Subaruist

I would recommend not going with metaal-to-metal, there is a reason why there is rubber there, and going with metal-to-metal would mean that other components would be getting a lot of 'shock' without it. I would recommend either: #1: Finding/using a super epoxy to glue it back together - sounds like shady mechanics, but it might just work and it would be as it is meant to be. #2: Replace the rubber block with pure RTV silicone, and if you want to be serious about it, there is a Kevlar fiber additive to mix into paint that would make the silicone extremely tough. #3: Use either method above, but before hand put a bolt through it if you can, with good lock nut, or a paior of lock nuts facing each other on the bolt/thread, and install the bolt without tightening it, just bringing it up against the metal plate, not even finger tight, but preferrably with a little slack. This way, the silicone does what the rubber does, but in a bad situation when you just want to get to your destination, the bolt will hold it together if the silicone were to fail, as a sort of fail-safe/back-up

I understand... I expected the type of reply you made, and have no problem with it. You need what you need - that being said, I could do better with broken parts and JB Weld, lol... I see what you do, what you know, and your womnderful Bumble Beast, and its "What's wrong with this picture?!?" I would expect that kind of rigging from myself or the average older Subaru owner, but honestly, I hold you in higher esteem. You can do better, you deserve better, but the problem is solved for you and I guess that is what matters most.

Nothing.... - Am I the first one to do that ? lol...

Ok, I tried to resist, but something got the better of me and i have to comment.... That is the sloppiest damned manufacturing I have seen in a while! - SORRY! SORRY! I'M SORRY !!! Look, you had to do what you had to do, I understand, maybe you were desparate and out of options, ok... I mean, most of that thing looks like decent machining, but that weld looks like a 5 year old went to town with paydough! I am presuming that this is for another car (can't remember the car you mentioned), - Now, if this was something going on your 'Bumble Beast', THEN I would be uspset with you! Again, I'm sorry, I know, I know how it looks/sounds, but the sight of that weld is giving me some kind of allergic reaction, I need some Pepto Bismal or something.... Lol...

I think people might be missing the priority on this theft issue... I posted previously about people fauwning over my Brat and taking pictures of it at 2:00AM in the mornong. I love all the compliments I get, but this is getting just plain wierd. The priority should be keeping your BRAT, as a whole, safe. If it's one thing now, it will be something else later, or the whole vehicle getting stolen. I am getting a haunting feeling that these Brats may become TOO much of a true "collector" car, and might become not only an endangered species, but akin to the ancient Ermin, the critter whose fur was white with black speckles thast lined the collars of Kings' robes, seen in many dipictions. The Ermin became ever more sought, ever more priceless, untill they were hunted to extinction. The Subaru Brat, I belive still holds the record for the #1 "Scarciest" auto to find oin Autotrader.com, with an average of 27,000 seraches to find even one for sale for any time at all. I get offers from people on an average of once every 3 weeks,. and a couple didn;t really want to take 'No' for an answer. - and of course, people taking poictures of it at freakin' 2:00 AM in the morning ! lol... Me thinks we Brat owners should maybe GET a little paranoid, as who knows, we may start hearing some day about them getting stolen in unusual numbers - come to9 think of it, maybe someone should check and see the stats on Brats getting stolen over the last few years, to see if it is increasing to any degree to9 cause concern.... I swear.... No vehicle seems to get the attention that mine and other Brats seem to be getting, lol.... Yesterday I parked at the store next to a truck with kids in it, and they were saying: "WOW.... That's a race car...... - Its a... Brat... It looks COOL!.... - Daddy, I want a Brat ! Lol....

Right with you there man... Thanks for the unintentional reminder, as I have half the parts to make my someday Harley hot-rod side-pipes. I can;t do it all in stainless, unfortunately though - Harley mufflers were chrome, ok... I had to search for a couple months to find the right kind of X-pipe at an affordable price, and it is made of standard material, but I plan on painting it with maybe 'Cold Galvanize' or High-temp exhaust paint at least. The rest of the system I was planning on regular aluminized steel, but maybe better to go with stainless now that I thinkl of it again...

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Brat Design was covered in one of my previous posts: "Who Designed the Subaru Brat, specifically?" http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/149646-who-designed-the-subaru-brat-specifically/ where people replied with a wealth of info.

