The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Hi there,

Nice forum you have going here.

I bought myself an '89 brumby ute last night and have signed up to get some help - and hopefully as i learn more about my new car - contribute to the forum. The ute is a bit rough at the moment but i'll respray it and tidy it all up over time. Have to get it running happy first : )

i'm still learning my way around but will post my questions here. if you can point me in the right direction that would be great!

1. i would like a 2 or 3" lift - any one recommend any kits - i was looking at this website and they seem ok? http://www.funonwheels.net/hirisesubaru/pages/home.htm

2. it runs pretty rough - i was looking on ebay at one of those weber conversion kits and then putting it into the shop for a tune up - is the weber carby a worthwhile upgrade?

3. does anyone know where i might find some new front seats. i think i will need some for rwc - although they have seat covers on them at the moment.

4. i've been doing some reading and it seems an ej turbo conversion is a lot of bother - will an ej22 single overhead cam motor bolt straight in (i know i would have to muck around with the wiring harness, the fuel lines and pump etc - but does it fit - and would it mate up to the standard gearbox? i have access to a cheap liberty that i could get all the parts off for the upgrade.

i look forward to learning about my new car and being a member of this place.

cheers,
trev.

welcome to the forum.

1. LOL that's two in as many days. HiRise havn't been making lift kits for years now, however they STILL have the website active.

Try here - showthread.php?t=11668


2. The Webber carby's can work well and will get you abit more power but may not necessarily run smoother, they are quite primative. At least they are easier to tune, pretty much just leaner or richer adjustment from memory. If you can get one very cheap or free then it's worth bolting it on.

3. For front seats a very cheap and easy upgrade is to use a pair from an L series, preferably a Touring Wagon. They bolt straight in, are way nicer, and are a dime a dozen. Pity you aren't in WA, I have a pair spare. Unfortunately they won't fit in an airbag.

4. Yes EJ22 will fit straight in, it's an incredibly common conversion. You can use an adaptor plate to your std 4spd gearbox but it's highly recommended to upgrade to the 5spd from an L series - also requires adaptor plate (not much extra work overall to do this at the same time). If you have access to a donor Liberty definitely go for it - it will completely revolutionise the car.
Yeah that's definitely easier than the EJ turbo because that requires full AWD converison too, custom tailshaft etc, and you loose low range.


PS - please don't respray it matt black.

thanks for your responses Andrew - makes me think the liberty motor is the best option - still a while down the track for me though.

no, won't be respraying it matt black! probably just white to get it looking sharp again - although the wife wants it a bright/burnt orange colour...

Andrew knows his shit so that good advice. After doing my EJ22 in a L series i'm now helping a mate to convert his brumby to EJ22 with 5sp L series box. There's quite a bit on the forums and i will update the thread. My advice is for you to know exactly what needs to be doing, Collect all the needed parts then convert it.

Co-incidently, if you want to try a Weber in the interum, one has just popped up forsale.
vbclassified.php?do=ad&id=653

Thanks again guys - have contacted the seller as I'm keen to get the brumby running well.

do exhausts on these cars make much difference performance wise? I just went through all the receipts and it has a 2" exhaust from the cat back with just a small muffler at the end - no wonder its so loud!

oh...while i am introducing myself - here's a pic of the brumby (only one i have - the passenger side is much better):



and my forester (running 217kw atw and an my05 sti 6 speed drivetrain and brembos) - it sits a bit higher than in the pic now as it was too low:

Sweeeeeet rides man

As for seats, so long as you don't need too much leg room or have a large number body mass index, seats from a KA Laser fit with just a hole enlargement on one mount hole.

Love it when brumby owners come in here... I agree with andrew - no matt black pls... lol
Cheers
AP

bought a webber carby for the brumby - got it yesterday so will throw it on over the weekend and see if it runs better

i was expecting a reconditioned one and it arrived brand new! only problem is the linkage on the second barrell is a bit tight - but i am sure it will loosen up with a bit of use.

lift kit and respray to come....and definitely considering a 5 speed conversion after reading the threads - it doesn't seem too hard.

81GGR wrote:oh...while i am introducing myself - here's a pic of the brumby (only one i have - the passenger side is much better):



and my forester (running 217kw atw and an my05 sti 6 speed drivetrain and brembos) - it sits a bit higher than in the pic now as it was too low:

is the forester for sale?
I saw one today at surfer paradise looked exacly the same except different grill and number plates

no my forester isn't for sale at the moment - it definitely must have been a different one. there are not too many cars around like mine with the genuine sti body kit & cross sports front - i think it looks much better than the standard front end and grill.

i put the weber on the brumby on saturday. started it up and it purred : ) had a little flat spot in the carby out of the box so let the car warm up a bit to tune it up and did a seal in the front of the motor - an inconvenient coincidence i think... looks like a job for a mechanic this one as its losing quite a bit of oil. : (

will have to wait a little longer to see what the brumby is like on the road with the carby - had it running all of 2 mins! the joys of buying an old car secondhand and not knowing its history. anyway - i hope all the little bugs are ironed out before christmas as i want to take it down the beach!

Hi 81GGR

Welcome to the forum nice rides there

If you won't to find out some more info come along to the Subaru club of QLD meeting on the forth Monday of the month start 8PM but get there 7:30 for a chat

There is a lot of people who know there stuff and done those type of mods you can even order a lift kit as well

See http://www.subaclub.com or post here for more info.

Jan

yarney wrote:Hi 81GGR

Welcome to the forum nice rides there

If you won't to find out some more info come along to the Subaru club of QLD meeting on the forth Monday of the month start 8PM but get there 7:30 for a chat

There is a lot of people who know there stuff and done those type of mods you can even order a lift kit as well

See http://www.subaclub.com or post here for more info.

Jan

Thank mate - I will have to come along some time - flat out with work at the moment with everyone wanting everything done before christmas so probably in the new year.