40 replies to this topic

[backintheslot]

The Subaru 360 is a giant compared to some other cars. For example, here is a 1966 Peel Trident:

I think I crap bigger than that car!

There was a Subaru dealer on Geary St. in San Francisco briefly in the '70s. It also sold the rubber baby buggy bumper "first" little Honda (600s?).

This is a blown version of the first car I ever drove (BMW Isetta) at seven years old on Cannon beach in Oregon (back when you could still do so). Now talk about a death trap!

[Gus Kelley]

Hey, John! She's a beauty with just a few American engineering changes incorporated.

Gus

[Cheater]

Cheater,

You apparently use evasive tactics by using a different route to work.

Tis true.

I have a 30 mile commute to work. In the mornings, I leave early enough to beat the crush on the Interstates (and grab a cup of coffee and read the paper before clocking in). In the evenings, I leave at 5 PM with everyone else and the Interstates at that time are parking lots (or worse). So going home after work I take surface streets and stay off the Interstates.

Takes 30 mins in the morning and 45-50 mins in the evening.

Traffic in Atlanta is so bad you have to get creative sometimes.

[Jacob Shiplet]

If you like small cars, it is worth your time to take the virtual tour at Bruce Weiner's Microcar Museum. You'll see a lot of cars I'll guarantee you've never seen before, or even heard of!

Well, Mid-Ohio vintage is in a couple weeks and they have a microcar section that has really cool stuff. When I was nine, I saw my first Isetta.

[Jacob Shiplet]

This is a blown version of the first car I ever drove (BMW Isetta) at seven years old on Cannon beach in Oregon (back when you could still do so). Now talk about a death trap!

That is awesome!

[Jacob Shiplet]

Jacob, a SIMCA 1100 is no small car, it is larger than a current Mini... by the way, it was a GREAT car. My dad had one and the thing lasted for many years until rust got the better of it.

That Simca is SMALL compared to my '69 Plymouth. It's rust free and runs great; it's just small. I don't mind it, just can't take the whole family in it.

I was thinking of trading my Plymouth for a murdered-out '56 Savoy and a '36 Plymouth pickup (needs a little work).

[Jacob Shiplet]

I used to drive at a place called "Grand Prix of Central Ohio" in Columbus. They had REAL cars, Lola T-506s according to my Competition Permit. IIRC, the cars were powered by a snowmobile engine, a Rotax, maybe?

Was that the one off of 71 by the continent and the beer factory?

[idare2bdul]

When I was working for Breck they gave us shampoo, hair dye, and other products with the expectation we would give it away. The Malibu Grand Prix in Fountain Valley wasn't far from our warehouse where I would pick up supplies. I would give free samples to the employees and I seemed to get a lot of free laps. They were also good about giving me cars that handled better than average.

The most fun was on days where there was a bit of rain where normally they would close the track until it dried. They would let me out and tell me they didn't want to see the car going straight. It was drifting before drifting became a sport.

[MrWeiler]

The most fun was on days where there was a bit of rain where normally they would close the track until it dried. They would let me out and tell me they didn't want to see the car going straight. It was drifting before drifting became a sport.

Tell them about "farmer Mike".

[smichelsen]

Dokktor, you said...

And what happened to the 3,000 Subaru 360s? Well, they were pushed on barges and dumped in the Pacific ocean, west of Catalina Island, and are now fish condos.

Can you post any links to any evidence of this? A newspaper article, something? I have heard this rumor for ages and could never find any proof of it. Please tell me whatever details you have of this. THANKS!

Steve
mysubaru360.com

[TSR]

Better ask Malcolm Bricklin about it, he is still sore about it...

I remember have personally seen cars being pushed on barges towed by trawlers in the Long Beach harbor in 1973, and they certainly did not come back... The huge lot full of the cars, now completely oxidized and weathered, many with flat and rotted tires, many rusty hulks, got emptied in a couple of weeks.

Now there are new Subarus there, but they DO sell well...

[smichelsen]

WOW. Someone MUST have taken a picture of that! Thanks much for the info.

[TSR]

Not me, I did not have a camera then.

[smichelsen]

Yes, but not in the early 1970s as they were not legal. Some Subaru 360s were eventually able to get imported in the late 1970s when some NHTSA rules were waived for cars under 500cc of displacement if I recall correctly, so to allow odd cars such as Messerschmitt, Iso and BMW Isetta and other mini cars to be owned as collectibles as long as individually imported.

Hi Doc,

Reviving this thread, I am still "fishing" for pictures of the big Catalina Island Subaru 360 dumping party. If I find something I will post it here.

To set the record straight on your quote above, the 360 was in fact sold in the USA from 1968 to 1970, about 10,000 in all, including sedans, pickups and vans. They were allowed in as vehicles under 1,000 pounds were exempt from most safety rules. There are probably 500-1000 on the road (or almost so) today, owned by the 400+ members of the Subaru 360 Driver's Club. If you take a look at this page of mine, you can find among other things a dealer agreememt with Subaru of America, detailing the terms of selling these things, and a copy of the Consumer Reports article that put an end to it all.

Although the car did poorly here, in Japan it was a real "people's car", a la the VW bug. See the wikipedia article.

Steve

[Rotorranch]

The investors having spent a sizable amount already, having purchased land, leased construction equipment, and already advertised the product, and had little choice but to separate themselves from Bricklin and think of an alternative, which they did in the form of a go-kart like open-wheel car powered by a Mazda rotary engine. They were racing Mazda RX7s in the GTU class in IMSA and had strong ties to the Japanese company and got a deal on both cars and engines, that showed relative reliability (they had some sealing problems but not so bad) and a reasonable turn of speed.

Nope...they weren't powered by Mazda rotaries.

The early cars were powered by Fitchel-Sachs single rotor 16.68 cu. in. engine, producing 24hp @ 600 rpm, and 20 ft.lbs.torque @ 4800 rpm.

 Virage-HiRes1.pdf   72.41KB   40 downloads

Later they went to a 2 stroke engine which had a good bit more power. The rotaries may have been governed back.

Rotor

[Rotorranch]

Ira Young, the owner of Malibu Grand Prix didn't get involved with racing Mazda's until 1984 I think, which was after the Malibu GP cars switched to 2 strokes.



Rotor