The Official 2015 2nd Gen Ram OT Thread
Record Breaker
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,130
Likes: 15
From: Somewhere in Kentucky
Hmm, had to google the Subaru Brat, didn't know about that one. Looks like a predecessor to the Baja.
Yeah, the timing belt should be changed every 105,000 miles. I will not delay that one!
I'll check out the clamps on the coolant system.
Looking in the engine bay, everything looks so much smaller than I'm accustomed to. The parts are tiny!
Tomorrow it's getting detailed, getting new rubber, and the front bumper is getting painted. Pictures will be up this weekend!
Yeah, the timing belt should be changed every 105,000 miles. I will not delay that one!
I'll check out the clamps on the coolant system.
Looking in the engine bay, everything looks so much smaller than I'm accustomed to. The parts are tiny!
Tomorrow it's getting detailed, getting new rubber, and the front bumper is getting painted. Pictures will be up this weekend!
Veteran
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
Its interesting that you bring up the Brat. I went last weekend to look at one. Its been sitting behind a barn in rural Iowa not to far from here for the last many years.
When I got there to look at it the farmer was in a shed working on a chainsaw. He said we would need it to get the car out of where it was parked. A bunch of little volunteer trees have grown up all around the little trucklet.
He said he had started it last summer but,... I have my doubts.
After an hour or so of clearing brush he backed a Farmall M up to it and pulled it out where we could get a better look at it.
Naturally all the tires were flat but they did take air once he got it around by the shed where the air compressor is.
He had a battery on the charger and put that in and it did turn over but even with pouring gas directly into the carb it would not fire. We messed around for a few hours trying to get it to do something, killed the battery and had a real good time talking about old cars in general.
Finally he asked me what I'd give for the thing as it sat there. I said I'd go $150.00 because that would be the best I'd get for it at the junk yard.
He said he will have to think on it a spell.
When I got there to look at it the farmer was in a shed working on a chainsaw. He said we would need it to get the car out of where it was parked. A bunch of little volunteer trees have grown up all around the little trucklet.
He said he had started it last summer but,... I have my doubts.
After an hour or so of clearing brush he backed a Farmall M up to it and pulled it out where we could get a better look at it.
Naturally all the tires were flat but they did take air once he got it around by the shed where the air compressor is.
He had a battery on the charger and put that in and it did turn over but even with pouring gas directly into the carb it would not fire. We messed around for a few hours trying to get it to do something, killed the battery and had a real good time talking about old cars in general.
Finally he asked me what I'd give for the thing as it sat there. I said I'd go $150.00 because that would be the best I'd get for it at the junk yard.
He said he will have to think on it a spell.
That should last you damn near forever. 
Buddy of mine had a Brat when I was in college. Dang thing would go just about anywhere you pointed it. Loved those jump seats in the back.
Buddy of mine had a Brat when I was in college. Dang thing would go just about anywhere you pointed it. Loved those jump seats in the back.
Record Breaker
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,439
Likes: 73
From: S. Florida
Champion
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3,065
Likes: 1
From: Renton, WA
last subaru I owned was an 81 GL 4x4 (before the days of AWD..this was front wheel drive transaxle that had shift on the fly 4x4 hi/lo range lever to engage the tail shaft to the rear diff.)
That car was fun, but it was the most unreliable POS I ever owned. went through CV axles like crazy due to the catalyst being right under the passenger front CV-axle rubber boot. So that boot and joint failed quite often. (replaced that axle at least 3 times)
clutch cable broke 3 times, finally replaced the clutch pedal and that solved the problem... throttle cable broke once on the same trip as the last time the clutch pedal broke... and that throttle cable broke right outside my works driveway while the clutch cable broke just as I was starting to get on the freeway to go to work that same trip.
car was persistent at not wanting to go anywhere and left me stranded more than once...
then my ignition switch went out. They wanted too much for a new one so I just bypassed the damn thing and put a push button starter in it, and a toggle switch inside the rear flip out ashtray on the back of the center console so it was hidden... so you just had to pop that ash tray open and slide your finger in there to flip the switch to turn the ignition on, and hit the push button starter and it was running.
Still needed the key to unlock the steering wheel, but at that point that is all the key did anymore.
finally the car would randomly die for no reason and would not bump start itself or resume running till it sat a few minutes with the ignition off. then it would start back up and go along its way a few more miles... distributor went bad... so at that point I said F this effin POS effin car and replaced it with an old chevy S10. Never had a more unreliable car in my life than that subaru.
S10: never ever left me stranded. had small issues that didn't cost much to fix, but most important thing: NEVER left me stranded.
Any vehicle that leaves me stranded more than once is a vehicle I won't tolerate.
heck even my twin turbo cummins when I blew the head gasket, or blew out 5th and 6th gears in the 6-speed manual didn't leave me stranded...always got me home.
Suppose things like that are why I still own an S10 and my ram to this day. both reliable, and both will get you home if they have issues. Neither will leave you stranded unlike that effin subaru that did it more than once.
That car was fun, but it was the most unreliable POS I ever owned. went through CV axles like crazy due to the catalyst being right under the passenger front CV-axle rubber boot. So that boot and joint failed quite often. (replaced that axle at least 3 times)
clutch cable broke 3 times, finally replaced the clutch pedal and that solved the problem... throttle cable broke once on the same trip as the last time the clutch pedal broke... and that throttle cable broke right outside my works driveway while the clutch cable broke just as I was starting to get on the freeway to go to work that same trip.
car was persistent at not wanting to go anywhere and left me stranded more than once...
then my ignition switch went out. They wanted too much for a new one so I just bypassed the damn thing and put a push button starter in it, and a toggle switch inside the rear flip out ashtray on the back of the center console so it was hidden... so you just had to pop that ash tray open and slide your finger in there to flip the switch to turn the ignition on, and hit the push button starter and it was running.
Still needed the key to unlock the steering wheel, but at that point that is all the key did anymore.
finally the car would randomly die for no reason and would not bump start itself or resume running till it sat a few minutes with the ignition off. then it would start back up and go along its way a few more miles... distributor went bad... so at that point I said F this effin POS effin car and replaced it with an old chevy S10. Never had a more unreliable car in my life than that subaru.
S10: never ever left me stranded. had small issues that didn't cost much to fix, but most important thing: NEVER left me stranded.
Any vehicle that leaves me stranded more than once is a vehicle I won't tolerate.
heck even my twin turbo cummins when I blew the head gasket, or blew out 5th and 6th gears in the 6-speed manual didn't leave me stranded...always got me home.
Suppose things like that are why I still own an S10 and my ram to this day. both reliable, and both will get you home if they have issues. Neither will leave you stranded unlike that effin subaru that did it more than once.