I might be able to get ahold of an 82 brat

158k on body 70k on engine, runs good, just smogged

body looks pretty clean (little to no rust), has shell, new clutch, new shocks and struts asking 2200. I know these brat prices are driven by rarity, but does that sound fair or a little steep??

croak

i know the exact brat you are talking about (in CA, tan) it looks like a clean brat, but not near perfect. $1800 would seem fair for one in that shape. years ago it would have probly been a $1k truck. he`ll probly sell it either way.

cool thats about what i thought.

 

Is there anything specific i should look for when I go look at the car?

anything i should be carefull of?

$1800 for a brat and it better be rust free.

 

'82 is kinda old. If its rust free and runs great, i would offer $1400-1500.

 

IF there is a spot of rust, or needs ANY WORK AT ALL... $1000 at max.

 

-Brian

I cant see any rust in the pics (havent actualy seen in person)

bed looks clean, wheel wells look clean too, it needs a new passenger side caliper, but he has it and is throwing it in. It sounds like the thermo switch for rad fan is gone, but it just happened and its been parked since it went out.

 

*edit*the guy seems pretty willing to negotiate the price.

 

here are the pics

http://web.mac.com/luckycatastrophy

Look for the rust. Some common places: underside of the tail-gate and under the car in the left rear quarter panel where the tail-pipe comes out of the muffler. Exhaust gases combine with water and cause the bumper mounts and frame area to rust out. Look around the door frames also. If the car is perfect it is worth $2500 easily, but I certainly wouldn't offer much above $1500 for it at first. '82 was a unique year since the rear tail-lights, headlights and trim are different from any other year. Is it a DL or GL model? GL had t-tops and instrumentation and is worth the prices mentioned. DL would be okay to use but worth significantly less to purchase or re-sell. Make sure rear bumper is straight; bumper pieces are no longer available new and hard to find used. Check out the tranny; find a good dirt road and make sure it will go from 2WD to 4WD easily. Drive it on the highway at 65 to 70 and make sure it doesn't overheat. Good luck; sounds like a nice find.

I cant see any rust in the pics (havent actualy seen in person)

bed looks clean, wheel wells look clean too, it needs a new passenger side caliper, but he has it and is throwing it in. It sounds like the thermo switch for rad fan is gone, but it just happened and its been parked since it went out.

 

*edit*the guy seems pretty willing to negotiate the price.

 

here are the pics

http://web.mac.com/luckycatastrophy

Thermoswitch is likely okay; it's usually a bad connector or bad ground that makes the fan not work.

It sounds like the thermo switch for rad fan is gone, but it just happened and its been parked since it went out.

i'd be very diligent about checking for signs of overheating. look for any and all signs of headgasket issues. i realize the EA81 is a beast, but overheating any engine is not good. "just happened" and "parked since" are subjective terms and sound better than "it overheated once and i just drove it far enough to get home". you don't want to pay top dollar or even close for something that might have issues. drive it a long time, let it idle a long time and see if there are any signs....search the forum here for what to check for overheating and headgasket issues.

Ah, yes... isnt this Brat here in Sacramento? Saw it on Craigslist and laughed at the guys asking price of $2200. Doesnt matter if he's throwing parts in with the truck... it doesnt make the brat any more valuable... just means you dont have to run to the parts store when you end up doing the work. Still needs a caliper.

The stereo install is halfed rump roast... the dash is cracked and the seat is torn. Offer him $900cash and agree to pay $1000 if he asks for it. If he wants anymore than $1000 laugh at him.

 

-Brian

Regarding the overheating issue: it should not overheat when you are driving at speed....fan working or not is not the issue here since it's not needed at cruising speed. It only matters when sitting at a traffic light and having the engine idle and not moving any air through the radiator. Pics look pretty good except for the shabby radio "installation" and cracked dash. Having replaced a dash in my time (thanks again for the help Turbone), be aware it'll take you the better part of 10+ hours for two people to do it once you have an acceptable dash to install. Car looks like a great project car with excellent potential; just be aware of what you might be getting into as well as the possible cost of parts.

thanks for all the help. I may have found a hatch a bit closer. its newer (87)less miles(125k) and much cheaper(900 obo). I will aply all suggestions to the hatch or whatever i go with.

 

thanks again

italo