image: subaruhighmileageclub
(first posted 7/24/2013) In my web searching, I have been able to find pictures closely approximating every one of my past cars. The 1967 Delta 88. The 1976 Pacer. The Honda Civic. The Camaro. But the search for a picture of one particular Subaru has eluded me–until now.
Not that a 1979 Subaru is hard to find. You can find pictures of DLs (as above) and GLs all over the place. BRATs are a dime a dozen. But the Holy Grail of 1979 Subarus was found only last night, after years of searching: a 1979 Subaru FE, one of my favorite cars of all time.
Late 1970s Subarus were cars to be pitied, at least according to Motor Trend. They claimed the cars were stuck with styling from the 1960s and under-powered 1600cc engines that didn’t get the kind of fuel mileage they should.
The styling? I can see their point. Your everyday Subaru was boxy. It was dull, and uninspired. When I was looking for a good mileage car to take me five days a week from Las Cruces, NM to El Paso, TX for work, I stopped at the local Subaru dealer–and almost walked out. The salesman who stopped me earned his commission that day.
“These cars are UGLY,” I told him, and I meant every word. He agreed with me, but asked me to give him just five minutes of my time. We walked into the showroom, and I stopped short, staring in amazement.
“This is a very limited edition Subaru. It’s called the FE, which stands for ‘Fuel Efficient’,” said the salesman. “Compare it with the DL next to it. The roof line has been lowered. It’s been streamlined. The drive train has been specially designed for maximum fuel economy. It has a transistorized ignition, a specially redesigned camshaft and an increased compression ratio. Both 4th and 5th gears are overdrive. In fact, it’s rated at 50 MPG on the highway!” I had to admit, the styling was beautiful and unlike any other Subaru I’d ever seen.
SOLD! That silver front-wheel-drive beauty was destined to be in my driveway, and on that night. With a five-speed manual, a two barrel-carbureted 1,590cc (97 cubic inch!) engine, it not only kicked up and ran like a scared rabbit, but also delivered great fuel mileage. While it wasn’t the EPA-claimed 50 MPG, I never saw less than 40 MPG, even after five years of driving. On one trip, I decided to try my hand at hypermiling before it was fashionable. Driving over the Grapevine between Los Angeles and Bakersfield, I put the Subaru in neutral, turned the engine off, and coasted down the mountain pass. Thanks to that (and some very careful driving) I made it from Los Angeles to Bakersfield–at 62 MPG, according to my calcluation!
Similar European version Subaru coupe
It broke on me only twice during the entire time I owned it. The first time, it wasn’t the car’s fault. Whoever had installed the air conditioner did something wrong; the A/C was replaced, under warranty, and the Sooby purred like a kitten once again. The second time, the clutch cable broke. I felt it go when I shifted into third while driving one night. Fortunately, I’d been driving school buses for quite a while and was familiar with no-clutch shifting using only the RPMs. I was able to drive it to the repair shop, where I left it overnight.
The tires were interesting, 155/70 SR13s all the way around, and the owners manual advised checking them frequently to ensure 28 PSI in front and 24 at the rear. I always wondered if it was like an old Corvair, with tire pressure being critical to the car’s handling. I kept them inflated according to the manual, so I never found otherwise.
And one other thing: It would run on practically any gasoline you would throw into it. I frequently went into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just over the border at El Paso, to take advantage of the cheap Pemex gas there. I found out later that the regular I’d been using was only 85 octane, but the Subaru didn’t care. I noticed absolutely no difference.
It’s a car I would dearly love to find and have back. I sold it in 1984 for a brand new Camaro Z-28, and while the Z-28 was fast and fun, I still missed the 45 MPG of the Sooby. I’d take one in a second if I could find one, but it would HAVE to be an FE in great condition. Preferably silver with a blue interior. Just like mine.
An interesting car that I never knew about before. Thanks for sharing!
I agree that the roofline on the FE looks way better. Weight saving and aerodynamic measures I sure, but contributes to a sportier look.
Hello Subies fans.
