bleuquila Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 (edited) Hey everyone! I've had my eye open for a brat for a while now because I want a project but I also wanted a small truck. Well, saw a post on facebook recently and leapt into action! Beat out quite a few people by the sounds of it So it's a gen 1, 1978, and a pretty early one as well if I'm reading this right!! So the VIN is A69L-002226 and according to the old Subaru decoder, the first brats started at A69L-002001 so .... is this Brat #225?? Pretty cool if so. It runs although not super well (idle it rough, stalls a lot) and there's some rust of course, but overall I think it's in pretty good starting shape. 4D3C5284 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr It doesn't come with jump seats (will have to find some) it does have a rollbar which is .. similar to factory but custom, but best of all has the snugtop which is in very nice condition! Although it was secured rather strangely -- they used some eye bolts and the little screws that hold on the bed liner panels, which I mean, that can't be right . 4D3C5261 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr I mean there are little hooks right there anyway I'll have to figure out how that's actually supposed to affix. It came with a pile of parts including a spare EJ71 and another transmission, a door and fender, and a whole mess of little things which honestly I can't identify the half of. 4D3C5259 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr 4D3C5372 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr You can sort of see in this picture it has 2 ignitions (?) the one of the left actually works. I have a single tiny little key which I assume doesn't look any doors or anything but honestly haven't tried. 4D3C5332 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Rust 4D3C5312 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr only 1 of the wheel arches is rusted 4D3C5311 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Interior is a crap shoot, the door panels are a mess; 4D3C5294 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr No original upholstery under the seat covers just some weird hand-stitched linen sewn into the foam, the dashboard is obviously very cracked and the drivers side window regulator is broken so it doesn't roll up 4D3C5293 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Whole album here including a lot of the free/bonus parts it came with: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bleuquila/albums/72157658305431823/with/22660516275/ So as a disclaimer, I'm no car restoration expert, just willing to try stuff out and put in the work, so I don't really know what i'm doing at all! I'm sure I'll be asking a ton of questions here. Step one is to get the window in place before winter because I don't have a garage , try and get ahold of the factory service manual (any leads? everything on ebay seems wildly expensive) and try and figure out why it's not idling well, and the fuel delivery feels really unresponsive. There's a U PULL with a 78 wagon down in albuquerque so I may see if I can get a window regulator there to start with. Edited November 1, 2015 by bleuquila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleuquila Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 OH right and here's a question or 2: the jack mounts here right? how does it fit in? I kept rotating it around and nothing looked right. And what is that little blue round thing in the background, doesn't seem to be attached to anything else... 4D3C5286 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicypeanut Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 (edited) I'm liking this project. If you have any other questions let me know and I might be able to help. Check this post to see how the jack is supposed to sit. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/142864-1978-subaru-brat-from-death-to-life-and-everything-in-between/?p=1228736 I'm not sure what the blue circular thing is. Is that supposed to be a brake booster of some sort? Also, it looks like the motor current in the engine bay might have had ac at one point. It looks like the bracket it there for the ac compressor. Edit #2, it looks like this has the newer ea81 motor in it (based on the shape of the air cleaner). The original ea71 air cleaner is circular. Edited November 1, 2015 by spicypeanut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleuquila Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Oh yeah thanks, I knew I had seen a mounted jack somewhere! Did you repaint it that pretty powder blue? And yes, there's definitely a hole for one more belt-driven something, so I figured it was probably AC: 4D3C5409 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr So, turns out the weird little spiral guy (which I have named the appendix) being where it was actually precluded the jack from fitting into its little bracket which is probably why I couldn't figure it out. So I did an appendectomy since the jack seemed a lot more useful 4D3C5412 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Strange that the air cleaner would be a different year, it's definitely an EA71 4D3C5405 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleuquila Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 (edited) Better overall engine bay shot since the first one was terrible: 4D3C5380 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Another mystery: on the pass side exhauster header there's a hose attachment point?? 4D3C5416 by Elisa Baker, on Flickr what .... could that be for? Also maybe that's why when I turn the car off, I get one final terrifying loud backfire and a puff of smoke up through the hole around the shifter Edit: pre-heater hose?? So that's a thing huh. Edited November 1, 2015 by bleuquila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 A flexible exhaust tube runs up from the exhaust to the bottom of the horn on the air cleaner. Meant to send warm air up to the carb to prevent icing i believe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleuquila Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 (edited) Yeah I saw what looked like a matching hose port on the air cleaner I just couldn't understand why you'd want to recycle exhaust through it ...but I guess carbs just really, really hate being cold (I can sympathize with that). Edit - so autozone has the tube but not in stock, so tomorrow. Would this giant opening lead to backfires? Or maybe I should say afterfire, if there's a difference - I mean, I assume yes. Every time I turn the car off, it goes count of one, count of two BANG - huge scary backfire. Which I just had the cops called on me for firing weapons in public which was extremely alarming, coming back to the brat from the autozone and 2 cops with weapons draw telling me to put my hands up, which I would love to never repeat Edited November 2, 2015 by bleuquila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleuquila Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Picked up the preheater hose, hopefully tonight I can get it on. It's hard with no garage and daylight savings strikes and suddenly I have no light in my evenings! Still trying to figure out what this is: Brat appendix by Elisa Baker, on Flickr My buddy thought maybe a horn, and it does have that snail look to it .