November 25, 201213 yr What about having it protect something like the oil pan? Run some tube down towards the front cross member on each side and then a tube between those that goes in front of the oil pan, and then a skid plate that bolts on that covers that space?
November 26, 201213 yr I'm sure if you started reproducing the factory A-bars (Long or short style) you'd be able to sell a decent number of them, but demand would probably be limited...
November 26, 201213 yr Author Sorry about the large pictures, I forgot this site doesn't resize images and I thought it was my browser that wasn't registering the javascript that does that. Looks nice! Are these something that will be available soon? Thank you. Availability is explained below. What about having it protect something like the oil pan? Run some tube down towards the front cross member on each side and then a tube between those that goes in front of the oil pan, and then a skid plate that bolts on that covers that space? There was some thought about doing that but it was going to affect the ground clearance and approach angle quite a bit that the customer didn't want it - so we stuck to a light bar and within his budget. But, we would really like to do a more complete bar like we did for the Impreza and Baja. I'm sure if you started reproducing the factory A-bars (Long or short style) you'd be able to sell a decent number of them, but demand would probably be limited... We actually have one of the Long Bars in the shop that this customer brought - a pretty heavy and bulky piece, much more so than I expected. Personally, I really would like to run a batch of either this bar or a replica of the factory Long Bar but from a business perspective I needed to test the waters with this bar. Hopefully with this project and post I can gauge interest/demand and if its there move forward with a production run. I have a Brat scheduled for the shop in March so if this withers I have a "second wind" opportunity. What I will do this week is put together a cost for this bar and post it here with pictures taken after it is powder coated. And we'll take it from there. My problem is, I don't know what other years and makes this will fit as I am not as well versed on the older Subarus - any insight on that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the responses and the interest. Let me know if there are other questions or concerns.
November 27, 201213 yr Hmmmm, sounds like the OEM, long-style bar is the beefyer of the two options. That is what I would go with. Function over form ftw! As for fitment, it will fit any EA81 from 1980-89, assuming it is the same basic front end as the car you are working on. Brat, wagon, hatch, coupe and sedan share sheetmetal from the a-pillars forward. No idea what other "makes" this bar might fit, but excluding the actual mounting points, anything with the same general dimensions should be close. Vw golf/rabbit comes to mind... I really like the stuff you've done for bugeyes, I would have a wonch bar on my WRX, but can't justify the added weight...
November 28, 201213 yr Author Hmmmm, sounds like the OEM, long-style bar is the beefyer of the two options. That is what I would go with. Function over form ftw! As for fitment, it will fit any EA81 from 1980-89, assuming it is the same basic front end as the car you are working on. Brat, wagon, hatch, coupe and sedan share sheetmetal from the a-pillars forward. No idea what other "makes" this bar might fit, but excluding the actual mounting points, anything with the same general dimensions should be close. Vw golf/rabbit comes to mind... I really like the stuff you've done for bugeyes, I would have a wonch bar on my WRX, but can't justify the added weight... Thanks for the reply. Yeah, there is no question the OEM long-bar is beefier but it would also cost more money and that wasn't in our customer's budget - I would have preferred going that route too and adding a skid plate that covers everything down there. But, the good news is we have a local vehicle that is fairly accessible should anyone wish for that bar to be made. To elaborate on that point, this project was meant to at least show that we have access to an older Subaru that will allow us to do some work for this community. Completing this bar (finished product photos still to come) hopefully shows that I'm not just hoping in here and there to "advertise" me company but that I am series and able to provide high quality products for these older vehicles. So, should anyone wish for one of these bars to be made or if you'd like a long bar replicated with a few slight variations please feel free to contact me so we can discuss how to make that happen. Thanks again for all the feedback. I'll post some pictures with the mounted finished product as soon as I can.
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