I had 1978 Subaru FE with all wheel drive and RHD. In 1985 of summer wrecked by cows in Ohio. The cow didn’t get killed. But damaged hood, windshield, fenders and front bumper. I got used parts. Few months later. Lifts and camshaft were busted. Also a lot of rusty front rails. I should keep it. I love Subaru FE and Brat.
In 1973 I had summer job working in a gas station (remember when THEY used to fill the tank), anyway across the street in an abandoned gas station they were selling this strange little car (for the time) called a Subaru. We all laughed. I don’t laugh more, I wouldn’t mind having one. Not quite enough to go buy it, but still I’d consider it. And no, I don’t live on the left coast.
Were you working at Exxon looking across Valley Road to that abandoned Getty station? I remember Suburus coming onto a U Haul/Getty Station about that time.
Sopranos central.
Interesting car. Not as interesting as the one I had assumed I might see when I saw the title in the schedule – “Hmmm, a Subaru with a Ford 390.” Now THAT would be an interesting Subaru. 🙂
I will join the chorus of those who were unaware of the FE model. However, I do seem to remember seeing a smattering of these back in the 70s, but I never knew what they were. In the midwest, Subaru remained pretty much a niche brand into the 80s, when they started to see some acceptance
wow…everybody says 5 mph bumpers ruined the styling of the american cars, but it was nothing compared to what they did on euro-jap models
The 4wd Subarus were considered “light trucks” by NHTSA and thus exempt from the 5 mph bumper standard; iirc a 4wd wagon with the same bumpers as that UK-spec FE weights scarcely more than a 2wd wagon with 5 mph bumpers.
I did not know about this Sube! Very nice!
This car may represent to high water mark of Subaru fuel economy. As they have gotten bigger engines, added standard AWD and increased curb weight they have crept down in MPG with all of the other Japanese OEMs. You be hard pressed to break 40mpg with the current Impreza.
Subaru now have a diesel boxer that performs well and gives good fuel economy, you’d probably like it.
I’d buy a Oil Burning Subaru in an instant. I’d also love to have a 4 door Wrangler Rubicon with a 6sp manual and the 2.8 I4 VM.
We don’t get most of the Diesels that the rest of the world gets. Its a combination of consumer tastes and preferences, gas prices that relative to income are some of the lowest in the world and a hostile regulatory environment.
Between the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Quality Board (CARB) diesel has faced a tough uphill battle in the US. For a smaller company like Subaru where they figure they will only sell 10-20k units a year you can’t make the business case to spend $100-200M to make the engine met US standards.
Navistar (parent Co. of International) recently screwed up their implementation of emissions tech and took a bath, at one point earlier this year they were effectively barred from selling new medium and heavy trucks in the US.
I just posted a 79 FE on Ebay. Check it out.
My parents had this car until I was 5. My mother still speaks with reverence about it. My father, on the other hand, couldn’t stand it. The only thing he liked about it (and kept) was the tools that he said came with it. He also said they got a workout and that the car was a junker. Considering he followed it with a 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis that took up a half a block, I’m inclined to think that it was the compact size that he didn’t like.
High-efficiency versions were quite common after the energy crisis. Just about everyone had them: the Pinto MPG, the Honda HF, Toyota had them (can’t think of the name). The FE coupe’s body wasn’t unique to the FE though; I’m quite sure this same coupe body style was also offered in regular versions, for instance, if you wanted an automatic with it. There was also another coupe version, with a hardtop, that shared some of the body parts with this coupe.
My favorite Dodge Miser
Never saw the coupe but I remember people laughing and saying Subaru never heard of them mate to a guy at work who bought a new 4 door.It was cheaper and better equipped than a stripper Ford Cortina which he usually bought.
Good example of hideous ’70s Japanese styling. That high beltline (alas, fashionable again now) may have much to do with this. But otherwise, our Nippon friends were on the right track, technologically & in build quality.
I think this homely Sube & the CVCC Civics were the only California cars able burn cheaper Regular fuel in the early Malaise Era.
Ironically, the EPA was founded by that Progressive hippie-hater, Nixon.
