Subaruist

This is for pretty much any Subaru Brat. It has almost undoubtedly been done before, but here's my scheme... I have some small speakers from a home theater, in a case that is only a couple inches tall, over a foot wide, with I think 6 - 8 small speakers in each. This is pretty simple for some front speakers, but the better part is the rear speakers. I am working on replacing the rear window - the center will still have/be glass for the rear view mirror, etc. but on the sides will be either tempered hardboard, Plastic plate, or aluminum plate, matching the thickness of the former glass. On each side, behind each ear, on that plate I mount individual speakers by choice, and then maybe figure out covers for the backs of them. It would be best to have some kind of compensation for weight if speakers with heavy magnets are used, just to make things easy on the weather stripping, and not over time easing out of the slot(s) in it for the former glass. This will use ZERO space in the cab and allow multiple speakers to be used, depending on thier size. The only real difficulty I forsee is the front/rear balance or fade, where the front speakers will have to be louder than normal, or the rear speakers more likely kept much quieter in order for the rear speakers, just behind the ears to not overpower the front speakers. I am pretty sure that this will work in both the single pane of glass windows, and the sliding glass windows, but with sliding glass windows, there should effectively be two slots in the weatherstripping to use, which multiplies the possibilities, such as what to use for a speaker grill, etc. I am definitely doing this, and will continue to look for other possibilities, but the speakers in the door facing/against the seat was a bad idea, and no speaker in my vehicle will be so poorly placed! Speakers need to be where they need to be for good sound, not where is is most convenient, or anywhere you can cram one. I am also considering either sub-woofers under the seats, which would be partly muffled, of course, but better would be transducer type subwoofers, which can work through solid materials, such as possibly the frame of the seat, or maybe the floor, which might not work well.

What a sight! What a sight!

Ok, I looked to make a very careful choice of where to post about this - but the forum having to do with stereo stuff is closed, cannot start new topic. I checked Subaru Modifications, that does not seem the right forum either. So you guys who are preoccupied with exactly what forum such a thread should be posted get to say where I post about it - but I will not wait long, and once I do post it where suggested, that's that. Where should I post about a solution to speakers in a Brat ???

Your suggestion would, in fact, work - not just work, but work every bit as well as you may have imagined! - There is only one very small problem... It would cost about $3,000.00 in plastic tool dip! lol... - But I love the idea just the same! Just think of the possibilities and the problems it could solve! - You might not even need weather stripping anymore! lol... - you could make it more or less in one piece, carefully peel it off in one piece, do with again a different color, and next thing you know, you go into the garage and say: "Well, I dunno... Should it wear the blue or the red today? - Awe hell, I'll go with stripes this time!" lol....

I have a choice, what should be an easy choice, but there is what other people think.... - Yeah, I know, what other people think is __________. Here's the choice: When/as I begin to paint my Brat, one choice is easy. It is mostly white, but becomes mostly Blue - Navy Blue, Royal Blue, and flourescent or metallic blue striping, interior similar. The other choice os something I did once beforfe but never did the detail... Where I loved, I had two brats (at a time), and the management did not like me having one in the driveway not being driven. They tried to get me by saying that is was not in running condition, which was a really bad bet against a subaru! Then they made issue when I did not keep both registered - that ticked me off because it cost me money. Then they tried to come up with a new rule that nobody could have two vehicles in a two vehicle driveway, just because of me, and that REALLY ticked me off! - Not a good thing to do, lol.... So When I won my final victory, I painted one brat Day-Glo lime green, kinda like the pic below (not like the brat in the phto, just the paint color, lol) What I never did was detail it at all... I have this 'thing' inside me that wants it to be Day-Glo Lime Green, with fine, subtle details that make it look repile/insect like, and then the 8 1/2 foot long whip antennas, would make it look like a giant Aphid !!! I love this idea, I really, really do! It would be more than unique and cool, it would look just as good on the street as it would out in the mountains off-roading!!! BUTT.... Would you drive such a vehicle to a job interview, or an important business meeting if the people concerned would likely see you arriving in it ??? - and that is the killer. The thing would be a spectacle to say the least, maybe too much of a spectacle. This would not a car taken out only on special occasions, this would be my main vehicle for almost everything. Would this look stupid or foolish or just plain silly? - I already feel like that's a dumb question, but the Day-Glo Lime Green in me says no...

