75subie Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 i am looking at a 93 loyale 4wd auto for $250 with 130k the lady is the original owner, and the car is imaculate inside, so is the engine bay. the body has a little rust here and there, but it seems worth it. do you guys think it would be possible to make it into a brat by welding the rear doors shut, and shaving the door handles? i would also make a rear cab wall to stregthen it more. would it also need more braces? wonder it i could use a toyota truck tailgate or something?? here is a rough pic of the idea (car is also identical to the one i`m looking at) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subeman90 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 you can do anything you put your mind to. I'd say try it....it isn't like it is going to cost you much money to buy it and if you screw it up....oh well I think you could make a tailgate out of the back hatch if you used your imagination... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Sawzall. 12" 10 or 14 TPI Search and Rescue Metal blade (Home Depot.) I'm going to do it to an 82-84 Wagon and call it the "GL Camino." The rear doors WILL need to be welded shut, and some kind of support will be needed.. I will probably use some steel tubing. I think if you cut the rear hatch properly and get the correct hinges that you could remove the window portion and use that as a tailgate... I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought of this!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 you can do anything you put your mind to. I'd say try it....it isn't like it is going to cost you much money to buy it and if you screw it up....oh well I think you could make a tailgate out of the back hatch if you used your imagination... I'd buy a non-running ea82 car first to experiment on(cheap, expendable). you WILL need to build some kind of support to replace the roof you are taking out. Possibly incorperate that into a tube headache rack and such. You will see what you need to do one you get all the interior taken apart and out of the car, anything structural stands out and it will give you a good idea of what you need to do to replace the strength and rigidity it provides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 If you can wait about two weeks I'll chop the Loyale in my yard up just like that and tell you exactly where the weaknesses are and give you pics too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcool Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Build a sort of roll bar for it make sure its linked very securely to the b pillars and such, it would be a fun project, and leave it open just like a blazer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WagonsOnly Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Leave the C-pillars intact and have a 5-passenger trucklet like the Baja. It'll be more rigid, if the car has a sliding sunroof you'll still be able to use it, and your insurance company won't nail you for driving a two-seater (this gets reported at inspection time in some cases.) Then mount a rollbar behind the rear seats...you could probably put the rear seat from a sedan back there, just more upright...you might even be able to cut out the crossmember that goes over the top of the trunk, below the luggage shelf, in a junked sedan and weld it in for lateral rigidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 Gut the interior, then weld some 1" 16 ga square tubing in on the inner panels between the inner/outer body panels to give it some rigidity before cutting the roof off. If you don't want to use the rear doors, you can extend the square tubing thru the doors to insure they stay shut. Use more tubing to make a framework for the floor of the bed so it's level front to rear, and to make a frame for the rear window of the cab. Then skin it with some sheet metal. Hardest part will be making the top of the bed look right, (think the trim area of a BRAT's bed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86ruguy Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 you know....doing something like this is cool...but it doesn't help the rest of the world understand why we like soobs so much:grin:....good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 THERE we go. I looked for this thread and just couldn't find it.. I was looking for "brat" instead of "baja." derhhh... The first wagon in that thread was at WCSS. They cleaned up the surface a little bit (re: rust) IIRC. It's not a show-quality job but still Very Cool. Obviously it would be neat if the hatch opened... more work though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subeman90 Posted October 22, 2006 Share Posted October 22, 2006 personally...I don't see the point in that wagon in the link. There is no tailgate so you really can't haul anything. Furthermore in the state of PA it now wouldn't pass inspection....You need a tailgate for your bed. :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted October 22, 2006 Author Share Posted October 22, 2006 wow thanks for all the response guys.. well, i went and bought the car today. it is in great shape, exept for the drivers lower side of the door, and the rear wheel wells. Subrat, that would be awesome if you could get pics when you start your brat project. i`d like to see the stregth areas that will need to be braced. also a ladder rack sounds like a great idea for support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Subrat, that would be awesome if you could get pics when you start your brat project. i`d like to see the stregth areas that will need to be braced. It's going to be a while before I start the "GL Camino." But, I am parting out and chopping up the Loyale.. so I will make it look like your photochop but IRL.. and post pics and whatnot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted October 23, 2006 Author Share Posted October 23, 2006 awesome, and no rush man:headbang: oh, and if you are really getting into chopping it up, i`d buy the rear wheel arches off you if you have a sawsall to chop them off with. mine are pretty rusted. i only need the section outlined in red: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Yeah I can hook you up.. which side? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted October 23, 2006 Author Share Posted October 23, 2006 cool! how much for both sides? do you do paypal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted October 24, 2006 Author Share Posted October 24, 2006 how bout this:grin: the ultimate cross country coach:lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 How about this?: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subeman90 Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 either of them would really be cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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