Can This Tiny Subaru Keep Up With A Brand New Jeep On The Rocks In Moab?

[@machfive916]

I enjoyed this video far more than I expected. Tommy's witty remarks were on point and seeing Roman jumping and "woofing" like a happy puppy was hilarious. Any obstacle named the @$$ scratcher is going to generate some buzz and laughter. Great job guys and great job by the old Subie gal.

[@jimstancliff656]

One of the best off-road videos you’ve made with the most unlikely of vehicles. I was totally entertained. Tommy is a champ!

[@ItsNotMeItsYou007]

Might seem unlikely if you never had one or went off road in a small car before but not otherwise.

[@jeremychristian1282]

I absolutely love stories where the underrated, unappreciated, underdog makes the big guys stop and take notice. I would love to have that Subaru as a daily driver.

[@philtripe]

pssht...better hurry cause it aint gonna last at this rate. in fact did you hear him at the end? it definitely has a new rattle... i remember these cars new and they were hard to keep running! and i got really use to hearing that cranky Suby starter motor

@@philtripe Why were they apparently so hard to keep running?

[@HughCStevenson1]

@ I had an '81 1800 with dual range and it always kept going, no problem.

[@mitchell5064]

2big 2fail they’re bulletproof, even today

[@BiggMo]

“...I’m not brave enough...but I know someone who is...”. That’s fatherly love!

[@gonewplaces2685]

Big Mo Volontold ? Not volunteered??

[@stanw909]

Crazy enough .

[@bigpeeler]

This absolutely reminds me of Richard Hammond and his little Opel Kadett, "Oliver".

[@rickyguti]

True!

[@D_M_W_]

hahahaha...yesss!!! that episode is unforgetable

[@ryansauto93]

Was thinking the same thing!

[@henryjohn2218]

oliverrrrrrr in africa.

[@eligreen9969]

RIP Oliver

[@NakedPigeon]

I bet nobody in 1979 could imagine, that 40 years later these little Subaru's would be very cool

[@gs6810]

Lol, that things still isnt cool.

[@davidking3311]

Still cooler than a 2020 Subaru

[@gs6810]

@Jose Martinez still isn't cool either.

[@makingtechsense126]

@RollinRat - I took mine around a friend's motocross track. We even jumped it. The only thing that happened was the battery shifted (wasn't tied down) and pulled the cable off the starter.

[@saginawdan]

It's cool to anyone who likes cool cars.

[@ethan928]

I own a 1992 Subaru l-series in Australia. These things with a 2 inch lift and minor mods, make it the ultimate budget offroader. The car has cost me well under 5k, including purchase, upgrades and accessories. And it goes many places it shouldn't. Even out conqours some vehicles which allways pisses them off ahahaha

[@firebir11]

That’s great.

[@chrisclark3801]

spectacular man! I had an '88 5 speed. Loved that car. Totally unstoppable.

[@Stuka87]

Sadly, soon as Subaru switched everything to CVT's, any offroading ability they had (such as yours) vanished.

[@golum22222]

I'm in WA, you in Ausubaru? I was years ago, l built a WRX offroader, check Pimpreza Lancelin on KZbin, also a couple of posts after this for my Liberty.

[@bradd5112]

My granddad had an 82 Brat, I used to take that thing skiing in NH and I never managed to get it even close to stuck!

[@MultiPurposeReviewer]

That dude in the Cherokee "You're outta your mind with that thing out here!"

[@dirtylatte]

That was comedy right there, I chuckled at that too.😆

[@mikegoettina]

ONE OF THE BEST VIDS IN A LONG TIME

[@MichaelJanzen]

In college my girlfriend had one in red. We lived in NM and could go anywhere in it. We'd leave my almost new 88 civic at home and take the old Subaru when we were going to hit snow or dirt. These are amazing cars.

[@samknight2396]

Awesome video! My daily is a ‘77 Subaru wagon and it always surprises me the places it can get me on camping trips here in Australia. So small you can drive around wheel ruts of the big 4WDs without getting stuck in them 😊

[@erickisel8668]

I ❤️ the guy in the Cherokee commending you

[@rydingwithryan493]

Yea it’s always the odd or slightly outa place vehicles that attract the most attention.

