The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Hello everyone, I'm back.
Finally found the new board after ringing Backyard Brett and getting the full story.

I've been a little busy with work and renovating my house etc. but now I can finally get back to building my racecar. The cage and seamwelding are almost finished and I will post up some pics if I can work out how. The plan is to have it ready by June next year and there is a lot to do. I will be taking January off to do most of the re-assembly after the bodywork and painting are done hopefully in November.
I sold the 3.0 Patrol and bought a 100 series TD auto to tow with and a 7metre enclosed trailer. Sacrilege I know, but untill they can build me a Subaru that can tow 3.5t I'm stuck with something else.

For anyone wondering how my 11" travel MY front struts are going...... I have done nothing since my last post.

Welcome back Brumbyrunner, some of us were sort of waiting to hear about those struts!

Whats the race car?

Main hoop


Roof brace


Rear brace


Side intrusion

A mate of mine in Townsville had a Brumby rally car, he had fully adjustable struts in his with huge travel. Can't quite remember exactly what they were, but think they were Old Man Emu units. That ute could hit gutters at 60 and you wouldn't feel it.

Hi Cameron,
Not Jeff Ploza was it?
It was used for offroad racing wasn't it? Not rallying?
I never saw it in the flesh but I know the bloke he got the tranny off and I saw it on offroadracing.com.
I heard it ran a EJ22, SVX auto and had OME LTRs in the rear. What struts did he have in the front?
Last I heard it was for sale a few years back. Did he end up selling?

Welcome back brumbyrunner. Glad to hear its all travelling nicely up there for you (including the trade up to the cruiser).
Jeff was on the first byb message board as untamed brumby and that ute did have the ej22 svx auto running gear. Other than that I can't remember what happened to him. I think he started his own message board then drifed off into the never never.

G'day Bazza,
Shouldn't you be at work?
Still got your RX?
Didn't you buy a Rollux?

I am at work

Yes. The RX is in the shed. Not currently rego'd and looking into doing something with it that will require a roll cage and possibly a car trailer.

And yes, I did take the plunge and finally buy a non subaru. It could use some more HP but I'd rather leave that side of the thing for the subaru. I have to keep the toyota as reliable as possible.

It was Jeff, and there were OME's in the front. I went for a drive in it and it could take a pounding. He had lengthened struts with the OME's piggybacked.

Hi cameron,
Do you know what springs he used on the front struts?

This is the wheel and tyre I'm using. Just have to make it all fit. It is a 235/75 on a 15x7 Superlite rim. Thanks to Backyard Brett for the loan of his gold rim as mine were too far away.


This shows the offset of the rim/tyre combo. I think it will finish up being even wider than this so I'm going to need a fat set of front guards to cover it all.

Thats a big arse tyre Stuart, i have now got that size in an MT and have got clearance issues with the liberty front guards. Bretts still got the 27s on his brumby and with a light guard massage they still grind now and then.

With the car being this pulled down have you thought about moving the lower control arm pick up points more forward? I know it make a few more issues raise their head but just thinking out aloud.

I've actually moved the lower control arm 80mm further forward since that pic was taken in an effort to gain more firewall clearance.

I am having trouble deciding which tyre to run. The Goodyear Wrangler MTR is well respected in competition and is supposed to be tougher than the BFGoodrich M/T. I've had great results with the BFG, it's probably got larger tread voids and better grip. Too much traction though and you start to break stuff.
If I could find a tyre sponser they would solve the problem for me.

Have you told the fella about the chassis rails widening yet? Are you going to try and get Liberty/Impreza cross member and control arms fitted?

I have decided to use a modified MY engine crossmember and build new control arms using the stock mounting points. This way the arms will be longer to help reduce the camber changes. Looking at a wheel track about 1590mm. About the same as a Patrol or Cruiser wagon.
Chassis rail widening is not done yet. I really need to get him an EJ20 block to bolt in there. Trying to organise mysely to get to Brissy next weekend.

great to see you back brummbyrunner, I posted a thread in the NT section ages ago to find where you had got to and now all is explained. The ute looks just a little different to when i last saw it! looks like its comeing together nicely. Where are you living now?

Hi Soobeit,
I lost track of the forum for a while there but I 'm still living in the same place.

Is that just the other side of the boarder as I recall NT/QLD? you been up this way lately? Hey I might end up at Mt Isa if I get the job I want, looking at a career change at the moment, big change at age 27.

Haven't been to Darwin in years.

I have got a few engines laying around here. Just take one of them down there to him. Prolly got an old gearbox case that can be used too.