Tiny Trucks Are a Big Deal These Days, But This 1979 Subaru BRAT Was Decades Ahead of Its Time!

( www.alltfl.com/ ) Check out our new spot to find ALL our content, from news to videos and our podcasts! While the new Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz aim to kick off a sort of small truck revival here in the U.S., let's not forget that Japanese automaker Subaru tried to kick off a tiny truck revolution of its own in the 1970s. Here's a look at the quirky but really cool BRAT (or the Bi-Drive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter)!
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[@freeadventurers3112]

I had a 1978 Brat when I was a freshman in high school. Loved that thing.

[@fritty9927]

Between you two and the capper I think you exceeded payload😄. Great vid guys.

[@annyer262]

The turbo was available in USA. I own a 1983 Brat, with an Australian sourced bull bar, a common dealer option. Australian tonneau cover as well. So it is a left hand drive Brumby! Brumby was the Australian model name!

[@jameskennedy673]

Back in 1979 my boss bought one for his wife to use as a parts getter. It was neat to ride in. She loved the attention she would get from people shaking their head. He also bought her a VW Thing. Maybe you can find one of those.🙂. Keep’m coming

[@keithdosik]

Once again asking for Brenden to do a fleet update on his cars!

[@herbwheeler4470]

I remember the little Volkswagen pickup. My brother had a diesel and it was gutless. 0-60 in like 5 miles 😂

[@genebond]

I had one! 1979, it was my first NEW car. It was a lot of fun, and got beat up on trails and whatnot where it shouldn't have gone. But with a comealong and a few chains in the back, self recovery was easy enough. It did need a low range. Glad they added that later, but I never got another chance to try it. Had to grow up and move along.

[@Desert-brat]

The 4wd system is amazing on these old Subarus. You add a 2-3 inch lift or cut the hell out of your fenders like I did to my 84 hatch to clear 27s and have a blast off road

[@RonOrud]

I had a 78 brat that I bought in 88 for $200. It was a great cold starter. Very rusty and beat up. Excellent in the snow. I loved it. I want a new one The Hyundai gives me a bit of that feel, but I don’t want 4 door.

[@jaimieconroy36]

I am so jealous that you found the 1979 Subaru BRAT. I used to drive one to Rim Of The World high school in the San Bernardino Mts. It was good in the snow and not bad off road. I could drive it on any the Jeep trails. It unfortunately suffered an accident and was totalled in 1984. I miss the little truck, and have been looking for one since the resurgence off little trucks back on the market. They are impossible to find.

[@gregkocher5352]

The later years options had hi low range, 5 speeds, and turbos. It was a lot more drivable. I did love my GL!

[@lucasblanchard47]

A Brat is definitely on my dream vehicle list!

[@mabeljoe4305]

I remember seeing the 1980 to 1989 Subaru Baja Trucks growing up in the 1980s.

[@fscottgray9784]

My brother in law.had one back in the 80s and he would load his Suzuki quad in the back with the front tires resting on top of the bed seats.

[@thomasbenefield3527]

My dad had one. I loved riding in those seats in the bed as a kid!

[@gregkocher5352]

Lol, you paid about 5k for it. My 80 GL wagon was 7200.00. 20k is nuts! Mine made it to 120k miles before rust and engine issues killed it. I first saw a Brat in the fall of 79. It was my last semester in college. I ended up buying a GL Wagon in 80, but the Brat was really wild! The 1st geat was so low I think I shifted 1st to 2nd smoothly only 2 times. And the car had to shift down to 3rd to climb Interstate hills in WV. 10 more hp would have been nice. Never went above 84 mph on flat roads. But it could climb like a goat!

[@jamesbaird1342]

I have a friend who has a silver one witout the camper shell. Not showroom but really good condition daily driver .

[@RonnN-gf8tm]

I remember Tommy's Subaru station wagon series... Almost positive he took it to Moab..it did very well

[@gadgetmantwincities]

This was great🤠!

[@mikel2887]

don't forget you had the el camino and el rancheros back then too

[@jarrodwidiger5472]

In high school i worked at a gas station and one day a Black brat with T tops was parked out back. The keys were left at the fuel desk and my manager said they were comming back to get it. Months past and i secretly tried to see if it could be declared abandoned so i could get it and one day it was gone.

