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1987 GL Wagon To Brat? Possible?


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If you can cut, weld and have an imagination, anything is possible.

 

Its been done with a 3 door coupe, and I know of at least 1 person doing it with a wagon. But every single step involves some sort of custom fabrication, so its not for the fain ot heart.

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i know there is someone here good with photoshop.have them take a wagon picture, and make it look like a brat.this way you could see how it will look and where to cut.then take out the recipricating saw, and start cuttin:grin:

good luck with it

jon

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i know there is someone here good with photoshop.have them take a wagon picture, and make it look like a brat.this way you could see how it will look and where to cut.then take out the recipricating saw, and start cuttin:grin:

good luck with it

jon

 

Like this?

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5356&sort=1&size=medium&cat=585&page=1

 

Or, if your taste leans more toward the Baja, like this. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5357&sort=1&size=medium&cat=585&page=1

 

Sorry about the links kludge, I just don't get the photo insert process.

 

I don't have PhotoShop, so I had to use CorelDraw ... FauxtoShop?

My thoughts:

Gut the interior and side glass (save the headliner and window trim).

Cut off rear greenhouse just behind the 'B' pillar.

Saw the tailgate in half just below the window.

Move the whole schlemiel forward and tack it back together (after welding the rear doors shut - leave the window regulators in place).

Cut the back door windows to fit the new tringular openings and reinstall in the regulators.

Cut another tailgate in half and hinge it at the bottom. Fab up a latching mechanism.

Cut the headliner and window trims to fit and trim in. Use 'Marinetex' to fair the cut plastic pieces together.

Fab up new bedliner U-Channel frames and 3/16" Lexan, or plywood), including a drop-down wall underneath the relocated back window, with appropriate latches/locks. Include bed buckets, so you can make up a ladder or canoe rack for those needful times.

Drill drain holes in the rear storage well, then spray the whole thing with bedliner.

Fab up a trim to cover the edge of the bed.

Finish the welds, prime and paint to suit.

 

Now you have a cab+, with opening rear and 'B' glass, and a bed with drop-down front and rear for long loads.

 

Optional:

Leave the rear seat in place, replace the carpet and interior walls with waterproof materials and fab up strut locks for the back glass. Now, you have a 'Brat Nuveau', with forward facing rear seat and (locking the rear glass in a horizontal position) rain cover.

 

Mudrat, are you watching? Find me the rust-free donor wagon (specs in post below). I can sell my '95 to my next-door neighbor anytime ... in fact, he wants it right now.

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And, while we're at it here. I still want a Subaru pickup. My '95 legacy won't work, the greenhouse changes width overall as you move aft (gets narrower). I've really gotten spoiled by the more sophisticated AWD system, and creature comforts however. What years were the 'crossover' models produced ... EA82 body, but AWD, ABS, all that stuff? Also are the EA82 sunroofs sliders, pop-ups, both?

 

I still want my 'Rancheru', but I want A/T, air, power everything, airbags, ABS, AWD, sunroof (won't have track space anymore, would have to do with pop-up).

 

Can I have my cake and cut off the rear greenhouse too?

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Here's a pic of Bratsrus1's hatch that he made into a brat. Its called the HatchBrat!!:) He even went through the trouble of welding the part of the brat that the bed trim connects to onto the hatch. I have another pic somewhere of it from the rear. I'll look for it tonight.

 

396724_Small_.JPG

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i ahve a couple of pics of a wagon with the back roof chopped off leaving it more like a baja... in fact there was the thread about this a while back...

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19202&highlight=convert+wagon+brat+doors

 

there it is... i have pics on my other comp... i'll try and get them later... its hard to see though because it has a cover on the back...

 

its very do-able but be sure that you strengthen up thet back really good... because its a uni-body a bunch of strength comes from the roof... so cross-bracing and what not is important... and when you cut it, put in supports to makes sure the body won't bend... it'll really suck if you get it done then take it down the freeway and it is stuck with a slight turn to one side...

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