Junkyard Find: 1979 Subaru GL Sedan
While Malaise Era Subarus have disappeared from just about every location in the world outside of Colorado, a Subaru Leone sedan is a rare sight even here in Denver. At first glance, I wasn’t sure whether I was looking at a Corolla or maybe even another RX-2.
Malaise Subaru wagons and hatchbacks, they’re a dime a dozen in the junkyards of the Mile High City.
Not only is this a sedan, it’s an automatic 2WD version to boot. With a 67-horsepower 1600cc engine, even this car’s 2,030-pound curb weight must have felt like several tons. Of course, with certain world events jacking up gasoline prices in ’79, the original owner probably felt pretty smart for owning this gas-sipping little car.
Look, it’s the phoniest automotive “wood” surface ever!
Murilee Martin is the pen name of Phil Greden, a writer who has lived in Minnesota, California, Georgia and (now) Colorado. He has toiled at copywriting, technical writing, junkmail writing, fiction writing and now automotive writing. He has owned many terrible vehicles and some good ones. He spends a great deal of time in self-service junkyards. These days, he writes for publications including Autoweek, Autoblog, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars and Capital One.
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You know 30lbs per HP is not bad for a '79, especially when you consider the '80 Corvette California Special barely pumped out 180HP to move its fat arse around. Having lived in Colorado for years and toured nearly every junkyard in Arvada and Commerce City, Soobys were and are very, very popular cars. The 80's rounded Soobs with the pull lever 4WD were awesome cars; always ran in sh** weather, had true 4WD and decent ground clearance, and gave decent gas mileage. This sedan in particular is so fugly, its cool.
The shot of the heater controls reminds me that until the Japanese car wave arrived we didn't know what a recirculation setting was. I still never use this.