Heaven forbid what have I gotten myself into!!

[Skip]

So the very sweet lady that owns the 78 Brat I just bought was nice

enough to send me the factory owners manual

(still in it's plastic holder, looks like it was never opened in anger)

 

along with the all the service records from back when it was purchased by her father.

 

I was "thumbing" through the manual and .....

WHOA!!! What's this??

"Adjusting the ignition points.........."

 

Anybody wanna guess how long it has been since I

had to adjust the points in a vehicle?

 

Now where did I put those go- no go feeler gauges- arf arf

 

I have a feeling this journey back in time

is going to be a real trip - if you catch my drift.

[Skip]

Come to think about it.

 

I use to use carry matches.

The match book cover is approx. 0.018 "

I would use it as a feeler gage in an emergency.

 

With the age of "the Bic"

I don't know if I can find a pack!!

 

Another old school trick - use a dollar bill

to "burnish" the points, I would use a 20

as the were cleaner.

 

With the economy as it is....I don't carry one of those either!!

 

--- this thing probably has one of

dem carb-a-tooter hickies too!!

I'm in a world of hurt

;^)

[WJM]

Skip, just make the 78 a peice of decor in your home. Drive one of the other Skip'ster Mobiles daily. :-p

[Seahag1978]

Welcome to MY world Skip! It's a dark and lonely place... even professional mechanics dare not enter!

[Skip]

Thanks Will, I'll take your advise and will make this a decor

beside my blue 86., with the gokart as a center piece.

 

Mary,

To quote a famous little big man

 

"We shall endeavor to persevere"

 

 

 

while being cautiously optimistic, I might add

[calebz]

 

I use to use carry matches.

The match book cover is approx. 0.018 "

I would use it as a feeler gage in an emergency.

 

With the age of "the Bic"

I don't know if I can find a pack!!

 

;^)

 

Oh lord. I haven't had to do that in years.

 

I gave up on my old chevy and switched it to HEI..

 

My 56 pontiac almost required using a matchbook.. Getting a feeler gauge in there was a PITA

 

 

Points and I have never gotten along. I don't envy you.

 

Is there a conversion available for th gen 1 cars?

[NorthWet]

My Datsun has a JDM Z20 with 2 sparkplugs per cylinder... and 2 sets of points. Too bad I can't find replacements in this country, as mine have about 75k miles on them. :-\

 

Business cards are approximately .008", so the standard .015" gap is not too hard to set.

[mudrat79]

Skip any EA-81 solid state disty will go right in....you may need to bring its coil over as well.....

 

Later , John

[mcbrat]

yeah Skip. there is a article about it in the USRM....

[Skip]

Thanks guys, it will be first on my list.

 

Off to find a cheap 83 or newer disty.

 

Here Moosey Moosey

 

now about this leaded Gas?

[Seahag1978]

Thanks guys, it will be first on my list.

 

Off to find a cheap 83 or newer disty.

 

Here Moosey Moosey

 

now about this leaded Gas?

 

 

They run either unleaded or leaded... the filler neck is large so the leaded nozzle fit... that was when the switchover was happening and both were available at the pumps... I always ran leaded because it was cheaper and I was really poor

[Caboobaroo]

Skip, if you need some help with the disty swapping, let me know. It was the best thing I could do in my Brat. I swapped the distys since the points disty was screwed up and rebuilt the carb with leftovers from other carb rebuild kits and got 30mpg around town!

[operose]

if the car was made to run on leaded gas you can buy "lead additive" that old domestic car owners sometimes put in their gas. not sure what the deal is but my brother started using it in his '65 valiant

[Zefy]

operoseif the car was made to run on leaded gas you can buy "lead additive" that old domestic car owners sometimes put in their gas. not sure what the deal is but my brother started using it in his '65 valiant

 

last time i checked you use unleaded gas... the subies aren't THAT old...

 

but hey... all you people are like, "i haven't had to do that in years!"

 

with my car everytime is a first time...

 

its kinda weird... my car had 9 years on me... but its still my baby... nah i don't call my brat "baby"... my brats a lean mean fighting machine!

[superu]

Skip, if you need some help with the disty swapping, let me know. It was the best thing I could do in my Brat. I swapped the distys since the points disty was screwed up and rebuilt the carb with leftovers from other carb rebuild kits and got 30mpg around town!

 

Yeah me too!

I've gotten an 80 brat that sat around for 10 years, and am working on getting a running (kinda) 78 wagon 2wd for parts.

 

I may have access to an 81 EA81 GL wagon too.. So continuing the disty question, would I want to get the GL wagon's 1800 disty for the 80 brat's 1600 motor?

 

I want to make this brat a super reliable, econimocal 'round town car...

 

Mechanic's working on getting the engine running, then we'll drop it in the car and see what's what...

[moosens]

Skip,I hope this helps about the grill/emblem conversation we had.

