Another White Brumby

[Rodeo4jake]

Hey all fellow Subaru owners, Jake here
Well after Looking for a good affordable ute to buy, after much deliberation I decided to get a Brumby. Not much effort was spent looking but I was still lucky enough to drive to Mildura & snag this little beauty.

Had rego left but couldn't get anyone to drive me up so took a trailer & towed it home.
Went pretty well on the road test apart from LPG that didn't run right but had workin aircon & a good rust free body.
Here are some pics off the trailer the morning after I got home


After a full service & tune up,during which time i decided on removing the gas, it was running like a dream & I took it for the rwc to get Vic reg sorted. Due to the fact the previous owner had fitted new tyres,front ball joints,front cvs & windscreen it passed easily.
Then because of my illness I suffer from,as in not being able to leave any car standard I decided I wanted 14" sunnies on it. After a bit of research found the only ones still available are from king wheels.

The dog is happy to have a ute in the family again too, but not happy bout the tonneau I got online from Kemptons, which I can confirm is a good product. It stops her from jumping in as I drive in the front gate ya see.

The original drivers seat was a bit rough & after many phone calls to wreckers I got some liberty seats. Fitted them up easily,with some adapters to bolt original rails to the new seats at the correct width for the existing wholes in the floor. Thanks mainly in goes to tips I found on a great forum I had managed to discover by this stage,on all things Subaru.

Also while at Subabits in Clayton I got some original 13" white Subie wheels as I wasn't sure I was keen on the offset of the king wheel as they stick out a little on the front. Thought I got a bargain on the seats for $100!
Cheaper than getting the originals done up.
When I had another free day I sanded & reprinted the 13s got tyres & put them on. Still haven't decided which ones I like best,would like to hear what you guys think.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all contributors to this forum as yours tips I have used in finding bits & fixing things like the sloppy gearshift have been excellent. I hope now that ia am getting familiar with this great little ute I'll be able to help others in return. Hope ya like looking at the pics.

[Bantum]

Like it ... Oh & welcome ...

P.S. - I would keep both sets of rims ...

[steptoe]

looks a nice ute, a lot like mine actually

the lpg gear you ripped off , was an adaptor on top of the carby set up ?

[Rodeo4jake]

Yes there was a restrictor glued into the aircleaner housing,had to get a new one from the wreckers in Harcourt. That part is like the control for the gas air mixture. Removing this made a hugely noticeable difference to the power output. Goes to show how much a dual fuel setup is no good. Straight gas is the way to go if ya want lpg. Although with that huge gas tank & ya fuel it would go a long way between servos.

[El_Freddo]

Tylden eh? Not far from my old haunt - Cobaw. My pero's live over that way, I might have to drop in some time!

Welcome to the forum! The little brumby is on my "to get" list. I've got one in the family but I want my own There's something about them that you just don't get with any other vehicle.

Rims, I like the 13 inch sunnies if you're going to keep it at stock height. If you're going to lift and larger tyres then go the 14's and 26 or 27 inch tyres, it'll be a mean setup that's also very capable offroad

If you have any other brumby questions just ask, I've pulled Sunnie the Brumby apart more times than I care to remember!

Cheers

Bennie

[Rodeo4jake]

Cobaw, yeah know the area a bit, been 4wding in there a few times,it's extreme to say the least. Landcruiser ate it up but not sure how the little Brumby would go.
I have read some of ya threads on both your projects & ya do seem to hav a fair grasp on the mechanical side of things, I may just ask questions in the future.

[chopper21]

Hello Like it mate!
welcome to board

[Rodeo4jake]

Thought I'd show ya some pics of the few other things I've done since I got my Brumby.
the paint on the back side of the bullbar to stop the glare from ya lights was looking real shabby. So I rubbed it back masked it up & resprayed it with self priming gloss black epoxy spraycan.

My sticker under the 4wd shifter was missing so I ordered this one off ebay. It's a dead ringer for the original.

I turned my shed upside down to find this old uhf rado I knew I had saved years ago, I had moved house with it so it was buried in a box with amps speakers etc. Got a new aerial for it & fitted it up. Still works fine & I like it because it was purchased by a relative in the early nineties so it's roughly the same age as my Brumby.

Put the aerial up high on this car cos it still fits in the carport or shed & it's the best spot for signal other than drilling straight through ya roof & that wasn't happening.

That's all for now Jake

[Rodeo4jake]

Hey guys
Something turned up in the post office today:[ATTACH]3720[/ATTACH]
A USDM fuel filler door, switched the push button for my lock & fitted it up.
[ATTACH]3721[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]3722[/ATTACH]

I'm keen to weld up the old gas filler whole too, might be my next job. Just need to build up my confidence to weld on my car, I'm not that experienced in the welding department. I recently got a mig though so will practice on an old panel or something first.
[ATTACH]3723[/ATTACH]

Cheers Jake

[AlpineRaven]

Awesome mate.... Welcome to Ausubaru... Fair enough about the gas setup but wouldve been cheap to run.
What other plans do you have for the Brumby?
Cheers
AP

[El_Freddo]

Something turned up in the post office today:
A USDM fuel filler door, switched the push button for my lock & fitted it up.

