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Stoat Muldoon

#58038 Subaru Brat Restoration

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This Christmas I was fortunate enough to receive a fairly large sum of cash (as far as a 16 year old's pocket money goes; we're not exactly talking thousands here) from my loving parents. Having instantly deciding to put the towards RC stuff, I thought to myself 'I now have extra funds, what car have I always wanted, but never found the cash to buy at the right time?'

'Of course' I exclaimed to my cat 'A Subaru Brat! I've always wanted one of those since I saw one on the shelf at my LHS. Let's go look on eBay'. My cat sat there looking blankly at me, obviously unwilling to help me search for a Brat. 'Well, screw you then.' I said, and began typing the eBay URL into my web browser. My cat walked quietly out of the room to do whatever cats do. Stuff her face in her litter tray or something, I don't know.

About 30 minutes of searching through various Brats that were available at the time, I found one at the reasonable price of £95. Two bodies, both only slightly damaged and the car was 95% complete. I thought 'This has got to be the one'. Looks in good condition, should be an easy job to restore it.

But then I noticed the same seller had a Frog and a Thunder Dragon for the same price, in the similar condition. After about 20 minutes of careful consideration, I decided that I wanted a Brat more than a Frog, and that a Thunder Dragon was too light on the peripherals front for the price, so I went for the Brat. The Frog sold soon after.

So I put in an offer, and that offer was accepted, lucky for me. a few days later, Mr Postman thrust a large brown box upon me when I open my front door.

Oh the Joy as I slashed at the brown parcel tape with my trusty steel Stanley knife, eager to crack open the box and get a whiff of that musky pong of vintage Tamiya plastic.

And so, here we are.

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$_12.JPG

(Pics from eBay page, courtesy of eBay seller 'sexyevoboy', who has great service by the way)

From what I can tell, since it has no skid plate mounts and deep dish font wheels, it's an early model. Whoopee for me, the older the better. Althought it has the front bumper mount with the frog post, maybe that got broken then replaced with a newer one though?

Once I got it out of it's box, I instantly started tearing it down and giving it a proper once-over. Parts were scrubbed, de-greased and re-greased, gearbox relieved of old, congealed grease and reassembled, those silly hex drive half shafts received fresh grease. Out went the old electronics for the time being and in went some newer, functioning ones so I could test the mechanicals. I also lobbed on some Re-Re Brat wheels I had on my Ranger to make it the same width at the front that was at the back, since it looked rather silly with the wider fronts.

And after all that, this is how she looks at the moment. I peeled the old flaky stickers off, that rather surprisingly took quite a lot of paint with them. I also sanded the edges of the paint to stop it flaking all over my carpet.

IMG_20140101_150230_zps70b8a9a9.jpg

As you can see, the tailgate bracket has come a cropper of some rear collsions during it's lifetime, hence the wonky tailgate.

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I'm a big fan of the suspension on the Brat, it certainly does it's job well. Just look at that flex! From what's essentially a buggy!

IMG_20140101_150333_zps409bf8fb.jpg

The (nice and clean) chassis. Need to tidy up th wiring if these electronics are stayin in for any great length of time, and find a new left battery retainer so I don't have to use the batteries own cable to stop it from falling out.

IMG_20140101_150427_zps25858244.jpg

Not sure what happened here, appears to be black paint on the front of the car. On the hub carrier and the front of the chassis. Also noticed white paint on some of the bumper screws.

IMG_20140101_150503_zps8ac67926.jpg

This is the damage to the red body. It's quite bad, but probably fixable with a little styrene and polycement.

IMG_20140101_150739_zpsffa4daa3.jpg

The spare body and original electronics. Interesting paint job there, sparkling paint is a nice touch.

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The main damage to the spare body. The roof rails were damaged, but easily repaired with polycement.Those polkadots must have taken some time to do.

