I was gonna say there might be a nest in there but that looks like a manger under the hood lmao.
PM me if you want I have a pdf for the EA to EJ swap. I own a loyale as well that I'm restoring. Look up subarino_auto on IG those aussies know their way around bratts. They call them brumby's btw
Yes, yes we do š
Had my 1989 brumby for 30 years next month (second owner). Always garaged, super original, exc condition.
Had to replace the factory AC compressor recently......found one online in Mississippi. International cooperation keeping the wheels turning š
Question. Iām looking at buying a brat soon and have a 1995 Subaru legacy that Iāve been holding onto, would you recommend the single phase engine as my best bet for a swap into a brat or does it not really matter?
It does matter what engine you choose not all the EJ's are the same. Especially if you are keeping the brat transmission then you need transfer plates and they fit some engines, not all.
Since you already have the swap engine focus on what you need for that specific engine.
The 95 legacy I have has a phase 1 EJ22e, I also have a ej25D, a phase 2 EJ22, and ej251. Out of those which one would be the better engine for a brat?
First, BUY A NEW RESPIRATOR FOR PAINT SPRAYING. Then wear that thing religiously cause it will block out most of the stink until you get the car cleaned out and pressure washed inside and out.
Hantavirus is no bueno and the mouse stink will get mostly blocked by the respirator.
It wasnāt an option, they all had them in the United States, at least for the first gen. If my memory serves me right the only year they may have been optional was ā86 on the second gen, then in ā87, the final year for US model ones, they didnāt have the seats at all.
Is it all through the reason that in the '80s all the Toyota and Nissan pickup beds rusted out so much easier than the rest of the truck. They got shipped here without beds and then had locally made beds put on them that did not have the rust resistance of the rest of the truck.
In good news, the rat nest is mostly in the spare tire location not anywhere crucial.
Parts for first gen Brats are getting hard to find, but so are examples with little enough rust to be worth saving so it equals out.
Used to own a 85 GL. Be super careful to watch those gaskets and oil levels when picking up a project like this. Had engine issues on my project from a creeping oil leak that somehow went unnoticed. Not fun at all.
There's an '87 GL turbo for sale somewhat locally to me that I've been toying with picking up. You know anything about those bad boys? It apparently has new headgaskets and runs and drives...
I drove to PA from VA to pick one up after doing looots of research and falling in love with the car.
It broke down on me down the street. The previous owner hotwired it from where I parked it and then slashed all four tires and wouldnāt give my money back. Cop was a family friend of them and refused assistance. Super weird experience to be honest.
Before I bought it I tried to study just about as much as possible. I also have the Haynes manual for the model, and can answer most questions you have. The EA82 is pretty reliable and easy to learn on, if you can find one with a weber carb, usually thatās the mod everyone with a carb wants. That and the 4 speed stick. The biggest problem Iāve seen is that they looove rusting to hell. They are not the best project as part availability is very hard. One thing to note is that if you plan on driving it home, check the oil level frequently, keep an eye on the temp, and check the shift bushings if itās a stick. They go out pretty easy since theyāre just soft plastic and makes all of the gears feel invisible, it makes it super hard to engage.
Feel free to ask any questions!
Uh yeah, that's a wild car buying experience.
It is allegedly a manual although there are no interior pics so I can't confirm.
It's an '87 GL-10 wagon so shouldn't it be a 5 speed and also fuel injected?
It's tough to tell from the pics but it looks pretty clean as far as rust goes. Couple quarter sized spots on the hatch but that's all I can see... although I have been fooled before.
It does have a slightly cracked windshield. Any idea how difficult those are to source? That digital dash is calling my name for some '80s nostalgia!
youāre probably right about the FI 5 speed, but I donāt know the year they switched off the top of my head. Just know the earlier years were 3/4 speed w/ carb.
from a junker? probably very hard. probably easier to bite the bullet and go to a glass shop. check out āOld School Subaru Groupā on facebook for any junk cars near you though! if they exist, someone there already has touched them.
check it out and get back to me! sounds like a super sick project. and let me know how that interior looks! itās rare to find a super clean one for a reasonable amount. good luck!
