Glad to see the site back up. Some new pictures from the '85 Brat rebuild. Check it out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26905545@N07/sets/72157605926523746/detail/

Edited November 16, 200817 yr by ettev

Man that came out nice! When I first saw the early pics a few months back I was impressed that you were going to tackle the project. Here in California that thing would have ended up in the scrap heap. Congrats on saving it!

 

Daniel:headbang:

Wow.... didn't think it would have been possible to save that Brat.

 

Very nice... You should get "Rebuild of the Year" if there were such a thing....

 

I better go out and fix some of my tiny rust spots!

Great job! I've never seen a car in the junkyard with that much rust, I'm just amazed you saved it.

Great job! I've never seen a car in the junkyard with that much rust, I'm just amazed you saved it.

 

Come to a junk yard in Maine that's all you see! Most are worse than that and in no way could you ever save them!

Wasn't sure if anyone was looking at the pics. Anyway, thanks everyone. Its been a fun project so far. I just drove the Brat to my friends garage to have a custom exhaust bent up for it. I'll post pics when I get it back this weekend. Also, I just scored a set of power mirrors as well as some interesting interior upgrades like a 2-stepped angled radio bezel that will allow the install of a modern DIN receiver (along with a Sirius setup!), and a high rise center storage console/armrest at the emergency brake area. It's coming together nicely. Soon time for fine body work and paint. Decided to go with a either solid bright white or a metallic white instead of the snow camo. I have a set of original unused red Soob halo decals that I'm going to take to our local auto graphics guru. She's going to reproduce a set of them using snow camo film so that should look pretty neat, and I'll have something a bit different at the end of it all. Probably going to media blast the Pugeot alloys and get them powder coated. Just have to decide if I want to go silver with them or perhaps charcoal or black. Thoughts or suggestions?

 

Also, if anyone has a source for the rubber gasket/seal that's on the bottom of these high camper tops please let me know. I've absolutely stumped all the camper dealers in my area with this shell. They all say they've never seen anything like it.

Edited November 12, 200817 yr by ettev

Awesome pics! Definately proof of what you can do even with limited "garage" space and some ingenuity!!

Has both inspired AND scared me for tearing into my Brat... Worried about what I may find!

Has both inspired AND scared me for tearing into my Brat... Worried about what I may find!

 

Pin your ears back and go at it. Hard.

Supreme effort,Mike !!! Coming out really nice.

 

Let us all know if you find someone who carries that camper top seal,please. Or if we can find someone to reproduce them.

Pin your ears back and go at it. Hard.

 

:clap:

I'm planning on it!

I was walking through the shop @ work yesterday and our shear/brake operator was getting prepped to brake my new stainless rocker skins. I'm going to take measurements and detail out in CAD a skin for the front subframe. Will probably get that cut and bent out of carbon steel, weld it up, paint it with POR 15 and then weld it in place over the existing to beef things up a lot :brow:

I'm a little scared about what I'll find when I strip the interior in a couple of weeks but it's about time I did that.

:clap:

I'm going to take measurements and detail out in CAD a skin for the front subframe.

 

Man, if you can produce these for sale as a result you could make a few $$$$. I remember you could get EA82 frame horn reinforcement pieces right from Subaru a few years back. I think I still have a set of them laying around. They never did have them for the EA81's though (at least thats what my local Soob dealer told me). I was considering doing the same thing. Make a few cardboard templates and have a fab shop bend and weld the stuff up. Basically a slip-over metal frame repair kit to be welded in place on the car. Hmmmm. Maybe if I get a shot of enthusiasm!

I'm planning on getting onto that this weekend... Doing a steering rack replacement on a 95 Impreza and then if I've got some time I'll get the Brat on jack stands and goof around with that for a while

:clap:

I'm planning on it!

I was walking through the shop @ work yesterday and our shear/brake operator was getting prepped to brake my new stainless rocker skins. I'm going to take measurements and detail out in CAD a skin for the front subframe. Will probably get that cut and bent out of carbon steel, weld it up, paint it with POR 15 and then weld it in place over the existing to beef things up a lot :brow:

I'm a little scared about what I'll find when I strip the interior in a couple of weeks but it's about time I did that.

 

I remember when I pulled back the rugs on mine! NOT GOOD! I had to replace a lot of the floor! But better do it sooner than later! The longer you wait the worse it will get!!! I say we go out west and grab a few rust free shells!!!! Good luck with it!

Update 11/16. Exhaust installed. http://www.flickr.com/photos/26905545@N07/sets/72157605926523746/detail/

You have my Kudo's for doing a great job on resurecting that BRAT.

 

Get thee over here and finish mine, Please...