I did a real quick search on this, but have a suspicion or hunch about it... WHY was the Brat on "My name is Earl" painted with an American flag ?!? Although it is possible is already had that paint job, the odds are that it was painted for the series. Here's what I am wondering... Could it have been some joke, like Joy was dumb and thought is was an American vehicle instead of Japanese? ( It was an American "DESIGN" ) Is there any particular reason expressed in the series about WHY it was painted with the American Flag? No reason? Just being patriotic regardless of it being a Japanese vehicle? I mean... Logically otherwise, would it not have the Japanese Setting Sun ? - Has anyone painted a Brat like that? Inquiring mind(s) want to know !!!

I wish I could have, and did t5hink of it, but no practical way of doing it without someone else for the most part. Even though the Gas gauge has not worked since I got it, this was the first time I ran ouit of gas.

What did I do to/with my Subaru Brat ?!? I took it for a walk on the freeway !!! - No kidding !!! My fuel guage has not been working, except for the idiot light on it, so either I keep it topped up when I can, or I just put gas in when the idiot light goes on.Well, I guess the sunglasses I had on kept me from seeing the idiot light so I ran out of gas on the freeway about 3 miles before the off ramp... When the gas ran out, the Brat just kept going, it coasted and rolled for more than a mile before it even started slowing down. About a mile from the off ramp, it was rolling slow so I pulled onto the shoulder area, stopped, got out, and gave it a gentle push, - and it started rolling again, not downhill, level ground, so I just started walking next to it, merely holding the steering wheel to steer it. This continued for about a mile... I was just casually walking next to my Brat with one hand on the steering wheel ! lol... At this point, I really didn't even mind anymore, because I was grinning and laughing the whole way at how it must have looked, me walking casually, hand-in-hand with my Subaru Brat down the freeway shoulder, lol... I eventually parked it right where the off-ramp began because I ran out of shoulder, and this ramp was not safe to walk up, so I walked downthe hill to some maintenance roads under the freeway, found my way to the nearest gas station and the rest is predictable. I so love my Brat anyway, and today I even liked it when it ran out of gas !!! - Oh, and I got two more requests to sell it in the last couple weeks, lol... NE-VER !!!....

Other things I have done: I can't understand why the factory did not paint under the T-Top 'wings', being that the T-Top is a major feature, but I decided to correct that oversight, and painted that area silver, partly to go with future LED lighting that will shine in there to help show it off when the situation permits. The front (bug) deflector shield was something I saw at the local thrift and got for only $3, so I had to have it,mostly because of the color, as this Brat will eventually be painted in shades of blue. Speaking of paint... I started the first stage of the paint. The bottom 'stripe' being black. I chose that color for several reasons: I am considering coating these area(s) with truck bed coating or similar, which only comes in a couple of colors in a spray can; it accents the silver of the rims and will also accent the side pipes when I am able to get the exhaust done; and when I add the last layers of paint with "shimmer metal flake" it will accent that too; These areas are where the sun shines least, so no point in putting fancy colors there; As overtime, road grit, rocks, etc. will eventually scratch some of it up, and it will be easy to touch up, especially considering that I used Walmart 96 Cent spray paint for it. Everything lines up nicely including the rear bumper. The bottom section painted black seems to almost disappear, it makes the Brat look sleeker. It made a very good improvement to the look of the Brat, Very happy with the black I also finally got around to fixing my drivers' seat, where the upholstery, foam, etc.had come off, leaving the metal frame bare, causing me discomfort and other problems. I used a combination of thin but dense/stiff foam rubber, and a piece of a really cushy kitchen floor mat, used contact cement, then duct taped it, and was then able to put my scavenged seat covers on. Seat feels great, just like it originally would, no bumps or anything. This also meant that I could finally put on one of the key mile stones, the steering wheel cover! The seat is perfectly comfy when I get in and sit down. Very happy with it. This clears the way for bondo and finishing the paint one section at a time. One real disappointment was that the Krylon "X Metals" chrome-ish paint that looks like colored chrome or anodized aluminum was discontinued, which really ticks me off! I had such plans, and that paint was going to be put to a lot of good use, but NO0O0oooo! Once again my plans are foiled by discontinued paint !!! - So I am having to adapt and such...

I`ve been away\busy for a while, due to work, getting laid off again, getting sick etc. etc. But I have been getting things done in between it all. Just before Christmas I finally got the clutch and front bearings done, then last month I was finally able to get the tires and rims taken care of... I made a deal with a local mechanic and got the use of a sand blaster as well as his ability to do wheels. A couple of the rims were in bad shape, lost of rust, crud, old adhesive and tire residue and would not have held air, so I sand blasted the rims and gave it a coat of Cold Galvanize. The only problem with this is that it made it more difficult to mount the tires, so when a new guy who knew nothing tried to do one of the wheels, he ruined the tire. I improvised. Here are the before and after pics of the ugly, ugly, horrible looking rims before and after I sandblasted them,painted them, and had new tires put on: This was the end of "PHASE 1" (In which Dorris gets her oats). The original plan was to get the exhaust done before moving on, but getting laid off just before Christmas more than killed that plan for the time being. Here is what my Brat looks like now so far, (additional post(s) for other things done.) More to come...

