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Silly little Subaru van for sale

wuvvum

By wuvvum
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wuvvum Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

wuvvum

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Don't know if there will be any interest in this on here, but I'm getting a disappointing lack of response trying to sell it on other sites.  Maybe it's just a bit too slow and daft and I'm stuck with it permanently?  Mind you, I sold the two Ligiers with no problem...

 

Anyway, here's the blurb.

 

As some of you may recall, I bought this little van on a bit of a whim last autumn after seeing it on eBay. It caught my eye as I'd never seen one before. It had recently failed its MOT and the previous owner (who'd owned it from new) decided it was time to move it on. I had the MOT work done and have been using it for local pottering around since then.

 

It's a 700 van, which uses the same basic bodyshell as the Sumo, but with a shorter front end with single round headlights instead of the twin rectangular lights of the Sumo. Instead of the 3-cylinder engine in the Sumo, this has a 665cc parallel twin mounted at the back, driving the rear wheels through a 4-speed gearbox.

 

When I bought it, it had failed the MOT on welding to the driver's side cab step and floor, a driveshaft boot and a binding brake. I had the work done and it passed the test, albeit with an advisory that more welding will probably be required next year (but then I don't think I've ever had a van which didn't need welding for a test - the Peugeot Boxer, 17 years the Subaru's junior, was far more rotten - hence why I got rid and replaced it with a trio of Mastovanos). It still has about 6 months' MOT left.

 

Bodywork isn't bad for a 28-year-old Japanese van. It has areas of bubbling in the usual places (arches, edges of doors etc), but nothing too unsightly. The worst dents are in the rear bumper - the rest of the body panels have survived fairly unscathed. It has had a few "old boy" style repairs over the years - apart from the bottom half repaint in a lighter shade of blue, the tailgate lock has packed up and has been replaced with a padlock and hasp; the driver's door handle has obviously broken at some point and has been replaced with a random bit of tin pop-rivetted in place (does the job though), and the offside sidelight lens appears to be made from the side of a 500ml Volvic bottle, which fits better than you'd think. It's also lost its fuel cap cover.  The "sills" are a bit crusty in places, but as the thing has a separate chassis, most of it isn't structural.

 

The interior is probably best described as "lived in". The original vinyl seat upholstery has split, as it tended to do, and the driver's seat has been covered with a stylish '80s checkered seat cover, which itself has seen better days. The glovebox lid hinges are also broken, although the lid stays in place held by the catch. The electrics, such as they are, all work, although the interior lights don't come on when the doors are opened but have to be switched on manually. The heater is surprisingly effective. In-van entertainment is provided by a Wharfedale radio / CD player mounted in the dash and connected to a pair of '80s black ash home hifi speakers laid loosely in the load area behind the seats. Works though. The previous owner has also cut a thick sheet of foam to fit the load bay floor - this helps somewhat in keeping the noise down, albeit at a loss of around 4" in loading height.

 

Mechanically it seems pretty good. The engine starts easily and sounds healthy enough, in a lawnmowerish kind of way, although it does have a slight oil leak from the rocker cover. The gearshift isn't bad considering the length of the linkage, and the brakes are good. It ain't a fast vehicle though. The engine was rated at 31 bhp when it was new, but Subaru evidently considered this to be too much as they restricted it through the simple expedient of a bracket mounted under the accelerator pedal. With the pedal (or the bracket) to the floor, the butterfly on the carb is only about 3/4 open. The net result is a top speed of around 55, and a realistic cruising speed of 50. The gearing plays a part here too - it's almost comically low-geared, at 55 in 4th the engine is already spinning at around 5,000 rpm. It's very much designed for round town, where the combination of the gearing and reasonable torque from the engine makes it nippy enough off the line, and the small turning circle comes into its own. It feels slightly out of its depth on A-roads - apart from the lack of top speed, directional stability isn't great due to the tiny wheelbase, and being tall, narrow and light it has a tendency to be blown around by crosswinds.  The steering is unassisted and somewhat vague, although it's got a bit better since I had a bash at greasing the joints. It's hilarious fun to drive in its own way, but the 40-mile round trip from home to work is about as far as I'd want to take it.

 

As I see it, this would suit either someone who's looking for an interesting and cheap-to-run runabout for round town, or someone who wants it as a project to do something daft with (bike engine?).

