rottenhead Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Hi everyone, It has been quite awhile since I've posted, but I've been around and still faithfully pursuing Subaru enlightenment. Anyway, I found a 1985 BRAT here in Vail, CO, a couple weeks ago and sealed the deal for $1775. May have overpaid a bit, but there just seems to be fewer and fewer around, so I went for it. Check out the photos and let me know what you think. 215K. I'm struggling with where to begin on it. It drives great and hasn't lost any fluids in the first 100 or so miles I've driven it. The oil pressure is reading high, and the e-brake seems to stick a little. The passenger side of the body needs the most work, and overall it needs a paint job. Decals, rear wheel wells. The dash has a few solid cracks in it -- is it even feasible to replace these? The previous owner "drilled an extra hole in the carburetor" -- to improve pick-up, he said. Have not taken a look at this yet. Thanks for looking and chiming in...I've wanted a road-worthy BRAT since I was a kid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 ok now before anyone else chimes in and states you got hosed, let me elaborate. You need to check the subframe, the shock towers, underneath the thing. Sometimes these things rust bad from the bottom up. Do i think you overpaid. Yes but not buy much, these are getting more rare buy the day. And its red which is awsome. Check the forums on this sight to look for parts and pray to god yours isnt rotton from teh bottom up. Good luck and other brat guys will chime in. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 (edited) Yeah i dont want to focus this reply on how much you got ripped off. Just keep telling yourself they are getting rarer and rarer everyday, it will help you sleep better at night. The car is not un-repairable. Let me get you started on the right path... The door is the same as any other 2 door Subaru of the same body style (coupes from 1980 to 1984, and Hatchbacks & Brats from 1981 to 1986). A replacement door shouldn't cost you much. Wagon doors are too short, and will not work, so remember if you find a door it must be from another 2 door, not 4 door. The quarter panel can also be found. There was a thread not long ago about one popping up on craigslist for $50. There are also people who re-manufacture panels.... and any qualified body shop could install it. Or you could have the dents pulled and filled, but that rust on the fender is some of the nastiest I have ever seen. And with that fender as evidence, i sure hope you went over that brat with a fine tooth comb! One last thing. Welcome to the Board! You are not going to find a larger community based on restoring and preserving the life of these old Subaru's!!! Edited July 27, 2009 by TheSubaruJunkie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 Regardless of how much you paid you got a pretty neat rig out of the deal. The body damage and potential for rust are the areas to worry about. Dashes can be replaced as can carbs. The dents in and behind the door are no big deal. Get that thing on a lift and get under it. Take a bunch of pics and post them here. My suggestion would be to replace the bad sheetmetal (as pictured thus far), drop the rear suspension and gas tank, and coat the whole underside and removed components with POR-15.. would also be a good time to do any modifying to the underside such as adding a hitch or lift kit if you want. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 before you get started on repairs, lets get some info or better yet pics of the front frame rails underneath, as well as back by the shock mounts into the wheel wells. On the door, since its not rusted, i would use filler and get it straight, instead of buying a replacement door, unless you can get a good replacement cheap. If you do replace it, I would buy that dented door off you next time i come to CO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 Thanks for the replies so far. I'll work on getting some pics of the underside. Part of the reason I went for it was the condition of the wheel wells and frame, in my estimation, which admittedly is always a bit blinded by BRAT infatuation. It was supposedly maintained from 1993-2008 by Metro Subaru in Denver, and driven by the owner of that shop (the regular one, not the performance place). More pics ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Did my best to get some shots of the underside. Worst spot is front driver side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 That driver's side front is really gross but it can be repaired. I can't tell exactly where it is but you'll have to pull the carpet out if you're going to do any welding under the cabin. Do you mind giving us an estimate of your resources and capabilities here? Some of us have shops and 8 cars and it's no big deal to take one apart for a month and do extensive repairs; some of us have 1 car and no shop and try to stick to projects that can be done in a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 This is a second vehicle. I have a reliable 98 Legacy for my daily