Future developments rapidly approaching.... I have ordered a bunch of stuff, I went too damned far in the candy stores, and spent a little more money than I should have - but that never happens to you guys, right? lol... Insect Antennas! Two 8 1/2 foot stainless steel mobile whip antennas, which can pick up just about anything, but will be used for vairous things, including long-range control FPV private drones. I WAS going to bolt these onto the front slope of the canopy, (Like a couple of Bug antennas - yeah, I'm definitely not the first to do this, lol) but was also considering somehow securely bolting them onto the cab somehow, (difficult with a T-Top) so They are there whether I have a canopy or not - and since someone just asked to buy the canopy, this issue has just taken a step up. I would appreciate any ideas on how to mount these on the cab or windshield struts, like insect antennas. - Yes I will likely have to cut them down, as they will likely stretch back past the rear of the subaru (when strun down) and look even more ridiculous if I don't cut them to ideal length. I have checked with the DX'ers about doiing this, no harm to antennas or reception to speak of. Added to these will be heavy flex springs, and a particular kind of antenna "fold-over" adapters, rigged in a way so that if I have these strung down over the top toward the back, and I back up into trees, etc, the 'foldover' will at worst be the only thing compromised or broken, will likely not be broken, and will enable me to fold them forward to make space for a private drone to land. (I am getting real heavy into private drones.) I mistakenly ordered what were supposed to be LED alternative tail light bulbs, but got ones that are not much bigger around in the socket than a AA battery! - what the hell uses these little tiny model/miniature little light bulbs anyway ?!? (Rhetoric question). Otherwise useless to me, I am ordering a couple of particular sockets to mount them on the ends of the antennas, and have some fine silver speaker wire to run up to them (also checked with the DX'ers on antenna performance). LED lights! I also ordered a bunch of LED alternative bulbs for just about everything on the brat, both white, blue, and appropriately colored for dash, tail, turn signal, etc. lights, all around. I also ordered 4 or 8 of these things that are basically a chrome hump with two LEDS facing out one way to highlight whatever, and are also windshield wiper sprayers also facing the other direction. Two will be used for actual windshild sprayers. The other two? - that can spray.... people or other cars? - like tailgaters? Mwa ha ha ha... I'm sure I will find a use for them, lol.... Plans for the lights and future paint detail... Every other subaru I have owned was an off-roader. Never meant to be pretty, often beat the hell out of, but this one says "Street". Paint: Lower section, below trim: Navy Blue. Upper section, top, interior: Royal Blue. Highlights/striping: Flourescent, metallic, or metalflake med to light Blue. Some white may be left, undecided. I can;t do anything with the hood, because in the relatively near future, I hope to have single or double hood scoops, but ouot of necessity for clearance inside, and if I cna manage to get a dual carb setup with blower or super-chargers, anything but Turbo, as I have been recently convinced by someone here in the forums who definitely knows what they are talking about. T-Tops: The semi-sunken area around the weather stripping, under the T-Top glass when 'popped' - this area I want to be either metallic or flourescent, with a couple of small LEDs highlighting the immediate area. Later: Headlights: Most likely will first go with Halogen conversion, as it cost a lot less than going to straight Xenon, and supplies me with some of what I will need when I eventually do go to Xenon headlights. "Third Eye" headlight - Halogen with blue cold cathode ring, maybe give it a pupil with paint or marker, lol... Wheels: 14" converted Toy' rims with cheap tires ( I sometimes go through tires faster than normal for some strange reason, lol) Transmission: I don;t now what transmission I have, but evenb though it is working,. I have to get rid of it and get better. 1st gear has NO range at all! I will be looking for a 5 speed dual range 4WD if I can swing it. Carb: Dual carbs, etc (Mentioned above) Webbers, unless blowers/Super-chargers requite something different.

