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Jessekrs123's 1984 Subaru BRAT


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Hey nice looking brat not sure if you are looking for floor boards anymore but i am parting out a brat and it has rust free clean floor boards i am going to be cutting out a bunch of body panels for other members here in the next few days so let me know.

 

Cheers R.

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Hey nice looking brat not sure if you are looking for floor boards anymore but i am parting out a brat and it has rust free clean floor boards i am going to be cutting out a bunch of body panels for other members here in the next few days so let me know.

 

Cheers R.

 

Thanks for the offer, but the rust on the floor boards isn't that bad. I can easily patch it up with some small sheet metal squares.

 

Save the floor boards for someone who really needs them.

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Took a 5 hour road-trip today almost to the Vermont border for my $50 jumpseats with the mounting frame. Definitely worth the drive.

 

Quick mock-up of how it looks:

100_0897.jpg

100_0898.jpg

 

Still need to get it registered and fix the oil leak coming from the oil pressure sender.

 

Slowly making progress...

 

I'm looking for seatbelts for the jumpseats, so if anyone has them, please let me know. I am looking for a set so I can be sure that the cops won't bust my chops if I have passengers in the back.

Edited by Jessekrs123
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I will be getting this thing registered this week, and I was thinking about getting a vanity plate for it.

 

I was thinking:

plate.jpg

 

It's short for "Chicken Tax". I wish Connecticut allowed for 7 letters so I would be able to do CHKNTAX, but CHKNTX will have to do for now.

 

The significance of the chicken tax to Subaru BRATs has to do with the jumpseats. Prepare yourselves for a history lesson for those of you who don't already know... :D

 

Back in the day, Subarus were not manufactured in the US, but instead were imported from Japan. The Subaru BRAT was considered a light truck, and light trucks that were imported into the US would be charged a 25% tariff, known as the "Chicken Tax". Subaru evaded this tax by producing selected BRATs with the famous pair of jumpseats in the back, which would enable the vehicle to be considered a passenger vehicle which would only be charged a 2.5% tariff as opposed to the 25% tariff on light trucks.

 

So the jumpseats aren't there to look cool, they were mainly there for financial purposes and to evade a ridiculous 25% tariff.

 

Very clever if you ask me.

 

So what do you guys think, should I go with that vanity plate or no? Any other suggestions?

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Im not busting your chops here... but that is actually VERY well known. :-\

 

(at least to the members on here)

 

I think the plate is appropriate (if you know your subaru history)

 

-but almost everyone that sees your plate will probably just think youre a chicken farmer.

 

(or a chicken from Texas) :grin:

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Im not busting your chops here... but that is actually VERY well known. :-\

 

(at least to the members on here)

 

I think the plate is appropriate (if you know your subaru history)

 

-but almost everyone that sees your plate will probably just think youre a chicken farmer.

 

(or a chicken from Texas) :grin:

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too... Oh well, it will be a nice conversation starter to those who are interested.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I got my set of wagon wheels sandblasted the past week.

 

School got canceled today for some reason, so I set out early to retrieve my paint supplies I needed to paint them.

 

The sandblasting came out very well, the rims are completely rust free.

 

I searched through the forums on USMB and found that people have much success with Rustoleum appliance epoxy, which is conveniently offered in enamel white, the color that I want to paint my wheels.

 

OK, enough rambling, here are the results:

 

Sandblasted, down to the metal rim:

100_0900.jpg

 

Primed rim (Rustoleum rust resistance primer):

100_0901.jpg

 

Painted white rim:

100_0902.jpg

 

I am actually really surprised on how good it came out.

 

I did 3 light coats of primer, 2 light coats of paint and a final, heavier coat of paint. I'm letting it dry right now to see if I might need another coat of paint, but that is doubtful, they look pretty well done already.

 

What do you guys think? Paint the other 3 the same way or what?

 

Quick mock-up

100_0904.jpg

Edited by Jessekrs123
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Nice but use grey primer for painting white. Not too big a deal for what you're doing but I'll bet if you use grey primer the other wheels will show a little more white.

 

Keep at it , you're doing good! Gotta check that CT site soon.

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Bad news.

 

DMV told me that the car cannot be registered without a title. I was told that if the vehicle is over 25 years old it does not need a title, but that's not true. It turns out in CT the car has to be produced before 1981, which my BRAT obviously wasn't made before 1981.

 

I was told to get a bonded title which means that I can register the vehicle. It also gives the previous owner 3 years to retrieve the vehicle if they want to, but after the 3 years is up, the vehicle becomes 100% mine.

 

I will be contacting my insurance agent tomorrow to get this bonded title going. At this point, I really really just want to get this thing on the road.

 

Headaches headaches headaches...

