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Changing out Brat Doors!


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Hi everyone! 

Got a beautiful pair of 86 Brat Doors from California for my 83 Brat GL. It was wickedly expensive to ship them from LA to New York! 

The new doors are stripped of everything, so I need to change over the glass, interior panels, basically everything. 

Are there any special tools I need, and what is the order of removal and installation in the new doors?

I've never done this operation before and could use some advice! 

Thanks again happy spring! 

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No special tools , you’ll do fine , just keep note of what you’ve removed and do one door at a time so you still have an original for reference.

Many of us have done this and I’ve never had any big issue. 

Glass is tricky but put it on an angle when pulling it out of the tracks and pretty sure you’ll want to lift the rear end up lastly so you get that required angle to remove and then install. 

Door lock stuff requires a bit of patience most of the time and smaller fingers help. There you might find a spring hook helps but chances are a straight head screwdriver will get you through. 

Go at it , you’ll be fine. 

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I’d say remove the door and fit the new one while it’s still light weight!

Then pull everything from the donor door and fit in the reverse order of how it all came off - I bet the door handle/latch mechanism will be last to come off, meaning first to go on. 

Cheers 

Bennie

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1 hour ago, divinicus said:

I just looked at the Brat and realized the bolts to mount the door hinges can't be accessed unless the front fenders are taken off, is this right? 

Thanks! 

You can take the hinges off your new doors and use the old hinges still bolted to the car. Not fun by yourself, but doable. I was able to do it with a floor jack and piece of 2x4 when swapping complete doors out. 

Dan

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Open the door all the way and use an extension. If need be just take the lower bolts out of the fender tail and the one bolt between the hinges. But really with patience and as mentioned the jack and some wood and you’ll be fine. 

I recall using a deep socket 10mm with extension for what you’re doing with the fender on. 

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11 hours ago, Speedwagon said:

Door lock cylinders are sometimes easier to do without the glass in the door. Can't remember specifically on the Brat doors though.

Nah they’re easy enough to do with the door assembled. Not that it matters in this case since everything needs to be transferred over to the new doors. 

Cheers 

Bennie

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  • 3 weeks later...

One update, the driver's side door has good metal to support the door hinges and mounting, but my passenger side is on tough shape. I think Subaru ha da flawed design in the way rain water was evacuated from the lower corners of the windshield, and the pillars. 

Can I assume this is a pretty easy fix for the body shop to weld in some new sheet metal before I install these mint replacement doors? 

Thanks for all your help with my project! 

 

Edited by divinicus
Mistake in wording
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1 hour ago, el_freddo said:

Send us some pics. 

The problem is that once they remove that panel, what else will they find? If that area is rusted, you’re guaranteed to have rust under the windscreen rubber :( 

As for cost, I have no idea. 

Cheers 

Bennie

Thanks, Bennie. I will post pics when I can. 

I just installed a brand new windshield and new gasket, no issues to speak of and the installer didn't make mention of it, but yes, in the same vicinity and below the passenger side lower corner of the windshield area there is some rusting. 

But I'm actually more concerned that the new door hinges can be securely bolted onto the frame. 

I suspect this is a very common issue with 83 and even older Brats. 

More news on this soon, 

Gary 

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