IMG_20140101_150815_zpsd7dbecda.jpg

The origination owner appears to have installed a different plug, never seen one of those on an RC before. The ceramic resistors are also added. Theres also two of them, they both have 'UTM 308-3 R47 10%m' written on them in red.

The receiver also has what appears to be 20 year old plasti-dip coating. Yuck, that stuff goes incredibly sticky after that amount of time. It even stained the plastic of the chassis. Stinks too.

IMG_20140101_150830_zps8ce5cbdf.jpg

Eww.

And now it's on to everyones favorite part of thread; Question Time! :D

1.Which body would it be easiest to repair? They're both damaged so they won't mount properly, and both need fixing. I just need to know which would be easier, fixing a front or rear mounting hole.

2.Did the Brat come with clear or tinted window glass? I have both. Is it the same deal as the Blackfoot? Brat had clear and the Mud Blaster had tinted?

3.Will Re-Re Brat driveshafts fit right in? I may need to replace them, because I don't see those hex jobbies lasting long.

4.Is that copper rod part of the kit, or did the previous owner add that?

That's all for now, will update when progress is made. Won't be doing any painting for a while because of the weather, unless I can clear up the shed and make a painting booth.

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[...]

1.Which body would it be easiest to repair? They're both damaged so they won't mount properly, and both need fixing. I just need to know which would be easier, fixing a front or rear mounting hole.

2.Did the Brat come with clear or tinted window glass? I have both. Is it the same deal as the Blackfoot? Brat had clear and the Mud Blaster had tinted?

3.Will Re-Re Brat driveshafts fit right in? I may need to replace them, because I don't see those hex jobbies lasting long.

4.Is that copper rod part of the kit, or did the previous owner add that?

Thanks for sharing these pictures AND the bliss related to being working such beautiful specimen!

Some comments:

1. Fix both. Once you get one ready you'll always need a second one to run. That, cause I presume you'll want one for the shelf. I guarantee you these Brat pickups are pure eye-candy! ;)

2. The original 1983 Brat comes with clear windshield. The 1988 Mud Blaster was darker, and the re-release is totally tinted.

3. The re-re Brat doesn't have hex driveshafts anymore. They have dogbones that last longer. If you plan to run the truck all the time, you might want to change the whole axle. Don't forget to get ball bearings and shims for that gearbox!

By the way, does your truck have the fixed differential or was it upgraded with the Frog's?

4. Same as with the damage of the red body, I don't think I can see in the pictures the copper part you mention? From what I can remember, the Brat has no copper part.

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Thanks for sharing these pictures AND the bliss related to being working such beautiful specimen!

Some comments:

1. Fix both. Once you get one ready you'll always need a second one to run. That, cause I presume you'll want one for the shelf. I guarantee you these Brat pickups are pure eye-candy! ;)

2. The original 1983 Brat comes with clear windshield. The 1988 Mud Blaster was darker, and the re-release is totally tinted.

3. The re-re Brat doesn't have hex driveshafts anymore. They have dogbones that last longer. If you plan to run the truck all the time, you might want to change the whole axle. Don't forget to get ball bearings and shims for that gearbox!

By the way, does your truck have the fixed differential or was it upgraded with the Frog's?

4. Same as with the damage of the red body, I don't think I can see in the pictures the copper part you mention? From what I can remember, the Brat has no copper part.

Thanks for clearing those things up, will be helpful for my build. I'll fix both bodies, but I think I'll start with the red one then take my time on the slightly less damaged one and use it as a shelfer body. It doesn't have a diff, no. Just the standard solid driveline.

Sorry I missed some pictures. Was up late last night for new year, pretty tired right now. :rolleyes:

The copper rod I was referring to is the antenna, didn't think about what was writing :P . It's a long copper rod with black insulation around it. I was just curious if this is a standard part, or another of the previous owners bodge jobs. Doesn't really require a picture, as you can't really see it anyway.

Here's the one of the damage I missed:

IMG_20140101_150537_zps63bc0c01.jpg

Quite a nasty crack. It extends all the way back to the start of the wheel well, along tha darkened line where it's been glued in the past.

