RustBrat Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 ......I just wanted to introduce myself as a "newbie"-My name is Rob, and I suppose that as a Subaru "Nut" for too many years, (I even managed a South Jersey Subaru dealership briefly.) I foolishly bought a "too good to be true" 86 Brat sold privately out of Barnegat; As the seller lied about just about *everything* on the car (Except for who to make the check out to, mind you!) I guess that I'll be taking everyone along on my adventures in restoring the car I'd always wanted-But could never have! If I can set the scene a bit: A seller posts on both ebay and craigslist about "1986 Brat GL....Great daily driver-I drive it every day.....50 miles......" I just spent $2,000.00 taking care of ALL of the outside rust......I'm selling it because I didn't know about rust on the underside.....I *had* this truck listed for $5000 before I found out..." $1,000.00. ($800.00 on craigslist.) "Why so cheap?" I wondered....."There *Must* be more to it....." I thought.....! When I got there? Paint over rust. Straight from the rattlecan-Horrible. The grille was off, and the hood horribly dented and misaligned-The only way to open it? Pull off the grill-The cable was stretched! Photos from the passenger side eliminated the fact that the entire driver's side frame rail was rusted away right at the arch of the unibody to the shock tower......Exhaust belching from the gasket at the manifold......Passenger door won't open.....(Probably holding the car together....) Oil pressure jumping, idle too low, vaccuum leaks abundant and pages upon pages of receipts from a previous owner detailing massive problems with rust and component failure.......! With a quick sign of the cross, and a plethora of swears under my breath about such an unscrupulous seller and the pack of lies he sold me to drive two hours, I did the only *responsible* (AND STUPID!) thing I could think of: "What's your best price?" "$1,000.00" "Then why is it advertised on Craig's List for $800.00" "Oh! That? You responded to my 'ebay' ad.....Uhhhh....That was a mistake.....But I'll honor it." Yes, I should've walked at that very moment. An edit, four placements in the ad, and a "captcha" later, and "He made a mistake?" Scumbag-And *I* was the guy in the car business! $750.00 later, I figured I could at least sell the parts to recoup $500.00 if I had to. Armed with a welder, some L-Channel steel, and absolutely *NO* "Know-How," I'll keep everyone posted and possibly entertained with anecdotes and photos-Wish me luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Welcome aboard, Rob. You've found a great place here for friendly help. Sounds like you've got your "fun" laid out for you! Enjoy and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustBrat Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 .....Now that I *own* the truck, today is an experiment: At roughly 6:00, I'll be attempting to drive it 48 miles from Atlantic City to Cape May, so it can come "home." Will it make it? Will it fold in half? Will a vaccuum line, or oil leak (Bearing in mind, the seller said: "Doesn't leak a DROP of oil!" I'll believe that it will simply spew it through the valves! By 8:00, if I'm not home, all Garden State Parkway drivers should keep alert from miles 0-38 for a Brat in two pieces and a driver jumping and swearing feverishly on the side of the road.......! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 what a wounderful, open letter that made my life feel not so horrible.... It's crazy how we fall.... When I bought my first Subie I had no idea how to work on a Jap car or what a flat-4 was... ???? but I dove in and bought it anyway... my wife told me when I drove mine home with no idea how it even worked... she said, "Enjoy the ride." (no reference to how far the ride was....) 6 years later... the ride is fine! What a great place for you to land! Lots of parts and pieces out west.. lots of advice, your in a learning curve & will be frustrating, regardless, enjoy the ride and do keep us posted. (AAA comes in handy till you get them figured out.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustBrat Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 ......Driving a vintage "Scooby" truck on a 50-mile journey of uncertainty can be rewarding, and informative! With the A/C on, the Brat stuttered horribly; RPM's fluttering between stall and 800 rpm on the conservative side......The moment I turned the a/c off? Nothing. The second the blower was off? A solid 900 rpm. Mindful of the horrible rust, and missing frame portions, as well as a passenger-side door that *wouldn't* open for love nor money, (Most likely holding the car upright!) I set out on my journey. With the T-tops locked up, the windows rolled down, a few kicks of the accelerator, and the Hitachi grumbled the old boxer to life; The first shift point, however, yielded the frightening truth; The whole transmission and engine lurched horribly-Most likely, I have a