Jalopnik: Subaru Brat

The Thunderstorm Is Part Geo Storm, Part Subaru Brat, 100% Awesome

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST

As much as we may be inclined to mock the Thunderstorm, which combines the nose and a powertrain of a Geo Storm with the rear end of a Subaru Brat and was constructed with an impressive level of parts-bin rummaging, we're in awe of how cool it actually is. The Thunderstorm is up for sale due to the "RECENT PASTING" of the seller's deceased "BELOVED HUSBAND" and has the lineage to prove it. Designed by someone in Alabama, the curiously-named Thunderstorm is a rolling metaphor for 1990s GM: Geo headlights, Isuzu engine, Cavalier bow ties, Subaru rear end. The Stormamino has less than 38K miles and, for a car that's mostly Japanese, a patriotic paint job. Bidding starts at just $9,999. Seller description with a list of the 20 cars that went into making this impressive amalgam below the jump.

1992 GEO STORM "THE THUNDERSTORM"

DUE TO THE RECENT PASTING OF MY BELOVED HUSBAND, I HAVE FOR YOUR BIDDING PLEASURE. THE "THUNDERSTORM." THE THUNDERSTORM WAS HIS PRIDE AND JOY. WHERE HE SPENT MANY HOURS WORKING ON IT AND TAKING IT TO CAR SHOWS. THE STORM AS WE WILL CALL IT. THE STORM IS GARAGE KEEP, WITH CAR COVER DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR IT. IT STILL SMELLS LIKE A NEW CAR !! AND DOES NOT HAVE A BLEMISH ON IT. THE STORM WAS KEPT AND USED FOR SHOW PURPOSES ONLY. SINCE IT WAS DRIVEN ONLY TO AND FROM CAR SHOWS, IT ONLY HAS 37,803 ACTIUAL MILES AND IS IN EXCELLENT MECHANICAL CONDITION. DRIVES AND RUNS WELL. NO PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER. EQUIPPED WITH A KENWOOD AM/FM CD. IT IS TITLED AS A 1992 GEO STORM

HISTORY OF THE STORM: CUSTOM MADE BY: DONNIE DOWNS OF SECTION ALABAMA. THIS MAN IS A TRUE DESIGNER AND MASTER MECHANIC. IT CAN BE SAID THAT HE IS A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME. THE STORM CONTAINS FLIP UP SUN ROOF AND REAR SLIDING WINDOWS, ELECTIC ANTENIA, ENGINE CONTAINS "LOTS OF CROME", BECAUSE OF THE LIMIT OF PICTURES, THERE WAS ALSO A PICTURE OF GEORGE JONES "THE POSSUM" AND A LOCAL NEWS MEDIA PERSON, BODY COLORS: GEO WHITE/GEO COBALT BLUE, COMPILING OVER 22 CAR PARTS:

1. 1992 GEO STORM, 2. 1985 SUBARU BRAT REAR, 3. 1972 MALIBU WHEELS (GEO CENTERS), 4. 1970 CHEVELLE HOOD SCOOP 5. 1990 FORD ESCORT REAR BUMPER, 6. 1987 TOYOTA TRUCK (SPACE TIRE LIFT), 7. 1992 CHEVY CALVALIER (BOW TIES) 8. 1987 TOYOTA TRUCK(SPACE TIRE LIFT) 9. 1985 FORD RANGER FUEL PUMP, 10. 1967 CHEVY IMPALA (TAXI) HUB CAPS, 11. 1990 CHEVY S-10 BLAZER (POWER HATCH) 12. 1987 HONDA ACCORD POWER RADIO ANTENIA 13. 1992 GEO STORM (PLATIUM ROCKER CORNER) POLISHED 14. 1992 STORM FENDERS R-L AFTER MARKET, 17. 1991 STORM HEADLAMPS (USED) 18. 1992 STORM RADIATOR SUPPORT (USED) 19. 1992 STORM WINDSHIELD (NEW), 20 WHEEL SPINNERS (AFTER MARKET) 21. 1991 STORM REMOTE CONTROL ARM 22. AFTER MARKET GROUND EFFECTS

Thanks to Chris for the tip [Source: eBay]

It's The Most Patriotic Brat Ever, Dummy

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT

There's probably no flag-draped car currently more familiar than the Subaru Brat from My Name Is Earl, which ironically had seats put in the bed to counteract pro-American trade sanctions on Japanese trucks. [IMDCB]

See the rest of our Jalopnik Auto Flag-Elation here and check out our pre-Fourth Jalopnik Automotive Amerigasm here.