 

It's in NE Norfolk (about 15 miles NE of Norwich).  I'd take 500 quid or so from a shiter..

Pics:

 

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purplebargeken Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

purplebargeken

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Oh Dave, you just have to roffle this one. You just have too :)

 

 

What car have you got?

 

I have a Subaru!

 

Oh cool, can I have a look?

 

No, no you can't. Not ever.

  • anonymous user, rantingYoof, privatewire and 4 others
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hairnet Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

hairnet

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I'd actually fancy that if you weren't so far away. 

 

Of course if I won it in a roffle I'd have no excuse....

image.png

 

not busy sunday if ya want a lift

 

WOOD but itd be £10 a week

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PiperCub Rank: Renault 16

PiperCub

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Imagine the mirth if you joined the Subaru Owners Club. Oh, just ace. Love this little van. 

 

That's a great idea, I'll buy the "I've definately been to the Nurburgring, no really, I totally have, that's not bullshit" sticker for the back.

 

I think it's compulsary kit for Scooby owners isn't it? Oh, and you'll have to practice your lying about top speeds/0-60 times/power output too.

 

 

Tried a Daihatsu somethingorother years ago that had similar comedy gearing, you were always swapping gears (had a really slick box IIRC) like riding a tuned two-stroke bike, in the short term it's great fun (round town etc.) but longer trips would be wearing as 60mph in 5th was thrashing it.

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wuvvum Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

wuvvum

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The question I want answered: Is it better or worse than a Honda Acty?

It's better in some ways and worse in others.  The Acty feels nippier and probably handles better, the Scooby is quieter, torquier and engine access is better.  The Subaru also won't pull stoppies because of the weight of the engine at the back.

  • Eddie Honda
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wuvvum Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

wuvvum

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It's a sort of buzzy thrummy noise, but not too deafening as the engine's at the other end of the van and buried under the floor.  The best bit is when you switch it off and it chugs to a stop like an old lawnmower.  The button on the tailgate works to open it so the catch is OK, but the lock itself appears to be seized so the padlock is the only way of locking it.

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scruff Rank: Renault 16

scruff

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This is great!! I have forwarded it to a friend and occasional AS poster as it will be the ideal thing for his ultimate steam rally fantasy, turn up with this, an assortment of deckchairs and a couple of minging old Briggs & Strattons and park in the stationary engine line up. 

  • eddyramrod, anonymous user, purplebargeken and 1 other
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Jollyfckr Rank Morris Ital

Jollyfckr

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On the face of it the Swift is just lovely, a clean 1.0 GLS Sky in metallic blue, 49k, FSH, nice interior, great little engine. Just lent it to someone on the Kent coast for 6 months though and it has come back with a hole in the floor about the size of a 20p, possibly more but MOT until Feb and get you home tax

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wuvvum Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

wuvvum

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If you want to make the van more marketable, a good set of graphics might do the trick

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-WRX-Impreza-WRC-STICKER-VINYL-CAR-GRAPHICS-/252005042753?hash=item3aacabca41:g:W0QAAOSwgQ9Vibn8

 

$_57.JPG

 

In fact I'd love you to do this to it, would you like me to buy them for you?

Problem is if I start down that route it's going to end up slammed on 18" gold alloys with a drainpipe exhaust, and that would just be silly...

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wuvvum Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

wuvvum

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On the face of it the Swift is just lovely, a clean 1.0 GLS Sky in metallic blue, 49k, FSH, nice interior, great little engine. Just lent it to someone on the Kent coast for 6 months though and it has come back with a hole in the floor about the size of a 20p, possibly more but MOT until Feb and get you home tax

Hmm.  Not sure I'd have much use for it at the moment to be honest - I already have more than enough vehicles with holes in in the fleet!  If I did have it I'd have to sell it on again straight away, which would kind of defeat the point.  What do you value it at, out of curiosity?

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fred Rank: Renault 16

fred

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Yeah - except the ignition key looks like this.

 

attachicon.gifDSC_0342.JPG

 

She'd have to be a pretty dippy laydee to mistake that for the key to a WRX.

Its got Subaru on it! Nuff said!! Your talking like a shiter - not a blonde pissed bimboloid who has great chesticles

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