When my wife was still a child, her dad had a couple of seats from a BRAT in the back of his sixties vintage Chevy pickup. She and her little brother would ride in them when they went out on the highway, which wasn't terribly safe to start with, but what made it worse was that the seats weren't bolted in. The kids and seats kinda just flew around back there. Things were different back in the seventies.
Back in the late '00s my dad had a Ford Ranger. It only had two seats. When he would drive my friends and I around, we had to ride in the back. There was a cap at least, but there was also a bunch of loose heavy crap (including items with sharp rusty metal edges). He would make sure to drive as manically as possible so we had no hope of staying stationary in the bed and would have to constantly fight off whatever items were tumbling around with us. Things maybe weren't _quite_ that different in the '70s.
Americans don't want things that are small and affordable. we like army tank sized trucks that cost as much as a medium sized house and are capable of hauling/towing things we'll never haul/tow.
And thats why you trow shit at the subaru brat and the Yugo. Neither was "bad". The Yugo done what was meant to do: be cheap and simply work; and so did the Brat: it was a small and simple little pickup truck. The only problems with them were that the Yugo didnt have many spear parts in the US (go to Serbia and that'll change) and both simply were... Not giganticly wastefull and/or big.
Uhh, most car owners in America have "small and affordable " cars. Just because there are big cars in America, doesn't mean there aren't tons of small ones.
Im american and i hate american ideals. One of my favorite cars is the Suzuki Cappuccino. One of the smallest cars ever made... I plan on having an sw20 mr2, as a daily.
As a proud BDRAT owner, I must add a few key & interesting points. First is that in addition to the rear facing "jump" seats as we BRAT owners call them, they also installed a weatherproof carpet in the bed which was added proof to the tax-man that it wasn't designed to function as pickup truck. Also the air vents aren't really full lenght lol! That's because about 8 inches of the "vent" section right above the glove-box area was a center mounted 25w speaker. Also offered in the later years(83/84) was an optional 94hp Turbocharged & fuel injected BDRAT!! sadly though, it was only offered in an automatic transmission that had a push-button single-range 4WD, unlike the more versatile dual-range 4spd manual offered in the standard production vehicles.
These were super popular in the UK on farms. They were not called the Brat and didn't have those silly back seats. They were just light utility vehicles. Way cheaper than a land rover more capable than other light pickups like the Marina or dreaded FSO as they had four wheel drive and Japanese build quality and reliability. Subaru did not have a dealership network in the UK but instead sold their cars and pickups out of Agricultural supplies being sold alongside tractors and other farm equipment. For a very long time Subaru were the chosen car brand of the country set.
Doug! This was the car we had at our place we had a hut like 20 years ago, So nice to see this again! Brings back alot of childhood memories! Imagine how fun we had... Man simpler and good times!
My Grandma had one when I was 9 or so. I got to ride in the jump seat roughly 10 miles to town and back. Mom nearly had an aneurysm, and grounded me for a week. So worth it! I also remember Grandma reminding mom that she rode in the bed of a Chevy with *no* seats. I still want a Brat.
About the same as me my grandma has one that sits in the same place under a lean too off the shed. It only gets started and driven when I go there I first started driving it when I was like 5. I’m 16 now and even whenever I go there I always run over to it, start her up and blow out some cobwebs. It gets started, flogged around, put back and never touched until I return even then she’s barely had a day of maintenance in her life and the old banger just keeps instantly chugging to life whenever you hit the key. My grandparents has told me stories about how they used to rip along a dirt road at 120KPH with the ute fully packed on the way to the farm. I’m going to buy one soon and my uncle has a farm about an hour’s drive away down through the bush so I’m going to be doing the same thing soon
I had a friend who had a BRAT when I lived in Ft Lauderdale as a teenager, was great for getting everyone and everything to the beach , always loved the jump seats
We currently have a Ridgeline for my wife. I drive a Tacoma. The Ridgelines are competent but the steering is extremely sensitive and not suited for life on gravel roads. The Ridgeline also lacks personality.
Affordable little truck back in the day. Cool, useful seats in the back much better than sitting on hard metal. The BRAT was fairly well respected back in the day unfortunately Doug did not know that and did not give the BRAT the respect it deserves.
I've owned 4 - but here in Australia we call them the "Subaru Brumby" and they never had the awful rear facing seats ha ha ha. I am slowly dying at the moment though because I desperately want to own my 5th "BDRATT/Brumby" It''s true though - they barely make enough horsepower to get out of their own way - but they have an unrivalled charm all their own! Only Subie owners know it and those people that never owned one will never know!
