[400hpsubie]

Hey guys and gals I'm thinking of buying my girlfriend a Brat and would like to know just what I'd be getting into. Any info and problems are all welcomed. She wants a truck but wants incredible gas mileage and I thought subaru because I get great mileage in my subie and the only truck type subaru I heard of is the Brat (so far at least. been researching detroit autos to see if they are going to release and saw interesting news on an actual truck in the making.)

 

[eagleeye]

Brats are 1970s-80s things, even if you found a mint body, very hard to source anything that old in parts. (I am sure people out in colorado have one, and bring it to shows, ...but they have 2 parts vehicles stashed around for it). gen2 81?-84? type kind of tolerable to ride in, ...earlier first gen ones were primitive like all 70s subarus.


so you must mean a Baja. of 2003-2006. some with turbos. (but turbos are thirsty).
the body and the regular N/A EJ25 SOHC engine are that of a 2000-2004 outback wagon. (body is slightly longer /heavier)

some 2005-2006 had forester type EJ257 turbos in them (scooped hood).
... I would think in today's market a mint turbo one there would be a $10000 thing. (rare and known to be rare).

 

[400hpsubie]

No I did mean the Brat. I do have resources on my old vehicle parts. I had 2 chevy LUV trucks and if the parts are harder than that to find then I'll just give up. But i have plenty of sources that I can go to for rare parts. Many of which have shops of their own that I can use their lifts to work on it. Bu tas far a the parts they have places that a lot of people (non shop owners) and all of which owe me favors (I build a lot of wood works for the shops). But if its just gonna be a pain I'll probably rebuild the gas LUV i got sitting in my backyard.

 

[Red Suburu]

If you need any room at all inside you will not want a Brat! I had a 78 and when I drove it my knees were firmly planted in the dash!

 

[AWDFTW]

They're old, cramped, and 30+ years old at this point.

Ones I see are either "farm use only" or sitting in collector's garages. Not much in between.

 

[eagleeye]

No I did mean the Brat. I do have resources on my old vehicle parts. I had 2 chevy LUV trucks and if the parts are harder than that to find then I'll just give up. But i have plenty of sources that I can go to for rare parts. Many of which have shops of their own that I can use their lifts to work on it. Bu tas far a the parts they have places that a lot of people (non shop owners) and all of which owe me favors (I build a lot of wood works for the shops). But if its just gonna be a pain I'll probably rebuild the gas LUV i got sitting in my backyard.

@bheinen74 has a couple brats in iowa now. they appear on craigslist nationally a handful at a time though.

parts are rare. problem is even under the best of conditions many of these have rusted from sitting on blocks that disappeared into lawns to be sitting flat on the ground.

easier: chopping a 1990 and newer EJ powered car into a brat/baja.

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/62-car-lounge/143129-home-made-baja-s-brats.html

 

[400hpsubie]

@bheinen74 has a couple brats in iowa now. they appear on craigslist nationally a handful at a time though.

parts are rare. problem is even under the best of conditions many of these have rusted from sitting on blocks that disappeared into lawns to be sitting flat on the ground.

easier: chopping a 1990 and newer EJ powered car into a brat/baja.

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/62-car-lounge/143129-home-made-baja-s-brats.html

Well if anything I can weld body bodys and all that and engines I could probably swap in a EJ20 or something. You know? I actually found one for sale here and showed my girl and she fell in love with it.