Montana Derek

Ok, here is a picture of my current situation. Will that crack above the stud cause coolant to leak out? Is there a sealer or epoxy I can use to coat the crack no nothing leaks out? GD, if you read this, what size tap should I use to drill this out? [/img]

I know this is an old tread, but after researching archived treads, this one appears to address what I'm currently dealing with. My engine is an EA81 and the top part of the lower thermostat bolt snapped off. I was able to slip off the the housing. I wish I could weld a nut to the remaining part of the stuck stud, but I don't have access to a welder. To make matters worse, I used a chisel and a hammer to try to cut a notch on the top part of the stud (in order to use a flat head to unscrew). Well, the chisel slipped off and slammed the block the housing bolts to, and now I see a crack. I will take a photo and upload. I need advice. I think my easiest option is to use a dremmel, and cut off the portion of the stud sticking out and re-tap. What do you think? I really like this little brat and the engine runs so good. I don't want to screw anything up any worse. There's an independent subaru shop here in Billings, and I'm thinking of just having them help me out.

I was wondering about that.....interesting. I saw those online and they looked beefy.

Thanks for the info. I now realize you have to type in the part number and can't use the vehicle year and model as most online parts vendors for genuine subaru parts don't have drop down options for an 82 brat. I can't stand the local subaru dealership but I bit the bullet and stopped by there today and ordered the thermostat and gasket. $24.20 was the total. He had the screen turned around and it showed their cost of $12 and change. Whatever.....

I am having a heck of time finding a genuine subaru thermostat and gasket for my 82 Brat online....does anyone know of a good online store that has these?

Great feedback regarding paintscratch.com!! I was one click away from ordering a can of spray paint from them. I began to waver when it said the paint for my year of vehicle was a two stage. I started seeing dollar signs and backed off. Its good to know that they are good to work with and put out a good product. Thanks again for the feedback... Red92, I like you comments about finding a color that is easily available. It would definitely be convenient to have a color that matches 100% with gloss white Rustoleum since I seem to always have at least 3 cans in my garage at all times...lol. We have a local store here in Billings which is called Big R Shiptons. It's a farm/implement/hardware/sporting goods/western wear/everything store. I was looking at their farm machinery paint and debated on buying some of that stuff...that stuff holds up pretty well and with the temperature extremes here in Montana, it's definitely an idea...

Has anyone sourced a good, trustworthy website to purchase Subaru OEM color spray paint? My local O'Reilly's doesn't carry any subaru colors...they have a few Toyota whites which are close. Has anyone used any other shades of whites that are close to Subaru Porcelain white (82 Brat)? Right now, my front left fender is Rusteleum flat white and it looks terrible.

Sorry for the poor quality on the pictures. As you can see below the rust on the left wheel well is much worse. I want to know what your opinion is to the severity of the rust? How should I fix it? The shock towers seem ok but I have no experience with rust. I tried to take an angle grinder and grind away all the loose stuff and then I put some POR 15 on it but I obviously didn't do a thorough job. Should I cut out more and have someone weld in some new metal? Should I try to have someone cut a well from a parts Brat so I can have that welded in? The exterior is clean which is weird. The right wheel well is not as bad. Any feedback you can provide will help immensely. [/img] Left wheel well [/img] Left inside view [/img] Rust on right wheel well [/img] Right inside view

Perfect!!! Ok, so the grill I have is for the round headlight setup on the STD/DL wagon/hatch. Did this set-up come on these vehicles from 1980 - 1984? Or were they available after '84?

I recently purchased the grill below from ebay. The guy I bought it from purchased it from someone on ebay who had it listed as a front grill for an 1983 Brat. The guy then re-listed on ebay as a grill for a 1982 brat. Stupid me, I should have looked at the photo more carefully before buying because this grill does NOT fit my 1982 Brat DL. If I would have looked at the ends, I would have noticed they are rounded. I need to re-list this item on ebay but I want to make sure I identify the year correctly as I don't want yet another person buying this thing only to realize is doesn't fit! This thing is brand new and has never been used. The emblem is still in it's original packaging. Is this thing maybe for a 1980/81 round headlight set-up. Any help or advice you can send my way would be much appreciated. [/img] [/img]

Hey Moosen, so you're orginally from Portland, OR and now living in Montana? Same here...

Nice work! What year is your MV1800 (Brat)? I would guess 1982 by the headlights but it looks newer. Very nice!

I have owned four EA81 brats in my lifetime and I have never seen so many used brats for sale as I have seen these past two months...am I way off my perception?

The guy said he would take $45 for it. I decided to pass on it because it was dented up and I ended up buying the A style pushbar. Yeah, I agree...anything we are able to mount on these bumpers will not do much if you hit a deer or antelope at full speed.

I know it comes down to personal preference, but I was looking for some feedback on which type of brushguard I should get. I am looking for something that will allow me to mount some lights because driving in Montana once it starts getting dark is very dangerous with all the wildlife roaming around. I also like to go on dirt roads that lead up to the mountains so the extra light output will be nice. However, I want my soob to look good so thus my question to all of you on which brushguard will better suit my needs. The first option is the classic A style pushbar (long style). I am considering purchasing one from SuperBrat he is willing to ship to me here in Montana. The other option is the front end protector with winch mount which I believe was offered in 1983. There is one on a subaru wagon at the local yard that I can snag. This is what it looks like: This is the vehicle the brushguard would be going on...a 1982 Brat DL

Seriously??!!!! Yes!!!, that's awesome! I always thought only the hatch and Brat were interchangeable with the fenders. That's great news...I guess I will be grabbing them then.

Stopped by the local yard today, and found a 83 Wagon with front fenders in great condition. In fact they're white like my brat. I think I know the answer but will the fenders from EA81 wagons interchange with a 2nd gen Brat? I tried to search prior posts but was unsuccessful.

When I lived in Portland/Vancouver/Spokane, Les Schwab was the only place I would go. The closest Les Schwab to Billings is the one in Helena which is about 175 miles away. I looked at the Falken Sincera 185/70/13, but the reviews are not that good. I stopped by the local Tire Factory and the guy quoted me a price of $90/tire for the Hankook W401 185/70/13. That includes mount, balance, stem, and free rotations for the life of the tire. He says they last a long time and people buy them without the studs and run them year round in this part of the country. I think I'm leaning towards those if I'm not able to buy the Nokian Hakkapellitta's currently in the marketplace. Great feedback and info guys...

Perfect!! Exactly the pictures I wanted to see. Thanks very much for the replies. I'm still undecided...

I'm wanting to purchase a good set of tires for my 82 brat. I just had some rims sandblasted and powdercoated...they look awesome. As everyone already knows (i was surprised to find out), the choices out there for a 13" rim are very limited. I've narrowed the tires down to two choices: Hankook W401 winter tires size 185/70/13 or Michelin X Radial all season tires size 175/70/13. The Michelin's are currently on sale at Costco (l love Costco) and the total price for a set of four mounted is $272.32 which is a great price for Michelins. My only concern is that they will look goofy being smaller than stock size. Does anyone have any pictures of the 175/70/13 tires mounted on a subaru so I can see what it looks like? On my five prior EA81 vehicles, I have always run winter tires year round because I like the more aggressive tread. I've either had the 185/70/13 size or the 185/80/13 size.