[@aaaviation1]

I had a 1992 Brat with the E81 1800cc engine and 4spd man with low range. loved it!

[@richardkafka5625]

The more I see this DL the more I love it! That thing is Awesome! And gotta love getting props from the Cherokee driver. You Go Subaru!!!!

[@LowRoller420]

RIP to all the newer outbacks that will die attempting this.

[@angelgjr1999]

Rip Subaru transmissions

[@Hamsterlion683]

Angel Gutierrez 😂😂😂those god dang cvt

[@dirttales]

Just went through this trail in my 08 2" lifted forester with rear torque locker. It's not that tough if you pick good lines and have an auto box with 4.44 gearing!

[@dirttales]

@@angelgjr1999 My 4EAT made it through just fine.

[@LowRoller420]

@@dirttales It just shows how much better of a rig a Subaru could be if it had decent non CVT trans option. I had a 5 speed XT Outback but then you had the issue of slipping the clutch when trying to move slowly over obstacles or uphill.

[@larrybittick1171]

Drove my 79 dl all over Wyoming in the 80's. Then east Texas till about 2001. Still have it behind the shop in the weeds 😢

[@eag4real]

Subaru’s never cease to amaze me especially being the proud owner of a 80 dL wagon, 85 gl wagon, 92 legacy wagon and a 04 Forester. 😁

[@DeepOwl1073]

79 dl, 80gl, 92 legacy sedan, and currently a 17 Outback. The 92 was the best. That 2.2 was a beast.

[@eag4real]

@@DeepOwl1073 The 2.2 was indeed “A beast”.

[@DeepOwl1073]

@@eag4real my dad was a Subaru tech from 1976 to 2003. The 2.2 was his favorite engine.

[@nixxtable]

those old scoobies had good approach angle, a short wheel base and light weight. a good combo. thanks for the great vid!

[@anthonymrskipt9252]

Tommy seems to be learning what all us old guys who drove under-powered 4 cylinder “foreign jobs” back in the ‘70s would remember. You have to get off that clutch quick and keep the revs up when doing anything where power was likely to be an issue - such as steep hills. You definitely didn’t want to be slipping the clutch to try and go too slow. Most of those cars weighed so little that they just bounced around a bit and you rarely broke anything as long as you didn’t go beyond “moderately stupid.” Carbs were another story and they took up way too much of my time back when I could still look under the hood and not feel like it would cost me $5,000 if I experimented a little.

[@kevincraftsbcs4488]

19:28 “Yes,! Wow! The power of light weight.“ This really drives home the point how beneficial being small and lightweight are off road.

[@hvyjetflyer9545]

Weight kills and in a day of armored up moded up 6000+ lb jeeps people forget that less is often more.

[@AJ-qn6gd]

The more recovery equipment you bolt on your Jeep the more likely you are to get stuck !

[@reallyemptypockets6509]

I have been watching this channel for years this is the best video

[@PatrickRich]

This reminds me of the time I took my 96 rav4 on this trail. I can still smell the clutch.

[@Random12231]

Lived in Colorado my whole life, and I can't remember the last time I saw a 70s or 80s Subaru that wasn't a rolling ball of rust. Seriously in awe of how clean that little wagon is.

[@danhambrick6331]

The little Subaru that could....

[@Iraseferovich]

I completed Fins and things no problem in a 2019 forester. Of note, towards the end of the first half there is a 33” tire and locker recommended obstacle that my forester also conquered. I have a 2” lift and 30” tires

[@81eagle]

Heck yeah! I know exactly which obstacle you are talking about. I go down for the EJS almost every year. I do it in my AMC Eagle SX/4 on 28" BFG KM2's. Here's some of Metal Masher from last year. My son following in his '85 Toy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWTTc4WLmdN4ZsU

[@pkatsigris]

imagine the subi had low range a fuel injected engine and better tires.that would be a small beast :-)

[@Darndiddlyarn]

Had a mate with the leone models, lifted 2" with SAT tyres, things were crazy capable.

