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Are you British? By character you mean you need to spend lots of time with it and the various issues. EJ engines are so plentiful because Subaru were onto a good thing, hence why it stuck around for so long! I love my EJ concerted L series. I would not want an EA82 again to the point that I’d drop an EA81 in place of the EA82 if it came to it. You need to try an EJ22 in an EA body with a nice exhaust to see how good they are as a conversion - plus they’re uber easy to maintain, parts-a-plenty too. Each to their own. Cheers Bennie

Hang on, Gen 2 as in L series? Or the EA81? If EA81, the above applies to door fittings. If EA82, nothing fits between the doors. Cheers Bennie

Nope. Brat doors are longer. Fittings such as door handles are the same though. Brat doors are interchangeable with the hardtop coupe and the two door hatch. Cheers Bennie

Maybe for the series 1. Series 2 definitely all 3.7 diff ratio. Meaning if you see the button on the gearstick it will be a single range. Cheers Bennie

You need to align the timing marksfor spark to properly align the dizzy for install. Those cam timing marks will have the piston halfway up/down the cylinder. No good for aligning dizzy at no1 and fitting. Cheers Bennie

Nope. I don’t think any parts stores ever sold them. Used is what you need. Cheers Bennie

Your wheel hub chew out the splines that mate with the drive shaft? If so, left and right hubs are interchangeable. Find a parts vehicle and you should be sorted. Cheers Bennie

Be sure to grab the rear diff to match the diff ratio to the box. Many, if not all, of the series 1 gearboxes are 3.9 ratio. The series 2 are all 3.7. Turbo dual range has 1.19:1 low range, non turbo got the best low range from Subaru at 1.59:1. The turbo coupes (RXII) got dual range AWD with a locking centre diff. Best of both worlds on road and off-road, except for the crappy low range (but that can be swapped out). Cheers Bennie

I hope it’s found in reasonable if not good condition and that your insurance company doesn’t write it off so you can have it back. Although, after that it just never feels the same, even if the thief only drove it around the block... Here’s hoping. Cheers Bennie

Here I was thinking you’re blowing your own trumpet Steptoe! Happy New Year old fella! @turbodog - you could look into the aviation spec RAM heads, see what they did in the coolant pipe department. Also look at their EA81 as this could have some ideas for you too. Cheers Bennie

https://ausubaru.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=4919 ^ many pics missing early on in the thread but last time I checked the later pics are still there This is to show you the sort of effort required, even then it’s limited to certain design aspects of the Subaru. Cheers Bennie

It’s probably in the snow belt now (trying to make light of a shite situation). Bennie

Awesome story and an interesting form of motivation. That rust under the windscreen is pretty normal unfortunately. The rust in the rear end looks like someone backed it into the ocean and didn’t wash it down after. Keep the build going, you’ll love it once it’s done - and if you do it right you won’t be doing this again anytime soon! What’s the plan other than restore it? Going to paint it beige again or something a bit of fun? EA81 or drop an EJ into it? That wiring, don’t stress over it. The good thing about Brumbys is that they’re quite basic wiring-wise ;) Cheers Bennie PS: totally wrote the above a week ago, seems I never posted it. Thanks editor for saving it!

Are we talking the ‘70s shaped brat or the 80’s version? If it’s the earlier one (f88?), you will have difficulty fitting an EJ in there, but it can be done as I’ve seen one on the net here in Oz that was done. Can’t remember where I saw it. I do remember it had discs all round and I think a 5 stud conversion. The EJ suspension will have about half of your tyre hanging outside the front and rear guards from what I understand of the track width difference. Cheers Bennie

@1 Lucky Texan - bang on the money mate! Rule #1 with Subaru engine block changes: always retain the original crank and LHS cam sprockets for this exact reason. Glad to read it worked out easy in the end, and I’m sure you are too @Subgirl76 Cheers Bennie

Welcome @SubiJay Im sure there will be someone close to you. I’m not, but if you’re ever in SE Oz, send us a PM (goes for any USMB member!), will have to wait a decade for this virus to be contained and our borders to be open again Cheers Bennie

Awesome! Hopefully once the cooling system is hooked up you’ll find it’s all leak free and good to go! Is this one non turbo? Bummer (in some ways!) Cheers Bennie

And the Brat weighs in at what, 2000-2200 pounds? (I’m having to convert in my head as I think they’re about 1050kg from memory). Cheers Bennie

Pretty common. You’re lucky you got it before the side tank blew out and took out the HGs or engine with it. That was my introduction to plastic end tanks. Then the best yet came - blew two heater cores in the middle of summer. That was fun. All of this was in my L series. Cheers Bennie

You will need a custom intake manifold if you want the coolant passage to be seperate to the air intake tract, the the manifold as such. On the EJ the coolant is separate to the intake manifold so keeping heat away from the intake is a whole lot easier. Keen to see where you go with this as a matter of interest more than anything. Cheers Bennie

Can you get these rims without the bolt pattern drilled before purchase? Then have a shop drill to 4x140. Interesting you have ATVs that are heavier than the Brat! Cheers Bennie

Someone has a foot on the throttle to hold revs where they’re needed? Cheers Bennie

If you have all the parts and the two vehicles are the same generation, you can swap the AC in. I’ve done it with one of our Brumbys over here. Pulled all the AC gear, including wiring from the touring wagon and dropped it into the Brumby. Took the PS as well Cheers Bennie

Just no. 3mm is a lot when it comes to bolt patterns. This idea is all kinds of wrong. Cheers Bennie

So that’s a no?