subarubrat

IMed you

Two people can lift the engine out of the bay without much effort, I have never used a lift on EA81s, it takes more time to set it up than to just reach in and grab it.

Bushbasher Excellent work! I replaced mine with Heim joints and no more travel issues. Those are some big hooters in your photo alblum... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/data/500/129102_0273resize.jpg

If you have the justy (or get one dirt cheap) I would say about 5Gs (give or take for how fancy) and your there. I planned to do one, but got distracted by the BRAT kart and the XT747. Do some reading on the SHO gun, a for fiesta/festiva car with the SHO engine and tranny in the rear, this is basicly a copy of that layout.

Pound it flat but don't cut it. I forgot to pound mine flat on my first lift and sliced a tire. If you are having trouble rubbing still follow this flow chart: 1 Install larger tires 2 If rubbing go to line 3 3 Lift truck more 4 If tires no longer rub after lift you have room for more tire, go to line 1

Congrats Dave! My favorite Dave quote: "Ya'll buckle up back there so I can drive like an rump roast"

Maybe approach it from the other end. I did the measurements and it will work... EJ20G mated to 2wd tranny with the engine directly behind the front seats, tranny drivign rears, the Impreza front Xmember and some 1.5x1.5 tubing will make a great rear subframe. Add it all up (tires, wheels, suspension) and you are spending less than 5Gs for a car that will hand a Z06 it's rump roast in a paper bag.

Yep, a few times someone has asked about getting more power or REAL performance I have suggested en EJ swap. For about 2~3gs you are stepping up to 230+ Hp and a fresh engine. Not to mention rock solid factory reliability. That is a real performance increase at a very reasonable price. And following that there have been a few smartazz remarks blasting that advice as being useless or of no help etc. Followed by the magic forumla of a muffler and intake for big HP.

Freak my friend, I assue you as a fellow gonzo engineer that you will not be dissapointed. Take a ride in it at next years Carlsile second annual east coast Subaru show.

I will suggest an engine swap to an EJ20 turbo, WRX front clips are a dime a dozen nowdays and will give you a nice modern engine with low miles and the performance you want for a very reasonable price. I am sure that the usual suspencts will be along any moment to declair this as a terrible idea.

Think of it this way, you can come to the Carlisle PA carshow kit and import car show for the second annual East Coast Subaru Show in May.

I am thinking GSXR 1100 engine/tranny with top of the line Mini suspension and rubber.

Weather is clearing off, I should have some updated chassis fab pics and pics of the body in the next few days.

The datsun as he said, the Nissan with the 4 rectangular headlights similar to the gen II BRAT's. My donar was an 84 I think. The main point is that it is the version that has a seperate Tcase with a short shaft between it and the tranny, and not the version that bolts solid to the tranny.

ENGINE--Just bought it, a fantastic piece of mechanical mayhem. Originally a 55Hp 2 stroke dirt bike engine, it has a 5 spd tranny and has been ported, bored, and fitted with a higher CR piston. I have a very trick carb and pipe for it. I will be right at 70Hp, about as much as a real BRAT. For reference, a 40Hp class kart pulls 0-60 times around 3 seconds. CHASSIS--Frame kit came Wed along with hubs, bearings, spindles, pedals, hydrolic disks, bearings, tie rods etc. etc. etc. It has been raining and nasty all week so no progress has happened. I had to drop the wheels off at the machine shop to have the center hole enlarged to match the hubs. BODY-- Coming along, still needs more sanding and painting but the fiberglass repair is done and the majority of the heavy scraping and sanding is done. The color will be the same as my BRAT.

Sure, are you in town now?

Imprezas are a great choice. Look around at them. There is a world of parts out there for it and many WRX parts fit.

Check out http://www.natltire.com/ I have ordered two sets from them and they beat the local prices includig shipping, and they had both sizes in stock.

Dead on, they did bring it back and that is what you got. No car company in history has ever re-released an older model in it's original platform. Sure names and some styling cues get recycled such as the VW beetle and the Mini, but that is as close as you are going to get. Subaru has a much better strategy than it did when they killed the BRAT right as the SUV boom hit and introduced the SVX exactly as the luxury sportscar market took a dump. They did learn from those mistakes, but they are never going to take the step to re-introduce an out of production vehicle. I don't agree with it and I would love to see nothing more than new production BRATs. Look at a company like Chevy, immagine what they could earn by re-intrducing the 69 Camaro or the 57 Chevy in their original forms other than a modern engine/brakes/safety gear, but all original sheet metal, interior and trim. Think of how many money-bag 50 somethings would fork over the money for one. Way more of those than BRAT fanatics and Chevy doesn't do it.

To run a suspension lift you have to WANT it and be prepared to deal with the increased maintenance. If you can accept overhauling the CVs, bearings and brakes at each 10,000~20,000 interval then do it. But many people turn into whinny rump roast's as soon as it impacts stock maintenance intervals or effort levels. You can have a 2 inch suspension lift but you have to be prepared for the fabrication to do it right, and the cost/time/effort of increased maintenance.

"i would try to pump my own gas anyway, and if they forced me to stop, i would be standing over their sholder the whole time. if they screwed up, it would be the last mistake they ever made. especially if they put regular grade in my car, ewww" That just about happened! Exactly that. I was in the Impreza which runs a fairly high boost EJ25. This guy reaches for the 87 octane. 92 won't quite cut it, I have to find the 93, and he is reacing for 87 and had I not been standing there it would have gone in.

"best bet to do if you have troubles like that is to talk to the manager of the station cause it is their responsibility to keep your car nice also" No, hell no, it is my responsibility to fuel my own car. It is a menial task that does not need a make work position. I can pump my own gas and I can wipe my own rump roast. There are hundreds of make work positions that could exist. There could be mandated grocery cart pushers, you name it. Bottom line is I don't want to pay more for my gas or hand over responsibility for a simple task. And above all, just because they screwed up their own lives I shouldn't have to endure the make work position it creates so they can have a job that need not exist.

Phatbrat, I went right past that exit. I am dating a 23 year old named Holly so when I saw Mt. Holly I though, hey sure. Sorry, don't know any MD off road places.. There are very few here in VA.

Most important thing is public thanks to Moosens for storing this body at his temple of Subaru until I could get my self up there for the pickup. He is the man. The body is in hand and will go under the sander and grinder tommorow to begin it's resurection into the glossy slick lid for a shifter kart. For those of you not familiar, imagine a go kart with 10 inch wide R compound slicks, disk brakes and a motorcycle engine and tranny. Pics will be up tommorow. And last but not least, what the hell is wrong with NJ? I stop at a gas station and find out that I can't legally pump my own gas. Gas is also 30 cents a gallon higher there (wonder why). I have no respect or faith in a leadership that places highschool drop outs in charge of fueling the car of a scientist who works in the space program in the name of public safety. Lets face it, if you are pumping gas as a career you are probably not in the upper precentile of intellect. Clearly you are not a hazmat specialist, or a chemical engineer. And I don't like people touching the Impreza. And don't get me started on finding a gas station not occupied by the practitioners of the so called religion of peace.

You can also build your own and go well above the 4 inch kits that are sold. pics and details are at my site below: