Brazen modficiation

 My stock Brat radiator has now been modified to accept 1.5" hose just like the stock EJ radiator.  I called around to many good independent auto repair shops in Lafayette and they all said that the only radiator repair guy they knew was Mark in Dayton and he is retired.  So I found a shop in Frankfort would said they could do it, so I had the radiator dropped off in the morning and they called me in the afternoon to say it was done.  

 

It was Jerry's Body shop & Radiator, I would highly recommend them, the end result was "a-brazing"!  

I finished up the shroud, bolted on the fans in place, and then dropped it into location.  

I found that the stock EJ hoses fit now very perfectly with only a little trimming of length from each end to shorten them up to compensate for the much closer radiator position and slightly more narrow radiator.  It is nice to know that I can use off the shelf hoses with a little trimming.  So much better than having to cobble together different size hoses and couplers.  I should probably put new hoses on it, but I'll just use these for the shakedown. It's starting to seem like a real car again, it's a great feeling to be completing tasks and crossing things off my list.  

I need to rig up a temporary exhaust, as the headers just dump right out at the moment under the passenger floorboard.  Once I get it driving I'll take it to a muffler shop and have them build the pipe to fit so I can incorporate the stock cat and resonator and O2 sensors.  A little of the iconic subaru boxer sound would be nice, but what I'm actually after is quiet enough that I can hear my radio.  

The last big project that remains is the permanent installation of the ECU and wiring harness.  I will pull the dash for install and replace the heater core while I'm in there.  I already modified the EJ ECU to fit into the space for where the 82 computer controlled carburetor controller was housed under the steering wheel.