Grisezd

Thanks. I figured l should take the boot off for maintenance in any case.

I had another look at it, still with the boot on, and something is definitely keeping the cage from sliding back into the cup. And the outer ring must still be intact because there's a hard stop on the way out too. Can't bear to pull it off today, will wait a bit to hear what you guys come up with.

Hey all. I've removed the right front strut on my 78 brat to replace the torn top mount. Top mount replaced, I find I can't get the bottom of the strut back into the knuckle because I can't swing the top of the knuckle in towards the transmission far enough. That seems to be because the axle is now "too long". Looking at the DOJ, the boot is stretched, and I can feel the inner guts of the DOJ pulling past the cup it rides in by a quarter inch as the knuckle is rocked. Is it possible that I've extended it to much and now it won't retract as it should? One of my manuals shows a lock ring that should prevent that, might it be missing? The boot is intact and I don't want to have to take it off if I don't need to. Also complicating matters, I've only driven the car several feet back and forth and pushed it on and off a trailer, so I don't know if the joint was in good shape to begin with. Is there a way to pop it back in? Or do I need to pull the whole thing off to investigate? Thanks, Dennis

Hey all. I found a company that will make 15in wheels in our 4x140 bolt circle. I can get widths from 5in to crazy wide. I want 15s so I have a better selection of tires, this will be a daily driver and maybe rally-cross toy. I'll run tires as close to the original diameter as possible. Questions: Does anyone see a problem fitting 6 or 7 in wide wheels in the stock fender wells? What offset should I go with? It looks like there's not much room to bring the extra rim width inwards!

It's funny, my Brat needs the seats recovered and I thought about doing plaid centers. I don't think I'd seen factory plaid before!

Doh, I was only looking at oem. Plenty of them if I look aftermarket. KYB has one that goes for nearly $50, no-name or Monroe go for about $30. Can anyone tell me if one is any more durable, fits better, smells better, etc? Should probably replace both and the difference in price is pretty significant for two!

Haven't driven it yet but the right side strut top mount looked bad. Jacked it up today and the strut fell right through it! Glad I decided to go though it first! I'm not seeing that part available online, is that a used-only part? Thanks.

No help here, but those are awesome wheels! Good find.

Moosens, is that prp.com? Limited run or stock item? I'll need a windshield seal when painting time arrives!

Makes sense about the voltage regulator. Now where does that blue/white lead come out of the harness? I'm stumped!

Thanks for confirming. Since my car had the pump removed and a new one lying in the engine bay I'm assuming that's where it belongs, under the spare tire. The hose is cut for that placement as well. Sounds like I need to do more digging for where it comes out of the harness before I get impatient and start splicing!

I traced out the white/red and it is in fact the brake mc reservoir sensor. Not sure why it branches out near the fuel pump but it does. I stabbed a pin in the two blue/white wires that go past the fuel pump and they are 12v switched with the ignition. The confusing thing is that they don't branch out of the harness anywhere near the fuel pump. Ideas?

Hello all. I've just bought a 78 Brat that had the fuel pump removed. Can anyone tell me the color code of the hot (positve) lead to the fuel pump? The Haynes manual says it's blue/white, but the nearest free connection is white/red. Thanks.

Hello all. I'm Dennis. I just bought my first Brat, a 78 that had last been registered in Arizona in 2009. It got shipped to a local guy here in central Ohio and sat in a garage until, well, it's still there. The seller is taking care of the title and arranging a trailer to bring it to me (no, he doesn't have my money yet!) and I should have it in a week. Engine runs sweetly on gasoline dripped into the carb, no idea what condition the fuel tank/pump/carb are in. Brakes are firm and hold the car in place, and the clutch is at least functional. Trans shifts gears, 4WD seems to function, but the best part is that the body is super clean! It's had a Maaco respray in the last decade or so to white (over gold) but I'm not finding bondo, just a few lumpy dents and a small spot of paint bubbling ahead of the RR wheel. Very clean underneath too. I think that if I'm patient enough to clean it up and repaint the whole thing properly before getting it permanently back on the road it's going to last a very long time. I mostly want to keep it stock, with any minor mods going towards a classic rally look, predictable handling, and excellent reliability. When I read that there is a Subaru version of the old "how to keep your Volkswagon alive" book I started feeling very comfortable with the idea of buying an old Subie. I've read bits of it on my phone from the app someone here linked to, but if anyone has a .pdf to share I'd love to see it full size on my desktop! Please let me know how to hook up with one. Aside from making sure the mechanicals are all solid, my first priority is to do what I can to protect this clean body from terminal rust. I live in a salty state, and I want to drive this in the winter. I'd love some recommendations on how to seal this thing up in a way that will look great and stay together for the long haul. I recently ran an old Renault as my daily car for about 5 years and with regular carwashes was able to keep it from degrading in that time, but I'm fearing the Subie tin might be a bit more prone to rust! Thanks, everybody, for keeping this site so active. I've learned a lot already.

Hello folks. I'm Dennis. I just made a deal to purchase a 78 Brat, owner is sorting out his title now and I should have it in a week. It was last on the road in 2009 in Arizona, then sat in a garage in Ohio waiting for me to come along! I'm going to tow it home, but the engine runs, the brakes feel good, and it creeps forward and back just like it should, so I don't think it will be long (tires, inspect/replace brakes, etc.) before it's on the road. I last drove one in the early 1990s, it was a rusty rag in Georgia, or maybe Tennessee, but it was nothing nice. But this one is sweet. I've had old cars, most recently an 82 Renault LeCar (R5 everywhere but the US), so I'm down with the whole scrounging for parts thing! If anyone is local to me (middle of Ohio) give me a shout, misery loves company! I'll post more about the car in the classics forum. See you around!