Celerity's Wagon

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Celerity

Well-Known Member
I thought I put up a thread about this.. I guess I didn't.

So.. Uh. Here it is.
 

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Yeah. Not at the moment, my spares were stolen during the move. Gotta track down a new one.

I also have this roof rack to put on, or the rear bumper to finish up - which could serve as the spare holder.

I'm still squaring away a lot of the left-over wiring from the engine swap.
 
These are so popular out west. I'd love to build myself a post apocalyptic vehicle.
 
It's not there quite yet. This motor has 30k on it (well.. about 40k now) but it's not doing too well. I can't get any power out of it.

Some books say the EA82 in the brat is 1.6, while the wagon has a 1.8. The Brat donor had WAY more power than this engine, in this car, right now. Next I'm ripping the trans apart to figure out why.

But this trans is also special, and I can't just replace it. It's got LSD up front, and the rear is LSD as well (Coupled with the old fashioned locking center diff from a part-time 4WD) and it's true 4WD. Of course, with the dinky subaru axles it tends to rip apart a pair every 20k miles or so.

But the rear axles are compatible with the front, so a box of those will go a long way.

I also attached a little treat for you classic Scoobiedoo guys - The last, functional center headlamp ... perhaps anywhere but in museums. Its rare enough that it has air conditioning, power windows, mirrors, steering and cruise control. And like the old CRXs, all 4 corners are on torsion bars, adjustable (and marked for adjustment) for about 4 inches in lift at the turn of a wrench. The rears are almost all the way up there.
 

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Rust is cancer. There is no cure for it. Just cut off the area, and rebuild. For the primary bits of rust (Between the wheelbase, under the doors) I'll be cutting that area completely off, and replacing with 8 gauge box steel, sealed at both ends. Between the two box bars, angle iron to add some rigidity. Under the hood I already have the steel finished (I can take pics if you care, not much to look at) and some frame gussets ready to be welded on. Had I not sold my welders to put gas in my moving truck :(

I have a new front fender to go on, and will be taking the old ones and sandwiching them (An airjockie technique that is 1) harder than it looks and 2) totally worth it)

I have a new hood, since this one is actually rotted so much it flexes. Other than that, the floors are actually good.
 
I like that vintage Subaru, they're very well built and capable. We had a 79 2 door hatch that we swapped a brat engine into. Great car, until my brother fell asleep at the wheel and jumped a few driveways through their mail boxes. Those wagons are VERY popular up here, great winter rigs. I still prefer my Cherokee.
 
Thanks !

It's not that capable of an off-roader, but it can handle dirt trails pretty well. I had it back in CT, where there is no such thing as "off road". When I had my Jeep out there, I found it's capabilities just ... wasted. And the Subaru is really good on gas, which is going to be key.
 
I would have loved to have one of these when I went to colorado. There are so many cool dirt trails in the desert, and when I went to Ouray I had the Civic back in the woods just a little till I realized that I'm miles from civilization, no phone service and if I get stuck, nobody can hear me scream :ph34r:
 
When I live in Colorado, I had a 4Runner with a lift, huge tires and some gear work. I still packed enough supplies for a week or more in the woods, including firearms.

Hell, I still pack that way in NEPA. If I have a problem on the road, I have NO help here and my wife has a Mustang. Which doesn't catch traction on humid days.
 
My brother learned to drive stick in a similar hatch on a logging road. Whole family was piled in the car and we were mobbing. Very fun rig that takes abuse. Serious abuse.
 
I've always wanted one, but haven't found the right time to buy one. Small lift and some good all terrain tires, best hunting rig
 
Now is the time. And living in WA, I would do it sooner than later.

The spare tire shelf under the hood allows for some goodies to be loaded. Like a heated windshield washer unit, an MSD or spare tools and stuff. The wheels are the biggest hassle - You'll need to convert the hubs or the wheels to make them fit. No one makes shit for the size anymore.
 
Just curious what why you say that?

Have you been keeping on the adventures of Celerity in the new world ?

I'm very into survivalism, and carry a big interest in post-collapse living. I would advise everyone get the last vehicle they would need in a post-collapse situation. Something light, easily maintained, and competent for snow. It doesn't have to be lifted, but if that's what you're good with, then go for it.

The idea is that three things are coming up, whether you think I'm a kook or not. Whether you subscribe to a zombie invasion or a mad max future, or just think the whole thing is a scam. These three things are happening:

People are running out of money. This means that people who once had money will no longer have money. Being a newbie to poverty, people tend to do extreme things for a few dollars. You see, a poor person that grew up poor is used to not being able to afford shit. But someone who isn't used to it, will immediately go "Defcom 5" and lash out with everything they have for a box of diapers.

You and I will be one of those people who are making less and less and paying more and more for the basics that we used to get pretty easily. Electricity rates are going up, food is going up, gas is going up, and housing is going up. All the meanwhile, businesses are closing their doors, and services are going up. That means you will NEED to be very proficient with the things you have. Get a car with LOTS of spares. Spare glass, spare axles, just fill up your shelves with bits that you'll need. Don't wait until you have no alternator before shopping for an alternator. That said, We don't all have the money now to just go out and buy new parts for the future. So get used bits now. Clean them, catalog them, and keep spares. In my car I carry not only spares for things that I might need (For instance, my water pump was on the way out last week, so I packed one in the trunk) but I carry spare bolts, caps, and some fluids. I'm looking for a roof rack these days to carry more stuff. I also carry spare light bulbs.

Lastly, as the money disappears - we will need to stop looking to the town or state to plow in snow storms. Everytime a plow drops, a cost is associated. At some point, this will stop. You don't need to be able to rock crawl with your survival vehicle because in a post collapse scenario, your car is RARELY used. (You can hear any car from miles away). The point is to use the car to get from town to town using the easiest way possible. (If you're stuck in the woods, you're STUCK in the fucking woods)

So a real off-roader, in my opinion, just gets you in deeper before getting you stuck. On top of that, just about any 4WD is thirsty as hell, and has a HUGE casting cost. You'll find yourself parking it, grabbing your BMX out of the bed, and going the rest of the route as often as you would with the Subaru.

On the other hand, my friend is a big believer in HUGE post apocalyptic trucks, and has chosen a full-size Ford F350 for the job. He will make his post-apocalytic living from steel and garbage collection in his locale.

It's a good idea.
 
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