I think this car is actually pretty good looking. The poster child for hideous Japanese styling in that era is the Datsun F10, which our esteemed host did a CC on once upon a time…
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/01/curbside-classic-the-ugliest-car-ever-1977-datsun-f-10/
Gee, way to get political. Never fails.
Who cares? I don’t think that the folks who bought these cars new did.
Datsun F10/Cherry yeah not the prettiest car out there my Ford V8 loving brother drove one for a long time on his commute traded it for a 302 XA Falcon I bet he noticed his gas bill rising.
I dont know if Ive seen a FE Subaru’ Coupe versions of the 78/9 DL were quite common in the 80s in OZ though,
My first exposure to Subaru was a fellow co-worker bought the ’80 GL and I thought “what a hideously ugly car”. Especially with the spare tire over the engine. My soon-to-be purchased Toyota and the boss’ Accord felt far more substantial.
Obviously Subaru has outgrown their ugly adolescent years quite well…..
Subarus styling has been all over the place. A lot of people buy them as they are the last honest affoadable wagon and/or for the standard and cheap to free AWD.
Lately they seem to be sticking close to the other OEM with their styling. When they head out to left field with the SVX or the infamous 1st Gen Tribeca (aka the CUV reincarnation of the Edsel) it gets interesting.
Compared to some other 1979 cars, like the Plymouth Horizon, these Subarus seemed pretty outdated. I still wanted a BRAT pretty badly at the time, and sometimes I still do.
Way cool, never seen one. Even though this Subaru is only four years older than me, these were pretty much gone by the time I started noticing cars. The few that were around really made an impression on me and to this day I’m still a sucker for 70s Japanese styling. Ugly? Yes, but also absurd and ambitious, incorporating several wildly clashing influences… and though the Japanese struggled to find a visual identity in those years, they already had knocked the hardware out of the park. These cars were like the ultimate un-Z28 – has there ever been anything less intimidating?
I just posted a 1979 FE on ebay 7/31/14
Weird but cool. It’s like someone looked at a Volvo 262C and thought “Hey we could squash the roof of our DL/GL 2 door sedan just like they squashed their DL/GL 2 door sedan! Pfffft, who needs headroom anyway”. 😉
Thanks for this post, I’ve never heard about this car. It looks quite dated for a ’79.
fugly.
I had a ’79 FE and put 89,000 miles on it in about 4 years. I was living in DC at the time and regularly made the trip between DC and New York on about 4 1/2 gallons of leaded regular. Car had a full sized spare mounted under the hood over the flat four engine. Also because the spare was not in the trunk and the gas tank was between the rear seat and the trunk, it had an unbelievably deep trunk that held a ton.
Because I wanted a tach (the standard instrument cluster did not include a tach even though the car was offered only with a 5 speed manual), I managed to pull a GL instrument cluster out of a wrecker and sub it in. (All the wiring was already there.). I kept the original cluster and replaced it when I finally sold the car in 1983. I still have that GL cluster with side by side speedometer and tach.
I can not take the credit because my hubby had heard about the Subaru and said “let’s go take a look”. I was commuting and driving all over the state to visit clients and do installations. I had traded my hubby for his VW Dasher hatchback. When he had knee surgery and needed to be able to get his foot-to-thigh cast in a car, my ’69 Chevy Impala 2-door could accommodate. I drove the Dasher into the ground. I liked that the Sub had 5 speed over drive like the Dasher and all wheel drive. It was great for commuting. I have been looking for a photo of a silver with blue interior. I loved the European looking blue fabric seats. It was not fugly! It was cute. Had a used Carmen Ghia convertable orange, some Honda Civics and Accords. then back to a gas guzzling 1994 Pontiac Trans Am Maroon with grey leather interior. I now have an Acura. What next ? Lexis? Audi? BMW?
I was thinking about Audi diesel. My dad said diesel is bad in cold weather. He also said that since diesel fuel is inherently unstable, solids begin to form and the accumulating tank sludge will eventually clog your diesel fuel filters, ruin your injectors and cause diesel engines to smoke. And that smells. The solids that form as the result of the inherent instability of the diesel fuel and the debris formed in the natural process of fuel degradation will accumulate in the bottom of your fuel tank. The sludge will form a coating or bio-film on the walls and baffles of the fuel tank, plug your fuel filters, adversely impact combustion efficiency, produce dark smoke from the exhaust, and impact performance. Eventually fouled diesel fuel will clog fuel lines and ruin your equipment.