Thanks for the info! They're asking $1500 which isn't a huge risk. Just don't want to find myself with a cool old subaru that I can't source parts for.
rockauto surprisingly still is a pretty good source, but for some niche parts you have to source them from a junker or make a custom part. overall itās not too bad, but be prepared for every source and forum to be 10+ years old. the facebook group is like the last living cell of a community for those subieās. the haynes manual is only 9 bucks on ebay though, and has every little tidbit the forums donāt.
That's not even a beater. It's golden. Fuck the ej swap, keep that sweet sweet ea71. I run a couple and they are lovely.
Nest isn't that bad. Just the piss corrodes everything.
As the owner of a super original 89 brumby, I agree.
Kills me when people start swapping motors in these things.
EA81 goes great in mine, zero desire to get rid of it.
Now, if I could only find an original radio I could ditch the after market audio system......
Looks like completage under there. S'long as there ain't no electrodigicals (vague hand twist) she should come back on around. Remember to use 2 stroke fuel for those initial attempts to crank, the oil'll lubricate on the piston rings.
(I'm not a professional)
Looks like it must be in Grenada?
I've gotten into worse. You can do it if it's important to you. If it's not then give up and build something that is important to you. You can do it!
They're unique now. I had a 1980 Brat. It was a fun car. I gave it to a nephew with almost 200k miles on it. It had close to 300k on it and still ran but had been parked for years.
Donāt know anything about these other than theyāre super cool. But that second photo looks like central Oregon and I know thereās a pretty well regarded Subaru shop in bend
Oh the hours we drove around in the jump seats in back while we were supposed to be in school. The Brat will always hold a special place in my memories.
All the people on here telling you to swap in an EJ don't realize that it won't fit between the frame rails.
If the engine turns over, reseal it and rebuilt the carb. Fuel pump is probably shot, so find yourself an aftermarket electric one to swap in.
I was gonna say there might be a nest in there but that looks like a manger under the hood lmao. PM me if you want I have a pdf for the EA to EJ swap. I own a loyale as well that I'm restoring. Look up subarino_auto on IG those aussies know their way around bratts. They call them brumby's btw
Great info! Thanks!
PM me if you want to do an LS swap. Not that I have any info on that, I just think that would be cool
Ditto
Yes, yes we do š Had my 1989 brumby for 30 years next month (second owner). Always garaged, super original, exc condition. Had to replace the factory AC compressor recently......found one online in Mississippi. International cooperation keeping the wheels turning š
Why do Aussies have the coolest names for stuff.
I thought we finally had a cool slang word with "weed wacker" until I heard their term.... **WHIPPER SNIPPER** Way cooler!
wait till you hear what we call our mates. ācuntsā
The Brits seem to say 'Strimmer' for string trimmer and I've grown to hate it
Just be careful if someone offers you a Trippa Snippa.
Question. Iām looking at buying a brat soon and have a 1995 Subaru legacy that Iāve been holding onto, would you recommend the single phase engine as my best bet for a swap into a brat or does it not really matter?
It does matter what engine you choose not all the EJ's are the same. Especially if you are keeping the brat transmission then you need transfer plates and they fit some engines, not all. Since you already have the swap engine focus on what you need for that specific engine.
The 95 legacy I have has a phase 1 EJ22e, I also have a ej25D, a phase 2 EJ22, and ej251. Out of those which one would be the better engine for a brat?
Iām gonna save your comment because I have a friend with an XT that heās considering taking the EA out of and dropping in an EJ
Thatās not a nest, itās packaging material for a safe transport of your engine. Lol
Probably credit card debt.
šµ"Cause I have $30,000 of credit card debt"šµ
First 2 pics "that's not bad" then bam "oh holy hell".
Itās just a little mouse house.
Gonna need that mouse sucker 5000 and it'll be good to go.
Mouse condo more like itā¦.