In A City Of Subarus, The BRAT Stands Out

Murilee Martin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT

What with all the great DOTSBE photos coming in from readers all over the globe, we haven't had a chance to show any Denver cars for a few weeks. This means we have quite the backlog, because in addition to Denver regulars Kitt and Ejacobs, I get shipped to Denver for work every so often and shoot the occasional street-parked vehicle myself while in town. Today is Kitt's turn, with this clean BRAT she found in her South Denver 'hood. It seems that every third vehicle in town is a Subaru, but you don't see many of these things around.

Save On Gas! Buy A Beater Subaru Brat!

Mark Arnold — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:20:00 EDT

It's no mystery that buying a new pious Hybrid to save money on gas is a bit counter-productive. Yeah, you'll spare pennies at the pump and score points with the eco-snob crowd, but the cost of that new car is likely to still end up costing you more than what you'll be saving on gas. But what if you could save gas with a car that's hardly costs anything to buy? That's what these gearheads are trying to do. They've parked their full-size trucks and bought old beaters for daily driver duties. Proving it can be done in style, one guy even went for a vintage Subaru Brat complete with rear-facing jump-seats! You hear that truck guys? Now you've got "gas prices" as the perfect excuse to indulge in that secret little Japanese fantasy you've always had.
[CNN]
Hat Tip to Sugi!

Project Car Hell, 80s Subaru Edition: BRAT or XT6?

Murilee Martin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:20:00 EDT

We saw the Gremlin beat the Spirit by quite a margin in our last Choose Your Eternity poll. Maybe it was the Wayne's World connection, or maybe it was just the obscurity of the AMC Spirit. Either way, we're going to follow up a pair of quirky American machines with a pair of equally quirky Japanese machines. Sure, Subaru is plenty mainstream in North America these days, but remember when Subarus just seemed vaguely weird, say a couple decades back? When you only saw the little boxer-powered cars in areas with huge amounts of snow and NPR listeners? Those 80s Subies are semi-rare and quite cool, not as bulletproof as your Japanese Big Three machines of the era, and parts are getting tough to find... which makes them great raw material for your ~~exile~~ adventures in the garage!

The acronym behind the Subaru BRAT's name stood for "Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter," which doesn't sound as good as "Leonamino," but we can't fault the marketers for going with the safe bet. The whole concept of sticking a truck bed on the Leone and then throwing some lawsuit-magnet jumpseats in the bed in order to claim carhood and avoid the Chicken Tax didn't work out so well for Subaru in the long run, though you might want to retrofit such seats onto this 1986 BRAT ('86 was the first year the vehicle arrived on these shores without the extra seats). One think you won't need to retrofit, however, is the T-tops, because that critically important option is present and accounted for in this truck, which can be yours simply by trading "almost anything as long as i like it" to the owner. There's rust. There are many dents. It's been sitting for a long time. You know, the usual. How about swapping in a turbocharged EJ25 and giving your jumpseat passengers the ~~last~~ best road trip of their lives?

We like the BRAT, but maybe your 80s Subaru Hell Project needs less cute and more weird. How about a car with TR7-esque wedge-shaped styling and an interior designed to resemble the cockpit of a 747? Yes, we're talking about the Subaru XT, which was available with a six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive setup that was pretty damn wild for its time. These things aren't easy to find, but we've done the work for you by locating this 1989 Subaru XT6 for just $500. Five hundred bucks! How can you lose? This one needs both head gaskets replaced (possible translation: both heads cracked), but it's had $2,000 worth of "recent parts" installed. There's rust. We suggest getting really good head gaskets when you start working on this project, because this car is just crying out for all the boost ~~your wallet~~ you can stuff into the engine!

What Car Makes You Dream Of Summer?

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:40:00 EST

I was born fairly close to the Mexican border. To put it in perspective, I moved north to get to Houston and up until recently Austin was the furthest north I'd ever lived. Now I live in Chicago. Chicago is great, but Chicago is freaking cold. Unnecessarily cold. I was out shooting photos last night and most didn't come out because my hand was shaking too much. Today, it warmed up to the 20s. I need summer. I need summer now. I need all of you to tell me what your ultimate summer car is. I need stories of warmth and beaches and barbecues. Stat.

What car makes you dream of summer? For me it has to be my father's old Subaru Brat, which served its purpose as a beach car/truck until it was determined that it wasn't the ideal car for a growing family. Somehow, the ideal car for a growing family was an Isuzu Impulse. Go figure.