[@michaelschmidt4618]

I have lifted many Subaru's over the years and done the 6 bolt conversion

[@toolshed7652]

Throw in proper cooling and a turbo and it'd be a little beast

[@robforsyth8254]

They are great vehicles. I owned a 1989 L Series Touring Wagon with the 1.8 EFI engine and a low range gearbox and could tackle anything that was thrown at it. Great entry point for a novice offroader and fun to drive. Conquered the Brindabella and snowy mountains through mud and snow and a heck of a lot of fun.

[@robforsyth8254]

Michael Schmidt you can get hold of the ea82T engine and gives you a little more torque but some here in oz do a 2.5T upgrade and all the sti bolt ons...downside is the spare has to go on the roof or in the boot. Notorious for the roof liner sagging at the worst possible moment and ball joints are problematic.

[@kirbycairo]

I loves those old wagons, I owned a couple and would love to have one again.

[@neilmurphy845]

All they need is a new carb and they'll be sorted

[@tomasmica325]

Neil Murphy It actually has a brand new carb!

[@neilmurphy845]

@@tomasmica325 sorry Thomas I didn't realise whys it stalling going up hills could it be a check valve or pump/filter but some car none the less

[@larrygomez6637]

I have a dual-range '84 with a Weber 1.8 liter that does great! I just wish I could afford a locker or two. 13" traction tires are about extinct. Using snow tires.

[@brutusthetruck9209]

had one of these back in the 90's - I was also shocked how capable it was off road ! ( with just a set of snow tires )

[@stephenmoxley3004]

Great video, guys. Wow...that little Subie is impressive! Of course, Tommy's driving skills helped a ton.

[@markv78]

Someone at Subaru must be looking at this and saying what have we become ?

[@HughCStevenson1]

Too much luxury (and weight)!

[@Aashishkebab]

What's wrong with the cars now?

[@markv78]

@@Aashishkebab cvt is worthless and there cars have very little off road capabilities you would destroy a new doing that trail

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

@@markv78 Let's see how their new ralley cars will be, if they really do re-enter the WRC in 2022. The Subaru Impreza was a total legend as a ralley car.

[@markv78]

@@MyRegardsToTheDodo I agree wasn't aware they dropped out of wrc

[@morrisbutrafili987]

TFL Has Gone Mad!!! Taking this car off road LOL!!! Amazing Hilarious Video. Tommy and Roman are getting funnier in every video. More please!

[@br23goose]

That was fantastic! Great production on that video and I’m just amazed by that little car. I believe it’s greatest asset is it’s size and weight, like the Suzuki, it could just bound over anything. Thank you TFL.

[@pelewads]

Better tires, and, perhaps a different carb. Loving this series. I had a GL, that I loved. Thanks guys.

[@ronsmith7880]

Hey Tommy thanks for the old brochure pictures...those were cool to see...nice Oldsmobile picture⭐⭐

[@pkuckertz]

I had a a 1974 dl wagon (same body) when I was in high school. It was my first car. I took it off road all the time. Your video really takes me back to some great times. Thanks for sharing

[@zohaib876]

Loved this video. Entertaining through & through. That Subaru has some skills. I didn't think it would be able to conquer half those obstacles but turns out that little thing is one very capable vehicle. Great job as always guys 😊👍

[@mikewu9617]

I enjoy watching every moments of father and son having a great time together doing what both enjoy on a nice day. The cars (especially the Subaru) are really just a bonus of the whole show. Would love to raise my kids on the same path. Good job Roman and keep up the good work guys!

[@kurtkopczynski6505]

Fantastic video, guys! The Subi was quite impressive!

[@davymc91]

Awesome set of videos highlighting a great old car!! I'm still in shock how well it did.

[@jackkirkpatrick2849]

Simply amazing!!! Excellent job Tommy. Love TFL!!!

[@NOWAY-jw3iq]

There is something about this video that is so damn fun. Great work guys.

[@EBuff75]

My first car was an '83 GL wagon with 4wd. Mine had the 2hi-4hi-4lo selector with the 4-speed stick. Loved that car, but it was in rapid disintegration mode from rust and everything was breaking on it too. We gave up when the clutch finally went, as was going to cost 4x the value of the car to fix!