Update on the care of the Brat... I know people like 'before' and 'after' pics, and I do too, but let's face it, unless its a story of a wreck turned into a show car, who really wants to see pics of dirt and dirty/greasy stuff anyway? - I don't. The other day I went to the car wash to use the vaccums and do the carpet, and I was going to take before-and-after pics of that, but did not have the camera I thought I did, so it didn't happen, The kind of before-and-after pics I am interested in is first the basic vehicle, then what it done with it over time. I spent over 2 hours at the car wash, just on the carpet - no washing the car or anything else. I pre-spotted the carpet with half a bottle of simple green, then used the "Hot foam carpet scrubber" on it, followed by the vaccum.... Lather, vacuume, repeat... Lather, scrub, vaccum, repeat..... Lather, scrub, scrub, scrub, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat..... Much of the carpet was basically mud with a slight carpet backing. It just did not want to come out! I finally got the vast majority of it out, but it's still got some in it - but there was actual carpet underneath it! I've let it dry out for the last couple days before putting the floor mats down. I want to also put the seat and steering wheel covers on, but am worried that doing a lot of mechanickery will unltimately end up with grease stains, no matter how I do things, short of being ridiculous. Also, I have a plan for the seat covers which makes it all but impossible to simply take them off when I work on it and putting them back on afterward... I have some of that grippy foam stuff they sell for almost anything, the kind that is little pillows of grippy foam and holes - I have the larger,courser kind of this stuff. I will cut and place this grippy foam on the seat before installing the seat covers, so that the covers stay put a lot more, and will twist or mis-align as little as possible when I get in or out of the car, etc. Then, after putting the seat covers on, I will use a couple of well chosen matching bungie cords around the seat where the seat and back meet. I am also looking for matching blue flat/strap bungies to place around the mid-back of the seat, and some extra something to go under and around the seat base, as the usual little, nearly useless elastic bands seat covers tend to use are just not adequate. I'd appreciate any further ideas on how to force seat covers to stay put, short of spray glue, which I am getting tempted to use as well, lol... Yesterday was a day of hell. Subaru down, where it could not be left - had to push it uphill. Good thing it was a little subaru, but my legs were toast afterward. Had nobody to call, so I had to walk almost 2 miles to find a bus stop going in the right direction, get a transfer, blah blah, get my van and come back to help the Brat. Long story short - oit took all day, but I got it back on the road. Rather than detail all that happened, I wil make a list of what has been replaced over the last few day so far... REPLACED: Battery, both battery cables, starter, alternator, exhaust 'Y', - I just hit a perturbed brain cell, much like a bad sector on a Hard Drive, and cannot remember any more, and don't think I want to, lol... ( Oh... the pain....) Next to replace in near future: Carb, rest of exhaust with dual exhausts and glasspacks, custome tailpipe ends, etc. As much of the interior as I can come across - it really is bad - at leats to me it is, lol....

Oh oh.... Temptation.... First, the canopy is not perfect, the rear hatch hinge leaks - simple fix; the window screens are gone, as well as the trim normally around the edges - but you can probably see that in the pics and know these things anyway. Otherwise, it seems in good condition. It was rife with dirst and soot, and it took quite a lot of pressure washer to clean it up, lol... Here's where I stand on this - I have a roller coaster of mixed emotions about the canopy.... One one hand, I have plans where a canopy would be a good thing to have - but I could get by without it if I had to. On the other hand, I think my Brat would look better without it. On th left foot, It keeps stuff I want to keep in the back fairly secure - but again, but I could get by without it if I had to. On the right foot, I could use the money, expecially if you had any really tempting parts/accessories to throw in on the deal. If You can either make me an offer in cash that I cannot resist, I'll probably go for it. If you can offer cash and parts I really want, I'll definitely let it go! - Send me a PM with an offer or two... What might be really cool is if more than a couple people could meet up at some mutually convenient location and have a Bar-B-Que, get-together, and parts swap! - Now that I could really get into!

- Does this qualify as repeating yourself ??? lol....

