DPDISXR4Ti

Has anyone found a reasonable replacement for the bushings/speed-nuts that fasten the sheet metal screws used on the side panels and taillights? (that's a mouthful!) I popped a couple of them into place for the taillights, and "pop" is probably an optimistic term. Even after putting a little grease on them, they just didn't want to get in there. If they didn't crack, the damn metal started bending instead! I don't know if they've expanded a bit with age or what, but I'd love to find a better solution if someone has found one.

Thanks Miles, but I figured it out last night by trial and error. I know you've got at least a couple wrong, as I specifically recall that green w/ yellow is the backup light. I remember that one since the bulb was burned out AND the reverse switch isn't working, so it was kicking my butt more than the others.

Can someone help me out and tell me the function of each of the 5 wires that goes to the Brat taillights? Representative wire colors for the right side are: Red w/ Blue stripe Black Green Green w/ Yellow stripe Green w/ Red stripe Alternatively, the relevant schematic would certainly suffice as well. Thanks much...

Hey Paul- Have you visited the MCA Forum lately where I've got this documented? I think it's up to page 25 now with over 20,000 hits! I try to visit here every now and then and post some pics, but time is tight these days. I can't really think of anything I need Brat-related at this point. Junkyard Psycho that I am, I've already got a second set of many items including the tail-lights, rear windows, tail-gate, etc. Hell, I've got two sets of T-roofs and I ended up not using any!

Okay, that makes sense. So basically the gasket and windows get "assembled" first, and then installed as one. I've got silicone spray, so that's what I'll use. Thanks...

I've heard about using rope to pull a window into place, but haven't a clue what's really involved. Any details? I'm guessing that the gasket goes in place first and then the windows are fitted, rather than trying to fit both as one "assembly", yes?

Correct. Actually a Merkur XR4Ti here in the States. If you've got some time, you can read about the whole project here: http://forum.merkurclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2639

Anyone have some real-world pointers on what works best for re-installing the sliding rear window set in a 2nd gen Brat?

Awesome project! My approach also yields a deeper cabin length, since the native platform I'm building my "XRBrati" on is longer than the Brat. I'd say it's about 6" longer than the Brat, but that's just a guess. Here's the current status - shooting to have it road-worthy within the next 30 days!

Awesome! Done! Thanks!!!

Excellent - thanks!

Does anyone know how the rear bumper comes off these things? There's a bunch of screws for the cover on the top side that you can see, but can't access. That tells me that the whole bumper needs to come off as a complete assembly, and then the cover. Any details appreciated, including tools required, as the car is not in my possession. Thanks...

Neat! Did you fabricate the metal you needed, or did you "borrow" it from some othe car? I can't tell from the pics - does the tailgate still work, or did you make that solid around the back?

Trust me, nobody wants it done more than me!:-p

Thanks, yea, the suspension is going to need to step up and do it's job, cause the chassis ain't moving one bit!

No way. You need to be of age to get a pilot's license.

Did you miss my post?

This one is a no-brainer - you need to build a Pitbull Gyrocopter. http://classics.nu/pitbull/pitbull.html

Okay, done!

Figured it was time for an update.... You can see some of the other updated pics here... http://forum.merkurclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2639&start=270

Not really. The structural part is mostly from the Merkur. I left the center part of the Brat T-roof in place, but it's not doing much. The whole roof will be re-skinned with a donor from a solid roof Merkur that I already have. Not quite sure what you mean, but there was no "bending to fit". It was "simply" a matter of cutting the bodies until they matched up. From the waist-down, it's all XR stuff. Of course the Brat transmission doesn't bolt up, but it would be a silly idea to replace a reasonably strong gearbox with a weaker one any way. It's all RWD, so nothing is transversely mounted.

It's been awhile since I've posted in this thread, so I thought it was time, now that the two structures are permanently bonded together. Here's a link to the whole thread, but you may want to jump ahead to about page 13 in the interest of time. http://forum.merkurclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2639&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Okay, good, that's what I was hoping - I should have that chunk of sheet metal around somewhere, unlike the doors which are now in a different state. Did you ever use those Paul? Thanks!

Sounds like a silly question, but seeing as how my Brat is in pieces (much of which I still own), I'm trying to remember if the VIN tag was located on the door, or the door jamb. Obviously I'm not talking about the one on the dashboard - I actually have that right here in front of me. Thanks...

Okay, we have a winner (or loser, in this case), so no more callers! Just confirmed that what I have is an open 3.90. This question got raised by a friend of a friend who has a Datsun 510, and indictes that 80's Subbie rears are plug-n-play swaps. Paul, I bet it's 154K, but if you get a VIN I can check. The early dashes all crack, so that's not at all surprising. I know someone in BP that might be interested (if the price is uber-right), so it could be a fit.