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Newbie: Interchangeability of Interior Parts for an 82 Brat


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Hi!  I'm a newbie on here-first post.  I am a long-time tinkerer, with my favorite vehicles being old IH, Toyota and Subarus.  I recently came across a remarkable 1982 Brat, mainly because it is almost all original, rust-free and straight.  It is NOT mint or perfect or anything, but solid!  The decals and paint are sun-faded (Santa Fe, NM), and the interior has dash cracks from the sun and seat cracks as well.  The heater vent louvres are dry and cracking and breaking.  

 

I HAVE done MANY internet searches, and it is always hard to pick the exact correct key search words to find the right information, but I am wondering what interiors were the same as the 1982 Brat.  I know they say the wagons, hatches and Brats stayed similar from 1982-1987, even though the coupes and sedans changed, but I did not know if that meant only the mechanicals and some body panels, or if this went for the interiors as well.  

 

There is an 86 Wagon parts car about an hour drive from here, but I don;t want to make the drive until I know if the interior is going to match up.  I would LOVE to be able to clean up these few little issues because this car is SO good that this could make it even better!

 

So, if this is info I should have found easily, I apologize.  I tried my best!  I found LOTS of info on mechanical interchange and body interchange, but just didn't see anything on interior layout.

 

Thanks!  Even when I was just searching the internet at large before I signed up for this site, this site was almost ALWAYS at the very top of my search results and I have gotten a LOT of great info from here!  Fantastic community and fantastic forum! 

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The '86 Wagon won't work for parts for yours.

 

You have an EA81, you need parts for an EA81. Here in the States, EA81 ran up thru '87 as far as BRAT body style goes.

Best bet for looking for any part, is to go with the '84 Model year.

 

The 'EA81 Hatch, ran up thru '89, so some of those parts will work.

 

Basically, everything from the drivers seat forward, fits.

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Perhapse IH ownership is a prerequisite for owning a BRAT?

You wont find the vent louvers. Those are "unobtainium"

If that ea82 parts car is cheap I wouldn't blow it off. Is it for sale? If you have a place to store it and/or extra parts the front seats could likely be made to fit. The front hubs are keepers and the fuel injection (if equipped) would be nice to have. Might have some decent rims and tires on too. If its 4wd non turbo add the tranny and rear diff to the pile. At a loss to the SPFI.

Welcome to the board

Edited by ihscout54
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ih scout 64 said:

 

"At a loss to the SPFI."

 

Okay, I'll bite...

 

What is SPFI?

 

And so was I correct about the wagons being the same until '87 as well, or did I misunderstand something?  That would make Brats the same until '87, Wagons the same until '87, and hatches the same until '89?  Or no on the wagons.  As I said, somewhere in this forum someone said the wagons stayed the same until '87 as well, which is why I thought the '86 would swap some parts.  However, my answer here says, "No."

 

Thanks for the help!

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Single Port Fuel Injection, SPFI for short.

 

The EA81 Wagons and Sedans ended with the '84 year. Then the EA82 bodied vehicles came into being, starting with the '85 models.

BRATs and Hatches continued for a couple more years.

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"At a loss to the SPFI."

If the car is an '86 4x4 non turbo wagon, it will be an ea82 and very likely carbureted. I dont think 4x4's got SPFI (throttle body fuel injection) till '87. No matter what configuration, the parts car you are asking about is EA82. Which is a later body style than your BRAT. Numerous parts and gizmos will fit, can be made to fit, and are even upgrades. But as far as body and interior very little swaps over. 

This has been mentioned, but heres a list of "EA81" style cars. These are what you need to be looking for.

 

80-84 wagon sedan, and coupe

82-87 brat

80-89 hatchback (3 door)

 

I guess all of the confusion comes from the continued production of the EA81 hatchback. Since it was still produced/imported along side the EA82 body cars. It also carried similar badging (DL, GL). I apologize for mixing you you up. 

Edited by ihscout54
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I guess all of the confusion comes from the continued production of the EA81 hatchback. Since it was still produced/imported along side the EA82 body cars. It also carried similar badging (DL, GL). I apologize for mixing you you up. 


 


 


Not at all-you didn't mess me up-unless it was one of your posts I read several days ago from some time ago that said the wagons stayed the same until '87.


 


So, went and looked at the parts car I mentioned today. Actually not in TOO ad a shape, considering how it was being marketed.  Needs a driver's front CV shaft, but biggest concern was lack of power.  Now granted, this town it was in was at about 8400 feet.  It is an '86 4x4 wagon, 1.8L, manual.  It started, moved, ran, and 4wd DID work (deluge just before and LOTS of mud around-got to test it.  BUT, and the guy had admitted this, someone had tried to do some work and removed a lot of vacuum lines, hoses, etc.  I did not know if this was enough to make it as gutless as it was.  It would run down the road all right, but took a LONG time to even work its way up to 40-45, and until we hit a little downhill stretch, it never hit 55.  No funny noises or smells, no backfires, no misses, etc, just sluggish and gutless.  Tranny felt fine, brakes were fine, oil pressure fine, temp didn't fluctuate over about 2/3 for the 20-30 minutes of driving, etc.  It had been sitting for some time, but once running sounded okay, no excessive smoke, etc.  It came from the border of Mexico and Texas, which was likely several thousand feet lower, too.  And it only read 129K with a working odometer.  


 


So, main question, is there some logical reason to explain the weakness?  Could a couple vacuum lines and hoses from the carb(?)/air cleaner area make it lose that much power?  Thanks for the advice, gents!!!

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Absolutely, you know it needs work.

I would expect some pings and stumbles too, but maybe if the timing is off and/or the vac line to the advance is not hooked up. The choke may not be functioning correctly. Perhapse the secondary may not be opening either. Are the tires too big?

But just for parts! Whats the price?

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I would be very careful when buying parts for the '82.

I have an '82, in theory I am told that I should be able to match with any generation 2, yet my '86's parts do not match. 

I have a different dash, in both cars.

To my knowledge both cars are stock, so I'm not sure what's going on personally.

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The difference in the dash is likely a DL vs GL thing. Otherwise its just the color and some small functional things. There are differences throughout the ea81s run. Rotors and calipers changed for like 84 and up. The clutch kit for the s/r is not the same as the d/r 4 speeds. There were numerous audio system changes. Like anything out there, things change with year to year and option packages.

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