Seahag1978

Country... no matter how bad your day is going... the guy that's singing is having a much worse one...

The heat is the key here... you have to soften the adhesive and gently peel while it's still warm.... I used an old credit card to slide along under the vinyl. So, until the vinyl is removed there's no way for the alcohol to saturate into the adhesive... it won't penetrate it. Our first boat was used and it carried a really stupid name that had to go... after removing the lettering, I used denatured alcohol. To clean the surrounding area and remove every trace of the name, I scrubbed it hard with Maguire's Carnauba Wax on a terry towel it seems to deep clean while not hurting the finish. It takes time but it will work. Good luck! Mary

Is this Saturday night after 6:00 pm, for sure and certain? Let me know. We'll be sure to bring the truck ...

Thanks! I understand we are as far away from each other as possible without getting our feet wet.

No problem... let me check the other gazillion manuals I have. I'll warn you I have no clue what I'm looking at... (shhh, Tim just helped me look) LOL. I see little pieces parts but not the whole picture. I did get that Reader's Digest book that was recommended to me, it's from back in the early 80's to help me see how a car actually goes... <now sing with me> The wheels on the bus go round and round...

Whoa... there's the nippondenso breakerless Fwd, Hitachi breakerless 4wd, but it says pick up coil and wiring harness on Turbo models are different.... there are related sections but it says in parentheses (except Turbo) sorry Silly, because it covers many other Turbo parts? What's up with that?

I have a Bentley manual, which diagram? I think it covers that.

Not sure if this is what you need... look around the site, there are many manual sections. http://www.finleyweb.net

This Saturday evening, the one after Thanksgiving, November 27, could work on this end... I need pretty much one of each part that you have there. LOL! Jesse? Connie? Operose? Everyone? You game? Let's get this show on the road!

Whoa Skippy 5 hours? I assume the issue has to do with not obeying the speed limit? LOL! Borges is in Dighton, MA 1-800-662-6150

A-Burlington is pretty cheap, I got my '78 - 4 sp with 69,000 mi. for $150. cash 'n' carry. I found my seatbelts through http://www.car-parts.com $50.00 for the pair included shipping from B&R Auto Wrecking http://www.autowrecking.net

Alternator and battery are good... could the VR do this? It's external... just in case I have ordered a new one. How about vacuum? It kinda gags on itself. There's very little heat too. Any direction as to what grounds to check in particular?

The Brat's suspension and such is all back together and it's drivable. Now, it's idling strangely... we adjusted the idle to a bit high and when we try to reinstall the air filter and when it gets even close to the carburator, it slows way down to almost stalling. The air filter is new. When we adjust it higher, and reinstall the air cleaner, it idles fine and then cuts down and then races, without touching it. It stalls out at stop lights. The wipers are moving very slowly. We had to bleed the brakes and while I was pumping the pedal during the bleeding process, the motor went down to almost a stall. It came back up when I stopped pumping the brakes. We already changed out the alternator, it was only producing 11 amps. Any ideas?

If your numbers match, there's a date stamped on the plate inside the driver's door jamb with the month/year of manufacture. The numbers on my Brat don't match because the doors were replaced with passenger car doors. Since they are also transplants my engine and tranny don't match. The 10 digit VIN number stamped on the firewall doesn't contain any real information to the casual eye, only Subaru has the stats on deciphering that by its records (if they're even accessible?)... their website rejected my VIN saying it contained too few numbers. LOL! The VIN numbering system changed in 1983 (I think) to the 17 digit VIN number and they tell a much better story on the stats of the car. Year, body style, drive train... etc. So the little plate inside the door is what you would use for your actual date of manufacture. Antique cars with matching numbers bring a MUCH higher value to the market... a matched 'Cuda sold for $600,000. on eBay not long ago!

