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G'day guys I'm a newbee to the forum and whilst we have had an 09 Imprezza hatch since new I've just purchased an 89 Brumby Gl Sports and am looking on picking up tips etc as I tidy her up (all purely minor cosmetics) . She's registered, pretty clean & goes like the clappers

What's the go with the various Identifcation codes I note on the various threads?
What's the general thoughts on the model?
What's the critcal issues/pitfalls to keep in mind??
Do we have any recommendations for this model
Do we have a club or similar inteh Coffs Harbour region?

cheers
Ray

Welcome Ray. You are a local too.
Post up some pickies and list some details about of ya Brum.

Hmm let me see.
Rust in front of the windscreen.
Rust lower front columb.
Rust bottom of front guards.
Leaky oil pump.
to start with

Various codes ?

MY refers to pre EJ, pre L Series Leonies etc - the Brumby shape of 83? to 92, so most of our Brumbies are the gen2 Brum. The earlier series were known to some as the Ugly. In the UK the gen2 known as MV1800, my Oz owner manual refers to it as MV also. Somewhere along the line the gen2 went twin headlights - '89 maybe ?

4 speed gear shift slop can be fixed mostly with a kit from FROG, never let it get hot or run out of oil . Had my 84 single headlight gen 2 for 13 years

Yes mate, in Woopi

We should catch up sometime

Ray

Cheers mate

Did you buy the red one with twin sunroof.

Also look for rust in the rear wall of the cab where the tray joins. And there could be rust in the bottom of the tailgate.

Front bottom edge of the doors can be prone to rusting out. If there's rust under the windscreen follow gravity to see if there's more below, all the way under the cab on the pillar that heads to the chassis rail. And if there's a windscreen leak check the floor pans.

Generally you won't have all of these issues, only one or two, none if it's an awesome unit. IF it has this much rust, you'll know about it before you get close to it

Cheers

Bennie

Don't worry if you got rust in the first two. Mine was repaired with angle iron welded in at the front corner of the tray before I got mine, and the tailgate was developing cancer under the paint work and left wheel arch outer surface - still holding together. Think it also has it in the sills below front hinge, so i bought a spare Brumby just in case

Yeah mate, from Bob. I think she will come up alright with a bit of a clean up

hope ya talked him down a bit. It looks nice but Bob can tell a story or two and not be to concerned about letting the truth get in the road of a good story.
From memory that Brum has no bash plate or splash guards under the motor. The oil pump leaks realy bad and it would be good to find out why he painted the bottom part below the trimmings black, OH and it is an 89 model with new exhaust right through BUT there is no Catilic converter fitted which is a BIG no no , Other than those things it looks pretty neat.

Yeah picked up the sump guard and other plates yesterday, as well as a roll bar & manual
just have to nut out how they fit together. Will be looking to stem the oil leak, any ideas?
The black paint is a concern, but I'm relatively confident that any hidden "secrets" will be sorted once I start looking at a repaint etc. What's the go with the catalytic convertor, Do I need to buy a replacement, if so from where?

It is illegal to not have a cat converter or a muffler. (Personal choice)
Either a wreckers (Be carefull)(Ive forgotten why, others will know)
Or an exhaust shop.

Cheers Cam

The oil leak can be the oil pump, rocker covers or the front or rear main seal. I'd put my money on the oil pump.

The bash plate orientates with the widest point at the front, it'll be easy to sort out. The rollbar, this depends on the design. Manual - gearbox or book?? I'm going with book... It's a good start but it doesn't have everything in there that you might need to know, it's a general purpose, not a specialist book.

The catalytic converter can be easily sourced from any exhaust shop. But if you can weld you could probably fit it yourself

Cheers

Bennie

EA81 or any engine can leak from your $8 oil pressure switch, or from the oil filter seal (2 seals if you are unlucky) or from $5 front oil seal behind the front pulley and 22mm nut , if these fail, then blame the oil pump seals and gaskets about $20 plus post from FROG, then rear main, rocker cover gaskets or even the rocker secure bolt seals, oil cap, oil fill stem pipe to block gasket and PCV hose connections like at the PCV valve

Where do the oil drips appear when the car is parked? Front or back? When my oil pump cracked (same engine) the drips came down at the rear of the engine. After a long drive it would drip within a minute or two of stopping and by the next morning there would be a nasty big oil patch on the driveway. Had to top up the oil every few days

Betweeen the office and other work activities, I've just degreased the engine & pressure cleaned off the residual oil. Have driven about 10 K's and am still waiting for the "drip". It seems to orginate from around the oil pump. Will confirm this evening.

What factory add ons were produced with Brumby's, e.g. alloy bull bars, roll bars? if yes how do we identify them against after market items?

Ray I am picking up that Brumby tomorrow.

Revmax, I'll try and lock down a time for a visit ASAP

After the degrease and 36 K's the oil leak is very, very minor and appear to be from the oil pump area, I'll look at fitting a new gasket on the weekend

on another note guys where can I purchase an electronic ignition fro the 89 Brumby?

Hey Ray leave the sump guard off till ya have done the gasket.
Oh yer Bob would have told you the motor is from a later model (that is waht he told me) I think it is from an earlier model, the green rocker covers are a dead give away, Does it have points ignition, if so I am pretty sure I have a spare electronic dizzy. (cheap ) Being earlier model motor won't matter as main difference is the polution gear so don't be to concerned.

If the only thing wrong with the Brum I am getting today is the wheel hub and not the gear box as first though I will be keeping it as a farm ute and we should be able to work something out with the Cat, if it is any good.

Hey Ray the Cat and headers needed a repair job and arn't realy suitable for your Brum.
I reckon you want to hit Bob up for a Catalitic convereter cause as BK said it is illegal without one. Bob would have known.
I have a back up plan though