elcaminokurt

If it was a Cadillac Ambulance I would be all over it! Someday I would like to find an old Ambulance to restore.

Welcome to the board! I love the yellow paint with black decals on your Brat. It looks like a bumble bee! You will find that this message board is a great resource for Subaru owners. Kurt

Permatex makes an aerosol rust converter that turns rust into a paintable black surface. I have used the product with good results. The areosol would make it easy to apply under your car. You could then follow up with a good quality chassis paint. Kurt

If your sooby is pinging, you may need to retard the timing a little bit. Also, it sounds like you may have carbon built up in the cylinders which can cause an engine to keep running even after you shut it off. You can use Seafoam to help remedy this issue; there are directions on the side of the can that call for Seafoam to be sucked directly into one of you vacuum lines such as the line for your brake booster. Cjeck out the can for more details. As far as mice, the smell can be tough to get rid of unless you cean out their nest. I have heard that a bunch of Bounce fabric softner sheets spread throughout the cabin can help to deter mice. Good luck, and enjoy your Subaru, Kurt

Mick, what are you running them on?

Whoa, dark! ........yet funny!

Kara, I am sorry, I don't know what size of fuel line the quadrajets use. I do know that it is very easy to strip out the threads where the fuel line comes into the carb (where the filter is located). I would try soaking the threads with some good penetrating lube, like P.B. Blaster. My El Camino came with a 3.8 v6 that I replaced with a 350. My garb is currently a quadrajet, but I do have a Holley carb that I would like to replace it with. Good luck on your fuel filter, Kurt

What year of El Camino do you have? I have a 1980 that I bought in 1997 for my first car. Someday it will get restored but for now its a good driver. Kurt

Chux, I am so glad to see that this Brat is still in good hands! This is the Brat that first got me interested in Subarus. I look forward to seeing your progress on the truck. Best of luck, Kurt

Square cups? Just kidding. You could try to line the bottom of the cup holders with a slip resistant material. Maybe you could cut up one of those dash pads that you put your cell phone on, so it does not slide around. Alot of companies give these out as promotional items, and they seem to have good grip. Kurt

You may want to check your cat converter. It may be plugged up, which can cause similar symptoms to yours. Kurt

I bought new tires for my Brat last summer. I really wanted white letter tires, but the tire dealer I went through was unable to locate any. I know it sounds hokey, but have any of you tried the tire paint pens? Or, has anyone heard of other methods of getting the white letter look? Thanks, Kurt

Thank you for pointing this out, I had meant to include that but I guess I was just too excited! That tidbit will help people avoid 9 minutes of Prestone, Avis and USPS Stamp collecting commercials! BTW, I realize that I have an extra "t" in the Brat on my title, but I cannot figure out how to edit that.

Sorry if this has been posted before! Subaru Brat commercial with Ruth Gordon (Maude from "Harold and Maude"). It is neat to see the Brat brand spakin' new! Plus, Ruth adds a little humor to the sales pitch. My favorite line is "It's a window!". Also of interest, the brand new Subies driving off the boat at the end of the commercial. Enjoy! Kurt

You should take up a collection! I am so entertained watching this thread, I would gladly donate a few bucks! If everyone here chipped in a few bucks, you would be on your way in no time!

Before I start into this message, just let me say that I know one of the best filters out there is the Subaru filter. However, for some of us, it is just not practical to be able to pick up a Subaru filter. That is why I had been using the Carquest, or Wix filters. I had always used a Carquest 85361, which is a Wix 51361, on my 86 Brat. I am in the middle of doing an oil change/ valve cover gasket project. I noticed that the new 85361 filter is quite a bit wider than the 85361 that I took off. It also looks like the gasket size is a little different. Has anyone else come across this? Has anyone else found a fliter that is closer to the older size? I just don't feel comfortable using this filter, with the size difference and all. What are your thoughts? Thank you, Kurt

I think the new Mini's definitely have a quirky, english rally appeal. I like all the ways you can customize them right from the dealership (ie roof decals, fog lights, etc). When they first came out, they had alot of fun advertisments in magazines. One was a coupon for some Krispy Kreme donuts, the thought being that you could bribe your way out of a speeding ticket with said Mini. Plus, it was a blast to watch them in The Italian Job. That being said, I think they are cool for someone else to drive, but i don't think that I could pull it off. Kurt

Welcome to the board! This link: http://www.indysworld.com/80s/general/USRM/Transmission/Governor/ATgovenorclean.htm should tell you everything you need to know to fix your transmission shifting problems. Been there, done that. Kurt

Just to put this in perspective for those of you who live in Subaru country: There are hardly any older Subarus running around Minnesota, let alone Brats. I think there is one by Rochester, and I know there are a few in the Twin Citys area, but they are a rare bird for sure. So tonight, my wife and I take her 09 Forester to run to the library. On our way there, we were slowing down for a red light. As we approached the light, we saw a Brat coming twoard us. At first, we were speachless! Then my wife said, "Did someone steal your Brat?" I could tell it was not mine because it had trim rings on the wheels. I circled around the block as quickly as possible so I could get back on the road that the Brat was on. The person that was driving must have been clipping along, because we lost sight of them after they crested a hill. We we able to regain sight of them just as they were pulling into a parking lot for a strip mall. The person parked, and went in to a mexican resturant. We parked next to the Brat and hopped out to inspect it. It looked like a dark blue-grey, but it was so dark that it was tough to tell. After consulting with McBrat's color charts, I belive it was a 1985 Midnight Blue with the red Brat stripe. It was pretty beat up, with rust holes in the rocker panels and over the rear wheel wells. It had Wisconsin plates. Inside, a dog was sitting in the passenger seat. I wanted to meet this fellow Brat owner, but no one was coming back out of the resturant. We decided to risk it and run home quick so we could grab my Brat. We did, and when we got back the Brat was still there. We waited for a little bit longer, and no one was coming out of the resturant. I decided to go in and ask a server if he might know who owned it. He did not understand much english, and I don't think he understood what I was trying to ask. Because I couldn't wait all night, I left a note under the wiper for the owner to give me a call. Again, to some this might not be a big deal, but for me it was huge! I will keep everybody updated as the story continues. Kurt

Welcome back! We can't afford to loose any of the vintage Subaru enthusiasts from the Midwest! What have you currently got in your stable? Kurt

I run a set of these on my Baja, and I love em! I live in Minnesota, and I have had good luck with them on ice as well as snow. I would also recommend them. Kurt

I would be interested in the blue map light! PM me with a price and payment info. Thanks! Kurt

Sorry i couldnt make it this year guys. I had to cover a weekend shift for one of my co-workers. She is very pregnant, and she got put on bed rest Friday. Hopefully I can make an Iowa trip sometime this summer and stop and visit everyone. I hope everyone had fun! Kurt

Anybody bringing radio controlled Brats? I can bring mine!

Wow, a Brat and a Ranchero in the same scene! Thats great!