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This looks like the start of a great resto thread :D It also looks like the custom paint job was helped with these I reckon ;)

misc_01.jpg

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[...]

The copper rod I was referring to is the antenna, didn't think about what was writing :P . It's a long copper rod with black insulation around it. I was just curious if this is a standard part, or another of the previous owners bodge jobs. Doesn't really require a picture, as you can't really see it anyway.

Here's the one of the damage I missed:

IMG_20140101_150537_zps63bc0c01.jpg

Quite a nasty crack. It extends all the way back to the start of the wheel well, along tha darkened line where it's been glued in the past.

I'm sure you'll have different ideas from the fellow TCers here, but what I would do to that would be using a bit of styrene and a melted part of the same plastic. I found out by experience that using the same material works best.

The original antenna mast is black. And it isn't made of copper. So chances are the one you have is a custom part. Doesn't sound bad anyway.

The Subaru Brat was released in 1983 and it is the very first incarnation of the -now legendary- ORV chassis. Here's some cool trivia: the Subaru body was intended to be a second release on the 1982 Super Champ chassis. ;)

By the way, if you soak some towel with brakefluid and cover the Subaru body for a day you'll get all of that red paint off of it.

Good luck with the restoration and keep the pictures coming. :)

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I'm sure you'll have different ideas from the fellow TCers here, but what I would do to that would be using a bit of styrene and a melted part of the same plastic. I found out by experience that using the same material works best.

The original antenna mast is black. And it isn't made of copper. So chances are the one you have is a custom part. Doesn't sound bad anyway.

The Subaru Brat was released in 1983 and it is the very first incarnation of the -now legendary- ORV chassis. Here's some cool trivia: the Subaru body was intended to be a second release on the 1982 Super Champ chassis. ;)

By the way, if you soak some towel with brakefluid and cover the Subaru body for a day you'll get all of that red paint off of it.

Good luck with the restoration and keep the pictures coming. :)

Thanks! The shops open tomorrow, So I'll be heading out to various hardware stores and craft shops around town to see if any has styrene plastic, brake fluid and other supplies. Paint and primer will probably be sourced on the internet, since I want the right colour. Same goes for filler putty.

Never knew the Brat body was intended for the Super Champ. How would it even fit?! :P

This looks like the start of a great resto thread :D It also looks like the custom paint job was helped with these I reckon ;)

Thanks!

He probably did, hehe. It looks like he was going to do the whole car, but got bored. ;) Must have taken him ages with that many coats though, seems shame to strip off all that effort.

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Never knew the Brat body was intended for the Super Champ. How would it even fit?! :P

See the cutaway line on the rear bed, mate? Actually, the easiest way to identify the original Brat body is by having a look at the bed. It's the one that fits the posts and antenna holder of the SC chassis ;)

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See the cutaway line on the rear bed, mate? Actually, the easiest way to identify the original Brat body is by having a look at the bed. It's the one that fits the posts and antenna holder of the SC chassis ;)

Well now theres a funny thing, I wondered why that line was there! Comparing it to my SRB it's the perfect shape to fit over the roll bar and the gearbox, plus the damper if mine wasn't just a lowly RR. Looking at pictures I can see that the posts line right up too.

Thanks for that bit of a trivia, might try and mount up a Brat body to a Super Champ some day. If I ever get a spare Brat body and a Super Champ, that is. :lol:

I wonder why developed a whole new chassis instead of use the SRB? :huh:

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Well now theres a funny thing, I wondered why that line was there! Comparing it to my SRB it's the perfect shape to fit over the roll bar and the gearbox, plus the damper if mine wasn't just a lowly RR. Looking at pictures I can see that the posts line right up too.