[@edo386]

I have a 83 GL wagon, I've spend almost twice what it cost me in repairs, it has had an awful life before me, but every time I drive it I fell it's thanking me, always cracks a smile, even if I only go to grocery shopping, I love going out to the mountains and road trips on it, so It's worth it :)

[@EBuff75]

​@@edo386 Do you use the built-in "cupholder"? Just put your drink into the gap between the 'L' of the 4wd selector and the end of the handbrake! :D

[@malifestro7596]

My first car was also that but the two door version. Great first car! :)

[@ShaneB666]

Me too, had a dual range 1983 for ten years, still love it.

[@myofficegoes65]

I once owned an '81 DL wagon. It also suffered from uncontrollable oxidation which surprised me one day after work. I had a frustrating work day and was looking forward to getting out of there and going home. I got in, SLAMMED the door and heard a large "clunk" from outside. Opening the door I saw a rather large piece of metal lying on the ground. Oops! I guess it's not a good idea to slam the door. I finally had to get rid of my '81 after I crawled underneath one day to check the muffler and saw several holes rusted through the floor.

[@3percentproject687]

Guys great job on the video. Your quality is getting much better. The drone shots and the editing is stepping it up. Great content.

Tommy really needs to practice using the clutch. No need to stall the engine so often, just slip the clutch. Great video though! That Subaru is beautiful...

[@hirokawiti4932]

The og carb didn't like the inclines

[@Carlos-pe1cg]

WOW!!! So cool to see this classic Subaru wagon conquer Moab. Amazing job Tommy!!

[@olliehopnoodle4628]

I bet that was Tommy's most fun day off-roading ever. Point and shoot lifted trucks are fun but when you have to really pick a line and are not sure if it can make it, well you just can't beat that for excitement. I had a Wagoneer and I would get similar comments 'I can't believe you got that back here' and stuff like that. Tommy, hats off to ya for trying and succeeding.

[@dslpwr]

This was absolutely fantastic and what we all didn’t know we needed right now. Kudos guys! One of my favorites by far!

[@woffordsoverlandjourneys8618]

Wow it's amazing how wonderful things work originally when you just leave them alone

[@twittyk78]

Get tires and put a Weber carb on then you’ll have power

[@sdtower]

OMG I haven’t seen one of these Subarus since 1992 I thought they all rusted away I love them so much how did you find such a cool Japanese nostalgic

[@GIGABACHI]

Most of them did, sadly. 😭

[@task82]

This little Subi was cool AF, but seeing a father and son share this experience together is what made this video for me. Well done :)

[@ryansauto93]

I love this little car, hope to see lots more videos on it!

[@tom80421]

Remember the guy (Moab local, I think) that drove up Baby Lion's Back in an old Crown Victoria? I think there's a video of it somewhere on youtube.

[@hectorrodriquez2234]

Watching this reminds me of my buddies '81 wagon we routinely took from L.A. to Baja, Mx. on holiday weekends. Beer, tacos and miles of sandy beaches. Great times.

[@17IFTnyc]

That subaru exceeded my expectations by miles!! The magic is that is lightweight

[@OldManGoatHair.6985]

One of the best episodes yet. Loved it!

[@alaskaraftconnection-alask3397]

Late 70s early 80s were great days for playing around in the hills like this. Subaru just plain, simple, functional, economical, and capable got it done!!! Our mountain rigs were all trucks or vehicles like Cherokee, International Travelall, Jeep truck, full-time 4x4 Ford F250 'Ranger' Supercab, etc. Subaru changed that... other than still having pickup trucks. Looked like this was a great outing and having lots of fun. One of my favorite videos you have done.

[@jaimieconroy36]

I had to watch. I used to have a 1979 Subaru Brat., the tiny truck version of what you tested in Moab. This was back in the 80`s and it was relatively new, but I used to take it on drives through desert trails and it proved very capable. It kept up with the Toyota truck's and Jeeps sharing the trail. I took it through dry stream beds. It conquered large rocks and some steep climbs.

