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Blazing Brat!!!

14K views 131 replies 21 participants last post by  Pullon 
#1 ·
One day not long ago three little 1980's Subaru Brats found their way into my laboratory. That I had to convince UHaul that my 6 cylinder Ford Escape was equipped with a 8000lb towing package to get them to their new home, is another story! One little Black Brat from Texas is pretty good, despite 13 years setting in a hay field - it almost runs. One little Red Brat is not so lucky after spending years on flat tires in a wet area behind a falling down barn in Arkansas - radiator support, rockers, valances - pretty much gone. The third little Blue Brat is also in pretty good shape - but due to a family feud (not mine) paperwork is not included (other than a bill of sale). So it is the parts Brat. So why are we here you ask? This is the S10 Forum!

Do the math! Not so good Brat with clean tittle + good brat with bill of sale + 1996 4x4 Blazer that ended up on its roof = Blazing Brat!

Parts are so scarce for the Brat that all I am hoping to keep is the body and exterior parts - it will simplify things later if everything you can actually buy at a parts store is 1996 Blazer. The Blazer chassis (its a 2 door) will require a 3" trim. Fender flares will cure the 3" extra width and add a touch of macho. I want to keep A/C, Cruise, Dash, Console, Steering column, Leather buckets. There's a reasonable chance they can all be modified to fit. Power widows and locks, maybe not... I guess my only concern is engine bay clearance (lengthwise) - the Blazer has a 4.3 and the Subaru has a 4cyl and spare tire under there and the longest transmission I have ever seen! Not scared to cut firewall and tunnel - but don't want a radiator duct taped to the front either!

So, stay tuned - this might fun to watch. A different direction from all the antique cars and trucks on S10 frames! Oh if anyone comes across that strip of chrome trim that goes on the top of the Brat tailgate please let me know - they must blow off because none of mine has one!
 
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#29 ·
I never really stopped doing stuff - just didn't own a Chevy so I didn't hang over here in Chevy waters. Built a couple guitars, a Gazebo with chili pepper lights, learned to smoke briskets, learned to make jerky, bought and sold a couple bass boats and now the circle is complete - a Chevy is in the house!
 
#4 ·
I'm interested in seeing this. Always loved Brats!

They are like a miniature 4wd better version of an EL Camino. And I love ElCaminos!
 
#9 ·
So. Much. Need.



 
#11 ·
BRAT - "Bi-Drive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter" made in the 80's by Subaru and based on their even less known Leone. Kind of looks like a 3/4 scale El Camino. Has 13" 4x140 wheels - which only fit a very small number of vehicles. Mine has the EA81 motor - about 72hp when new. The wheelbase is 96.7 by 64. Normal front wheel drive through a transaxle you can pull a lever and engage 4x4 high and low range. Subaru says it was designed as a "all road" vehicle - they never intended it would be used as a rock crawler or extreme terrain. Several hundred thousand were sold in the US and they are still popular in small circles - but the lack of parts support has sent many to the crusher. I might add they are also very light weight, easy to bend and mangle and the unibody chassis doesn't support the wide range of mods we like to do on truck based chassis. Which is why I decided to eliminate pretty much all but the Brat skin. I can't even find a windshield gasket to remove it for painting and dash work. Am trying to soak the old one in silicone a few weeks - but that is risky business - could end up cutting the top off the donor cause I don't want to risk messing up the gasket!

Here are some photos of the Brat herd and donor....





 
#12 ·
Sounds like an interesting project. I have one question though, what happened to the last S10 project hot-rod thing that is in your signature? Did it ever get finished?

Edit: never mind. I just saw the update on the other thread.
 
#14 ·
Yes I know they can bring a decent price. But those are far better than mine which have all set abandoned in fields for years. The black one will be kept as a Brat. Although I sold the wheels today for just under what the blazer cost! Since the red one in the shop is the one going on the Chevy chassis I had extra wheels. Have them sandblasted ready for repaint, but that talk goes on a different forum. I only mention because it all is connected.

Have pictures of the red one that will expain better why all this is not some kind of tragic tale for Brat lovers. I am actually saving one most people would not look twice at. Same goes for the Blazer, not killing it, saving it! It's certainly about to loose a lot of weight and nobody can call it top heavy either!

I would put a mild lift kit if you know somebody with one collecting dust.
 
#15 ·
Here is the field brat in question. Everything looks better in these tiny photos - which has resulted in more than one disappointment after a long drive to buy the deal of the century! If you look close you will see the seats in the back are extremely sun rotted, there are small dents everywhere, rockers and front/rear valances mashed from idiots uses them as jacking points and rusted through from the wet field. All exterior rubber is shot - including T-top seals. Leaking battery and long term wet field - right fender and most of radiator support rusted away. I did not show it but both front and rear bumpers are beat up to the point there are no undented areas! The interior was trash - with that horrible rat piss smell you may know if you do this stuff. Blahh!!! And the dash was totally torn apart by PO trying to locate a short that was popping a fuse.

The good - floors solid - dents are small dent puller size - no rust through on major body panels or floors - all there but the tailgate deck lid - glass is good. Rolled good enough to get it home - it cost $400.







The right half of the radiator support was completely rusted away - the headlights and grill was all that was holding it together!