driver. Projects will have to get spread out as resources permit. I can probably afford to put $200 a month or so into it. My roommate knows how to weld, but we don't have the ability to paint. He and I could probably also handle repairs that don't require specialized tools. But my garage is also a dedicated parking spot, so can't have the BRAT torn apart in it for weeks at a time. I probably will only be able to dedicate a about a week's worth of evenings each month to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 You could cut the fenders, and install bushwacker flares. a 4, or 6" lift... and a EJ22 Then you would be set! From the pictures, it looks like the underside is still in good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ettev Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Man, that underside isn't bad at all. Looks like the front outrigger on the drivers side is the worst part. Get some 20-something gauge sheetmetal and someone that can weld and patch it. Coat the whole area with a heavy fiberous roofing tar or something similar after the patchwork. I'd get that whole underneath cleaned up and patched and put it on the road. Work on the mechanicals next and finish it with body work. Honestly, the thing that would bother me the most with that project is the cracked dash. Don't be discouraged, you have a vehicle that's very fixable. Just pin your ears back and go at it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Cool. I'm gonna get after that front underside rust ASAP. Any leads on tracking down parts? I had a good junkyard when I was in Maine, but suspect most of stuff will be found in Denver in CO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 There are a few members in Colorado that would be more than willing to help you out. I would put a thread in our "Meet & Greet" forum and see what some locals have to say about parts. Alot of small, shipable parts can be had from our marketplace cheap & easy as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casm Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Check out the photos and let me know what you think. OK I'll start with this one: Doesn't look too horrible, assuming it's just in the fender. Do you have any photos of the bed, particularly ones showing the shock towers / wheelarches from the outside? 215K. Not a big deal as long as it's been looked after. My last one was sold with 187,000 on the clock (IIRC) and had excellent compression. I'm struggling with where to begin on it. It drives great and hasn't lost any fluids in the first 100 or so miles I've driven it. Drive it and see what shakes out. If you've done 100 miles without any major issues, that's not a bad sign - you just need a little more time to figure out where any areas needing attention might be. The oil pressure is reading high New oil pressure sender. $30 from rockauto.com, and they've got the OEM ones. I've actually got one on the shelf waiting to go in. and the e-brake seems to stick a little. Easily adjustable as long as you've got some jackstands. Remember that the handbrake operates on the front wheels on these things, so you'll be fiddling around with that end not the other. The passenger side of the body needs the most work, and overall it needs a paint job. Door replacement's already been covered, but keep your glass - IIRC, Brat glass isn't quite cut the same as for other 2-doors of the same era. I may be wrong, though. Decals, rear wheel wells. Use a hairdryer to warm up the decals, then peel them off. Lighter fluid to remove any adhesive left behind. The dash has a few solid cracks in it -- is it even feasible to replace these? Nope. Just gotta find a good one in the junkyard, or put a dash mat over it. The previous owner "drilled an extra hole in the carburetor" -- to improve pick-up, he said. Have not taken a look at this yet. I'd love to hear what that means once you get it figured out. Thanks for looking and chiming in...I've wanted a road-worthy BRAT since I was a kid! Good choice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Quixpunch Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I think that is a tad high for a Brat that's so rough, but then I got a sweet deal on mine(I think?). So I possibly have a skewed idea of what they should cost. On the bright side, it runs, has some pretty slick wheels, and the t tops are just too cool for school. I'd be jealous if I wasn't so busy fixing my own Brat. Actually, I might be jealous anyway, I don't have t tops. There's tons a great info on here and some very helpful friendly folks. And I think most of us Brat owners have the same feelings for them that you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STI_Wolf Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Those alloy wheels are my favorite style.. really light and can be cleaned up real easy.. get the etching wheel cleaner, its super potent and make sure to follow the instructions.. but it'll make them blindingly white Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 Changed the oil a couple nights ago. There is a small amount of coolant, I think, leaking