[@sourabhpurohit4140]

Love this father-son video. Best part of the video was seeing Roman do the "woofing" puppy thing, hilarious

[@rowdyprouty9478]

For my 1975 DL 4WD I have 2 sets of wheels with aggressive treads, one has Cooper Trendsetters in 185/70 13 and on the other set I have TOYO Extensa 155/70 13 (The older ones had pizza cutters for wheels), they are pretty great in the mud and dirt! Love the channel btw, especially this little gem.

[@bryanburnside9783]

I had half dozen Subaru 4 wheel drive wagons from 76 to 84. Although I did 4 wheel all of them, the best was definately the 84 dual range 5 speed. It actually could handle seriously gnarly stuff. I had one that I raised the suspension an inch or so and put on large mud tires. I loved it.

[@mattlimberg5763]

Great video! It seems the tires and carburetor are the weakest links in the Subura for going off-road. Gearing would help too. But very impressive.

[@berowawa3907]

Dang I really love this little Thing! Honestly its my fav Subaru ever!

[@subarumanrp233]

I have an 84 gl wagon with LOTS of miles and the dual range transmission, I have ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT it would conquer this course with ease. It also enjoys mud too! I've had mud up to the battery so far...The 4wd system just dont know how to stop.......Thanks for the AWESOME SUBARU video!

[@brook0924]

One of my favorite channel and super enjoy the process that you lead us through this !

[@highdesert50]

Had a used one with 'low range' many years ago. Though gutless, it was capable, and you certainly did it justice. Great driving!

[@jburritt426]

I do love those old cars. My first Subaru was a 1971. It was a rocket. My newest is a 2014. How fun! My sister was a ranger for the Canyonlands and drove her old 1976 front wheel drive on some places where 4x4's thought were theirs alone. It was fun long ago. These cars were awesome in snow. I lived in the mountains west of Denver when I grew up. We got these cars and they were good on gas and great in snow. Win win.

[@stevenrogers2457]

Those old Subaru's were so cool, this video brought back memories of cruising around in my buddies Subaru Brat. Well done guys!

[@egates]

This is one of the best vids I've seen lately. Awesome to that little car do that. Back in the 70s and early 80s, I drove a Scout II. It's what I learned to drive in.

[@channonspencer1631]

Do some carb work. It and the samurai might be interesting

[@jface3806]

Well. Done. That was so enjoyable. Keep doing what you're doing!

[@mathieuday-gillett3379]

Please keep the little GL in the TFL fleet ! Loving the classic little Subaru content.

[@mrgold1964]

Have had 2 second gen and 1 third gen GL wagons. Absolutely loved them. Had the 1.8 ltr with "Dual Range" and manual trans. My 85 had little white spoke wheels, Bridgestone mud and snow tires, grill guard with 1500 lb Superwinch and skid plate...dealer installed when new. Took it into a canyon hunting one time. Slimy red clay that you couldn't walk on. Chained up all 4 wheels, low range, 2nd gear and the dang thing crawled up it like nothing. It thought it was a Jeep CJ. The Subies only limitation is ground clearance. Want to restore a 2nd gen BRAT now.

[@clintbiesinger9436]

One of the coolest TFL videos of all time! Put it on the Mt Rushmore of TFL! Awesome!

[@AWDfreak]

Stuff like this is why you retain subscribers like me. This just became my favorite video you guys have ever uploaded. I knew older Subaru vehicles had quite some capability, but not this much.

[@Guy_de_Loimbard]

LOL people knew what flat 4s were in 1978, back then there were Volkswagen Beetles EVERYWHERE. In fact I'm pretty sure it was the best-selling import car from the early 1960s right on up to the late 1970s when the Japanese makes finally got a solid foothold.

[@KeithZim]

A Subaru Brat is my childhood dream vehicle. This is scratching an itch for sure!! Good stuff! MORE!!

[@timm9631]

You've gotta love the underdog! I'm not too surprised it made it, my biggest concern was power. This is why I love Japanese cars, especially the old ones! Awesome video!

