bglombowski

Hello all, I suppose I could do hours of research, but maybe it's quicker to just ask. I recently bought my first soobie, an '86 brat with an EA-81. When starting it "cold", it seems to be missing on one cylinder and idles at about 1100rpm. It spits a little bit of oil and smoke out the tailpipe. Not huge amounts, more like a very light mist. After a few minutes of driving then stopping, it idles at 2000-2300rpm. After a few more minutes it seems to be running normal like one would expect with plenty of power (relatively). When it's warmed up good, there's no apparent smokey exhaust. But then, it idles down a little too low and stalls if I don't feather the pedal. I replaced the spark plugs and wires. Should I now replace the cap/rotor? I also just installed a missing preheater hose that goes between the exhaust and intake. No difference there. I don't know what kind of gas mileage I'm getting because I don't fill it up all the way because there's a minor leak near the top somewhere. I'll figure that out later. I'm guessing the mileage is about 28-30mpg. So does anybody know these engines so well that they can help me?:-\:-\

Sometimes my wife sort of says the same thing, only this time I bought an '86 BRAT (3 weeks ago). She's not mad at me at all. As a matter of fact, I think she's a little worried about me. I've always had new cars, and lately have been getting tired of payments and insurance and mediocre gas mileage. She's thinks I'm crazy, but I feel great. I own the Brat free and clear, the insurance is about a buck a day, the gas mileage is much better than my Chevy Tahoe and best of all, it's fun to drive. So next time she tells me "do whatever you f**** want", she'll probably suggest some restrictions.:-\

The thread is titled "Shifter in brat is sloppy, like joe" so I interpret that as "Sloppy Joe" which is a hot sandwich we eat in the U.S. made of ground beef and seasoned tomato sauce served on a bun. Later.

I got the Brat home. Towed it 727 miles. It was pretty much uneventful. It stayed on the dolley just fine. This is my first Brat, and so far, I'm impressed. Really looking forward to tinkering with it and driving it.

You guys are awesome! Thanks for the advice. I got the brat from eBay. It's in western Wisconsin and I'm in the thumb of Michigan. Here's the funny thing... my wife though it was silly to spend money on a Brat. Now she wants me to be as carefull as possible with it, hence she suggests using a tandem axle trailer as opposed to using my brother's dolley. In the interest of getting better gas mileage, I'll take the advice from all of you and use the dolley. As far as the IQ, I know what you're saying. There's all kinds of people out there. Sometimes you just have to repeat yourself, maybe with different words, until they get it. As for me, I'll admit when it come to Subarus, I'm a "ball of twine." Please bear with me as I learn. Thanks again and I'll report how well the trip went. I plan to go this weekend.

Hello all, Well, I just couldn't wait. I bought a stock '86 brat with manual trans. I read some of the other threads about towing, but just want to make absolutely sure it's o.k. I plan to use a tow dolley under the front wheels. The total tow distance is 720 miles. Is it really o.k. to tow it that far. Also, to clarify a previous thread that said it should be in FWD. does that mean "four wheel drive" or "front wheel drive". Can you tell I'm new? The thread went on to say leave the trans in neutral. Please respond. I also have the option to use a tandem axle trailer which would be the best solution except for getting worse gas mileage. Thanks, Brian

Thanks guys. You're right, I'll pass. I had no particular interest in a Justy, but was wondering if it was a good enough deal to pursue. Hopefully, it's a "good fit" for someone else.

I just saw a 1990 Subaru Justy for sale in Detroit metro Craigslist for $600 OBO. It appears the ECVT (transmission) is shot. What is this really worth? I assume you'd have to do a manual trans swap, right? Is that possible? Are there transmissions available to make the swap? Cost? Car is said to be in great shape otherwise. 70K miles. Thanks, Brian

Sorry to hear about your brat and thanks for the offer to help. So far, I'm impressed with the people and the knowledge here on this forum. I think I'm gonna like this community. Thanks again!

I kinda figured rallies would be scarce in our area. My interest in owning a BRAT is developing. It's only a matter of time. I still have to learn what to watch out for before buying. Until then, I'd like to find someone who has a BRAT that will let me stop in for a visit so I can check one out. I guess you could call that a rally.

O.k. I'm interested, but I'm still new and... I'm married ($$). Can you see my dilemma? Seriously, my original plan was to buy sometime in mid 2007. However, my plans could change. Until then, I'd like to gather more info. Can I see some pics or talk about it a little more. I'm at work from 7:00-3:30 (Eastern time) Mon-Fri. Maybe PM me or (810) 388-2512. Thanks.

Hello all, I'm new here. Does that make me a soobie newbie? Although I've always been a diehard Chevy fan, I've always had an interest in BRATs. I think I want one, but I suppose there's a lot to learn first. My intention would be to have a daily driver that looks good, maybe even real good. I have the tools and experience to restore vehicles, but what do I need to know before I buy. I like the idea of a turbo, but are they a headache? What issues (mechanical/electrical/body/frame) should I be aware of that aren't obvious? Should I stick with a manual trans or are automatics o.k? Are parts readily available? What's the going $$ for a decent drivable BRAT. I've seen ~$2k all the way up to $5k. Also, where can I find any BRAT nearby that I can actually see and touch? I'm in Port Huron, MI which is about one hour north of Detroit. Any answers or reference to other threads is appreciated. Thanks, Brian