shouldn't be. Then put the vacuum hose in your mouth and put some suction on it. Fuel should run. Don't forget to renstall the vacuum line.
If it does, you are ready to put in a new garden tractor battery (I use NASCAR batteries from Checker/Schuck/Kragen) and try to start it.
If not, you need to rebuild the fuel control valve. I still have the rubber part to do this with.
When you try to start it, use the choke until it starts, then push the choke half way in. Use the starter in short burts, don't "grind away" at it.
When it starts, the smoke will kill every mosquito for a block. But not to worry, it will clear up after a few miles of driving.
Check the brakes. They probably need rebuilding, at least seals in the wheel cylinders, after the car has sat for that long. But this is very easy on a 360 and the book tells you how.
Once you are on the road, you will have a lot of fun with it and pass a lot of gas stations!
Ed
Drain whatever gas there may be in it. Since it hasn't run in 15 years, it may have had real gas, not "reformulated fuel" which leaves everything in the fuel system coated with crud. Otherwise you will need to clean the carburetor (the book tells how to do this) and flush out the tank really well.
Remove both spark plugs, pour about 1/2 teaspoon of 2-stroke oil (TCW-3 rating) down each plug hole, turn the engine over by hand, replace the plugs, and let it sit overnite.
Check the timing, should be 13 degrees BTDC static.
Put a gallon of REAL gasoline in the tank (try a Marina if all your gas stations have ether or ethanol in the gas) and make sure there are no leaks. Remove the vacuum hose from the little pipe that comes from the left of the intake manifold, and remove the carburetor bowl cover (3 screws). Hold the bowl cover above the bowl, and see if fuel is running. It shouldn't be. Then put the vacuum hose in your mouth and put some suction on it. Fuel should run. Don't forget to renstall the vacuum line.
If it does, you are ready to put in a new garden tractor battery (I use NASCAR batteries from Checker/Schuck/Kragen) and try to start it.
If not, you need to rebuild the fuel control valve. I still have the rubber part to do this with.
When you try to start it, use the choke until it starts, then push the choke half way in. Use the starter in short burts, don't "grind away" at it.
When it starts, the smoke will kill every mosquito for a block. But not to worry, it will clear up after a few miles of driving.
Check the brakes. They probably need rebuilding, at least seals in the wheel cylinders, after the car has sat for that long. But this is very easy on a 360 and the book tells you how.
Once you are on the road, you will have a lot of fun with it and pass a lot of gas stations!
Ed
300,000+ miles on Subaru 360s since Feb. 1975, and have never (yet) been stuck on the road with one!