from somewhere. I took a bunch of photos and hope to post them when I get home tonight. The rest of the motor looks great. Everything appears clean and/or new, with the exception of one hose off the air filter/carburetor box. I think I also got a decent photo of the "hole" the previous owner drilled in the carb. Weird. Looking through photos of the junker BRATs I found...they may end up being a great source for parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casm Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 (edited) Overall it sounds like you've probably done OK on this one. Coolant leaks are typically the usual things: rotten hoses, cracked radiator, bad cap, etc. What part of the engine does it look like it's coming from? Also, check under the carpets at the front. If the heater core is leaking, you could be losing it under them and never see it. Oh, and replace the thermostat and acid flush (the kind you drive around with in the system for 8-12 hours of running) and refill the cooling system with pre-mix 50/50. Others will probably have something to say about the pre-mix, but I'm keen on it since it's just easier to deal with. Point is: EA engines in particular need good coolant, and you don't know when it was last done. Ditto the thermostat. It's cheap insurance against one potential point of failure. Looking through photos of the junker BRATs I found...they may end up being a great source for parts. Don't neglect sedans, wagons, hatches, or coupes for stuff as well. Interchangeability between models is pretty high on mechanical and trim bits, though Brats are closer to hatches than the others. As an example, the hatches and Brat used different struts and mounts to the other models (ask me how I learned that one). Edited July 30, 2009 by casm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 What part of the engine does it look like it's coming from? Hard to tell. Spent a long time lying underneath it trying to figure it out. The top of the motor is dry, but the oil pan is universally wet. But I'm also not losing an appreciable amount of coolant. We'll see what you guys think when you see the pics. Thanks for the tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo'J Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Well, I paid 2k for mine with drivers dents and rust around the muffler not so bad, not drivable, bad wheel bearings tranny shot, no disty, bumper half off, and a smashed tailgate. Its driving now but still has a wobble at higher speeds after $500 in parts alone. At least you have the tailgate trim. Dont lose it. Gotta love those t tops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 Well' date=' I paid 2k for mine with drivers dents and rust around the muffler not so bad, not drivable, bad wheel bearings tranny shot, no disty, bumper half off, and a smashed tailgate. Its driving now but still has a wobble at higher speeds after $500 in parts alone. At least you have the tailgate trim. Dont lose it. Gotta love those t tops![/quote'] Yeah the more I think about it, the more I've convinced myself I made out OK. Looking at the ebay prices, craigslist, etc. -- plus, I drive it to work everyday. I'm happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSubaruJunkie Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 And in the end that is the only thing that matters Grats on the new car. Keep us updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 Not that great, but some photos of the motor are here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenhead Posted August 6, 2009 Author Share Posted August 6, 2009 I've found a BRAT with a solid passenger quarter panel and door. Now I just need to convince the current owner to part with them. Does anyone have advice on removing/reinstalling the quarter panel? I assume it needs to be cut somewhere near the roof, but where? What kind of welding magic needs to happen for reattachment? A reasonable offer for these parts? The BRAT these would come off has been parked for a decade here in the mountains, but somehow has minimal rust. The owner says when he parked it, the clutch was bad. He is on the fence about parting it out...thinking he can get more for it as a whole, may or may not be true. It's got a decent topper on it with the rear glass busted. White spoke wheels that need sandblasting. T-top glass is intact. Windshield is a goner. Hood, fenders, doors (except for driver side window), and quarters are solid, tailgate and bumpers are not. Complete set of jump seats still attached to the bed. Interior is trashed. I haven't looked under the hood, but the underside of the car looks pretty rusty and beat. Thanks for any thoughts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 I would possibly be interested in helping you fix the brat mechanically and maybe splitting the cost of the parts car. I am in Westminster (NW DENVER). PM me for my phone number and I will call you if you are interested. I am reasonably sure we could find a door at the pull a part yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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