Hey group. While searching for a 4cyl car for a demolition derby, I came across a 1979 Subaru FE. I got the car for really cheap. Upon discovering how rare the car is, I decided that a demolition derby fate is probably heresy. Does anyone know if this car is worth anything? It runs and drives fine. Very dependable.
The interior is a mess, unfortunately. Email me at jjpeck@mtech.edu if interested.
My first brand new car was a 1978 Subaru FE Coupe. I loved it, and at 18, thought I had quite a cool car. I drove it that summer, from Atlanta to Miami, with my dog, and I got an average of 56 mpg on the drive. Where is that technology today?
Rich, my 1st car I bought my father’s Delta 1963 Dynamic 88 two-door convertible. Ocean blue with white leather interior and cloth top. When I got my license in 1968 I would drive my friends around cruising. When ever I hit the brakes too quickly or too hard the passengers in the back would fly forward because it did not have seatbelts and the front seats would fly forward and crush the driver and front passenger, this was because no locks were installed on the seats that model!
In 1972 next bought a 1969 Chevy Impala power but uggg-lyyy! I drove this on straight away where you were allowed to blow the carbon out. I reach 125 mph without a problem. Paid $800 for it and gave it away. Should have kept it and had it painted.
Next 1975 Volkswagen Dasher…My first NEW car. Fastback, yellow, 5 speed overdrive I put a lot of miles on this. I wore out the brakes a few times, then I wore out the transmission.
Next I bought my dad’s lease option Buick Regal 2-dr nuf said.
In 1978 bought a Subaru FE, 2-dr Coupe, also 5-speed overdrive, great mileage, hatchback, in polar white with an awesome blue fabric that looked European. Loved this car.
1983 had my first child so needed a 4-dr for car seats:( , Traded my Subaru in for a used Volvo.
My husband went to work for Honda, so 6 or more Accords and Civics.
Later I bought a new 1994 Trans Am GT an awesome and beautiful car. Wine red with added color match mag wheels and 12 disc CD changer with hand held remote control along with all the GT package optional extras grey leather interior. Loved this car, but not the gas mileage….
Became full fledged soccer mom with Pontiac Transport fire red, grey leather interior. fully loaded power side and rear doors. power everything. owned it 8 years. Plastic body looked bran new and shinny (water would still bead up) when I traded it in on my new.
Acura 2.5L TL have owned this car 12yrs. Can not decide what is next??
Great cars! My dad had a 1978, almost exactly like the yellow one in the top photo. He bought it as a demo with 3600 miles, drove it until 1984, when it had 85000 and then sold it to our neighbor for $1700. He drove it almost 50000 and traded it in 1988. Wish I still had it! 😐
I owned a 1978 Subaru FE….my first car and my best car! The clutch cable on my car broke too, luckily only 300 yards from the garage I always took it to. Also, never had to replace the muffler; don’t know what they did to make that last so well.
I had one these too. Pretty sure it was the ’79. Like yours, it was the silver with blue interior. Back in those days their motto was “Subaru – Inexpensive and built to stay that way!” It was definitely a cheap Japanese car, but it was perfect for a college student. I drove it for about 10 years and put 250K miles on it. Still ran good, though a bit worse for wear, when I sold it. The low roofline was a bit annoying, felt a bit cramped for a 6 footer but helped with the mileage, I routinely got 43 or better and could do 50 if I really tried and I wasn’t bucking a headwind.
We have what we thought was a 1978 subaru FE but it is exactly like the beige colored one pictured – except it has gold rims. It has been sitting in my mother in laws yard for years and we have decided to sell it. It has all the original parts, including orange.brown crushed upholstery – the dash has a few cracks in it from age but everything else looks good. E-mail if interested. and YES it still runs.
Teri
Ever sell your Subaru??
