Jones the Brat

Hi all Well, its finally warm enough to work outside and until I build the workshop for the wood-working kit then the garage is full of sawdust, ho-hum. SubiBlue's had a tummy ache and couldn't keep her food down - petrol absolutely pouring out. Not good. So, up she goes. Note strategic use of oak block... I'm quite averse to being squidged its so difficult to clean up afterwards. OK, tummy-tank out. Doesn't actually look too bad but its got to go. Usual tale, no replacement tanks to be had at a decent price. so i had a word with a local guy who prepares rally cars. Ooooh, nice and half the cost of shipping over a pattern steel tummy-tank. Yum. Arse, apparently I'm too busy to fit it all together for a while. Something about too much play and not enough work... Will post post-op pikkies later. Toodle pip

Hi guys. Not sure if this qualifies.... but. As a way of putting off the fairly urgent resto of my MV 1800 (UK Brat) I started by doodling some paintjobs Will also be liveried when I've finished... Its blue at the moment but I'm leaning towards the green with Y Ddraig Goch (The red dragon of Wales) on the flanks. Still dreaming.

Hey, thanks for the replies, guys. I'd read about people welding them up solid, but it does seem a little less drastic to sqeeze 'em a little - good idea. I had hoped to be able to use something to provide a little more comfort though. There are loads of uprated bush/mount kits and parts for Imprezas that I was hoping could fit or maybe modified to fit. I need to get the Sooby driveable asap with the intention of starting work on it in the spring. Here are the current mounts: Left side: no rubber at all and making quite a racket. Right side: a little rubber remains. Hopefully I can start working through the whole car in spring and give it a new lease of life for the summer. Hwyl (Welsh for 'have fun') PS this is why I'm waiting for spring...

Hi there, My 1993 MV 1800 (UK version of the Brat) has chewed through the gearbox mounting rubbers. What are the chances, if any, of my using standard mounts from a newer Subaru as replacements as I'm having difficulty finding any original EA81 bushes / mounts? Any ideas anyone?

But wouldn't you need a pansy to collect the oilsey when you drain it? Hello, by the way...

Well, now then, where to start? I need to learn how to sort out the bodywork. It doesn't look too bad in the pics but there's some rust in the rear wheelarches and a little on the pickup bed and the nearside front wing - that's the one you can't see in any of the pics - is torn and creased. Its been a working car, its lightly battered all over just like fried cod from a fish and chip shop. (I expect that little joke is meaningless outside the UK) The fuel tank is beyond repair and is the reason it was destined for the scrapyard. I'm considering my options on that one... I'll have to replace the wheel bearing soon and I fancy making a roll bar that I can fit the mountain bikes to. Other than that I'm hoping to get some ideas from the forum.

Well, there's always cheating... this should be the car, then... and this is my wife mixing cement in a bucket - on the tailgate... and this is the morning after the cement thing - see what happens when you desecrate a pickup!

Well hello Bratman18, thanks for the quick reply. As to pics - the little button thingy only looks for a web link, not to my poot, and there's the bit at the bottom that says: 'You may not post attachments' Doesn't bode well for working on the pickup if I can't work out how too upload pics, does it?

S'mae / Hi Finally got a car that my wife likes! Our neighbour was about to scrap his pickup, which he'd had from new, and when I said I'd quite like to patch it up and use it for our work - he gave it to us!! Mind you, the fuel tank leaks and it blew a wheel bearing yesterday but that's just 'character' right? Like its just testing me... Its a 93 MV 1800, by the way and I reckon its better known as a Brat or a Brumby. I'm new here, so not allowed to upload pics yet. Meanwhile, I'll be working out what needs doing and, er, doin' it! Possibly.