The Beast I Drive

When my tax return comes I will be making 6" lifts again, they have been on hold for the moment because I dont have the steel I need. Should be within 6 weeks. Also, my computer crashed due to a virus, I will be hard to reach for the next few weeks until I get it fixed, Im on a friends computer right now. -Bill

It would be easier to build a subframe to bolt/weld to the VW chassis that you could bolt the engine/trans/suspension to rather than to try to meld the Brat floor pan to the bug chassis, and it would end up looking a lot cleaner and being much stronger and more stable in the end. The VW and the Brat share almost no dimensions Im sure, and you would have to do soooo much modifying to both pieces to put them together, Im fairly confident you would be much more satisfied building a subframe/rollcage affair to attach the Brat parts to the Beetle and I believe that is what Brian is trying to say as well -Bill

There really isnt much for support for these old Subarus, I dont believe anyone could have predicted they would last as long as they do, and they arent quite as popular or as plentiful as old muscle cars and classics, so companys like Year One or Goodmark dont make parts for them. Right now the only way to get parts is to get lucky and score some NOS stuff or scrounge for the parts you need at junkyards and such. A few members here have NOS parts stashed away... Someday I hope there will be more support for replacement parts and body panels for these old rigs -Bill

lol yeah, I do live on a farm, on an indian reservation no less When I get the stacks hooked up to the exhaust they will smoke plenty with the rich mixture Ill be running when I put on the Weber -Bill

We used the hammered Black from Rustoleum on my mom's snow wheels, and it has held up great for about 6 years now. No problems at all with the bead sealing, and we used no bead sealant at that. We are now on the second set of snow tires and still going strong -Bill

The stacks stay high, my plans are to build a high roll bar and put lights on it, at which point the stacks should be just barely higher than the lights :cool: Dude, I like that trade idea, Ill check that grill I have to make sure its in good shape, if it is, then I will trade you straight up -Bill

The 5 speed dual range (d/r) tranny is about 9 1/2" shorter than the 4 speed, roughly, I dont remember the number exactly, but its close to that. -Bill

I just might let that white grill go if'n the price is right Got some more pics of the Brat today. On Saturday I installed a set of jumpseats I had layin around. No seatbelts yet, but they will be sourced soon Then, yesterday I got a wild hair and decided to make 3" stainless steel stacks for the bed. These will be functional after I route a new exhuast, for now they just look cool. I still need to polish them though, havent had time to do that yet Next I need to make the new bumpers and roll bar and skid plate, fab a new exhaust and swap on a Weber, then lift it Oh, and replace that damn windshield :-\ -Bill

Sounds like it has everything it needs to be a real trail blazer, all you need now is das lift its already been broke in for ya! -Bill

Hey Mick, I had a crazy idea the other day, since the 4wd gears on that trans are directly linked to the main input shaft on the tranny, a good way to keep them from stripping out would be to weld them up solid in the 4wd position. -Bill

The rear diff and the rear subframe are both equally lifted 4", I built blocks to lift everything the same amount. -Bill

There's usually a way to get a title, just depends how determined you are. With that, what would you want for it with no motor? Not stripped, just minus the motor/any parts needed for the Australia car? -Bill

Lookin good man, I will have your new strut blocks for the front shipped out this week, still waitin for them to be blasted. I am considering buying back those rear blocks if you dont want to keep them, let me know -Bill

Damn! that thing is slammed! Me likes :cool: -Bill

How much would you be looking for? Shipping must be killer on something like that -Bill

Not too hard to fix though... -Bill

Finally got some pics. The first ones are with my new tires (185/80 R-13 de-studded snows) on one of my sets of calmasters, with 2wd front struts (cuz thats all I had layin around) Heres a pic after I put 2" lift blocks on the front struts After i took that last pic I trimmed off the lower sheetmetal from under the bumper up to the radiator support as well. Will get pics of that eventually -Bill

Hey yall, heres the dealio. I have a Gen 1 brat with this type pf bumper, I know its like a factory/dealer option or something, and I really like it http://www.indysworld.com/80s/general/pushbar/gen1-full.jpg BUT, someone cut the headlight gaurd hoop off mine, and I want to rebuild it. I am asking if someone who has one of these bumpers (Moosens, I know you have one :wink:) could take a couple measurements so I can rebuild mine. I need to know: -the distance to centerline of the hoop where it attaches at the sides from the end of the bumper -the distance between the centerlines of where the hoop attaches to the bumper -the distance to centerline of the hoop from the front and back of the bumper -the diameter and a guesstimate of the thickness of the wall tubing used to make the hoop maybe a pic with the dimensions marked would be the best way? Thanks in advance! Oh, this will be on a Brat of mine that will be given a restoration of sorts, with a few of the factory options like high roll bar, winch, and Jackman wheels, and cranked up a little higher than stock. It will be the one on the right as it has less major rust. Both will be revived eventually though -Bill

LOL Thats about the last thing shes gonna do with this Brat This one's stayin in my family -Bill

Ah, I see... I think Im going to swap out her tranny and put the one from My Brat in it, she wants better fuel economy and I want to be able to run bigger tires easier -Bill

The Jackmans will fit any 4x140mm Subaru vehicles, because the spokes are close to flat, not curved like the factory wagon wheels. Carfreak, actually I got these as part of a deal I made on a Gen 1 Brat for my mom -Bill

For sure! They are kind of crusty right now, but 2 look like theyve been poder coated back in the early 80's, can barely make out the "J" emblem on the spoke. Im thinking of running them inside out so the wheel base will be wider -Bill

Welcome to tha board! Careful now though, these things are addictive...Im up to 16 in my collection -Bill

Nope, same size tires on both rigs, 175/70 R-13. -Bill

I now have a full set of 5 13" Jackman spoke wheels So the other 2 I was kinda half a$$ trying to sell are no longer for sale, Im gonna blast and powder coat this set and run them on one of my Gen 1 Brats, or possibly a Gen 1 4wd wagon, but prolly a Brat. Mwahahaaaaa -Bill