I decided that my rear cargo area access fromthe cab through a small hatch out-ranked the 2ndary fuel tank I bought fromthe scrap yard. So I took it back to sell for scrap, as well as get some aluminum for the rear bed/deck project. I will find or figure out a 2ndary fuel tank that fits the area I want it to be in, rather than letting my lust for that tank take over the other aims of projects. To my surprise, the man running the yard actually gave me a full refund, which balanced against the aluminum I bought left him owing me $1, lol. Still waiting for the first opportunity to sandblast and paint my rims. Despite my efforts to learn where everything is to buy when I am able to to a project, it seems what I need suddenly becomes unavailable yet again. First it was my beloved Flourescent Blue, now nearly extinct. Now it is the Krylon X Metals spray paint. (Blue, in fact). The man at Fred Meyer said the stuff was very popular, now when I am ready for it, gone! I hate that ! - Can't depend on anyone consistently carrying anything anymore. So now I have to spend hours trying to find somewhere, for some reasonable price a paint that will probably not be anywhere next year if I need t to fix a big scratch, etc.? And what happens 2 months after I buy the next best paint - maybe it gets discontinued too ?

I GOT MY BRAT BACK ! - I GOT MY BRAT BACK ! Got it out of the shop finally, and the clutch is working great! Working so great, in fact, that when I picked it up, I popped the clutch on two occasions by accident, lol The best news yet is that I owed the mechanic $700.00 for wheel bearings and clutch job, plus ONLY $25.00 for extra parts that were bad. ( $725.00)- Then he only asked me for $700 even! I think the guy had to take it out and put it back in at least twice if not three times, He had to order one part from back east, - that was the main delay, and spend extra hours fooling with it, and trying to figure out what the real problem was (I posted about that previously). Almost got my rims sand-blasted yesterday, but it ended up that they will let me do it myself, as they are too busy, and although I hoped to do it today, there was too much rain today. I would have done it in the rain ( had to be done outside ), but if I sand-blast anyway, and the rims get and stay wet, the rust will start coming back. I don't want to have to use rustoleum, I am already putting 2 or 3 different coats of things. Then, disaster struck when I went to pick up the Krylon X metals BLUE paint, which the salesman a few weeks ago said was very popular, is n longer on the shelves, and I can't seem to finsd it anywhere! I so hate when this happens. I work in advance to maker sure of what I need, where it is, how much it costs, and when time comes to buy iit they have already discontinued it for some damnned reason. This was supposedto be really good stuff, and had a great look, so what the hell? Now I am desparately looking for the last of the stuff, to possibly horde it, and wondering if I should bother. I chose to make competent use of spray paint, instead of geting all the stuff I would need to do my own mix with a pneumatic paint gun, so that if I had to do any repairs or changes or additions, I would have the best chance possible to match the color best. So now maybe I should get the "Shimmer" metal flake in a can? I really wanted that super metallic X-Metals paint. At first clear weatherI plan to do the sand-blasting...

Brat is STILL in the shop !!! - AAARRRRGGGHHH !!! What have I done with my Soobie? - Nothing... Not even driving it, (snif) My Brat is STILL in the shop, now for over a week. Can't blame the mechanic though... He had it together, but when put into gear it would go nowhere, 4WD would not work, nothing. Turns out that someone replaced the tranny, he says with an older one (How much older could it be in a 1983? - Its not a 1st gen tranny, that's for sure... ) Anyway, the mechanic said that the fork that the clutch cable operates to engage and disengage the clutch was the wrong one. He had to order one from back east and it will not be here until Monday, and I'm guessing that the Brat will not be ready until Tuesday at least. I really miss my brat. I've been having to drive my 1 Ton super cargo Van with a 400 engine and a carb that suck gas like a (CENSORED) and take the bus to work (Argh) - that is until they layed a bunch of us off, after I had already ordered half of what I needed for the new Motorcycle/Side pipes exhaust system, so Christmas is pretty well screwed under for me really well. I guess I can have fun with my Brat for Christmas, as it should be done well before then, and on Christmas the streets have very little traffic. - Of course, that would also mean that the police would have an easy time seeing me at a distance, being one of the few cars on the road, if I were to have too much fun, lol... If the weather clears up and stops this constant on-and-off RAIN for a while,I might actually be able to get some work done on my Brat !