[@vikapica8123]

Yes we got the GL turbo I sent Andre pictures and a contact of an owner last year or so.

[@kennethlindahl9206]

In high school my buddies mom had a turbo brat. black and orange with turbo painted on the hood. Spokane is an Air Force town so it could have came from anywhere.

[@Mike-rk8px]

When I was living in the mountains of Vermont in the early 90’s I owned a 1985 Subaru Brat. It was one of best vehicles I ever owned. It was a blast to drive, unlike the big 4 wheel drive Chevy truck my girlfriend drove. I often had to drive to work at Mt. Killington ski resort on roads that hadn’t been plowed yet, and I never got stuck. It’s ability on mountain roads was incredible, it just kept going no matter what. I did take it off-road sometimes and it never got stuck (obvious I stayed away from deep mud or huge rocks). It might not have been a big truck, but you quickly found that the bed was more than adequate for most things you’d want to haul. I always picked up bails of hay for our horses in it, there just wasn’t the need for a massive, gas guzzling, lousy handling truck. Getting the undercarriage washed a few times a week at a car wash all winter long definitely helped keep rust to a minimum. I owned that car for 12 years and 387,000 miles and it was still my daily driver when I sold it.

[@dudewheresmycar908]

The Yugo had an under hood spare as well, so you know you are in good company... 😁

[@thomasgoggin4755]

I own a 1987 gl turbo wagon with a diff lock it’s a amazing vehicle

[@CliffWarren]

I had a '78 BRAT in college. Great fun, no issues on snowy roads. Like most Subarus of the time it leaked oil constantly.

[@jharris280zx]

Good luck getting parts for these.

[@robertmorris3892]

The spare tire placement is to help the vehicle to burn all the way down instead of just charring the engine compartment. 😂

[@sail72]

lol

[@kc0lif]

tv show my name is earl had a subaru brat. that's real wood.

[@joshuaschuettenhelm2596]

I have always loved these old Subarus, espcially the Brats. My parents had an '83 GL Wagon which of course, had the spare under the hood. Some day, I'd love to have a Brat with a t-top.

[@chrisparnell1138]

Quoting online source.... 1981 and later models received a 1.8 litre EA-81 engine. The 1983 and 1984 models could be purchased with an optional 94 hp (70 kW) turbocharged engine.

[@markcoopers1930]

Lol. These old small trucks are like a Kei vehicle compared to the newest "Small" trucks. If only we could get back to these, but we're determined to never be able to see over the hood of our vehicles.

[@nunyabusiness4651]

Had an 83 GL wagon, Theses are truely underated 4 wheel drives! If the tires can touch the ground you can drive there, I mean it!

[@57WillysCJ]

The Mighty Car Mods took a newer model Brumby and put the engie and under pinnings of a Forrester to modernize it. It looked good. I could never pull the trigger on buying one.

[@EpictheEpicest]

They love these types of cars in Australia, they call them "Utes"

[@jimmycline4778]

My step dad traded in his 1977 3 quarter ton Chevy Bonanza 4x4 that he bought new for a new 1981 Subaru Brat 🤯 I remember how disappointed I was , I loved that Chevy truck, I thought the brat was a joke compared to his Chevy and I was just a little kid

[@raymondsvensson4667]

In Australia, they are known as the Subaru Brumby.

[@binaryflat]

I had a 79 and it was in bad shape, but I drove it everywhere. I hauled full sized lumber in it to build a cabin, lol... that looked funny. It climbed like a billy goat, and due to its size it could go where Jeeps would not fit. Mine had factory skid plates underneath. The second generation got a little classier. It was more arrow shaped, and was larger. It drove more like a car, and had high/ low selector for 4wd. It also had more power. I never see these on the road anymore, and online they go for ~20k in good condition. I also had the wagon version, and loved it. It had no power, and the a/c pulled it down while going up hills. The dash was digital, and beautiful! I would have kept it, but I crashed in in an ice storm. Then I bought a Subaru sedan ~85. My friend said it did not look like a car I would drive, but I thought it was nice looking. It had great approach, and departure angles, and was quite square, and very comfortable.

