checked out my first Brat

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:02 pm

Hi Guys,
Checked out my first Brat last weekend, surfing through craigslist and one floated up in the small coastal town I live in., figured Id check it out...strong runner...large amount of parts goes with it..2500.00 '84. I get there, hoods up, air cleaner off, looked like it was rigged like a wake board and rusty as my truck, ok a bit more. Rockers all rusted out, door bottoms rusted gone, door skins there, fender rusted and some stuff on frame rotted also...bed and tailgate looked ok. Its been years since seeing one in person. 1st impression...these thinks are small! 2nd impression...this thing is mostly rust, 3rd impresion...push back the seat and "my legs fit" more leg room that my toyota truck as Im 6' ( lost an inch sometime in the last 32 years ) targa style sunroofs, fully instrumented...I want one! Guy offered it up at 1100.00 with extra engine and transmission and misc parts...told him to part out and call me when hes down to a rolling chassis and full interior..well see

maxxair · Post by **maxxair** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:01 pm

dont buy rust, just dont. take my word for it.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:45 pm

it would be worth travelling to your no sea no snow areas for non rust beast, unless you are a genius panel maker, fitter, welder with all the time in the world - sounds like another scrap metal truck driver selling his collected scrap on weekends and passing it off as 'restorable' Use this one as the measure

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Sun Apr 25, 2010 2:47 am

good advice, especially coming from Rohan

Where I left off with this guy is that I would give him 100.00 for the rolling chassis and interior...he can sell engines and transmissions etc. I did a quick check on metal panels thru subaru, interior and ext rocker panels 200.00 per side, door shells 400.00 per side..also told him it may be best if he gets a good price on the rig so I never see it again
Thanks as always guys,
Mark

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:51 am

if you got the MY 2 door versions, their doors fit BRAT, but glass needs swap over. Here in Aus the brumby doors did not get the side intrusion bars that the two doors got

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:05 am

Thats interesting, was thinking that the nose must be common with other cars/wagons but didnt think the doors would be.

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 8:42 am

The doors from the hatch go straight on without having to change a thing

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:25 am

RSR 555 wrote:The doors from the hatch go straight on without having to change a thing

Sweet, I should ( against my better judgment ) give the guy a call

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:32 am

Is there any around that don't have much rust? or you happy to do the work to cut it out?

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:45 am

RSR 555 wrote:Is there any around that don't have much rust? or you happy to do the work to cut it out?

Im sure there are some in the state with little to maybe no rust, but if the rust issues were centralized and not through the entire vehicle, and initial cost was low, I would give it a go.

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 10:24 am

Cool.. Have fun with it

dfoyl · Post by **dfoyl** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 10:42 am

I've been travelling around the south-west of US these past few weeks and I can say you just aren't going to find any 80s Subaru's rust-free. In about 3000 miles of travelling (Missouri, Kentucky, Missisippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona & currently Nevada (basically all the hottest/driest US states outside of California), I have seen:

1 Brat (1982 model, in Santa Fe, NM) - some rust (and this is a state that gets bugger-all rain!)
4 L wagons (two in New Mexico, 1 in Arizona and 1 in Nevada)
1 Baja (New Mexico)
1 1st gen Liberty (Nevada)
Plenty of 2nd & 3rd gen Libertys, Impreza's, Outback's (wagons and sedans) (everywhere)

There is only a handful of 80s cars on the roads, almost nothing from the 70s, and a handful of earlier cars (mostly US performance cars from the muscle car era, some earlier (50s) cars through AZ, etc, in beat-up condition. Nearly everyone has a 1-4 year old car or SUV or pickup, old cars just don't exist.

Dean.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:12 pm

Cuba would be interesting then.... Might explain why a mate claims he bought an early 350Z for US$5k (and bitched so much coz it ended up costing him another eight gorillas to get it over and in to Lebanon)

So that MY on mni earle is a rarity

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Wed May 12, 2010 11:44 am

haha, just ran across this add on craigslist. This is the Brat I checked out that started this thread.
This was the first Brat Ive seen in maybe 20 years.
you hardly ever see a Brat in the greater Seattle area let alone a small town of 2000 people on the ocean coastline.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/1734668806.html
cheers, Mark

1111giles · Post by **1111giles** » Thu May 13, 2010 12:09 am

Hi there from the UK!- I thought that we had the monopoly on Scooby trucks being RARE as hens teeth!

We have just (95%) finished a restored MV / BRAT / BRUMBY here in the UK - check out - Brumby front cut export on this site for images and a bit about our efforts to date ( hope it dont put you off!).

Once you start digging in the US I think you will find a few more of these little jems!

I have had to canibalise 3 trucks to get most of the parts we needed - so good luck! (You think that you have a rust problem over there!!!!)

Over here e-bay seems to have the most MV's on it for sale I am sure you could find other trucks using ebay in the US.

You wont have too much difficulty locating panels and engine parts from in the US again via ebay and google.
So good look and post up your progress!
Cheers
Giles. Halifax UK.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu May 13, 2010 9:27 am

It is starting to be a little exchange on the cheaper end of the market. For years Ausies have been buying in Mustangs and MGs cheaper from their respective countries, but now there are Aussies sending parts and rustless panels off VWs now Subies to other markets where rust and rarity has been a problem. A lot less likely to happen without Bill Gates

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Thu May 13, 2010 10:41 pm

1111giles wrote:Hi there from the UK!- I thought that we had the monopoly on Scooby trucks being RARE as hens teeth!

We have just (95%) finished a restored MV / BRAT / BRUMBY here in the UK - check out - Brumby front cut export on this site for images and a bit about our efforts to date ( hope it dont put you off!).

Once you start digging in the US I think you will find a few more of these little jems!

I have had to canibalise 3 trucks to get most of the parts we needed - so good luck! (You think that you have a rust problem over there!!!!)

Over here e-bay seems to have the most MV's on it for sale I am sure you could find other trucks using ebay in the US.

You wont have too much difficulty locating panels and engine parts from in the US again via ebay and google.
So good look and post up your progress!
Cheers
Giles. Halifax UK.

I followed your aquisition of an aussie front cut with great interest. Hope it all worked out well. They do occasionally come up for sale in my state with an average sell starting at 1500 to 3000 depending on condition, most with quite a bit of rust. I have no interest in keeping one stock so im patiently waiting for a reasonably priced project truck.
Cheers, Mark

GTlegs · Post by **GTlegs** » Thu May 13, 2010 11:22 pm

Just remember that Subarus of that vintage (as most other Jap cars I'm sure) start rusting from just breathing on them, even under what looks like immaculate paint (ask me how I know).

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Fri May 14, 2010 11:57 am

Funny you say that. I have cut a few one inch round holes in my bonnet six months ago for fresh air , not treated the bare metal at all and it is still shiny silver on the cut surface.

ScubyRoo · Post by **ScubyRoo** » Fri May 14, 2010 8:32 pm

GTlegs wrote:Just remember that Subarus of that vintage (as most other Jap cars I'm sure) start rusting from just breathing on them, even under what looks like immaculate paint (ask me how I know).

Ok I'll bite... how do you know???