I cut out ALL the corrosion!



And welded in "new" from the donor



So now the front looks like this:



No more rust but I still had to knock the dents out on the trucks left front side and pound out the mashed up front valance (filler) panel.

Now I am considering how to make the radiator support removable - which would allow 4.3L engine removal or upgrade to a V8 at a later date without lifting the motor five feet in the air. I might try to use the Blazer support - to early to know as I have not had the time to measure what I have to work with!

Today - I have to work on getting the Goldwing back together. Its a small shop - two torn down Goldwings, and a Brat on jack stands - and I can't move around without stepping on parts! The Goldwing was a "quickie" to finance the Brat which I knew would be months and spring is around the corner when buyers motorcycle juices kick in!
 
#18 ·
Thanks for that info on radiator support. On a hunch I dug through the scrap pile I save up for my neighbor to sell and found the top of the rad support I cut out. By some stroke of luck it is not corroded and I cut it long enough to use as a bolt in. Sometimes my best work is dumb luck!
 
#19 ·
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnolzTQ1zXI

There is a place a couple miles from my house that has a bunch of brats sitting by the road that don't look too bad. One of them has some 6 bolt Nissan truck wheels and lift of some sort on it. I don't know how many they actually have because I haven't been by it in a while.
 
#30 ·
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnolzTQ1zXI

There is a place a couple miles from my house that has a bunch of brats sitting by the road that don't look too bad. One of them has some 6 bolt Nissan truck wheels and lift of some sort on it. I don't know how many they actually have because I haven't been by it in a while.

Thanks for the video post - inspirational seeing a Brat actually move that is not in an earthquake or on a trailer!

If you have time one day I would be very greatful if you would asked those Brat people if they would part with one of the chrome trim pieces that goes on top of the tail gate - 3 Brats all three missing!
 
#20 ·
The six bolt wheels are a mod where two of the wheel studs are removed and then drill four new holes. Simple and effective.

Here is the radiator support - red original, blue donor. The red had three headlights, the blue four. Luckily I have the whole assembly....

 
#21 ·
I did some rough measurements. Already knew the chassis was three of four inches long. The engine bay is wide enough for the 4.3 but freaky firewall with spare tire holder will have to be trimmed to ensure back of motor clearance. There is no room for Blazer brake booster and certainly not ABS monstrosity - I have deleted that stuff before and will re-read the threads when it is time. No room for the massive Blazer heater/AC either. And the Blazer dash is 2.5 inches too wide.

Also the Blazer has column shift - noticed the shift indicator was not working when I started it. Four wheel high works, for wheel low does not. Motor weak and smoky - plugs oil soaked - hoping from being upside down for a few hours - but it runs and moves!

The motor is different than the S10 I worked on a couple years ago. It has a forward facing air intake opening instead of on top like the S10. Also the intake looks like aluminum pipes - have not checked the motor numbers to see if it is a 96 Blazer motor or some other year dropped in there. Really can't wait to get out there and see what I have. Am thinking about actually getting the Blazer running up to speed before removing the body - not the way I would usually do this but might be easier then I know any problems are related to the swap, not preexisting.

On the bright side, the donor Brat has A/C. Nice small Brat sized A/C. I don't want to build another one that I have to suffer in when it is 100 degrees! I read something once about deleting or modifying the Blazer oil cooler....I don't remember...
 
#23 ·
Will get some motor photos - pretty dirty under the hood which really annoys me. I would whole lot rather have a red plastic bag for a tail light lens than a dirty motor bay...

Thanks for the link - that's the one I remember. I did that on the Extreme - ran it 25K with no issues. I did switch over to Mobile One synth oil as well. Not sure of the differences 4wd, 2wd. The Fiero, Miata, and CJ5 builds between the Chevys has so contaminated my brain I am practically starting from scratch - again. So much to learn!!!
 
#31 ·
Yes - I saw them occasionally on the roads. I thought they were too expensive and worthless as a truck. And Subaru was about in the same category as Yugo and Fiat at that time. Of course they worked hard and have earned a reputation as a good quality car maker - but at the time - we thought they were import junk for dumb rich people. It was Ford or Chevy or nothing!

I now admit that those people driving reliable fuel efficient 4wd Subaru trucks 30 years ago were ahead of their time - I was the one that was misguided! Hats off to your grandfather!
 
#27 ·
I'm sure I have stated frequently I am not a S10 guru like some of you guys - just a fair to middling old school grease monkey. So that would explain my confusion about identifying the motor in the donor Blazer. I hope I said it was 1995 - that's on the tail lights.

After looking at plenty of photos online I now think I have a plain Jane Vortec motor. Not sure if that is good or bad - assume it could be both. It threw me off when the air intake opening was on front instead of on top like the Extreme I worked on. Also didn't help that the Vortec Plastic (I assume) emblem is missing off the top. There is a note written in yellow paint - timing gear retarded one tooth 3/5/95. Why that would be is a mystery to me. Anyways, here is a photo.

Oh, I could not see the VIN on the dash, the numbers in the glove box are pretty faded - it's obvious it sat in weather uncovered for some time with rain coming right on the dash through the broken windshield. Kind of amazing it would even run. But I am cool with that - I certainly did not pay for a ready to drive rig and I did not expect to get one! :D

 
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