Indrid cold

First... the rules.... There are none. (out side of pink..... not too many pink intereiors... or Subaru's... yea... I think that's about it... No pink.) serious side... sorry I don't know, if your concerned possibly visit your auto paint store.. they may have something that will work......

Congrats on your new-2-you Hatch.... I love mine, 84' Hatch. Athough I havn't had a chance to drive it yet except too my house!, I snuck it home after the purchase (expired tabs, cracked front window) but we bonded right off... love it! I bought it a month ago and today I finaly pulled it up front for it's first inside bath... found jumper cables in the back and money in the seats!!!! In the next month I will re-do the front axles, bearings and it will be my new runner. Yea.. you need to post a pic of your new arrival.

Good to hear about your purchase with the Brat and happy... so far... Good to hear it isn't a daily driver/must have kind of thing... we kind of all got that in your posting and concerned... as... at this age they all have issues and not the best choice for young couples needing dependability etc... My first Subaru (a Brat) I bought, I was a mess after I signed the title I turned to my wife and said, "I don't even know how to work on these things!, What if it breaks down?".. and she replied, "Enjoy the ride till it does!" The Roo's and I have learned alot in the last 4 years.. (never regreated my purchase...been great experience.) Enjoy the ride!

Did you buy the Brat? How did the rust look? I can sympathize with the pre-buy jitters kind of thing... as for rust... sounds like you got a good understanding of it...and sometimes have to walk away if it's too bad.... but we don't have rust issues ...to bad anyway... in this area.

good info, I will save to my subaru file, .... possibly next time I will try breaking an axle down.... however;this boot was meant to pull over, thus not having to break it down.

That is why this must have been $18. comes with cv grease, clamps and a boot that pulls over with out breaking down......... which in my case it seemed to work ... with out buying their special tools.

Congrats on the win!!!!!! Very nice..clean with character.... noticed the .net changed to .org on the side and the dent! My first H.I.N. (Hot Import Nights) show was in Seattle about 04', (visit, no car to show) just about the time I got my first Brat. I have been to lots of car shows but nothing ever like that before!.. sorry to say I left before the pole dancers!... pole dancers? NO one told me there was going to be pole dancers at 10p.m, (my bedtime) yea.... that is one wild car show they put on.:cool: Oh......... mmmmmmmmm...HIN girls.........

This topic has been beat to death on the History board about if it's worth to replace the boot, $-vrs-replacing the axle.. so don't want to go there... but I wanted too share this: First, the disclamer: yes.. I have come up with some, Noobish, interesting , often rideculed methods in the past that others have corrected me on "this is a simpler way..." in which I go.. D"oh and look stupid as yea, there is an easier way, and this probably falls with in that .. "WTF is he thinking...." But hey.. it worked! Bad front axle on my 88 wagon.(It was clicking bad so I took it too the hills and that did it in real good! ) No money for replacement so went to my parts rig and pulled the axle and noted a small tear in the outside boot. Hmmm... axle seems fine... so I stopped by parts store, yea.. they sell boots??? $18...never done that before. Guy in parts store says I will need special tools to expand the boot so it will go over the axle with out taking apart, interesting. The directions showed pictures of a Boot cone to streach small end of boot and a expanding tool gun of some type to transfer from cone to put over spindle/hub end, .. hmm.... tools... I don't need no special tools.. It's a Subaru. Home, cut band on old boot and slid boot down axle (did not cut boot off till I was sure I could get new boot on) Inverted new boot inside out and sprayed inside of boot (which is the outside) and the end of axle (spindle end) with Lythiom spray grease... pulled boot over spindle and well ... it kind of stopped when the small hole end of boot hit the big, ummm..nob on the end, ... hmmm.. so I took a propane tourch and lightly warmed the rubber up and took a dental pick (wire with bend on the end worked too) and while pulling down with one hand, heating the rubber gently with the other I took my third hand? and used the dental pick to pull the boot wider to work it over the spindle hub/end on the axle... warm, pull down, work with pick to expand... not unlike putting a latex over..ummm......:-p , any way..pulled it over, re-inverted the boot, packed the hub with the supplied C.V. grease, clamped and then cut off old existing boot, installed axle and test drive down highway, no problems! Yea, the cone expander and expander gun would have been great too have but for this,one in a life time? re-boot...I noobed it with-out the special tools. My 1$ parts car does it again:clap:

Always assure to loosen top plug prior to draining rear diff... that way you know you can put oil back in once drained...

,That's it! .... o.k., thanks for the reply... Local guy has a carbed motor for sale and I was scratching my head if I could use it in my 88 wagon with SPFI. , so no go on that.

I know this answer is yes... ??? but for the life of me I can't remember exactly what it is... pistons? Horsepower etc.. so.. can I put a carbed engine where a SPFI used too live or is that a problem?

Hey Monstaru... Your going back to my old stomping ground. I lived in Idaho Falls and used too spend weekends over there. Also worked a summer in Yellowstone park working on Boilers for the Park Service. I would wake up, step out of my trailer (constructing camp ground) and have Elk just waking up right next too my camp chairs... so cool. any way... I did more camping then fly fishing. If you're taking the fam. plan on some animal viewing time. The park will be a bit quieter now that school has started and traffic shouldn't be too bad. If you have been there before then you know what it's all about. If your new there... enjoy it all!