You can get these on the MY touring wagons as well. I'm not sure about the stock wagons/sedans though. At least you've got one now

I'm keen to weld up the old gas filler whole too, might be my next job. Just need to build up my confidence to weld on my car,

Tack it all the way around. You don't want a continuous weld as it will buckle the panels due to heat sink. Tacking will keep the heat minimal, work around the hole going from one side to another until you're all sealed up, then grind/smooth the welds down to match the flat panel

All the best with it!

Cheers

Bennie

[AlpineRaven]

You can get these on the MY touring wagons as well. I'm not sure about the stock wagons/sedans though. At least you've got one now



Tack it all the way around. You don't want a continuous weld as it will buckle the panels due to heat sink. Tacking will keep the heat minimal, work around the hole going from one side to another until you're all sealed up, then grind/smooth the welds down to match the flat panel

All the best with it!

Cheers

Bennie

yeah you need to spot weld in 4 different position and let it cool down and go next after next one.. Ive done it before on my brothers Commodore.
Cheers
AP

[Silverbullet]

You can get these on the MY touring wagons as well. I'm not sure about the stock wagons/sedans though. At least you've got one now



Tack it all the way around. You don't want a continuous weld as it will buckle the panels due to heat sink. Tacking will keep the heat minimal, work around the hole going from one side to another until you're all sealed up, then grind/smooth the welds down to match the flat panel

All the best with it!

Cheers

Bennie

Yep my bog standard MY has the key lock filler door...too bad the key is different to the ignition key somehow Brumby is the same but one key fits all.

Practice heaps first on the thickness of steel you're welding, and use plenty of tacks at opposite sides when you come to the real thing. Welding magnets will help alot here since you want the patch panel to be flush with the rest of the panel. And when you come to welding all the way round, you can lay 4 or 5 tacks in a row then stop. I would let this cool before proceeding since the patch panel will be so small. Good luck!

[El_Freddo]

I would let this cool before proceeding since the patch panel will be so small.

I'd be more worried about the thickness of the steel than the size of the patch required. And by the look of the old chromed fuel door it's not a small hole!

Cheers

Bennie

[Rodeo4jake]

Yeah I had a feeling those fuel doors were on cars here, I think my grandmas leone might have had one. Was only $35 to my door from US so not complaining about that.
Thanks for ya tips with the welding, I saw a bloke destroy his 1/4 panel on a WB ute trying to do this job. The panel was buckled badly by the time he was finished!
On another note, I was thinking of chasing a power steering setup. What do you gurus consider a fair price? I think a wrecker not far from me would have what I need, but they are a bit pricey there usually.

Cheers Jake

[Silverbullet]

I'd be more worried about the thickness of the steel than the size of the patch required. And by the look of the old chromed fuel door it's not a small hole!

Cheers

Bennie

You can weld almost any thickness of steel if you can turn the power down low enough...well nearly Maybe not that small, but the heat can still build up and warp things after cooling down.

[Rodeo4jake]

Hey guys
I spoke to the finance minister at home tonight & unfortunately for me the Brumby budget is maxed out until further notice. Seems Christmas & bills take priority, not fair.
Anyway the power steer at the wreckers probably was a bit over priced.
Will just have to concentrate on bodywork projects I had in mind as they don't cost too much.
Might try & find a wagon for sale with it on next year, I saw 3 for sale together a while ago. Wife would be rapped if I brought home 3 parts cars to put behind the shed.
Thanks for all ya tips will use them all.

Cheers Jake

[El_Freddo]

Might try & find a wagon for sale with it on next year, I saw 3 for sale together a while ago. Wife would be rapped if I brought home 3 parts cars to put behind the shed.

I saw them and was tempted, dad would have killed me though and the funding didn't allow for the purchase or the pick up of them either

But if I recall correctly, those three units were offered at a price that was the same as what you're being asked of for the PS system...

Cheers

Bennie

[Rodeo4jake]

You are correct about the cost of em there Ben. I was tempted too but was not sure how I would get them home. They don't make car trailers that big.

[Rodeo4jake]

G'day all
I took my daughter & Dusty the Kelpie for a spin down to Obriens Crossing this afternoon. Took Amblers lane to get there, steep enough to try out low range. They are quite a torquey little engine off road while in low. We had a good time out there.
Disappointingly the aircon gave up on the way home. Looks like it cracked a pipe near the connection to the condenser. Hard to tell which one cos the Fluro dye has sprayed all over the place. At least I know what is next on my to do list now.
Here's a couple of photos taken at the bottom of Amblers lane at the Creek.





Cheers Jake