The Beast I Drive

Any new progress on this monster? -Bill

Here is pretty much what I want this Brat to be, at least for a while, until I paint it flat black and the graphics orange. For now though the black will look excellent on the silver. I just did it up quick like with a pencil on a pic of my old Brat. I added the roll bar and lights I want too So now I have a good picture of what Im shooting for. -Bill

Got it cleaned up a bit, and got that awful side trim and rocker trim removed, so it's looking much better now. But, the bed floor is a complete loss. Serious cancer throughout, I'm going to have to cut the floor out from part way up the back wall of the cab all the way to below the hinge mounts for the tailgate and replace it with a better one I have in a parts car, but that project is a ways off yet. Also, the passenger door has some serious rot lurking just beneath the paint, I can hear it crunch when I push on it... A few things I want to get for it are a good, rust free door, from a Hatch or a Brat, with ot without glass, a grey non-cracked GL dash, and red instruments and panel switches from an 82 Subaru with the grey interior. I like the GL dash better than the DL style, but if you have a nice un-cracked DL grey dash I'd take that too. -Bill

Well for about a year and a half it was parked next to a dog, and he used it as his personal watch tower..... -Bill

My experience with suspension lifts on EA81s has not been good. The shorter axles in them are already at a sharper angle stock than in an EA82, and typically with a 2" lift the axles blow apart in fairly short order. You'd have to do a full lift with body blocks and all that. -Bill

It was pretty much just for looks I think, but it would also kinda take some of the hit before the lower radiator support became thoroughly trashed in that kind of situation. -Bill

Moar Pictars :cool: sime of the most obviuos Rust Looks like it was almost always serviced with Subaru parts, even has a Subaru battery in it Also has 4 black center cal/master wheels, with rusty hubcaps. The nudge bar will fit the later 83-87 Brats and all other EA81 cars. It has little notches to fit over the chrome bar under the bumper on the later models. I think I'm going to build this one up similar to my old one, with the stacks and lift and bumpers and everything, then paint it black with orange graphics. Kinda interesting that it has a grey interior, most every other silver or grey bodied Subaru I've ever seen had a blue interior... -Bill

Well, compared to the rust you guys have in the midwest, it's nothing... But its worse than any of the rust was on my '86 Brat. -Bill

Just picked it up for $800, runs and drives with over 300,000 on the original drivetrain, bought it from second owner, who bought it in 1983 with 8,000 miles on it Has a vintage Bushman nudge bar on it, which I will be cleaning up and selling soon. Its in pretty good shape except for some serious rust in the bed, but i have replacement bed panels for it from a donor. Needs some TLC, but Im stoked to finally be back in a Gen 2 Brat, and with no T-tops! Build thread to come sooner or later, but for now it will prolly just get a Weber carb from my old red Brat, and the tires from it as well. Crappy night pics, better ones to come for sure! -Bill

You'll probably have to get in touch with a company that does weatherstripping for custom cars and hotrods and such, and just find a material that fits as close as possible to the original stuff and have it custom cut for your car. My 73 Tailgate wagon has like new weather stripping on it, and I Know it can't be original, because my 72 and 76 wagons have absolutely horrible weatherstripping. -Bill

Yes -Bill

No, I just have them all They are around, you just have to really look. Then try to convince the owners that you need them more than they do. -Bill

Sometime soon I'll have to go look in my tire pile and see if I have a somewhat matched set of decent tires, until I can afford some 185-60-R13s -Bill

Right on! That would be awesome. Let me know what you find and if you have anything else for the tailgate wagons. I need a lot of little parts, so let me know what all you can find! Thanks! -Bill

I want a couple sets of these so bad, but I dont have the funds right now... It's like the repro windshield gaskets all over again -Bill

The paint should buff out ok, but it needs some attention in the rocker panels, they are the rustiest part of the car. Theres also a bit of rust in the engine bay around the fenders, but nothing bad at all really. -Bill

That would be fine with me, I've never seen an FF1 wagon in person -Bill

I checked the door plate today, it is indeed a 73. The other is a 72. I wonder if I'll find a 71 someday..... -Bill

Nope, it is just an adjuster bolt. Nothing else should be attatched to it. -Bill

Seems my earlier pics arent showing anymore, so here's those, plus my newest addition... '72 Tailgate wagon New Tailgate wagon '76 4wd parts wagon '76 fwd wagon, sold a few months ago, new owner blew up 2nd gear so it sits in his shop atm Rusty, 1980 Brat Before being rear ended Brown '79 Brat, sold a while back And there are at least 3 or 4 others that I cant find pics for at the moment... -Bill

That isnt the axle, thats the rear subframe, it has the torsion bars for the rear trailing arms inside. The torsion bars are connected in the middle to a deal that has that bolt in it, and that bolt is actually to adjust the rear ride height. If you screw it in all the way, you can gain up to 2" over stock of ride height. -Bill

Im hoping I can get this one at least driveable before the next West Coast Subaru Show, it's been a while since I've had anything cool to show -Bill

Just got it delivered yesterday, traded off 8 rotting carcasses for it, so my dad was real happy cuz it cleaned the place up pretty good. It's not too bad, little rust, excellent body, all kinds of coolness about it Some interesting tidbits: I found a photo packet in the front seat that shows the car was wrecked real good in the back sometime in the 70's. The previous owner replaced the entire rear driverside of the car from the rear door back, then painted it that fabulous 2-tone. He did excellent work too, you cant tell it was fixed at all :cool: After the new paint, it apparrently got rear ended again, right in the middle of the tailgate , but again he fixed it absolutely perfectly This was all done around 1987-1989 or so. The front seats have new upholstery on them, and the door seals are all like brand new! At some point Semi-truck air horns were installed under the hood, havent found the compressor yet. Also installed is an aftermarket cruise control system, which appears to be all there, The drivetrain is complete, but I dont know what may be wrong with it. At any rate, it will make a great addition to my other Tailgate wagon Im thinking restoring/lowering one, and lifting the other and making it a show stopping 4x4..... -Bill

I finally got around to finishing the drawings of my Gen 1 4" lift kit plans, so now they are available for the do it yourself-er who wants to get it right the first time Available as an electronic version, or as a paper copy. Only $25 for each! Contact me, Bill, at (509) 391-5903, or PM me here on the board. Thanks! -Bill