Brumby build with a difference

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 7:39 pm

steptoe wrote:Really is a "build" isn't it, or rebuild - the Gen3 Brumby! Like Fuji shoulda done.

Taking orders yet??

haha yeah I was thinking if it was simple enough I might be able to make a kit to sell but it is a bit too complex.

As for building these for someone else ? Maybe a possibility - all I need to do is make accurate measurements a couple of cutting templates and it wouldn't be too hard I guess. I suppose I could make the templates and sell those - hmmmmm mind starts ticking over

Point · Post by **Point** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:34 pm

are you doing a body lift or is this standard height? I shortened the Lib crossmember and built in a 2" bodylift, and then built brackets for the back of the control arms.

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:03 am

Point wrote:are you doing a body lift or is this standard height? I shortened the Lib crossmember and built in a 2" bodylift, and then built brackets for the back of the control arms.

haha neither - its going as low as she'll go and then a little bit more

I could have solved all my problems by raising it 50mm but it is going to be a performance car not an offroader.

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:52 pm

Got a little bit more done today.

Welded back in some of the metal I took off yesterday trying to make it fit. You can see a bit clearer in this photo exactly how it is being done. You can also see where the Liberty chassis has been sliced - right down the middle of the mounting holes

Which is the main reason for me doing all this hard work. The final product will have a piece of RHS welded in across both the Liberty and Brumby chassis - joing them both together and providing a nice strong point for the mounting bolts.

You can see in these next 2 pictures how the Liberty chassis straddles the Brumby one and how the LCA mounting points will weld to the firewall. Little bit of massagin still be done though.

And finally you can see the Liberty strut tower is pretty much flush against the inner fender of the Brumby and will be fully welded in. Gotta get a strut brace first, do the other side, mount the strut brace and then weld it in - that way will ensure it is in the right position.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:50 am

they didn't teach you THIS at police college! Keep up the pics and the work. You are sure to be viewed beond Oz on this project!

velocityboy · Post by **velocityboy** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 9:08 am

I know it's easy to offer advice from the outside but I have done a similar conversion years ago (graft front rail etc into another car). The way I did it, and I realise you are beyond this point now, was I unpicked the whole front of the project car (your brumby) and fitted the whole donor front, includeing inner skirts rad support etc. I then just modified the the top of the skirt to take the projects mudguards and fitted the project radiator support panel to allow the origanal gaurds etc to fit.

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 9:49 am

velocityboy wrote:I know it's easy to offer advice from the outside but I have done a similar conversion years ago (graft front rail etc into another car). The way I did it, and I realise you are beyond this point now, was I unpicked the whole front of the project car (your brumby) and fitted the whole donor front, includeing inner skirts rad support etc. I then just modified the the top of the skirt to take the projects mudguards and fitted the project radiator support panel to allow the origanal gaurds etc to fit.

Can't do it that way - its illegal.

Well no so much illegal - just won't get approved for rego because you are using a different chassis number (Liberty) compared to what is on the VIN plate of the Brumby.

Can be done must be registered as an ICV (Individually constructed vehicle) and that costs thousands of dollars and lots of work just to get it passed.

Trust me I did think of this

velocityboy · Post by **velocityboy** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 1:17 pm

Yes,we have the same drama about VIN numbers here and that is a prob. I used to do chassis grafts on F100's till they started getting upset about VIN's.

mud_king91 · Post by **mud_king91** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:15 pm

This makes me want a brumby

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 5:52 pm

mud_king91 wrote:This makes me want a brumby

Thanks - that comment has made my day

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:03 pm

Started on the rear crossmember today. After hours of measuring and scratching my head I finally realised that the Brumby chassis/crossmember is not symetrical !!
you can see in these pics that the mounting holes and the chassis are not identical on each side :

But managed to get the crossmember mounted temporarily so I could suss out the rest of the mounts for the diff hanger and the trailing arms.

The diff hanger is fairly straight forward - I have cut the arms down to length and just need to bang up some stong mounts using some decent angle and fully weld it into the corner between the chassis rail and the rear of the cabin.

The trailing arms are a different matter - once again things are in exactly the wrong spot - 10mm in any direction and it would be a lot easier. As it stands the mounting brackets are wide and flat but the chassis where they sit is narrow and curved. I don't want to modify the chassis if I can avoid it because it is fairly weak around this area anyway. So not sure yet if I am going to make up new brackets to suit the chassis or mod the chassis and try to strengthen it and tie it into the front chassis a bit better while I am there.

But at least its in and looking reasonable :

And just to check I got it central in the wheel arch I stuck a rim on it. It sits a tiny bit further forward than backwards but I think this is probably a good thing. The tyres on these rims are 215/60/16 which are Outback sized - will eventually be running something like 215/40/16 which are nearly 90mm smaller in diameter so there will be heaps of clearance and heaps of room to get it real low......

mud_king91 · Post by **mud_king91** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 7:16 pm

Looking good

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 12:19 am

I'm waiting to see how these rear strut towers are going to be done... Got some plans hatching for Ruby Scoo

Cheers

Bennie

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:10 am

Not sure yet whether I am going to just use the strut tower or the whole wheel well out of the Liberty. Depends on the shape of the Liberty wheel well really and I haven't even looked at it yet.

stenno · Post by **stenno** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:33 am

damn the progress your making is amazing, actually inspiring. Its making me rethink what i had planned to do anyway.

Have you considered using different subaru trailing arms for the rear? maybe the shape changed over the years / models and may suit / make fabrication easier. I know forrester trailing arms are used in the us to drag race GC8's as the mounting angle promotes squat and a better launch. Maybe outback or later imprezza etc.

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:04 am

stenno wrote:damn the progress your making is amazing, actually inspiring. Its making me rethink what i had planned to do anyway.

Have you considered using different subaru trailing arms for the rear? maybe the shape changed over the years / models and may suit / make fabrication easier. I know forrester trailing arms are used in the us to drag race GC8's as the mounting angle promotes squat and a better launch. Maybe outback or later imprezza etc.

Good idea - might have to have a look into that.

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 1:14 pm

Work has slowed since real paid work has got in the way and the fact that I have decided to scrap the 2 weeks hard work cutting the Liberty chassis to fit. I have found a much better way of doing it but its topsecret so I won't p[ost anything until it is completely done.

In the meantime I had to go to Perth for business so I picked up a few goodies while I was there.

Genuine Momo steering wheel :

Set of 15's to match my 16's :

Got these because it is easier snd cheaper to find tyres the right size to pass rego and they will be more comfortable in my daily driven Brumby which will only have a 2.5 and auto.

Set of alloy arms to keep the weight down and already polished :

Set of DBA 5000 2 piece rotors to go with my 4 pots :

Set of fibreglass backed reclinable seats for the daily driven Brumby :

and finally a seat of fixed back fibreglass seats for this Brumby :

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 5:43 pm

Well my new way of getting all the WRX gear into the Brumby is a winner. Its not ready but here are a couple of teaser pics to see if you can work out how I am doing it :

mud_king91 · Post by **mud_king91** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 6:06 pm

so this is considered legal ?

niterida · Post by **niterida** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 6:12 pm

mud_king91 wrote:so this is considered legal ?

Yep sure is - engineer and Dept of Transport approved