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I was told to get a bonded title which means that I can register the vehicle. It also gives the previous owner 3 years to retrieve the vehicle if they want to, but after the 3 years is up, the vehicle becomes 100% mine.

 

Headaches headaches headaches...

 

What!? Thats the worst idea ever... Seems like this sets up loads of scams...:eek:

 

I agree with the headaches part.... But whoa thats dumb!

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What!? Thats the worst idea ever... Seems like this sets up loads of scams...:eek:

 

I agree with the headaches part.... But whoa thats dumb!

 

Yeah, but it's the only chance that I have of getting the title in my name unless I transfer the title of the previous owner which I have tried and failed.

 

The previous owner has not had the vehicle in over 7 years. The BRAT sat at a repair shop where the kid I bought the car from bought it. It had been there for a while and after he bought it, it sat another 3 years.

 

From what I can see, the previous owner is not looking for the vehicle, and I have tried to get into contact with the previous owner, but I haven't had any luck.

 

This is the best shot I have at making this car 100% mine.

 

I doubt the original owner will have any interest in the car if they haven't even thought about it in 7 years.

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Hopefully you will be fine, just dont announce who's it is and dont make it super nice.

 

I wonder how that would work, like if you did a WRX swap into one... Then a guy "wanted" it back... Would they get the upgraded stuff back.

 

I suppose google would be my answer here...

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Title laws are odd. In VT if the car is 15 years or older there is no title issued to the car. Meaning you can not get one a all. This creates a lot of issues selling cars out of state :-\. It's a pain.

 

There are lost title applications you can get up here, I don't know if CT would have something like that, but it may be worth a try... Just a thought...

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Don't spend any time or money until you get the title in hand. I have a friend that was in the same situation (no title/bill of sale) and the police took the car because they said it was reported stolen and he was out the cash for buying it. He bought it at an estate sale and it seamed like a legitimate deal. I think the previous owner just wanted it back. To my knowledge the title owner has all the rights.:eek:

 

it's too late here, but there are hundreds of pages suggesting if there is not title, do not buy that car.

 

I would store it and do nothing on it until you do get a title in your name.

Edited by bheinen74
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Ask the DMV about abandoned vehicle(s) and try getting a Title that way.

 

Haven't done so in a number of years, but I have bought a few vehicles doing that.

A repair shop can file for an abandoned vehicle title (here in Michigan), if said vehicle has sat on their property for a specific amount of time with no contact from owner.

This one definetly fits the bill on the time spent sitting.

 

Worth the call atleast.

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Went to pick up a free shred stick in Sherman yesterday. Saw a good group of you young guys in Subars doing a cruise. REally sweet GOLD Impreza - WRX? I'm guessing. Didn't have time to look for long. They were going up Rt.7 and west onto Rt.37 towards the hills. :)

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I don't know about all the laws in your neck of the woods, however if you were to keep receipts for everything you do and purchase and the owner comes looking for that brat you may be able to get some restitution that way. Rust repair upgrades paint etc and do not forget your time @ say whatever your hourly wage is. That would be a huge deterrent for someone trying to pull a scam.

 

 

Mike

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I don't know about all the laws in your neck of the woods, however if you were to keep receipts for everything you do and purchase and the owner comes looking for that brat you may be able to get some restitution that way. Rust repair upgrades paint etc and do not forget your time @ say whatever your hourly wage is. That would be a huge deterrent for someone trying to pull a scam.

 

 

Mike

 

Thanks a lot guys for the insight. I have kept a receipt of everything that I have bought in regards to this car, down to receipts for degreaser.

 

The previous "titled" owner has not been in contact with the car in so long that I figure with the bonded title, I will be able to make the 3 year limit no problem. Just have to talk to my insurance agent tomorrow and get everything sorted out.

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  • 3 weeks later...

A quick update fellas. I know it has been a long time since I posted but it has been busy. Been getting a lot of overtime lately + my last weeks of my summer semester so it has been hard to put aside some time for the BRAT.\

 

I attempted to wrap the oil pressure sender screw with teflon. That thing is tiny, it's like 3/16 of an inch to work with. I wrapped it up and it still is leaking pretty badly, so I will be needing a new oil pressure sending unit.

 

I also discovered a new oil leak. My oil pan gasket is leaking towards the front of the engine pretty badly as well so I will have to remove the pan and get a new gasket for that.

 

The previous titled owner is being a wongleflute and he is not contacting me despite me giving him all of my information, some of which I probably did not even know about myself. I also told him I would be willing to pay for everything. All I really need from him is his signature, and he won't even give me that. Nor is he showing any interest in the BRAT so it's not like he's being a wongleflute because he wants it back, he's being a wongleflute just to be a wongleflute.

 

I can't weld anything up until I can get this on the road, and at this point, it might be a while because this guy refuses to help me out.

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