What Would You Give for This Brat?

[MaddCelt]

A couple of days ago a co-worker told me of a Brat he has seen sitting and told me where it was. Not wanting to wait I cut my sleep short (on night shift this week) and hit the road.

 

This is what we found,

 

First question is what year is this? I could not get into it to find out.

 

As you can see it has been sitting for quite a while. Long enough for the tires to go and woody vines to grow over to and into the engine compartment. You can see the ends working their way out of the hood.

 

Inspection of the underside, as best as I could manage shows serious amount of cancer on the body but unknown on the important areas. The interior is bleached out and cracked. There is less rust on the upper body.

 

The owner returned my call and we talked a little about it and his asking price. He was told "if" the engine runs that alone could go for around $2000. He said it would not go for less than $500.

 

Now, I do not make alot of money and having bought a running Brat for $200 that is in rough shape but I drove home and back and forth to work with little work done to it. I tend to be quite opinionated on what I think a car is worth and what I would offer if the tables were turned. This has been sitting for a long time, the engine is likely overgrown with vines, so starting it would take alot of work and time and the tires are shot so driving it would be out.

 

At this point I do not know what engine is in it (EA82?) or what could be swapped out with my 81.

 

What would YOU offer for this Brat?

[Flowmastered87GL]

After dealing with a $500 rusty brat... nothing.

 

Maybe $100 for parts, thats ALL

[cwok]

Given the grill, it is most likely somewhere between 84 and 87. If it has seats in the back, it is most likely 84/85, unless they were added. Vice versa for without seats. (but I do have an 85 without seats, people take them out for the space sometimes)

 

It should have an EA81 in it, probably somewhat similar to your 81 but maybe a few more HP, different carb, things like that. (but more weight, so...) I don't know of alot else that would swap for your 81, maybe the front discs, which are vented in the later Brats and a little easier to find replacements for.

 

Price probably depends on where you are. In the NW you might be hard pressed to sell something like this for 500. But here in OK, that might be worth it, even if only for the parts. $2k for the engine is a joke though, thats about what I was quoted for a complete rebuild and reinstall of mine, so I picked up a nice low mileage example from a wrecked Brat for about 400. (now can I get it installed and working? That remains to be seen...)

[BEECHBM69]

I'd let him pay me to haul it away for him.

 

It's got an EA81. If it runs, you can use it for parts on something else, but $500 seems steep.

 

Dan

[GeneralDisorder]

Yeah - it's worth nothing. It's a parts car at most and as those go it's worth about the same as a wagon, hatch, etc. They all have the same exact parts with the exception of the body - which is trash.

 

I would offer to haul it off for scrap. I wouldn't even give them any money because it's going to cost you to haul it, strip it, and rid yourself of the shell.

 

BTW - it's an '84 or '85 by the grill and side-step. '83 would have a different grill and '86 would have no side step.

 

GD

[GeneralDisorder]

Funny - I got a running EA81 for free a few months back. The engine isn't worth squat. Not one that came out of that heap anyway.

 

The guy is off his rocker - tell him to pound sand.

 

GD

[Numbchux]

unless it's got a WRX motor hiding in there, it's not going for $2k!! A freshly rebuilt EA81 with a warranty might go for $2k, but not a used one.

 

If it could drive itself up onto a trailer, and pretty low miles, and depending on your location (scarcity of parts), it might be worth a couple hundred.

 

 

 

In this part of the world, EA81 parts are pretty hard to come by. if I had a brat, and room for a parts car, I'd offer him $200, and not a penny more.

[SubaruJawn]

just by looking at it.

 

i'd say $100

 

if body is not bad as it looks and clear title maybe $150 - $200

if worth fixing

[MaddCelt]

So my thought of no more that $200 isn't that far off.

 

I'll be calling him again soon and letting him know that I'll offer him no more that $100 depending on what I see under the hood and underside if he wants to clear it out. I could use the parts and at the very least it will give me something to learn on that will not leave me having to drive the wife's Jeep if I mess up.

 

I took a spin on Google Earth to see haw far back the car shows and at could make it out in the same spot for at least 7 years.

[Durania]

$100 is all I'd offer just to have the camper top and tail lights.

[TheSubaruJunkie]

I would want to see the bed, without the topper... and cleaned of all debris before I made any offer at all.

 

But nothing more than $100...

[one eye]

200 if the motor runs, just make sure you dont fall through the floor if you sit in it..................

 

Jeff

[Durania]

200 if the motor runs, just make sure you dont fall through the floor if you sit in it..................

 

Jeff

 

That actually happened to me once.