I had that car with seats in back ..laughing my ass off ..really love hearing that chime and had flashbacks of my buddies in those rear seats while I was doing doughnuts ..thanks a bunch for the chuckle !
i bought a brat in 79 and loved it. Very simple and very reliable. Great gas mileage and did pretty good in snow. i lifted it a few inches and put mud tires on it with chrome spokes and took the brat stickers off and painted it black. Looked damn good i thought. Putting the gas in a gmc sierra at the time cost way too much for an 18 year old to afford. Besides, in calif everyone was getting the new 1980 toyota 4x4 pickup. I didn't want what everyone else was getting.
greg h dang I kinda like the low profile look on the brat. I really like the blue one in the video.. the what and red one not so much.. I wonder what kind of engine swaps you could do with this.. given it has a tire under the hood there is plenty of space
I purchase a 1986 Brat, the last year it was offered. It came with no seats in the bed! I used that car for roughly 20yrs as a daily driver and hauler. Not to mention how great it was in winter weather conditions. I finally sold it to a collector. I still miss it!
lol I learned to drive in a 79 Subaru wagon. I horse whipped that little car for years & it never broke. For the time, it wasn't exciting but it was a great, economical, somewhat utilitarian kinda car. The 4x4 worked great. It wasn't a Bronco by any stretch but it do amazingly well for what it was. I gotta admit, I have fond memories of that little car but, I really wanted a BRAT instead. Drive in movies were popular back then & the BRAT was small enough to park in front (tall vehicles have to park in back) but still had a bad in back to hang out & watch Jaws or some old Burt Reynolds flick. lol Those were the days.
Yeah.... Doug does that often... he picks one thing that is pretty funny and then overkills it. Just about every video he does that happens. I still watch them though. "why make 3 buttons was the worst though"
Oddly enough, I wasn't as annoyed by "why make 3 buttons" because the phrase became synonymous with "why make a superfluous feature." Repeatedly calling the car a "bidrat" was only funny twice and just made him sound stupid.
My 79 fell apart a little more every time I drove it, but my 81 was a little go-getter. I had the seats cut out for when I needed to haul something really big like a gallon of milk or a pair of boots, but I could bolt them back in for coolness and originality. Wish I still had my little "truckette".
The 70's, when nobody gave a rat's arse about motor vehicle safety. That door chime was common in older Japanese cars. My aunt had a Nissan (Datsun) pickup that sounded just like that.
sharing components... japanese did it.. european did it they still do it now you see a japanese MAF sensor made in japan in a range rover that has a BMW 4.4 engine with a ZF transmission another example ? toyota supra had a 6 speed manual german made getrag brand which is a German unit....
FYI, this "inexlicable" AC vent that runs the width of the dash is actually a stereo speaker. Look closely at the one that doesn't have direction controls, and you'll see a speaker hiding behind the slats.
My dad had a 1979 Brat. It was white with quad round headlights and had a camper-like bed cover. My grandmother called it the Space Shuttle. It was a great little truck...the 4-wheel drive did well in the snow.
Thurnis Haley I don't know about you but I believe the El Camino was genius You could go to Home Depot to get some lumber on Friday and beat everyone at the drag strip on Saturday Fuckin Genius
My Aunt got one of these brand new in 78. I remember me and my brother when we were little riding in the backs seats of that thing. That's my earliest Subaru memory ever. Hers was brown with the wagon style rims and had the flannel pattern front seats.
My dad had one when I was a kid. My sister and I definitely rode in the back, a lot. I learned to drive in it. It was a blast to drive. My dad got rid of it after a few years because of rust issues. I miss that little truck.
Although not a Subaru Brumby (the Aussie version of the BRAT), bought a 1990 L-Series 4WD wagon. Tough little beast! Nearly 30 years and around 237,000 miles on, still got it. Survived my ex-missus ( she hated it - damaged trans support bracket, 2 damper units bent, bent the trailing arm support beam), son's driving lessons ( backed over by some moron's Land Cruiser in a car park, who drove off without leaving details, so repaired it and fitted a roo bar now), niece's driving lessons. It sat unused for three years in the backyard. Now used for my daughter's driving lessons. Engine tappets tick like a bastard until it warms up. But just need to replace timing belts every 50,000 miles and front driveshafts (cheap as in Australia) around every 82,000 miles. Other than these extra and easily done maintenance items, it simply just keeps on going!
He had me rolling on the floor EACH time he said it.. not sure why, just the way he actually said full serious like it was the actual model name made it funny.
