Homebuilt awesomeness!
As evidenced by the Saab-powered Honda N600 we featured last month, we here at Tuner Fan love a homebuilt hot rod, especially when it's packed with clever DIY engineering - and that's exactly what you get with the Subaru race car you see here. Cobbled together from a diverse array of Six Star-brand vehicles, this thing is called the LMP360, and it's a one-off Frankenstein of parts that's made to rip with a flat-four soundtrack and chopped-up microcar body.
Created for the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge by Dan Cummings of Mahomet, Illinois, this Subaru race car was built to resemble a modern Le Mans Prototype, with Cummings imagining what would happen if Subaru decided to go sports car racing, rather than rally racing.
To that end, Cummings purchased a rusty 1968 Subaru 360 shell for $1, followed by a GC8 Subaru Impreza Brighton for $300. The GC8 came with a spare transmission and lots of extra parts, as well as the rear uprights for the new LMP-style Scooby racer.
The front uprights, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter flat-four engine, and drivetrain were plucked from a 2002 Subaru Outback. Cummings also grabbed the factory Subaru steering rack and brakes.
"I tried to reuse as much Subaru parts as I could," Cummings says. "One thing I wanted to do was kinda keep the car all Subaru just because I thought that told the best story and kept the theme going the most."
Critically, Cummings managed to recoup the cost of both the Impreza and the Outback, essentially making all the parts from those two vehicles free. However, although costs were low, the work and time required to make this Subaru race car a reality was extensive.
The underlying chassis was built to SCCA and NASA spec using 4130 chromoly steel. Lightweight and rigid, the car has a very low center of gravity, and doesn't need sway bars, keeping costs down without the need for extra linkage.
The suspension is composed of pull rods with bell cranks, and because the car would be used for a variety of racing events, including autocross and drag, Cummings built in adjustability to move things around as needed.
Although Cummings' new Subaru race car received minimal setup with regard to the suspension, it looks great out on the course. Cummings also looks good behind the wheel, displaying some nice left-foot braking techniques.
The Subaru LMP360 runs an open diff, but Cummings says it's quite controllable, with the engine providing ample power to keep both rear tires spinning. The builder characterizes the driving experience as "frantic," with light steering effort and responsive handling.
Up next, Cummings plans to bring his Subaru race car to a few road racing events, as well as develop a full aero treatment to resemble the Porsche 919 Le Mans Prototype, complete with paint.
We can't wait to see the final result. Even so, this early iteration is quite impressive, and we think Cummings' Subaru LMP360 looks awesome shredding the pavement.
Check it out in the feature video below, and stay tuned for more homebuilt masterpieces right here at Tuner Fan.
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