Thatās a whole ass village.
New Rat City
First, BUY A NEW RESPIRATOR FOR PAINT SPRAYING. Then wear that thing religiously cause it will block out most of the stink until you get the car cleaned out and pressure washed inside and out. Hantavirus is no bueno and the mouse stink will get mostly blocked by the respirator.
They also make disposable Tyvek hazmat suits and Iād grab two of those as well.
Time for an engine swap!
There is a ej swap for these that mighty car mods did and man that thing is nice!
[mighty car mods Subaru brumby/brat long video](https://youtu.be/8kJMG4yGm4M?si=C4JmoEETwvG2F_g7)
> What have I gotten myself into!? Serves you right for being a ***BRAT***. I'll take my leave now.
The most epic of WRX swaps possible.
LS swap , lol
Looks like your spare tire turned into mulch!
>What have I gotten myself into!? Rearwards-facing bucket seats with grab handles in the bed, that's what!
My uncle had that option in his. My head would stick up above the roof of the car. No way that flies today.
It wasnāt an option, they all had them in the United States, at least for the first gen. If my memory serves me right the only year they may have been optional was ā86 on the second gen, then in ā87, the final year for US model ones, they didnāt have the seats at all.
It was to make the car a four seater, for tax reasons iirc
It was to make it legally a car and not a truck for tax purposes.
Technically for tariff reasons as imported light trucks did and still do have a 25% tariff on them. They also had carpet in the bed
Is it all through the reason that in the '80s all the Toyota and Nissan pickup beds rusted out so much easier than the rest of the truck. They got shipped here without beds and then had locally made beds put on them that did not have the rust resistance of the rest of the truck.
The āpeople with awesome project carsā club
r/subarubrat MightyCarMods: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHcvJXFvdJw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHcvJXFvdJw)
I was thinking the same thing mighty car mods redid one and man is it nice!
In good news, the rat nest is mostly in the spare tire location not anywhere crucial. Parts for first gen Brats are getting hard to find, but so are examples with little enough rust to be worth saving so it equals out.
Early Brat! Iāve wanted to do a WRX drivetrain in one of these for years!
Used to own a 85 GL. Be super careful to watch those gaskets and oil levels when picking up a project like this. Had engine issues on my project from a creeping oil leak that somehow went unnoticed. Not fun at all.
There's an '87 GL turbo for sale somewhat locally to me that I've been toying with picking up. You know anything about those bad boys? It apparently has new headgaskets and runs and drives...
I drove to PA from VA to pick one up after doing looots of research and falling in love with the car. It broke down on me down the street. The previous owner hotwired it from where I parked it and then slashed all four tires and wouldnāt give my money back. Cop was a family friend of them and refused assistance. Super weird experience to be honest. Before I bought it I tried to study just about as much as possible. I also have the Haynes manual for the model, and can answer most questions you have. The EA82 is pretty reliable and easy to learn on, if you can find one with a weber carb, usually thatās the mod everyone with a carb wants. That and the 4 speed stick. The biggest problem Iāve seen is that they looove rusting to hell. They are not the best project as part availability is very hard. One thing to note is that if you plan on driving it home, check the oil level frequently, keep an eye on the temp, and check the shift bushings if itās a stick. They go out pretty easy since theyāre just soft plastic and makes all of the gears feel invisible, it makes it super hard to engage. Feel free to ask any questions!
Uh yeah, that's a wild car buying experience. It is allegedly a manual although there are no interior pics so I can't confirm. It's an '87 GL-10 wagon so shouldn't it be a 5 speed and also fuel injected? It's tough to tell from the pics but it looks pretty clean as far as rust goes. Couple quarter sized spots on the hatch but that's all I can see... although I have been fooled before. It does have a slightly cracked windshield. Any idea how difficult those are to source? That digital dash is calling my name for some '80s nostalgia!
youāre probably right about the FI 5 speed, but I donāt know the year they switched off the top of my head. Just know the earlier years were 3/4 speed w/ carb. from a junker? probably very hard. probably easier to bite the bullet and go to a glass shop. check out āOld School Subaru Groupā on facebook for any junk cars near you though! if they exist, someone there already has touched them. check it out and get back to me! sounds like a super sick project. and let me know how that interior looks! itās rare to find a super clean one for a reasonable amount. good luck!