My employer had promised everyone work into january at least, just days ago. So I started ordering parts for my exhaust system. Then today, just days before Christmas, they tell a bunch of us it our last day. All I would expect is a little 'heads up', or at least some consistency. How many times have we heard of a company bragging about their sucess just before firing thier employees, sometimes in the middle of the day. Now, not only can I not afford the labor for someone to weld together my exhaust system, but my Christmas is screwed under as well, as whatever I have in savings must pay for necessities until I get another job. I hate working for other people, and must find a way to be self-employed again, employers simply cannot be trusted.

I have ordered a pair of long Harley mufflers for the replacement motorcycle exhaust sidepipes project, and just ordered just the right kind of 'X' pipe for the dual exhaust tubing under the vehicle. I have to confirm what the original OEM exhaust tubing diameter is coming out of the engine. I found this on the internet: "The exhaust system is next. Use 1.75 inch pipe instead of the stock 1.25 inch, (???) which is half the cross section. This is important and accounts for about 10 HP. Run each side back to the exit and couple them together with a cross-over as close as possible to the oil pan to form an ‘H' pattern. This gives two ways out for each pulse and also reduces exhaust noise by a big amount." Is this an error? are the tubes comingout of the engine really only 1.25" diameter ??? If I were able to have the exhaust pipe replaced right up to the headers, I would consider putting a plate using 4 bolts rather than the usual 2 bolts, tapping those two potential mounting spots/holes/whatever on those square flanges that attach to the head - I am assuming this right now fromother Subarus I have hadm as my beloved Brat is stil ln the shop until at least tomorrow right now and unavailable for me to take a quick look under there. I am also seriously considering adding a pair of 12" "Universal Shorty" motorcycle mufflers onto/before the harley mufflers, both to compensate for apossibly loud exhaust, being my engine is not a 1350cc harley but an 1800cc, and also to make these sidepipes long enough for the end/outlet to make it past the end of the door, ideally. and... if needed, I also still have a pair of 18" glasspacks I still have frommy original want fora simpledual exhaust, that couldbe welded right onto the ends of the X pipe going out to the side ofthe vehicle, which would either solve or over-kill the possible loudness problem,but would also take away at least another 2" from my clearance. This is going to be a street rod, but I still like to keep the clearance, this must, in the end, still be the wondrous Subaru BRAT !

Yes, that was/is/seems to be the ticket. Thank you for the idea. I had to look long and hard and repeatedly to find a true X pipe that was affordable, but finally did, for about $23.00 and just ordered it. Otherwise, the average was between $60 and $100 for same thing. It would be extremely unlikely that I could find matching muflers for an 1800cc Harley, lol, as I don't THINK they make them that big, but I may be wrong. I did find the best possible thing - a good pair of long Harley mufflers for a good price. One thing I was running into was that most motorcycle mufflers are shorter than I would prefer for this project. The best candidates were averaging 26" - 27" overall. I found a used but good condition pair of Harley mufflers on ebay, that are the best I could hope for, are 29 1/4:"long, for less including shipping than the new, affordable, too short ones not including shipping. Ideally, the end of the improvised side pipes should be at least just past the end of the door, which is a pretty wide door I know. I fully realise that these pipes are likely meant for a max. 1350cc engine, and that my 1800cc going through them might be uncomfortably loud. I have, almost from the start, considered also getting a couple of "Universal Shorty" Motorcycle mufflers, that average 12". Adding these just before the long Harley pipes may make an interesting look, and further quiet the sound. The odd thing about these "Universal Shorty" mufflers is that at one end, they are 1 3/4" dia.just like the Harley muflers, but at the other end are 1 1/2" - a potential problem, -or maybe not... My thinking is that with the exhaust first coming through the shorty mufflers through 1 3/4", then out through 1 1/2" outlet may cause the slightest back-up or back-pressure in those shorty mufflers, maximizing what they can do, before it even gets to the harley mufflers. I am considering expanding that 1 1/2" outlet slightly to accomodate the 1 3/4" harley muffler inlets. This would likely only be a difference of 1/8", but being that they are chrome, might mess up the finish a little. However, If I do this, I plan on putting a mount there between the pipes anyway, and at worst,there may end up being a heat shield there anyway. My plan if for very solid mounting at maybe two points for the harley mufflers themselves, possibly one more where the two mufflers meet, (depending) another at the begining of the first muffler, not counting whatever mounts may be necessary for the rest of the exhaust going under the vehicle, and then flex joints just before going to the engine to allow for any shock or wobble that might come from the engine under various circumstances, or hard driving, but not likely much of any off-roading, as this will be primarily a "Street" rod, especially once I paint it. As another back-upplan, I still have the two 18" glasspacks I originally bought when I wanted to do the basic dual exhaust. These have 2" inlets and outlets, and could possibly be welded right to the ends of the X pipe,between it and the side of the vehicle, and thus, there would actually be THREE mufflers in a row one ach side. This is not something I am looking forward to, as even if it worked out measurements and length wise, itt would reduce my actuall clearance by at least 2" more. I have jokingly considered putting them in a big vise and flattening them a bit, ifthat is even possible without ruining them. If I did add these though, it would be pretty much a guarantee that the vehicle would not only not be too loud, but might actually be quieter than I prefer, as I would prefer a low rumble ideally. What I need to find out now, before ordering the flex joints, is what the diameter of the OEM pipes/tubing coming out of the engine are - are they 1 7/8" ? I can't remember... - Anybody know ??? I did find this on the internet: "The exhaust system is next. Use 1.75 inch pipe instead of the stock 1.25 inch, (???) which is half the cross section. This is important and accounts for about 10 HP. Run each side back to the exit and couple them together with a cross-over as close as possible to the oil pan to form an ‘H' pattern. This gives two ways out for each pulse and also reduces exhaust noise by a big amount." Is this an error? are the tubes comingout of the engine really only 1.25" diameter ??? If I were able to have the exhaust pipe replaced right up to the headers, I would consider putting a plate using 4 bolts rather than the usual 2 bolts, tapping those two potential mounting spots/holes/whatever on those square flanges that attach to the head - I am assuming this right now fromother Subarus I have hadm as my beloved Brat is stil ln the shop until at least tomorrow right nowand unavailable for me to take a quick look under there.

