crunch time.....

simmo · Post by **simmo** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 6:53 pm

ok the time has come for me to decide what im doing with my brumby...
the rego runs out in may so i cant waste any more time.
anyway these are my options
1) get it resprayed while it is still rego'd so i can drive it to and fro then when the rego runs out, fit a NA SOHC ej20 and matching running gear and buy a run around for the time being
or....
2) get it re rego'd, drive it for a little while longer then apply for a $10 000 loan and move on to a turbo nissan (probly a cefiro)..

any help or advice that would help me choose would be great..
also if any one knows of a good place for a respray in sydney please tell me.

cheers kiel

Chris_Rogers · Post by **Chris_Rogers** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 7:37 pm

save money and rebuild it. cheaper option than buying an import with unknown history.

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:18 pm

Well my first question is why are you weighing up two totally different cars?

A Brumby with an NA SOHC EJ20 is not going to be a patch on a stock A31 performance wise. The Ceffy has more straight line speed, heaps better brakes, can turn much harder plus comes with heaps more upgrade options and has back seats.
A Brumby on the other hand is good for carting about sand and going to B&S balls.

Second question: Why are you asking Subaru enthusiasts? Most people on this board are totally blinded by their passion in Subarus. Not that I don't think this is a good thing but if you want to find someone to tell you to keep the Brumby here's the place you'll find them. ^See.

Third question: Why the NA EJ20? Judging by your second choice it sounds as though you're not scared of a turbo two litre, so why aim low?

Truth be told I was once faced with a similar choice, check my sig to see which dumb mistake I made. The car in question wasn't an A31, but it could seat 5 and two turbo's would be under the hood by now.

If it were me making the decision I'd re-rego the Brumby, start looking at Cefiros and move on. Within a year I'd have bigger brakes, coilovers and plenty more HP under the bonnet (in RB25 form

)

GTlegs · Post by **GTlegs** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:23 pm

After driving both a Cefiro and a Laurel for a while, I am of the opinion that both are fridges on wheels, with Cefiro having much less head and leg room. A Camry handles better.

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:56 pm

Actually I should've added to my post I've only driven an A31 with the above mentioned mods, RB25, coilovers and big brakes. Not fridge like at all, more like LWB S13 with more steering lock.

Brumbys handle like fridges.

MUDRAT · Post by **MUDRAT** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 6:28 am

Hmmmm . . . I will answer this question with another question: What do you want to get out of a car?

GTlegs · Post by **GTlegs** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 8:04 am

tim_81coupe wrote:Actually I should've added to my post I've only driven an A31 with the above mentioned mods, RB25, coilovers and big brakes. Not fridge like at all, more like LWB S13 with more steering lock.

Brumbys handle like fridges.

Fair enough, but Brumbys are a design thats 10 years older than these two cars.

I should also have added that the ones I have driven were both stock (at an importer). Wasnt impressed at all.

simmo · Post by **simmo** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 6:28 pm

ok
i dont wanna go the turbo route in the brumby because i want my car to be totally legal and i dont wanna have to get it engineered. so thats why i wanna go NA in the brumby.
if i was to get rid of the brumby i would go the cefiro because its a car that ive always liked and if i was to get a loan i would definately buy a turbocharged car..
but i have been giving it serious thought and im leaning more towards the brumby because i love it to pieces and also im not much of a drifter as i found out in my mates CA18DET 1200 ute

and i looked at the insurance figures for the cefiro.......... 8O 8O 8O . yeh so i dont know yet im confused

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:05 pm

A CA18DET 1200 ute isn't much of a 'drift' car in the true sense, its more of a "shits & giggles" machine along the lines of my coupe. The Cefiro I drove was extremely easy to handle sideways.

Getting a turbo conversion engineered shouldn't put you off doing the whole thing. I don't know much about getting stuff engineered though. 8O

Surely it can't be that big a deal though.

simmo · Post by **simmo** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:26 pm

screw it! the ceffy (my next dream car) can wait til i can afford insurance for it (NRMA said i couldnt apply for insurance!! that was only for an estimate though).
the brumby is my baby for now, i found a good price for a respray and i love subarus so..........

give me a month or two an things will start happening

thanks everyone
kiel

stamp_licker · Post by **stamp_licker** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:05 pm

good to see.you such with the subaru

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:02 pm

Good to see you haven't completely turfed the Ceffy idea - don't get it until your budget can allow it!

My next "dream car" is a JZA80 Supra twin turbo. I'd go a single turbo conversion, bigger pump & squirters, Cusco diff and button clutch. Aiming for ~400hp.

MUDRAT · Post by **MUDRAT** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:25 pm

What's wrong with a real dream car? Like a G55 . . . or an E55? What about a 360 Modena? Or a 1976 Leone GSR?

smoov · Post by **smoov** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:43 pm

let me tell you my story.

I owned a 1993 BMW 318i. Sure it didnt drift, but on balder 15s, and with more negative camber than a shagged 180B datto, she could doorifto, no doubt! And also that handling. Oh so glorious handling.... I could keep up with RS Libs, DC2R's, FC's, and the such on the real twisty stuff...straights...well....no competition!!

this thing was also a bit of a show pony. lcd, dvd, xbox, leather, xenons, yadda yadda crap crap... it was a looker.

anyways, had the car off the road for some time getting a respray, and I decided to purchase a little runabout. at the time, I was working at my ex-girlfriend's father's caryard that sold little cars for under $5000. I needed a car for myself, so he gave me an N13 SSS. Took it home for the night, and I hated the thing... it was a pig. So the next day, I decided to swap it for something better... looked at this touring wagon L series subaru....heard they were decent cars...one weekend with the thing, and I was in love!! Then I spent probably another $8k or so on it, during the course of 3 years modifying it, and I must say this: the subaru was a more fun car than what the bmw was. hands down.

a) I could park it comfortably anywhere.
b) I didnt have to worry about scratching it
c) I could go further to other places the bmw couldnt dream of (including mcdonalds speed humps!!

)
d) My mates could smoke in the car (bmw was a no-no!)
e) 27" Tyres on 14s were a more comfortable ride than 235/35/19's
f) subaru was easier to work on (only just...bmw are very basic cars themselves)

so, if i had to have a go again, I'd go the subaru. If i had the spare cash, i'd steer away from a conversion, instead buy a lib, lift it, have fun in that, then when the funds increased all the more, then go an EJ20T... If you're heart's really in the brumby, and if she's in good enough condition....then restore her. If she has too much cancer...turf her.

Sti_Brumby · Post by **Sti_Brumby** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:15 am

put Rex/Sti suspension , wheels and brakes and it would beat the nissan hands down

simmo · Post by **simmo** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:14 am

theres not much cancer at all thats why i want to fix her up.... she's just in desperate need of a respray, the paint is cracked and crazed all over. believe me i wouldnt even consider this if the rust was bad.