Famed TTACer “Crabspirits” is known here for his “Last Rides” series, which culminated in this hugely imaginative and enjoyable tale. But did you know that he also builds minicars with LMP2-style power-to-weight ratios, thirty forward gears, and parts from actual fighter jets?
There’s more information on Hooniverse and the original build thread, and I’m sure we’ll hear from the man himself below, but this Subaru 360 is motivated by a Honda 954RR engine through a combination of the Honda six-speed sequential box and a Geo Metro five-speed transmission, for a total of thirty possible combinations. The bike tranny is shifted using a converted throttle assembly from a Grumman A-6.
As with many other classic feats of motorsports engineering, this car’s been banned from competition in its intended home series (the 24 Hours of LeMons), mostly because the Subaru 360 is eleven inches short of the requisite 82″ minimum wheelbase. Shame, really, because it would no doubt make a lot of money down even the shortest straights. If the series decides to relax that rule and Crabspirits decides to sell seats in the car, they can consider one slot sold!
Way cool ! .
-Nate
Hooniverse had this story yesterday.
There’s a link to the Hooniverse story in the text.
The laugh at 6:15 says it all.
It says “Whoa! The axle is still there!”
Banned from 25 Heures of Lemons? Time for an ObamaCare style waiver. Rules are for the common people, not for someone so obviously weapons-grade crazy.
If you like stories about old cars, you will like the Subaru 360. Every single car has it’s own compelling history. They were allegedly dumped into the sea, buried in mass graves next to train tracks, turned into go Karts, and given away with new Buicks.
This one, I believe, was sold new off a rail car in Peoria about 1970 for $250. The guy I bought it from, told me how he would take all his kids to school in it. He would go to the bar, and come out to find the little car had been hand-carried somewhere stupid by drunken patrons.
Whats the next project CS?
more crab cab and z31 features. i saw the x8 in the parking lot.
I’m waiting for our Asperger’s contingent to point out that the A-6 is not a fighter jet :)
I see your Asperger’s and raise you an OCD. Just about any A-6 left is either a static display or sitting in the boneyard doomed for the shredder.
EA-6Bs are still in service. Not so much the rest.
One of my neighbors actually has one of these, along with a Deux Chevaux
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/review-1975-citroen-2cv/
That thing is absolutely brilliant. Some over fenders and a coat of paint and you’re good to go.
Also, this reminds me of the time someone wrote in to R&T in the mid-90s with photos of their adventures stuffing Allison V12’s from Airacobras into BMW Isettas and Fiat 500s…
Hang an furniture castor wheel on the front bumper…. BAM! More wheelbase!
or extend the safety cage out the back, to a fifth wheel out there somewhere. also will help prevent it from flipping up on burnout…
“If the series decides to relax that rule and Crabspirits decides to sell seats in the car, they can consider one slot sold!”
Two