That does seem high, but I'm guessing that these engines are no longer being made, thus the high price, but it sounds like it would be a good engine. - Free shipping? That's the difference I guess. If it was not going to be shipped, pick-up at location, then it might be quite a bit less... - They will consider all reasonable offers ?!?!? Located in Cudahy, WI UH OH!.... Better Business Bureau rating of "F" on scale of A to F - that's not good!.... Reasons for rating: 289 complaints filed against business Failure to respond to 5 complaints filed against business 71 complaints filed against business that were not resolved 5 serious complaints filed against business Overall complaint history with BBB Advertising issue(s) found by BBB Business has failed to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints; Complaints concern delay in shipment and delivery of goods, refund/exchange issues, advertising/selling practice issues and product quality issues. On November 22, 2010, BBB was informed by the company that Engine and Transmission World will be re-organizing their customer service department, and will take further steps to have consumers acknowledge the company's terms and conditions. (( Oh yeah, that's right, blame it on the customers, you BS'ing lowlives )) As of April 2011, the company had not eliminated the underlying cause of the pattern of complaints. BBB continues to receive complaints alleging the above issues. Now THAT's a full plate of BAD BAD BAD !!! - But good effort, Borstsubaru82gl Nonetheless. A good source for engines would be a very good thing, but maybe not from these guys...

Another wealth of good info, and yes, you did answer my question with "And thats not mentioning if a turbo cuts in half way around a corner." Now it makes sense to me! Thank you. You have indeed sold me on alternatives to turbo!

All good points, but I still don't see the thing about turbos and cornering, unless I guessed right in my last post on this......

You just don't give up, do you? So I get involved and that is instead spamming? Freedom of ignorance? - Really??? - Why did you get that title "Official Party Pooper" ??? - No, no, wait, let me guess...... lol...

Did you know that people spend (Random fraction) of their lives reading FAQ's and Eula agreements, and TOS agreements, and... Did you know that people spend (Random fraction) of their lives not finding what they were searching for in the FAQ's and so-called "Help" functions? Did you know that people spend (Random fraction) of their lives on hold, or dealing with voice or button menus ? Did you know that people spend (Random fraction) of their lives waiting in line ? It adds up to about (Absurd percentage) of your life WASTED. I DON'T DO FAQ !!! ( LOL )

- A guy from North Platte, named Wyatt? - sounds kinda dangerous if you ask me, lol....

Why "Holy Hell" about the first pic??? -oops, oh I get it - the wiring... Yep.. Not a pretty sight. I have full electrical Diagrams coming in the mail from Ebay source. I really hate doing electrical work, it has given me nightmares before. The air filter/cleaner/housing/whatever was a better choice, both because the original was ugly and had no rubber ring/gasket, and because this Brat is now past Smog regulations for pretty much anywhere, so I no longer care in the slightest about smog or emissions or what carb or air cleaner to have. One of my last Brats was cursed by the DMV because of a technicality... When I bought a nearly new engine from Japan, I could have gotten a beautiful dual carb engine for only $50 more, total $350, bt NOooooo... I had to be concerned about the smog check, which became a two year nightmare ending in me smuggling it out of the State. So now one of my mantras is that people can choke on my freedom. No more concern for special interest dictatorship or people who align with such things. Slap the weak up-side the head; Hurdle the wounded; Trample the dead; Give the enemy something to dread...

Took me over an hour to get the pics and post posted, was quite aggravating, but I got it done.

Dash mat makes sense, that would explain it. Intyeresting time factor though... enough time for that red dust crust to get into everywhere and accumulate, and also enough time for the dash, before and/or after to also bake into destruction... Of course being a 1983, that means at least 20-25 years possible, assuming just a few years that the dash would stay good from day 1 off the lot... Yep. Looks good on the outside, but the interior is just all but unsaveable, much of the plastic is literally disintegrating in place, hard things to replace, like the vents in the dash. I have some half-way decent vents from another Subaru, but it means either a long aggravating job without taking the dash out, - or taking the whole dash out just to replace the vents, and finding any other little good thing I can do while its out. Not looking forward to that at all... Most things inside work otherwise, have a couple small but serious inconveniences like a non-working gas guage so far... I lucked out on the body. Needs just a little body work on the passenger door, the tailgate, and one rear corner has a small but deep dent that probably will not come out, will have to use bondo to fill it.

