need various bits of wisdom from the community - 82 subaru brat

[snacky]

i just got my 1982 subaru brat on the road.  i put a air filter, a fuel filter, a fuel pump, a passnger cv axle, brand new tires, a new battery and battery terminal ends, pulled the oil pan and did a rediculous plug repair so far on this car.  after these things the car starts right up and runs like a champ and shifts like a champ.

 

i have still have some major concerns.

 

just to let you know where i'm coming from, i'm a big v8 classic guy until this car.  i got a 72 f100, a 1991 f250.  just sold my 79 monte carlo.  i've owned a 69 catalina with a 455, 77 trans am t top 400/4spd, 78 monte carlo, 65 buick electra 225 with 425 nailhead, 73 grand am with 400/400, 79 cadillac sedan deville, just to name a few.

 

this subaru is the most rusty car i have ever owned.  i'm dealing with holes in the floor pan, the truck bed is completely rotted out, someone put this car on stands incorrectly and caved in the mounting points, and also the former owner abused animals and used this vehicle as a dog pen.  dogs pissed all over the seats and then a rat infestation followed.  so theres a funk smell.

 

and yet this is the best running car i've ever owned.  the shifter is incredibly solid and the engine runs amazing!  no pings, no predet, no loseness in the trans, i'm speechless.  every single electrical item on this rust bucket works perfectly.  i'm actually tempted to keep this thing even though i have it for sale right now.

 

so to my concerns:

 

is it worth it for me to keep this car?

 

1) i can keep putting money in it but if i continue to at this point i'll never get my investment back.  this car has 190k miles probably.  if i continue to take care of the drivetrain will this car actually keep going?

 

2)  to get the funk smell out i'm going to try to find some bucket seats.  any reccomendations on buckets at the junkyard that are a easy swap?  my bucket seats are fubar due to the funk

 

3) my t-tops leak.  is there anything i can do about this?  i'm ase and ppg certified amongst other things so i'm competent in repairs but i don't see any kits for weather stripping or have been able to find a documented process on how to make these things leak proof.

 

 

if i keep this car then my priorities for now are i've got to put buckets in it that aren't funked with the funk, put a windshield in it because the windshield is shattered, put exhaust on it because the holes in the exhaust are pumping in the cab and i have to drive with the window down so i don't pass out, and rust proof whats left of the floor pan while the buckets are being replaced, and get the funk smell out, and finally fix these t-tops which look like they are in great shape but leak

 

thanks for all of your help so far.  helped me get that cv axle finished.  been a while since i posted.  had to rebuild the 460 and the 360 and do some other car stuff on the other 2 that were keeping me busy so i had the brat on the back burner until this week.

 

 

[Godsmulligan]

1 I'm in the same boat. I've put to much money into it now to ever sell it. Drive it over an hour to work and back each way. They are very strong cars that are hard to kill.

 

2. Mine had mold everywhere. Even the steering wheel. A good cleaning and new carpet was all it took. Still waiting on the new racing seats, but in the mean time the seat covers are doing a great job keeping the smell in check.

 

3. My t-tops leaked also, which was the reason for my mold. I thought I was going to have to replace them, but all it really took was a good cleaning and a wipe down with glycerin.

[Dinky26]

+1 for giving the seals a work over, I haven't seen any seal kits available either, haven't really looked though.

 

If you have the means or ability to fix the body parts, do it, it's worth it, these cars are a blast and they are really hardy.

 

Yes your drive train should be good as gold from the sounds of it.

 

As far as seats that will bolt in directly, good luck with that, I got a set from a WRX and I ended up redoing the mounting points completely.

[turbosubarubrat]

On a couple of mine the t-tops were mess with so they leaked. I found they were leaking from the screws that become visible when you remove the t-tops. Some of rubber/plastic washers where missing and a couple screws were loose.

[BEECHBM69]

Rule of thumb: Most of us will NEVER get the money back we have invested in these cars. I'm sure most of us do it for the love of the hobby. I could have bought a much nicer, much newer car with what I have spent on my old Subies, but then I wouldn't have what I have :-)

 

As to the seats, I put Escort GT seats in my hatch, and with the exception of slightly elongating one hole, they did bolt right in, and were a much better ride.

 

Dan

 

On edit: Here's one of the threads, http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/111113-well-that-was-the-easiest-seat-swap-ive-ever-done/?hl=%22escort+gt%22

Edited November 15, 2014 by BEECHBM69

[snacky]

going to the junkyard tomorrow to try to track down some mitsubishi eclipse seats or some ford escort seats.  ive built custom seat brackets before so i can do that as a last resort

 

going to pull apart the t-tops for the first time in god knows how long and see what's going on.  got some glycerin and access to all kinds of plastic stuff for screws.

 

going to wire up the fuel tank and connect these other loose wires. 

 

i had the car up for sale and noone was a serious buyer.  everyone around here who buys cars for less than 1k would rather steal than pay.

 

1)  what about a hood?  any car hoods interchange with mine?  or fenders?

 

2)  anyone chopped out wheel wells and a truck bed from like a 72 f100 and put them in a brat?  since theres no way i'll run into a brat with a good trunk pan down here for the rest of my life.  the truck bed patch panels for the floor that you can buy for older fords sure look close to the pattern in the brat...

 

3) suggestions on the floor pan for the cab?  just fabricate my own or does someone make something that works for these?

 

4)  door mirrors that work?

[Gloyale]

Hood, Fenders, Grille and door mirrors......Will interchange with any 81-84 Wagon, Sedan, or hatchback.

 

Doors themselves will only work from a Hatchback.

 

As for panels.....J.C whitney has some pieces for brats.......otherwise get out the 22 gauge sheet and the welder and go for it.  Lot's of old Suby stiff is remarkably similar to ford...so bed panels for F100 could be cut down and used for patch I'm sure.

 

It doesn't sound like your trying to preserve any "originalness" or do a restoration. Simply you want a rig to drive so just make it functional.