[@apj341]

In the summer of 1982 i was looking to buy my first car as a 16 year old. I had $1,000 and my parents were helping me with another $1,000. I wanted a Brat or a Rampage but couldn't afford either and I needed at least two passenger seats for my mom and younger sister. What i could afford was a 1976 Fiat 128 3p, with the spare tire under the front hood. Rust destroyed the front suspension in 1988. Engine and manual transmission were still fine as it went to the pick n pull car dismantling yard. 👋 😢

[@kevinblock2307]

That’s a neat vehicle

[@roymeyer6837]

The 2nd gen has always been on my list of vehicles I'd own if I had the money and space to keep a fleet of cars and trucks. 1st gens are awesome too, but the 2nd has the looks that remind me of the '82 Subaru wagon my parents had back in the '80s, so nostalgia gets the better of me.

[@sunbeam8866]

My '87 Isuzu 'Pup' isn't much bigger than this. Unfortunately, you can't buy a small truck here anymore, and while the tiny economical surplus KEI trucks and vans are still federally legal, they're actively working to ban them from the roads at the state level!

[@r.j.bedore9884]

If I remember correctly, the GL was a separate model that was sold as a 2-door hatchback and 5-door wagon. I do believe they shared the same basic platform as the BRAT though.

[@gregkocher5352]

Yes, i had the 80 GL. The 4wd lever was between the seats unlike the Brats shown here. You had to keep an eye on the CVJ boots as they failed easily. Later boots must have been tougher.

[@r.j.bedore9884]

@@gregkocher5352 Yeah, my parents had a GL wagon before I was born, and my Dad had a GL 2-door hatchback from when I was in kindergarten until about 3rd grade, but it was over 30 years ago and I was so young that my memory on the subject is a bit hazy. I do have fond memories of him picking me up from kindergarten in that hatchback though. It was a very 70s yellow, and we would talk about how our days went and about sports on the ride home and promise to keep it a secret between us (I have two older sisters who were very high maintenance and demanding of attention, so this was the only time either of us got much peace and quiet or could talk about "guy" stuff). Sometimes we even stopped for ice cream. That was honestly one of the best vehicles we ever owned, especially for winter driving.

[@jamesonpace726]

Love it, rhino liner 'n all....

[@johninama585]

I love these! Too bad they rotted away. I like the second generation better though. Years ago (like 25), there was one for sale near the house I rented. I really wanted it, but I was a poor 20-something and I already had a car.

[@jg8263]

Just a question. You guys are pretty emphatic here that the BRAT is in fact a truck. Does this mean that you will finally be acknowledging the Santa Cruz, Maverick, and Ridgeline as trucks on TFL channels, rather than using verbal and mental gymnastics to avoid calling them trucks? I mean, TFL channels have spent years saying they are "trucklets", "pickups", and other things, but not "trucks" by reason of overall size, ground clearance, towing capacity, drive train, etc (oddly all arguments that often invalidated the S10, old Rangers, any 2wd truck of any size, and the base trims of several current half-tons). All of those arguments fall flat in the face of calling the BRAT a truck. I always went by the legal definition of "light duty truck" (i.e. non-commercial size sense so an under 10,000lb GVWR) as "A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering)."

[@XJapanGonnaGiveItToYa-cd4xj]

The BRAT was never sold in Japan. It was designed specifically for the US to compete with the small Japanese trucks being sold in America. It got super popular in Australia and outlived the American version. Similarly, the Baja was never sold in Japan either.

[@danthompson1467]

Good old truck

[@richardkafka5625]

My brother had one of these and beat the heck out of it, and it just took it and kept going!

[@trwsandford]

One of my favorite cars of all time! But, $5,000.00?

[@jrcook927]

Didn't Tommy just do a video on this a few weeks ago?

[@nlken7175]

If the topper was taken off and colour fixed, might be a looker.

[@JarmelSingsKaraoke]

🔥🔥🔥

[@Zach-sg5uu]

It can tow 1,653.47 pounds!! As long as you’re going about 50 mph or slower!!

[@969thewhip]

My aunt had a 78 Brat brand new. Hers had those plaid seats so I'm thinking that was factory.

[@exptodd]

Where are you located for prospective customers?