I'm not sure where the idea of 12" rims or tires came into this,unless I did a typo or something. I'm not sure, but are you saying that some 14" tires can actually be put onto 13" rims ??? That would be interesting...

Yes, Like I said, I think everything,including that lever thing was bad. - and yes, $25 IS peanuts, and makes me very happy ! On top of it all, it is an endorsement that he seems to be avery honest mechanic if he is only upping the price $25. He will get more of my business for sure.

You might stillwant to get the shop manual. They are wonderful.

( Sent you a PM on this ) So far, things appear to be a 'GO' on the Motorcycle exhaust system. I have found an affordable X pipe that has the right angles, and a shop that can do the work as I need it to be done. But I am confused about this "Supertrap" thing. When search for them, I find mufflers, very expensive ones, but your post may indicate that they might be add-ons,which is what I am hoping. ( "get yourself a couple of Supertrapps to put on the ends" ). I need some general clarification on this. I have also found these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/271440725186?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT "Voodoo Custom Sportbike Motorcycle Speakeasy Variable Exhaust Silencer Insert" I would also entertain any other ideas or known tunable inserts or ends for a Motorcycle exhaust... I have also decided to add a couple of very short flex pieces: I plan on adding them, as no matter how you mount everything, under some circumstances the engine will wobble just a little, and that would make it easier on the exhaust system. I am only wondering if it would be OK to add it right after the OEM cut-off pipes coming from the headers, or if the heat might be too much for it? The pipes out of the headers will be max.possible length, maybe over a foot.

You could search for a wiring diagram on the internet, or better yet, get the Dealer shop repair manual - these are expensive, but worth thier weight in gold, and will also have the wiring diagrams. Don't know what model you have, but the more recent, the better your chances of finding such materials, if not a color wiring diagram. In the future, maybe label such things as you take them apart of course. In the mean time, examine what you have there - one clue is the natural bend of the wires and harnesses that will show you where they want to go, and thus probably went. If you have multiple possible connectors for a particular one, that will actually fit, then exactly how many choices are there - probably not many. Which ones will actually reach to the other? and again, note the natural bends of the wire/harness. Is one harness end really dusty?, then the other end will likely also be dusty. One is clean ? the end other likely also. Alsobe aware of those tabs that bend to hold the wires/harness in place, they may also point things out. Keep the battery disconnected while fooling around with these things, and that way if you plug something together wrong you will not fry anything while trying to figure it out. Keep your head about you, be patient, look at things from different angles and perspectives, See how things naturally want to lay or hang or go. Take a break, and then look a little later with fresh eyes again. I'll bet that you will be able to figure out most of it this way anyway.