Hey.. I was thinking it was time too have a Subaru gathering/B.B.Q, here in the Tri-Cities. (Kennewick, WA).. nothing formal, just a meet & Greet, show off your Subaru... new or old! Date:? Saturday the 15th of Sept. Late afternoon My house. I can supply food for the first gathering. I know a few who would like to get together, thought we would look for more.. Food was great... company.. although light was fun... Turns out there was a party going on across the street, they had pink balloons and lots of frilly stuff as their granddaughter's birthday... so I hope the pink balloons didn't scacre anyone off!... lol......

............... Its already loose, DOJ is disengaged from the tranny. I just have to hack at the boot clamp with a pair of dikes and my axle is off. Or, does it just slide off the spindle?............. Hack the boot clamp off????? Only if your replacing half and what a pain. If your replacing the whole axle, the spindle pulls out with the axle as a single unit... so much easier then trying to make it a two half job. After pounding out roll pin (comes out only one direction) and pulling hub off transmission side, Take off large Axle Castle nut (pull locking pin) Remove washer/cone spacer and put piece of wood one end of axle and smack with hammer... no need to cut boot? Axle washer is curved and goes on a specific direction. I have never done just half an axle....possibly cheaper but that would be a real pain in the arse... just replace whole axles, way easier. Sorry if I read to much into your post but seems like you got an extra step in there... sorry if I am wrong. As for going out in your driveway.... priceless.

The best I can offer is a point of contact too a retired couple that tow's cars on the side. I got a good deal from Nampa too Tri-cities but they were kind of headed there kind of thing. Not sure what they will charge but will be way below what the hauler charge.... don't know if they have insurance..nor do I care as I was covered and they were cheap. They did a sweet job for being old and mean. She lives in Stanfield Oregon, by Hermiston: Scharlene is her name. Cell: (541) 449-3389

Yea.. my wife was like... "oh, so not only do we pay your mistress off for $100 but I have to go drop you off so you can bring her home!" she is o.k. with it in all but I am up too 5 Roo's and she has a problem with the other love's in my life..:-p

sounds like a deal... will give you a call in a week or so...

Very, very nice Brat.... Yes, there are "Flashier" Brats but I truely believe the sharp crisp lines of the Brat's contour are better inhanced by simple features, clean solid paint and your favorite woman in the jump seat make it an ideal love affair! Nice...

My first Hatch..... couldn't resist... my wife, she feel differently... I payed $100.... front axles and bearing both sides need's to be done but other then that runs primo... I think I did o.k..... Original Subaru floor mats.... and look, no dangling wires or etc... I do need a new Ignition switch or key.. don't work too well.. talk about that later.

Do it.... great experience and chance to bond with the Subaru. It is better if it's not your only car as your not under pressure to get it done, .... other then that just tap into this site when you have questions.

I changed out my left front axle on my 84' and clunked worse then the one I took off, also it was a very tight pull to put on.... so I took it back, all they had was a re-manufactured one that looked like it was in the bottom of the pile but last one in town so I had to put it on. Went on easier and worked perfectly?????? I have no idea why, but it sounds like you have the same situation? That is the only thing I could suggest is if you have the receipt take it back and try it again. Also when you have them in your hands you can feel through the boot and feel if the bearings are all in place and make sure it hasn't pulled apart. I was also told that if you let the end flop down it has enough force to pop a bearing out/seperate out of the axel inside the boot. Wish I had more info. :-\

love the 88' dl's... :cool: Nice price too!

I payed $700 for a fully functional running 1984 Brat that I knew in time would require some TLC. It did have some issues and everything worked and minimal to zero rust, it worked great for 2 years for my son but now in garage slowly getting re-worked. How much you spend is reflective of how wore out the Brat or Hatch will be, you can find some nice rigs for $2,000 with alot of stuff all ready done or $5,000 to 8,000. for a garaged, original with 70,000. However; I always remember what a member posted about these cars, simply: "These cars are 20+ years old, they should be paying us to take them away!" With that mindset and a constant search you would be surprised what you can find out there. One last thing, out at work I pulled in next to a wagon 2 years older then mine and found out that my boss had parked his 2003 Ford, bought a 86 Subaru Wagon, for $500 with, 30 mpg, a.c., manual trans, 4x4 and premo shape. Those are the deals that are sweet.

Mechanicaly inclined 17 yr old... you shouldn't have too much trouble other then if you get in a spot you just don't know, sometimes it is easier to just STOP, and putter on something else till you get the answer and on this board that doesn't take very long. I can sheepishly raise my hands and give some input... as I have replaced everything on the front of my 84 Brat... just havn't finished the eng. clutch to see how my front end job went.... and mechanicaly inclined, but not in cars and I did... O.K. I always like going new....but those attachments have been waneing since I have a parts car and man.... that is a cheap fix and if it looks straight... what the heck... Yes, need spring compressor after removing struts and I layed a tire over the assembly as I unloaded and loaded the spring... and face shield,... I bought a Harbor Freight cheapo spring compressor... it worked and that's all I needed it to do. I did one side at a time, mark your springs up, down, front back as they should go back in the same way they came out. I noticed on my Brat there were all ready paint marks to reference the position but didn't notice till I started the other side D'oh..:-\ so had to go back and re-do. Didn't take anymore tools then the usuall and you could probably rent a spring compressor. While I was doing my struts I changed strut upper mounting plate, Leading rod bushings, stabilizer bush, lower control arm bush and ball joint... as all were wore out and had some overtime cash.. The first side took awhile.. the second about 1/2 the time and now I could probably do it 4x faster... Spray your bolts down with panther piss or what ever to help get them off... that's the hard part. It was a great learning experience for me.