Thanks for that bit of a trivia, might try and mount up a Brat body to a Super Champ some day. If I ever get a spare Brat body and a Super Champ, that is. :lol:

I wonder why developed a whole new chassis instead of use the SRB? :huh:

Haha. Probably because the SRB chassis (even with the mods done for it as a Super Champ -stuff that looked pretty serious back in 1982) was a lousy runner.

I would be very interested in seeing a Brat on the SC chassis. The one thing I think would be super cool will be the front of the Brat, because the ORV chassis is way too wide at front, and I presume that would look more "in place" over the SC chassis.

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Haha. Probably because the SRB chassis (even with the mods done for it as a Super Champ -stuff that looked pretty serious back in 1982) was a lousy runner.

I would be very interested in seeing a Brat on the SC chassis. The one thing I think would be super cool will be the front of the Brat, because the ORV chassis is way too wide at front, and I presume that would look more "in place" over the SC chassis.

Heh, The ORV is certainly better than the SRB in terms of performance. For example, the rear suspension actually compresses! Who'd have thought?! :lol: I know the SRB's supposition does work, but on mine the torsion bars have somehow hardened and gone incredibly stiff. I ought to get some re-re ones to fit it. In fact, the whole car could do with a full resto job. :rolleyes:

The brat doesn't look too bad at the front once you get the shallower dish rims on the front, but still doesn't tuck amazingly. Rear looks pretty good though. I just checked the Brat body on my RR by turning the chassis upside down and holding the body over it, to be honest it looks pretty much the same as the ORV with the deep rims, but a little better with the shallow ones. Maybe the planned to use different rims?

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I recently acquired a lightly used vintage Brat myself but haven't really paid it much attention as I just can't take to it's looks. Anyway, it's totally original so if you need me to take any pics of anything for you let me know. Here's one of the original aerial for starters:

Posted Image

And maybe you could take a look at the wheels and tell me if this is an early version (not too sure how dished the early wheels are)?

Posted Image

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Well, I can be wrong, but what you guys call deep dish front wheels might be the ones that were present in a kit from the previous year, the XLT Ford Ranger, and not the Subaru Brat. I hope someone will share some knowledge regarding that.

By the way, here's some stuff to inspire you! ;):lol:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=106153&sid=23692

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=92934&sid=23692

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I recently acquired a lightly used vintage Brat myself but haven't really paid it much attention as I just can't take to it's looks. Anyway, it's totally original so if you need me to take any pics of anything for you let me know. Here's one of the original aerial for starters:

And maybe you could take a look at the wheels and tell me if this is an early version (not too sure how dished the early wheels are)?

The MK1 Brat I believe had deeper front wheels, the same as the ones found on the Ranger as mongoose says. If you measure from the point on the inside of the rim where the spokes meet the rim itself to the part where the flat surface curves away to create the lip, the deeper MK1/Ranger rims are 1.2cm, and the newer MK2/Re-Re Brat rims are 0.9cm. Also, you should be able to tell if it's an early one by the underside of the chassis; if it has the mount of the Frog skidplate or the Frog's front body post mount on the bumper stay then it's a late model. If it has neither of those and deep wheels, then its an early model/MK1. It's hard to tell which yours is from the pics, but find a good steel ruler and take a peek.

I literally learned all this today after doing lots of research, haha.

Thanks for the pics too, need to get me one of those antennas. ^_^

Well, I can be wrong, but what you guys call deep dish front wheels might be the ones that were present in a kit from the previous year, the XLT Ford Ranger, and not the Subaru Brat. I hope someone will share some knowledge regarding that.

By the way, here's some stuff to inspire you! ;):lol:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=106153&sid=23692

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=92934&sid=23692

I believe the Early model brat has the same deeper dish wheels as the Ranger, that made it wider at the front than it was a the back. Later brats had Shallower rims and additional mounting points for Frog parts.

Thanks for the links, some good pics in there.

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Mine is a later one then as it has the Frog bits and the narrower wheels.

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Mine is a later one then as it has the Frog bits and the narrower wheels.

Later one, you mean the re-re? Or what Frog bits you refer to?

