I have the strangest boner right now...

"Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire" (arch-duke-maxyenko) 07/21/2015 at 17:54 • Filed to: None

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Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/21/2015 at 17:57

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On one hand, the Alabama in me likes this. On the other hand, they cut up a BRAT, which makes the former BRAT owner in me sad.

Blondude > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/21/2015 at 17:58

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I know exactly why I have this boner.

HammerheadFistpunch > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/21/2015 at 18:00

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There isn’t much BRAT left is there?

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/21/2015 at 18:08

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This gives me weird ideas.

Follow me here...

Subaru EG33 flat 6

Rebuilt for twin turbos.

Mounted to an STI 6-speed gearbox.

The whole assembly fitted backwards into the bed of the BRAT, rear-engined Porsche Carrera 4 style, with the transaxle diff flipped, and the center differential bias reversed to favor the transaxle diff, instead of the separate diff (now in the front, and mirror-imaged), and have the accessories, and timing belt easily accessible by taking the tailgate off, and enough width between the rear tires to change the plugs.

have the turbochargers changed over to air-to-water coolers, with the engine and intercoolers plumbed to the front, where the radiators are...

Keep the spare tire under the front hood, also, just like old times.

perhaps truncated to fit the tail gate right next to the crankshaft pulley, and reduce rear overhang by a bit, and as much stuff moved to the front as feasible to balance the weight.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 07/21/2015 at 18:11

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Or just STI swap a brat

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/21/2015 at 18:27

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I really want a lifted Brat. Or a STI swap.

Nerd-Vol > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/21/2015 at 18:51

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Strangest, or Strongest?

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/21/2015 at 19:08

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I’ve seen (and posted those pictures) before. That is a gorgeous little truck.

But the mud-truck is obviously far more custom-built than that.

And mid or rear engined vehicles with a rear weight bias, and rear-biased AWD are monsters. (Beetles and sand rails, dune buggies, and such don’t even have AWD, and are still quite capable.)

An STI-swapped BRAT is very cool, but still a front-heavy, understeering vehicle with a very cramped engine bay. Plus, it would be likely easier to STI-swap into an SH Forester, or an XV Crosstrek, and have a fantastic daily driver. BRAT body and interior parts are way out of production if they were to get damaged, or further wear out for a daily driver. A crazy/fun side project is another matter.

I was thinking of something a bit more radical, and frankenstein-ish in this case, and the BRAT’s open bed suits the concept well.

I was thinking of the rear overhang being bobbed, although perhaps not a full 6-inches like this australian-market Brumby... but maybe a bit, with long-travel suspension and perhaps some forged alloy wheels, instead of steelies.

I do like that BRAT/brumby is so compact, yet still has Leone Coupe long doors, and the angled profile.

Subaru is nowhere near cool enough to do anything this interesting again now... despite the capability and potential that their equipment has.

TheHondaBro > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/21/2015 at 19:33

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*looks down*

Oh yeah? Well mine’s louder.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 07/22/2015 at 16:28

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I don’t think you even need to try to move the weight back forward. Maybe just keep the spare up front and put the battery and radiator up front, but other than that it wouldn’t be worth the trouble of moving things.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 07/22/2015 at 16:50

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That was mostly what I was talking about... spare tire, tool kit, radiators (engine coolant and intake charge coolant) and probably the fuel tank under the spare tire, just above the forward driveshaft.

as most of the bed floor would be removed, and the bed area used for turbocharger plumbing, liquid charge cooler housings, auxiliary electric coolant pumps, and an oil accumulator and priming pump for both the turbos and cold-starting the engine (dry sump would be cool... and hey, why not?)

Plus, it would need some sort of exhaust, probably side-dump output just ahead of the rear tires with a big, but free-flowing muffler mounted crossways above the transaxle. Almost everything in the engine bay except the engine block itself would be above or forward of the rear axle line.

Plus, it would have the benefit of not needing anything further aft-ward of the pulley accessory drive, unlike an H6 swap into most front-engined Subarus that have to push the radiator forward for clearance.

Theoretically it could be left open, or otherwise covered with a fiberglass bed cover, with some heat shielding on the underside... Or maybe even some sort of custom bed cap with a fastback profile, perhaps slightly reminiscent of the Hummer H4X concept.

I wouldn’t necessarily argue with cutting away the fenders a bit, for some mean looking over-fenders, too. maybe some quick-attachment fixings for a removeable roof rack for temporary cargo use, since the bed would be obviously occupied. Of course a complete LED lighting retrofit and modern wiring and a big renegade refurbished alternator.

As long as we’re dreaming... how about remote-reservoir coil-overs, with small airbag assist springs, instead of the secondary coil, to adjust ride height and spring rate, along with an on-board compressor that also can supply tire re-inflation and an impact gun for wheel/tire changes... a winch in the former-engine bay, with the cable fed through rollers in the front grille...

the possibilities are accumulating...