This is an excerpt from a post I made yesterday when I recounted my tale of getting the Brat back on the road. "The idle was a tad high and she backfired at the gas station... scared the heart out of the kid that was filling up his brand new WRX at the next pump... heheheh <evil grin> After he got over his shock, he did wander over to check out the Brat. He left with the feeling that he made a good choice in car companies." He became a bit wide-eyed when he heard it was a '78. We chatted about the Brat for a few minutes and he watched as Tim went under the hood and adjusted the idle. Hopefully the encounter enlightened him to drive it with care knowing it could very well survive 26+ years... Jumping off a light isn't so bad as long as you're in proper lanes and stay with the speed limit... it's the 100+mph weaving in and out of traffic on I-95 that bothers me. We have watched crotch rockets, with girls on the back on numerous occasions... that terrifies me! We saw a Honda and a WRX racing and weaving a week ago... I half expected to see carnage at any point in time, it was pretty scary... as I stated in another post a while back... WRX = wrecks

Generally it is 25+ years for antique status, one club says 20+? When the car is over 15 years old it is exempt from emissions, we have to pass a safety inspection only. Safety inspection includes seat belts only required if originally factory installed, e-brake, horn, lights, tires, glass, mirrors, loud exhaust/leaks, they jack the front up and put a breaker bar under the wheel to check for play in the suspension. They can also fail you for any rust-through on the body or any sharp parts sticking out that could cause a flesh wound from someone walking by... ouch!

Any one of the bottom 4... very nice! There's nothing quite like new paint! Sparkly shiny...

Thanks Connie! Awwww... I'm flattered <blush> she's not perfect yet, but at least she's not just a pretty face anymore! Not to forget the invitation for sledding... preferrably just a few 12 oz. curls... loooong weekend coming up! We have a guest room Mary

We got the Brat back up and running! Thank you so much for the parts Subafreak!! We also broke the record and drove a full 18.4 miles with no breakdown! Well, the air filter fell off at 1.6 miles and made a heartstopping noise when it hit the fan... it didn't break (whew). She stalls like crazy and there's no heat... but technically she didn't break down! The idle was a tad high and she backfired at the gas station... scared the heart out of the kid that was filling up his brand new WRX at the next pump... heheheh <evil grin> After he got over his shock, he did wander over to check out the Brat. He left with the feeling that he made a good choice in car companies. Anyway, the big stuff is all checked and redone and now it's done right... <sigh> Thank you all for the help and moral support! I really appreciate it! Mary

The server is up... I guess the trojan horses got bored and left... hmmm... I'm pretty sure I saw a tumbleweed roll by!

I tried to buy simple tune-up parts for my 78 Brat from 2 different dealerships local to me. One said, "I may have some old microfiche"... then he told me to he couldn't help me. The second one told me without hesitation, "I can't help you, maybe you should buy a new Subaru." When I called the service department at the first dealership for a clutch/tranny swap, he asked me, "How's things at Toyota?" he thought I was joking... when I explained that it was for real, he gave me a me a fairly reasonable price and was actually pleasant too. Made me wonder if something went wrong with the job... would the parts department get parts for him?! <giggle> I found an awesome guy a block from here... if it's out there, he'll find it... get it fast and always gives me shop rates. Lithia Subaru in Oregon is great... got my parts right out and the price wasn't highway robbery.

There isn't any place around here where you could drive fast enough to hurt it... especially 128... unless you have a death wish?! j/k Wet roads only... it'll catch up to itself on dry roads, and you shouldn't engage it while cornering or while going over 50 mph.

Use some fiber-fill batting like they stuff quilts, toys and pillows with, it comes in a bag from Walmart for about 6 bucks. You can control the contour and density pretty well while stuffing it. You'll need to make a slit large enough to stick your hand into the sew the seam back up. Worked on mine. Toss on a pair of cheapo seat covers and you'll be good to go... no more singin' soprano!

As a seller he has the option to offer a "Second Chance Offer" at your top bid. Many will, without hesitation. Give it a shot. It may not be an option sice he has relisted it. Give it a shot... won't hurt. Good luck!