Subaru 360 on Craigs

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/1728458326.html

Not challenge priced but it is the first time I have seen on on craigslist and I would love to have it.

Wow, LHD! I never knew Sube made any. Were they trying to get into the Euro market back then? The 360 would have been a much better marketplace competitor to the Fiat 500 and Renault 2CV than it would have been to anything sold in the US...

Geez, even the Beetle had more power.

I was hoping it would be further away so i wouldn't be tempted. Damn you for posting this!

The 360 was the first car Subaru sold in the US. They were imported by Malcolm Bricklin, the guy that made a Canadian plastic car a little later on. They are cute, but horrible cars. Nice as a garage ornament, but terrifying to drive. They can't go, can't stop, and fall over if you try to turn.

Almost bought one of these years ago. Neat cars.

Yet they ran a race series with them! Challenge driver Alan McCrispin had a couple, including a van. Along with them came all this paperwork, including info on the spec race, one of which they ran in the infield of Daytona. he had pic of Buddy Baker driving one, he looked like a giant in there helment and all! They made my Fiat 600 at the time look huge too!

ddavidv wrote: The 360 was the first car Subaru sold in the US. They were imported by Malcolm Bricklin, the guy that made a Canadian plastic car a little later on. They are cute, but horrible cars. Nice as a garage ornament, but terrifying to drive. They can't go, can't stop, and fall over if you try to turn.

Don't forget the Bertone X1/9 after Fiat pulled out and the Yugo.

I LOVE those. Want want want.

Tim's talking about another Berkeley... wonder if I could direct that microcar lust this way instead.

Margie

A Subaru 360 with a WRX drive train..I'm just saying...

That's an even more radical idea that the JustyWRX. Just can't see it actually fitting, but it might be fun to try!

I LOVE the 360 vans and the truck versions but being 6 feet tall I simply do not fit in them. It was a very dissapointing realization when I went to buy one. I had checked it over and negotiated a price with the seller and was about to shake hands on the deal when I finally decided to sit in it.

Same thing happened when I wanted a Stratos replica...I couldn't fit in it with a helmet on, and if you can't wear a helmet there's no point in owning one.

WRX drivetrain would fit fine in the rear driving the rear wheels. Pretty tight in the front. Ask me how I know.

SVreX wrote: WRX drivetrain would fit fine in the rear driving the rear wheels. Pretty tight in the front. Ask me how I know.

I'm still not sure how you would cover up the trans. it would stick out pretty far..

I'm plotting to do something with the Shell I got from SVreX. I'm just not sure what, and when. Life is busy you know...

Marjorie Suddard wrote: I LOVE those. Want want want. Tim's talking about another Berkeley... wonder if I could direct that microcar lust this way instead. Margie

Tell him it'd be good for the magazine to appeal to this (new?) "Japanese Nostalgic Car" movement within our community. Seriously. When I pointed out the guy with the old 70s Nissan Skyline parked down from the GRM tent on Sunday afternoon, my daughter's boyfriend and their friend went nuts over it.

ddavidv wrote: The 360 was the first car Subaru sold in the US. They were imported by Malcolm Bricklin, the guy that made a Canadian plastic car a little later on. They are cute, but horrible cars. Nice as a garage ornament, but terrifying to drive. They can't go, can't stop, and fall over if you try to turn.

Wow! I never knew that. I remember Bricklin's cars, but didn't realize he'd been a "player" in the import market before that.

After I posted that, I found a neat article on The Truth About Cars web site that details the early history of Subaru. You may want to check it out.

The race series was basically a way to dispose of all the cars they could not sell. I remember seeing a couple rusting away in a wooded lot behind the Southern Bell building in AIken, SC. No they are not still there.

I laughed when I read LHD. I'm surprised you can fit a steering wheel inside the car and not have it centered!

The van versions are much larger...well at least larger than your average grill...but not the big ones outside Lowes!

When first sent overseas to "visit" Japan, a co-worker had one of the vans. While they make the 360 look almost like a "regular" car, the vans, too, are tiny on the inside.

Buy a 360, probably the only car you WON'T need a trailer to get home.

BTW, in the mid '70s some go kart track operators used 360s as cart "replacements". They aren't much bigger than a cart with a body.

In fact the wheels on the van really do look like go-kart wheels.

Scoobie 360 van at the Lane Motor museum:

The Lane museum's webby:
http://lanemotormuseum.org/

Looks like another 360 in front of it as well.

nocones wrote: I'm still not sure how you would cover up the trans. it would stick out pretty far..

Use an AWD trans with a top shift. You won't need the tail piece once you weld up the outputs to the sides only. Remove the tail chunk, make a blank out plate, and voila!