SUBARU BRAT experience?

[84yota4x4]

This past weekend a friend of mine bought a 1979 Subaru Brat for one dollar. Yes, $1.00. It's a little rough and it didn't run but after getting to another friends house we had it running in 20 minutes. (two broken ground wires and one loose connector) It sat for about 2 years before we got ahold of it. It only has 61,000 miles on it too! It seems to run great. It rides well too, suprisingly. The only major problem we are seeing is that the clutch is slipping. It will hold in gear but when shifting hard or pulling out it slips exessively. Has anyone done a clutch on an older Subaru? Or know anything notorious on these cars?

Here are some pics:

 

[84yota4x4]

Pics

 

[Poser]

Make sure that the clutch cable is not hanging up and is releasing properly....these things are known for clutch cable issues.....


Look behind the seats....there may even be a new one.



Good luck!


-Steve

 

[Mace]

Dude, Air the tires down and go take it to the beach and use it for surf fishing!!!

 

[cbmontgo]

Brats are awesome! Me and a buddy in high school used to want one...those are hilarious. I would LOVE to show up at Katemcy in a Subaru Brizzle. Does it still have the rear-facing seats in the "bed"?

 

[CruisinGA]

buddy of mine "modified" an old wagon with a homemade 3" lift, some 29" super swampers and bumpers. It had some kind of positrack rear, low range and a 5 speed.

It went just about anywhere the approach/departure angles would let it...

 

[cruiserdan]

I had a 1986 that I bought new. I was parts manager at a Subaru dealer at the time. It was pretty damn cool actually. It had a two speed transfer case and twin sunroofs.

Anybody know what BRAT stands for?


I doubt it.

Bi-drive

Recreational

All-Terrain

 

[cbmontgo]

I had a 1986 that I bought new. I was parts manager at a Subaru dealer at the time. It was pretty damn cool actually. It had a two speed transfer case and twin sunroofs.

Anybody know what BRAT stands for?


I doubt it.

Bi-drive

Recreational

All-Terrain

THAT is some rare knowledge!

 

[2badfjs]

we use to have a '84 brat, awsome little rig.
put the biggest tires i could on it which were'nt really that big.
we did rollins pass one day in it years ago when the needles eye was open. winter part to rollins....OH YEAH!!!!

a place in denver called "just roo's" did 6" lifts on them....very cool

my wife was hit in it by some stoners...totaled it and bought the 40'

have'nt looked back since

 

[84yota4x4]

The Brat does not have the rear facing seats but if anyone knows someone with them that might be willing to sell them, let me know.

So far this little Brat seems AWESOME! I'll be working on it more this weekend.

Post any cool pics you can find or have. We'd like to get some ideas for modifications and paint scheme.

 

[hoser]

Brats...

http://subarubrat.com/

And a Video

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I had a 1986 that I bought new. I was parts manager at a Subaru dealer at the time. It was pretty damn cool actually. It had a two speed transfer case and twin sunroofs.

A 2 speed case? That is cool. Was the center open?

I had an 86 GL wagon also bought new. Fine car, but I replaced the camshaft oil seals 2 times grrrr... I had more oil on my garage floor most of the time than in the engine.

It was 4 wheel drive , but a 1 speed transfer that you shifted manually and could do it on the fly. The car had terrible torque steer, that shifting into 4wd would eliminate.

186,000 miles of good times in that car and one terrible trip to SLC in mid winter in 87. THe computer died at Alta and I had to coast back to town and call a tow truck. In a weird quirk of fate, I took it to Larry Miller Subaru where they ordered the new computer. and repaired the car. Guess who was working parts there? The other ironic thing was, they had to get said part from Sacramento!

 

[cruiser88]

with a little help brats are wicked little rigs i had a 84 2 speed transfer 4 on the floor out of a 79, 4 inch lift(homemade)mudking tires,really miss it

 

[cruiserdan]

Guess who was working parts there? The other ironic thing was, they had to get said part from Sacramento!

Is the world really that small?

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Is the world really that small?

That is weird, isn't it? I also remember the sales manager was a major a$$hole. I asked for help renting a car and he was actually classic-fat guy, smoker, talked out of the side of his mouth and really talked down to me with his feet on the desk the whole time. You probably knew the guy!

edit-If it wern't for that guy, I might be driving a Subaru today, as I really enjoyed that car. I didn't sell it until 1998.

 

[JJS]

There used to be one of those in a field down the street from me. I still wish I grabbed the thing.

 

[honk]

I had an '87 wagon, bought new, that went 213,000 miles for me commuting. Sometimes commuting meant using Upper Zayante Rd. during the time Hwy 17 was closed from the Loma Prieta eathquake. The car only let me down once by blowing a hole in a piston at 130k, but a $235. Japanese pullout longblock fixed that. I sold it for $4000. and wish I'd kept it. It had the 2 speed transfercase with a deep low range that grunted through a lot of stuff for as low as the car was.

I ran across this guy at the Portland gunshow - he does machineguns and Subarus:
http://alliedarmament.homestead.com/SubParts.html

 

[cruiserdan]

That is weird, isn't it? I also remember the sales manager was a major a$$hole. I asked for help renting a car and he was actually classic-fat guy, smoker, talked out of the side of his mouth and really talked down to me with his feet on the desk the whole time. You probably knew the guy!

edit-If it wern't for that guy, I might be driving a Subaru today, as I really enjoyed that car. I didn't sell it until 1998.

Cigar?


Sounds like the GM, he really was a pretty cool guy but I can see how that got you.

 

[Martin White]

There are pretty much none on the road up here...all rusted out. But I remember the brat, fun little car. As long as you can keep it running.

 

[MDH33]

I had a nice '78 Brat in High school. It had the optional hard top on the bed with the reverse seats in the back. I loved that thing. It came from Oregon and was rust free when I got it. Several Michigan winters and the salt rusted it away.

Then I got my first FJ40.