 

I have my FPM handy,as you can see,and my scanner working perfectly,so anything you need to know just ask.

 

1977 Stage II thru 1979 all models

[moosens]

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5846&sort=1&size=medium&cat=500&page=1

 

Try that for the matching part numbers and model reference.I couldn't get it to load up here properly.

[Skip]

Paul, Thanks for the scan

Guess if you have a dist from an 83 or newer it in the deep freeze.

 

That says stage II

I guess mine is a stage I with a build date of 12/77

 

Both the grill 4wd badges are shown (mine has it spelled out)

 

Is that a reference to the two grills (GL/DL)

or

stage I and stage II as previously stated.

[Jack in Norfolk]

Skip;

I just PMed you.

-Jack

 

Paul, Thanks for the scan

Guess if you have a dist from an 83 or newer it in the deep freeze.

 

That says stage II

I guess mine is a stage I with a build date of 12/77

 

Both the grill 4wd badges are shown (mine has it spelled out)

 

Is that a reference to the two grills (GL/DL)

or

stage I and stage II as previously stated.

[Caboobaroo]

Paul, Thanks for the scan

Guess if you have a dist from an 83 or newer it in the deep freeze.

 

That says stage II

I guess mine is a stage I with a build date of 12/77

 

Both the grill 4wd badges are shown (mine has it spelled out)

 

Is that a reference to the two grills (GL/DL)

or

stage I and stage II as previously stated.

 

Skip, yours would be considered a '78 since the build date is after the beginning of the '78 model year. As for the "4WD" vs. "4 WHEEL DRIVE" badges, I believe they were different between '77 and '78 vs. '79-'81. My '78 Brat has it spelled out whereas my '79 4wd wagon had it "4WD". Also the grilles were basically an option I believe. You could order a DL with the quad headlights like both of my gen 1's whereas the GL had them stock. Everything the GL came with was an option for the DL from my understanding but correct me if I'm wrong. My Brat was a pretty plain DL besides the quad headlights. My wagon had a bunch of extra things like deluxe interior, woodgrain paneling on the dash, and the quad headlight setup but wasn't a GL...

[Skip]

Thanks Caboo

 

I am also guessing that there was no actual

 

"GL" DL" designation as I have not seen the badge

 

indicating this.

 

I would put mine like yours in the "PJ" catagory.

Plain Jane

 

With the optional quad lamp grill.

 

P.S. thanks for the offer to help with the dist. swap.

I'll keep it in mind when I find a newer dist.

[moosens]

In the picture,the badge on the left is '79 (4WD) and the badge on the right is late '77 and all of '78,like my wagon.

 

 

 

Paul, Thanks for the scan

Guess if you have a dist from an 83 or newer it in the deep freeze.

 

That says stage II

I guess mine is a stage I with a build date of 12/77

 

Both the grill 4wd badges are shown (mine has it spelled out)

 

Is that a reference to the two grills (GL/DL)

or

stage I and stage II as previously stated.

[moosens]

No GL DL typically mentioned in the 4WD vehicles,pre '80,as I know it.The rest of the line got DL designations early on,like in '74 or so.GL Coupe also came about around then.

 

The list shows a different grill for each of '77,8,and 9.I know the '79 is two round lights,correct?My '78 is quad lights,as are '77's....again,we're talking 4WD only here.

 

'78 is the flukiest year.A little of this,a little of that.I personally love dual round lights,so I'm really glad my '78 and I found each other.

 

Cheers

 

 

Thanks Caboo

 

I am also guessing that there was no actual

 

"GL" DL" designation as I have not seen the badge

 

indicating this.

 

I would put mine like yours in the "PJ" catagory.

Plain Jane

 

With the optional quad lamp grill.

 

P.S. thanks for the offer to help with the dist. swap.

I'll keep it in mind when I find a newer dist.

[Seahag1978]

Skip,

My little no frills '78 has the spelled out badge on the right, built into the grill. Quad headlights. One other observation, it's been repainted, but there's no indication of ever having any upper body molding.

 

It does have the holes where a tonneau cover was installed at one time... my guess is the one that had the little hooks, not snaps (the holes are too samall).

 

My original 'no frills' had the upper body molding, with the same multi-colored decal as yours. All vinyl upholstery.

[Skip]

Thanks Mary you bring up two

points I woul.d like to comment on.

 

I have no side molding (or holes) - which could have been a Dealer Installed Option (DIO)

and

"All vinyl upholstery"

 

Mine has cloth inserts where the derriere is planted

 

I doubt this is a DIO.

 

All my other Brats have the worn drivers side seat bolster

except my 78 - whadupwidat

 

Moose

thanks for the ed. for I be a SPED

I perfer the quad look myself and am looking at my cyclops

-I will instal it if I do not have to cut the center core support. The grill that came with it appears to be for the quad set up?