Jon B Interview, Part 2: Subaru 360

If you missed part one of our interview with Jon B, wherein he tells us a little about himself and discusses his Go-4 Interceptor, click here.

REVolution: What year was your Subaru 360 Deluxe?

JB: It was a 1969. It became a FrankenDeluxe, by the time I was done with it. I almost made a new badge that read UltraDeluxe.

Photos and Video: Jon B

REVolution: Tell me more about the EK32 to EK33 conversion.

JB: The engine in the Subaru 360 lineup is designated the EK32, found in the sedan, van and truck; 2 cylinders, 2 stroke, piston ported, producing about 25 HP. This was used until the 360 was replaced with the R-2. It was never imported to the States and was only sold in Japan. The R-2 had the EK33, many updates over the EK32, such as high compression heads, reed valves and chrome bores. It also put out an additional 11 HP. The transmission and lower crank case were almost unchanged, so the major components from the EK33 could be fitted to the older transaxle. The swap comprises of the following components; heads, cylinders, crankcase cover, reed block, reed cages, clutch housing and starter. There are also some ancillary parts, like longer base studs for the jugs and other hardware bits. The biggest task was locating the parts. I was able to source them from Japan from a fellow enthusiast through the help of a translator. There was also the EK34, which was a water cooled 356 cc variant.

REVolution: How long did you own your 360 and where did you get it?

JB: I bought it about 9 years ago from a fellow down by Ephrata, PA. It was a basket case; didn't run and much of the trim as well as the two rear fly windows were missing. I can't remember what I paid for it but I think it was along the lines of a few hundred?

REVolution: The jump from a Subaru 360 to a Go-4 makes some sense. But going from Jeeps to a 360...can you self analyze what your thought process was on that? Did you always want one and when you found it, you jumped on it? Or was there something else that precipitated that purchase?

JB: What made me jump from Jeeps to 360s? Well, I had seen a Sambar pickup many years ago and I thought it was really neat. From that point on, I thought it would be cool to have one. Time went by and I sort of forgot about them. I started getting into off-roading and I built my first Jeep 1978 CJ7 that I saved from the boneyard; it was literally on the trailer going to the scrap yard. For some reason, I wanted it and by the end of it all I probably had poured $20K into it. So when I found the sedan through the subaru360driversclub.org, I had to jump on it. Truth be told, I've since owned 2 sedans and a van but sometimes we end up selling things and regret it later on. But anyway…I thought that restoring a Subaru 360 would be cheaper than building Jeeps and probably a whole lot more fun. It's definitely been cheaper, but much more challenging. Since parts are no longer produced, you need to fabricate your own parts, revitalize old components, or hope some hoarder in the club has what you need; it's a practice in patience. You can’t just go to the store or open a catalog and order what you want. The only parts available for Subaru 360s are either reproduced by club members or found on Japanese auction sites for a premium.

REVolution: What was your fondest memory of your 360?

JB: Fondest memory was when I received an email inviting me to show it at the 2011 NY International Auto Show.

REVolution: Tell us a little more about your show adventure.

JB: Basically I stood around and watched people ogle. I answered questions and really just soaked it all in.

REVolution: What was your worst memory of your 360?

JB: Feelings when sold were mixed. It was surreal to watch it get loaded up into the transport truck. I was kind of bummed to see all of those years of research, parts searching and fabrication go. It was a blood sweat and tears thing. But on the opposite side, I was honored that my work was recognized and appreciated.

Click here for part three of our interview with Jon B...things are going to get techie all up in here!