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Later one, you mean the re-re? Or what Frog bits you refer to?

No not a re-re, a 'Mk 2' as Stoat calls it in his last post. It has the hole for the Frog skid plate and the mount for the Frog front body post on the front bumper stay.

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Later one, you mean the re-re? Or what Frog bits you refer to?

Much like the RR, The Brat went through a MK1 phase and a MK2 phase (Don't know if there was a MK3 excluding the Re-Re). When it was initially designed, the ORV served no other purpose other than to sit under the Brat body. When Tamiya created the Frog, they added a skidplate do the bottom of the car and a lower body post at the front. These added parts required mounting points to be added to the Chassis and bumper stay, which the MK1 Brat did not have. When the Frog was released, Tamiya used the same parts with the additional mounting points on the Brat to save costs on molding. At the same time the fixed a problem they overlooked when designing the Brat; the wide Ranger front wheels made the car wider at the front than it was at the back. So they created slightly adjusted rims, where the hub was closer to the outer edge of the rim so that tire shifted inwards, narrowing the track.

Boy, I literally knew virtually nothing about Brats until I bought one, research sure does help. ;)

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Nice thread Stoat, I have a Brat build lined up for 2014 so I'm watching this with interest!

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I've just finished building a nib mk1 anda mk2 brat and will post soon in my showroom. I know of 3 different chassis mouldings for the first version and when I get round to it ill show em. For those that may be interested I have a full size brat and I've just had the decals made to match the tamiya kit. So that's my next project

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I've just finished building a nib mk1 anda mk2 brat and will post soon in my showroom. I know of 3 different chassis mouldings for the first version and when I get round to it ill show em. For those that may be interested I have a full size brat and I've just had the decals made to match the tamiya kit. So that's my next project

It would be awesome if you could post pictures of the chassis differences. I know I would be very interested in learning more about the Brat.

Also, it would be great if you could share a photo or two of your fullsize Subaru pick-up. ;)

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I have a re-re sitting on the shelf as I like looking at it too much an have lots of runners but getting tempted to give it a thrash with the lexan shell.

Looking forward to seeing this one come together.

I second the request for the 1:1 photos too.

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Mongoose, the pictures of my full size brat are in my showroom and yes I am planning to post pics of the difference between the two (and the reissue)

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Well, I went out to get some stuff a few days ago (haven't posted since, because I'm doing my mock AS exams at school this week and am quite busy) only to realize that I'd bought brake cleaner and not Brake fluid. I must have found the section in Halfords for brake fluid and then looked through the prices to see which was cheaper, and picked one without realizing it was brake leaner not fluid. Fortunately on the same trip I did get some Mr Muscle oven cleaner (same stuff as Easy Off but sold under a different name and in the UK, or so I'm told anyway) so that should work too. I hope to get the bodies stripped this weekend and I shall order some styrene sheet, paint, primer and filler later this evening.

No not a re-re, a 'Mk 2' as Stoat calls it in his last post. It has the hole for the Frog skid plate and the mount for the Frog front body post on the front bumper stay.

On a side note, I think I may have bought a Grasshopper II SuperG from you on eBay? I saw your classified ad for a Brat which linked to the eBay page for it, where I found the Grasshopper under the 'more from this seller' thing.

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You did indeed, posted it today too so you should have it by Thursday I should think. Look forward to the resto thread! ;)

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You did indeed, posted it today too so you should have it by Thursday I should think. Look forward to the resto thread! ;)

Haha, small world (To clarify, my previous post shows how I found out it was you, I found the Hopper by just searching). I look forward to receiving it, should be a nice easy fixer-upper. I'd have that Brat too if I A, hadn't just got one and B, had the cash. Just about skint in terms of RC budget besides that I've set aside for paint and related items. :rolleyes:

I hope to update this thread and my Hilux one soon with some stripped bodies. That reminds me, I need Brat decals. Re-Res will probably do.

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