rotted-out mount(s)! With exhaust belching from an unknown leak at either the manifold or the y-pipe, I gingerly made my way at a constant 55 mph......A 1955 Thunderbird owner gave me a "thumbs up" in his perfectly-restored aquamarine example........Despite the inherent cosmetics, structural problem, plus a sudden stop from a motorist disoriented in how to merge, the drum brakes performed flawlessly without lockup, and I'm hooked. This will be a fun and great adventure in restoration-Money be damned! I presently am *still* in the car business, but was transferred from Subaru manager to Corvette salesman-Sales have been abysmal, and I wouldn't sell my soul and integrity in the name of profit, so I was given a quote-en-quote "Lateral change." For all of the "backyard mechanics" out there, I'll be posting "poor man's" restoration tips as I come by faults! If someone were to ask me: "What would be the perfect fit for you? What car would *you* buy?" it would DEFINATELY be this Brat! I have a 2008 Jaguar sitting in my driveway, plus a 1948 Series I Land Rover and a 1984 Corvette, but drive a 1996 Outback-289,000 miles to date. When I'm done with this Brat? I hope to get the same service as the Outback-And leave the Brits and American Muscle in my driveway fall to special events only and posterity.........! Meanwhile, let the fun begin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obk25xt Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 You are in the right place! As if your descriptions have not been enough, I would love to see some pictures of this most glorious vehicle. Good luck and have a wonderful time on this "poor man's restoration!" I am looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subruise Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 oh great. another guy on the board named Rob. congrats, youre # 1000!!! youve won: a rusty brat to restore!!! welcome home Rob. RV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Welcome. Saw that Brat , what's the sellers name ? "hyrdagirl ?? something or other? ...hmmmmm Good luck with this one. I was kind of watching it for awile too. And because we like So.Jersey and were just in Cape May a few weeks ago. I'll have to catch up with you later but please search the 80's Forum and you'll see what member "ettev" did with his. Take your time! Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustBrat Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 ....You hit the nail on the head! That was the Brat! In any case, Tonight's mission was to remove the leaking flange gasket from the actual Y-pipe; Regrettably? My worklight burned out, so I could neither complete the job, nor take photos! I guess that I'll move my postings to the 80's forum to detail this restoration of sorts-Truthfully? While replacing a tail-light bulb, and peering along the bodyside, I can only be enraged even further at the lies I was told! Rotten from the inside-out! (Of course, bear in mind that I didn't pay $5,000 for the car, I'm aware of that-I'm just still pissed that I was lied to as horribly as I was!) Meanwhile: A simple tip in bolt removal from a seemingly "Frozen" Subie exhaust: Forget PB, WD-40 or the like-All you need is a propane torch and a candle, plus some clearance! Heat the bolt until it's literally glowing cherry-red; Then, hold the candle to the bolt-Wax will literally drip *everywhere,* but more importantly, it will also be sucked into the threads of the frozen bolt-With a simple 3/8ths socket wrench, the rusted bolt actually turned without shearing! With a day off on Thursday, I'll be sure to capture photos of the process-In the State of N.J., one can literally drive a rotted Brat that will undoubtedly break into pieces if a collison were to occur-Just don't pollute the environment! My first step? Get this damn thing inspected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92_rugby_subie Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 By 8:00, if I'm not home, all Garden State Parkway drivers should keep alert from miles 0-38 for a Brat in two pieces and a driver jumping and swearing feverishly on the side of the road.......! This might be a mean welcome, but, HAHAHAHA Welcome! I lol'd sooo hard when I read this... Ive been in your spot, bought a 1998 Mitsubishi that was a hunk of crap and went to slow down, locked brakes and rear ended a guy... Oh boy, car part way on curb and part embedded in his bumper all I could do was swear and curse Mitsubishis Hence why Subarus are my car of choice again... But welcome, I look forward to reading your build thread, I will subscribe when I see it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainman19154 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 This might be a mean welcome, but, HAHAHAHA Welcome! But welcome, I look forward to reading your build thread, I will subscribe when I see it! +1 /wave from NE Philly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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