[@IanFrancisco-CAPianoman]

Tiny trucks are a bigger deal than all those F-150 drivers want to admit. Haven't been able to part with my 2000 Nissan Frontier purchased nearly new in 2001. Nearly trouble free for 24 years, still has many orig parts incl the KA24DE engine, transmission, clutch and even rear brake shoes!

[@johnstapler5956]

Great vehicles. That stupid cap weighs too much.

[@XristosAnastasios]

Second gen had a turbo option first gen didn't

[@hippiebits2071]

Maybe we will see a reincarnation of this one day from Subaru. They could use a little more variation in their line up imho.

[@TheCosmicGuy0111]

Woah

[@volvo09]

That bed liner paint will be a nightmare to remove when it is faded. Sort of ruins the look or that rare vehicle.

[@solaralloyd6157]

Have you guys @ TFL heard anything about a possible brat return to the U.S.? Ive seen speculation but nothing definitive.

[@sunbeam8866]

If it ever gets here, it'll be oversized and overpriced!

[@solaralloyd6157]

@@sunbeam8866 probably

[@palebeachbum]

I miss when Subaru was simple and dependable.

[@jeffreybagg1556]

So funny to see 2 large Americans squeezed into a tiny Japanese vehicle 😂

[@spaceexplorer6636]

Wow. How did you both fit in that truck, looks awkward ! Lol.

[@sunbeam8866]

Cozy! 🙂

[@poppyneese1811]

I seem to remember a backward facing set of seats in the bed with handles for the riders to grab? Back then only towing limit was you were a little past the limit when something broke, I don’t remember anyone ever talking about maximum towing weight. We had Kiss Destroyer cranked up on our Radio Shack stereo so we never heard anything break😂🤣😂🤣 hey guys VW made a tiny pickup too I think it was called the Rabbit Pickup some had diesel’s too!

[@matthewj2492]

People were skinny back then!

[@michaelhoskins832]

What is up with that paint scheme? So strange.

[@shattered115]

Trucks have grown too large and loaded with too much tech. The functional concept of a small truck as been lost.

[@themechanic9226]

Subaru Brat, also known as a Fail Camino. 😆

[@LukeEdward]

Brenden, showing the world that this VERY unique vehicle can be started without the ignition key is pretty much advertising for someone to steal it. Not cool, man. If I was interested in owning it, I wouldn’t until the ignition barrel was replaced and re-keyed. How many BRATs are there in this configuration, anywhere? Redoing the ignition, I would imagine, is near impossible and/or expensive. Again, not cool, man.

[@alexwall226]

No one would try to steal one of these. You’re not cool man.

[@totallyrandomstuffandrevie9609]

I might...

[@sunbeam8866]

My '87 Isuzu Pup has the same key problem Typically, you can remove the key while it's running, and then if you want, shut the ignition off with a screwdriver. But once it's off, it still needs the key to unlock the steering and start the engine.

[@scottysgarage4393]

If you don't need a truck, have few friends and are drawn to ugliness smaller is fine...

[@ronkipp1862]

I owned a 1979 Subaru Brat, I bought it new. It had a four-speed manual, it would pop out of fourth gear regularly, still under warranty. I took it to two local dealers several times, they didn't fix it or replace the transmission. To make things worse, the dealers blackballed me, because I was a pain in their asses. I was stuck with this transmission problem, and Subaru would not repair it. They blamed it on me, that I was the only one with this problem. I never bought another Subaru vehicle again and never will.

[@j_mars_cars]

Sounds like you missed out on many more amazing Subarus.

[@ronkipp1862]

No not really. I have two Toyotas and an MX-5 all three cars are much better than Subaru

[@anengineer_]

​@@j_mars_carsMotorsport made Subaru to be famous. In real life they are not so good because of poor reliability and cost of service.

[@weegeemike]

Subarus were junky little cars back then and nowadays they're some of the ugliest and bland cars on the market and their dependability is way over blown by all the latte drinking Subie-dudes that think they're the best thing since sliced bread. I would never own one either simply based on their "eh" reliability, drivability, and their bland and sometimes outright ugly designs.

[@martymiller4300]

If you do already loathe early Subarus, try changing the clutch cable in one. That’ll generally do it.