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grisezd Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 The pre-heater duct on the header shouldn't have exhaust gas flowing through it, just fresh air that is warmed by the hot header. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicypeanut Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Picked up the preheater hose, hopefully tonight I can get it on. It's hard with no garage and daylight savings strikes and suddenly I have no light in my evenings! Still trying to figure out what this is: Brat appendix by Elisa Baker, on Flickr My buddy thought maybe a horn, and it does have that snail look to it .. I really want to know what this is. I can't imagine it would be a horn. Since it looks like it has a vac line on it. Unless it was some sort of air horn... I'm 99% sure that wasn't factory. Just look how it was stuffed into the engine bay. Where did the vac line from it go to? With it installed there, one of the 2 factory horns are shoved up and out of the way. Which I don't believe was correct. The horn pointing towards the sky should be below the other horn facing forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleuquila Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 Yeah, agreed, the factory horns were rotated weirdly and the jack didn't fit with that thing installed. The vacuum hose wasn't connected to anything when I got the car, and I can't find any obvious connection points. I haven't seen a single photo of an early subaru engine bay with this thing, but the blue is a weirdly good match for the air cleaner. I'm going to clean it off and see if I can take it apart any further. The backside just has 2 small bolts. So if the pre-heater duct doesn't actually open to the hot exhaust, maybe that's not the cause of the after-fires? I've been traveling all weekend and haven't tried running it again yet. But I did just get some FSM books looking forward to cracking those and doing some studying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorion Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Was there ever cruise control on these models? That looks vaguely like a cruise control module that I had in an old Volkswagen years ago. Have you opened it up to see what's inside that cylinder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvsarge Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Wow. Looks like you've got quite a project and the enthusiasm to go with it. Which is good. The snug top used those hooks as you suspected from the factory. I've seen the tops attached with all sorts of hardware and methods, so using those eye bolts doesn't surprise me. Just as long as it doesn't move, right? I've a spare set of jump seats if you are really interested in them, but I would honestly address the mechanical and rust issues before worrying about jumpers. You've got quite a lot of work ahead of you, I should know, as mine was close to that state. I've a build thread on it in the member's rides section. Most of the people here are really friendly and VERY knowledgable about old Subarus, so you've come to the right place. Good luck with your build, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 The extra blue air box is on 1980's and some late '79s and early 81's as I recall. It is mounted on the drivers side up top of the wheel arch. Research for more proper info. I'm groggy .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 Ok so now I see the picture.... And you're left without a reason for it. Lol There's an old saying - " I've already forgotten what you haven't learned yet". And it's too true. Charlie would explain it perfectly but maybe some other old head can explain without reaching for the 1980 FSM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleuquila Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) Thanks sarge, I'll check out your build thread. I'm still just sort of gently poking around the car trying to identify parts at this stage! Hopefully in the spring I'll be able to dive into repairing the body panels. Moosens you're right it is an extra air box of some sort I finally got it apart today to see. Brat photo by Elisa Baker, on Flickr There's an empty bracket and pulley where the AC would have mounted apparently so I was theorizing maybe the airbox for the AC system that someone else had removed at some point. Haven't been able to find any specs or details for that AC though (dealer option, right?) So .... anyway, yesterday's embarrassing moment was realized the thing I had been assuming must be the choke is actually the headlight stalk So I guess I still have no idea about the choke. There are 2 switches under the headlight stalk, are they even stock? Currently still trying to figure out the hideous after-fire. I really wanted to blame the ASV after reading about it, but I couldn't find it - maybe already gone? On the airbox, the only inlet that is hooked up to anything right now is the center large one in the pass side cluster of 3, which goes directly to the valve cover on the pass side which ... doesn't seem 100% correct. I haven't found a PCV valve if its in there anywhere! Brat photo by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Brat photo by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Reading the schematic as best I can (depicts the original round air cleaner but I assume they are conceptually the same) it seems like the ASV would plug in here just next to the plugs? and on the airbox on the single nubbin on the drivers side which currently isn't connected to anything. Brat photo by Elisa Baker, on Flickr Anyway if not that still trying to figure how air is getting into the exhaust if that's what is happening Edited November 22, 2015 by bleuquila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Hey I'm thinking that EA71 in the back was your original motor and somebody put the 80 in there. Does the block have EA81 on it up top up front I think? That's an EA81 air box. Both of them actually , as those small round cans only came with the 1800 - if my old brain is correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Ok I saw your block shows EA71 Note the existing large diameter hose and the air box inlet is a bit smaller diameter. 78's has round air boxes with the larger inlet that hose would fit perfectly on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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