[@HoosierDaddy_]

Well done guys! Only TFL would do this! What a fun video!

[@elizabethescher5445]

That was amazing, Tommy!

[@mason3773]

Best off-roading video I have seen in a long time, please do more with this Subaru!!

[@crzy4x4]

Great video as usual! Thanks Roman and Tommy!

[@kbarrett1844]

One of the most entertaining videos you guys have made! It was hilarious and I was on the edge of seat rooting for the Subie!

[@petslittleworld]

I really thank the KZbin algorithm for suggesting this video and this channel, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. It was like the underdog winning a bout.

[@roversteve8772]

Wow Love the videos with the 1978 Subaru you guys are so brave , they are awesome little cars . I owned a 1981 1600 4WD Ute in New Zealand had the same styled front ad your wagon was an Amazing little car but never attempted anything thin ambitious. Thanks for the Awesome videos Enjoy so much , hope you kept the little Subaru looks in incredible shape most in New Zealand rusted away.

[@ccupp2]

I flippin love that lil Subaru! ☺

[@konradhittner4668]

TFLers: Treat that old girl a bit more gently. I just checked Hemmings, and while there are a couple of not-quite-rust-free mid-80s BRATs, your specimen is unobtanium. You might also want to indulge in some higher octane fuel for the little beast-the predetonation in the vid was pretty bad.

[@anthonyc1883]

Yeah, that engine ping/knock sounded really bad. Someone else here in the comments section thought the motor was about to throw a rod!

[@MikeNapolitanoinTexas]

My first car in 1985 was a 78 4-door sedan. Loved that little car. My friends and I called it the Little Roo. Blew the engine a year later. My step-dad and I found a used replacement engine for $25 that was just about to be cut up for scrap metal. It was so small, he and I could lift it up and put it in the backseat of his car. Changed it ourselves.

[@bikesqump]

great test, I want to be out there ASAP!!! I had an '85 Subie 2 door and it was so fun, I put slightly beefier tires on so I could do crazy stuff like that. There were ride height adjustment bolts so of coarse I maxed them out... the best part had to be the center trail light behind the flip-up grill logo!

[@leifhietala8074]

I love the little Leone's clattery , creaky progress up and down the rocks, and wouldn't turn one down if offered to me.

[@reddymon]

In 1978 when they said flat four we did not think WTH we actually thought .......VW?

[@elbe571]

I’ve owned 2 subi wagons and a BRAT.... they all had low range... loved em! I lived in Montana and they were awesome in snow....

[@gregors1422]

We owned a 2004 Subi Forrester for about a decade. We never did extreme boldering, but it could easily get through some pretty crazy stuff. One thing I noticed was that when passing traffic on fire roads, many Jeep owners would warn us that we'd never make it up in "that" car. We quickly learned that many jeep owners think only jeeps can do anything. We never knew whether to take their warnings seriously. Most of the time it wasn't even that bad or any worse than what we'd already done up to that point.

[@stevemartegani]

I gotta say, these 78 scoob videos are putting the BIGGEST smile on my face :) I had a 78 wagon for a little while too, but couldn't get it to pass smog :(

[@michaeloconnor9678]

That Subaru is badass. You guys should be proud. Loved the little Subaru commercial.

[@DashnCars]

Ah! this is exactly what I want to do with my 91 Civic Wagon. I've been trying to get to Moab for two years with it, but between the virus and everything I'll try again at the end of this year.

[@hirokawiti4932]

Be sure to share the exp, sounds epic!

[@DashnCars]

@@hirokawiti4932 I will for sure! I've got plenty of off road videos with my wagon on my channel!

[@hirokawiti4932]

See you there

[@SimplyCarReviews]

Great video. With monentum alot of 4wd can make it up....But, as Tommy mentioned, you exponentially increase the likelihood of damaging your vehicle. Slow as possible and fast as necessary.

[@MikeJones-og1hu]

Would love to see the same test with a AMC SX4 Eagle.

[@IllusoryRedoubt]

Had one these as my first car, it had the low range box which made go anywhere the big boys could go. It was unstoppable, it even survived a a 6 foot high jump i launched it off.