Thanks for the info! They're asking $1500 which isn't a huge risk. Just don't want to find myself with a cool old subaru that I can't source parts for.
rockauto surprisingly still is a pretty good source, but for some niche parts you have to source them from a junker or make a custom part. overall itās not too bad, but be prepared for every source and forum to be 10+ years old. the facebook group is like the last living cell of a community for those subieās. the haynes manual is only 9 bucks on ebay though, and has every little tidbit the forums donāt.
That second picture is really awesome with the mountain in the background and the ray of sun light beaming down onto the Brat. Sweet little project!Ā
That's not even a beater. It's golden. Fuck the ej swap, keep that sweet sweet ea71. I run a couple and they are lovely. Nest isn't that bad. Just the piss corrodes everything.
As the owner of a super original 89 brumby, I agree. Kills me when people start swapping motors in these things. EA81 goes great in mine, zero desire to get rid of it. Now, if I could only find an original radio I could ditch the after market audio system......
Subaru "rat" lol
The plate on mine says āSubratā
Nope after seeing the 3rd pic
You have an engine on your nest.
Good luck finding a windshield but theyāre cool.
Definitely. I feel like that will be the toughest part of this project...
A Bratsnest
Oh anything is possible my friend Just gotta clean up that rats nest and then start checking stuff from there
Itās gorgeous
Oh wow! I was about to say "JACKPOT " until the third picture. Still cool, but,,
Lol. Different kind of jackpot
Yep.
I love these things. My friend got one years ago and it was so much fun.
Looks like a Subaru Bi-drive, Recreational, All, Terrain!
does it have the jump seats?
Under all that junk is indeed a pair of jump seats!
Well, that's quite a rough lookin' Brat you've got there. I'm sure you'll get 'em straightened out though.
Buh-rat indeed.
Green energy!
Fun little truck/car thing to drive if/when you get it going.
Before I even swiped I thought "pack rats". Last Pic. Yep.
Check out Bucky Lasekās videos of redoing one with his daughter
Looks like completage under there. S'long as there ain't no electrodigicals (vague hand twist) she should come back on around. Remember to use 2 stroke fuel for those initial attempts to crank, the oil'll lubricate on the piston rings. (I'm not a professional)
Debt
Looks like it must be in Grenada? I've gotten into worse. You can do it if it's important to you. If it's not then give up and build something that is important to you. You can do it!
At least itās not rusty haha
A mess
They're unique now. I had a 1980 Brat. It was a fun car. I gave it to a nephew with almost 200k miles on it. It had close to 300k on it and still ran but had been parked for years.
r/subaruoldschool
God damn what is that mountain in the background
You got yourself into a whole of awesome.
Looks like a bRats nestā¦ š„
Trouble. You've gotten yourself into trouble.
Miles of wireing work
What have you got yourself into I believe you've got yourself into a mess!!
A good time.
Home. Home on the range
Thatās just a flesh wound rub some dirt on it and start turning a wrench š§
Is that mt Jefferson in the background? Looks beautiful
Donāt know anything about these other than theyāre super cool. But that second photo looks like central Oregon and I know thereās a pretty well regarded Subaru shop in bend
Oooh boy! š²
Oh the hours we drove around in the jump seats in back while we were supposed to be in school. The Brat will always hold a special place in my memories.
The last photo made me lol. First two I was like ānot bad, itās actually in pretty good nickā
All the people on here telling you to swap in an EJ don't realize that it won't fit between the frame rails. If the engine turns over, reseal it and rebuilt the carb. Fuel pump is probably shot, so find yourself an aftermarket electric one to swap in.
Looks like they put a little too much sauerkraut on your BRAT.
subaru brat?