I remember this roofline from the early-seventies GSR, but was totally unaware that it was used on the next-generation Subie. You live and learn.
I love this generation of Leone. A stylistic legacy (no pun intended) that lasted all the way to 2009. Subaru, why did you throw away your characteristic look in the same of cost-cutting? Most Japanese automakers would kill for the sort of recognizable greenhouse that defines BMWs, Benzes, Audis and the VW Golf. Tisk tisk.
Bought an FE coupe new in ’79 – silver with blue interior. Drove it for work and racked up over 80K miles in two years with no repairs other than a lost lug nut. Got 50 mpg regularly with highway driving. Tried to get it stuck in the snow numerous times and it always pulled right out. Family got too big for it and I traded it in.
The FE My first car besides the ’64 Chevy truck and a 57 Chevy wagon.
Mine was also that pale yellow but it came with a luggage rack of chrome with wood trim.
Damn. I had a 78 FE I bought new and put 100K miles on. I forgot about that rack – I also put one on mine. Car had no A/C (bought it in Maine); made several military PCS moves in it. My wife had it and we sold it right when she finished pilot training and bought her a new Honda Prelude to replace it.
I had a 79 FE coupe, drove it for 7 years. Great car!
Front-heavy much? I don’t know about the weight distribution, but I am not surprised that the recommended tire pressure was lower in the rear, to be able to turn direction at all! Looks like it should be 100psi in the front and the rear should have piano wheels in order to effectively corner at speed. (You could upgrade the piano wheels to 2″ with spinners for some street-cred.) Also, upgrade to a television speaker (in what I assume is a single dash speaker) for some extra “thump” in the morning farm report.
The comments here mention other cars I would prefer. ’84 Camaro? Yep. (any) Honda Prelude? Definitely. A 1979 Honda Express with a flat tire? Not mentioned here, but absolutely.
This all came out kinda mean sounding didn’t it? Should I edit it out?
Uh…nope.
My Dad bought a new ’76 Subaru GL (not FE) which he later passed down to my sister.
The draw for him was FWD (most Subarus back then didn’t yet have awd)…as we were in Vermont and he wanted a small car with good traction. We also looked at the Datsun F10 (also FWD) but were scared of the small vent on the hood, my Dad said it looked like a last minute engineering change (maybe to help carburator icing?)..so we got the Subaru from the dealer in Winooski (small back then as few bought Subarus back then).
It was the same ubiquitous “yellow” color as the subject car, instead a 2 door sedan (not coupe) with Automatic as only option. For then it came with “lots” of standard equipment; rear defroster and single speaker AM radio (maybe also intermittent wiper, I’ve forgotten)…and I think radial (blackwall) tires.
The car was OK in general but due to a frozen hood latch (that wasn’t latched)…for some reason the 2nd latch didn’t hold (maybe because it didn’t have one; I’ve forgotton) the hood sprung and buckled; from then on (it was only 2 years old when it happened) it wore an unsightly shock cord across the hood attached to both front fender wells to hold the hood down.
It was only used for my Dad’s commuting and had few miles on it when my Dad gave it to my Sister after buying a 1980 Dodge Horizon. My Brother-in-law wasn’t much interested in it until he found that it was the car of the US Ski team and he could park it for free at events (back then he was a big skier)…it eventually got terminal rust and by 1984 my Sister junked it for their only new car, a 1984 Pontiac Sunbird.
I actually just found a 1979 Subaru FE in SoCal, I just got it to turn on, was thinking about selling it for 4500. The exterior isn’t exactly silver, but it does have a blue interior. Supposedly has 82k miles and nearly everything’s functions.
I found one today in the scrap yard. Really really good condition. Interior looks great minus the seats someone took. Sad thing is, the scrapyard cant sell it.
I had a red 79 FE with black interior. It took much better care of me than I took of it. Also sold it in 1984. It had over 100000 miles on the clock.
Never drove it over the grapevine, but did the hypermiling on US 93 in Eastern Nevada and I-70 into Denver.
The only time the engine was not big enough was near Big Bend National Park, on a road that had 15% grade.