This is the lovely nightmare I will soon have to deal with... Zip ties everywhere, holding everything; in some places self-tapping sheet metal screws. Several things/plugs were just plain cut off the main wiring harness, and as you can see, some nice building code wire and wire screw nuts. The interior is all but candidate for completely gutting it, but I can't go that far, so I have to do my best to make it look decent with what I can, like seat covers (already replaced the seats, thx Adam) a dash cover, a couple nice floor mats that match the seat covers and cover(hide) almost every inch of floor/carpet, and a matching steering wheel cover. - But all that will have to wait until I am finished with some mechanickery and yet more cleaning. I have not yet started to SHOVEL the dust/dirt/leaves/etc topsoil on the cab floor or in the bed in back.

Here is the poor Subaru I got just a couple weeks ago... Just the basic pics here - doesn't look too bad for a neglected relic, somewhat fossilized from decades of red dust sediment on the interior, which I had to use a heavy grout brush and even a screwdriver at times to remove. This is after having cleaned it up like three times. There was no point in showing it at its worst when I first got it, it would be nothing you guys have not seen before I'm sure. Funny thing that occured to me... every slightest nook, cranny, crack and screwhole in the interior had this dense red dust crust on and in it, but the dash, aside from being horribly sun-baked, has normal destruction and dust/dirt, but hardly a trace of that red stuff on it. How the hell does that happen ???

I thought I posted pics of my Subaru here, could get no confirmation of that, don't see it at the beginning or the end of the forum list of posts, don;t see it in my "My Content" either - what's the deal? - and don't tell me I'm posting in the wrong forum, I've had quite enough of that today, lol...

Ok... I'm thinking that I'm still not getting this.... I would guess that you are just saying that a particular model had cornering issues, - right? Otherwise I simply do not see how any kind of turbo or other engine gadget would have any effect on cornering whatsoever... I mean, going too fast to take the corner? That would be a lead-foot problem. Gear shifting, definitely, but surely this has nothing to do with turbo, super-chargers, etc, right?

You know what Radio Flyer? I have been joking, but I will not presume that you do not know just what you are doing. Nobody is there to see for themselves but you and your friends and a mechanic, but I also know that the others posting here have a similar sentiment to mine, that thes Subarus, especially the older ones are suprising in what they can take, and how hard they are to kill, so on a serious note, I would suggest checking a couple things by eye personally before writing it off, it might even be worth taking a Head off (depending on model, don't remember yours right now), if there is damage, endeavor to see the actual damage itself with your own eyes, or get a second opinion at least, if not a third. We are talking about something valuable here, worth being sure about. Maybe s it just a PCV or a bad gasket or something, maybe its something that can be repaired once you know for certain exactly what it is. Don't give up yet...

I do put a priority on knowing where other vehicles and objects are, so that I can either (A) miss them, and ( decide not to pull a stunt because there are too many witnesses, lol... Safety?!? - Safety?!? SAFETY KILLS! lol...

Ah! Throw some dirt in the carb, gas, and oil and go racing, the dirt will plug up whatever it is and the engine will fix itself! lol... Yes, I'm kidding, but I actually did have a Subaru with a between-cylinder gap that could not be fixed three times, that actually fixed itself on the road, no kidding. Otherwise, think creatively... I had the thought once of stripping the engine down to the basics, taking all the plastic and hoses and anything that is not metal off, and then sinking it half-way into something for a concrete mold on an angle, using colored concrete or other cement mix, and pressing some kind of skeletal or fossil shapes into it so that I could make it look just like a fossil. It might make an interesting piece of art for somewhere... At worst, you could rig up a pully type cherry picker, and use this engine as near-equal weight to make it easy to lift a good engine out of a similar vehicle.