Silver Subaru very true. My dad bought one that had been sitting unused for two years and all it needed to fire up was some fresh gasoline and a new battery.
my dad had a brat when I was a kid. now I know why I remember the chime. also. we couldn't get the spare out once when needed. when we did the "frame" collapsed. a rust belt brat with that spare holding it together. epic backfires in that thing and plenty of burns on legs crawling out the back as a little one.
I had a brat, and the caruck was awesome. It was slow, but got 35 mpg and was amazing off-road. A friend once told me what a p.o.s. it was, so I asked him to get inside and I drove up a set of stairs at an apartment complex on a hillside in Colorado. These stairs we're like a hundred yards long and like a 35 percent grade. He never made fun of it again. I drove that car on most of the crazy 4x4 road's in Western Colorado and Moab. I ended up losing the car on a trip to Alaska, yes I drove the whole way. But lost it driving across a frozen river. Best caruck I've ever owned.
Great times. My uncle had 3 of them back when these things were new. He had a driveway at a 45 degree angle up hill, stones and then snow covered and it went up with never a problem. When they would rust out here in Pennsylvania, he would just get another one. I got the bug when he let me drive one on a snowy afternoon. I was hooked! I found a gold 1978 DX wagon 4wd and the front brakes locked up on the way home 20 minutes after I bought it. Fixed the brakes, put a stereo and 4 speakers in it (it had a/c!) and I was cruisin'! 4 speed, shift-on-the-fly back then, and it went anywhere. Had sex (with a girl) in it a few times!. I had it in the woods on dirt bike trails and never a problem. My younger brother wanted to learn to drive a 4 speed. He had a 1969 Chevelle SS 396. So I convinced him to trade for the day and we both had fun (right?). He learned to shift and I had the time of my life in that big block Chevy. He found a really clean 1979 model color blue later on, and it was mint. We would go find trails and go through them to the end that came out on pavement and never got stuck! He used it for a few years and I ended up buying it for 700.00! I drove it for several years until it sold and I moved on. Wish they still made something like that. Great memories. Thanks.
I mean, yeah, you could go into grumpy New York grandma mode, complaining about peasants taking it too far, ua-cam.com/video/TcLU4LGTPk8/v-deo.html, I am probably guilty of that manifold, but this here seems humorous and so in a harmless way, and thorough also, so perhaps you could consider getting over it, Doc.
The old blue one sounds like a sewing machine. Did Subaru make sewing machines too?My family had a 2 dr hardtop, an 82 I think. It was so cool, it had a hill holding clutch. Stop on a hill, push the brake and the clutch at the same time, while waiting for the light to change.... remove you foot from the brake and the car did not roll until you let out the clutch. Very cool feature.
Doug, this is your short video format. Love this short video packed with great car facts and manu history nuggets, plus the comedy punches that are pure gold.
My older Subaru like that could get out of its own way but went anywhere. I also loved the Subaru emblem opened up to reveal the fog light in the middle of the grill
I have always wanted one of these. Hard to find in good condition. I wish Subaru would make a light pick up truck now that there aren't any left. The Colorado/Canyon and Tacoma are basically full size trucks now. I think Subaru would find a ready market for it.
I agree. But it doesn't seem like most people do. They even stopped making the ranger and S10. Sometimes you just need a big truck, but most of the time a mean little four cylinder pickup does fine.
@Quiet Entropy I saw a whole lot of them, maybe I was in a place where they were more common? Eh, either way, the Baja was great. If it really was rare, it would make total sense to keep it for good. Subaru is bad ass.
My friend used to have stacks of old popular mechanics magazines at their cabin, one of them featured the Subaru Brat on the cover. It was one of the most ridiculous magazine covers I’ve seen, it showed a Brat driving off road in mid air with 2 people strapped into the back seats.
I owned one of these unfortunately it rusted away or I would still have it. We ended up cutting it in half and made the back end a trailer. If I could find another one cheap I would get it. Guessing Doug is too young to remember when they were new and you used to see them everywhere.
The Australian market has a number of car/truck vehicles like this, the term is "Ute" and they're very popular. Dodge in the mid 80's also produced one for the US market. It was called the "Rampage" and was based on the Omni front drive chassis. The VW rabbit pickup was another that comes to mind. I wouldn't mind picking up an old brat and fixing it up, they were kind of fun, sort of like having an old AMG Gremlin.
That acceleration run was faked. I had the heavier loyale with the same drive train and it was faster than that by far. Also the drive acronym was due to it being selectable AWD vs full time awd or 4wd and was reversed from most systems in that it was FWD unless you engaged the rear wheels for AWD.
my uncle who is a mechanic told me about these and said he always wanted one back in the day. i bought a forester off of him and he recently took that money to buy a 2004 baja which i guess is the next best thing haha. never heard of them before him pretty cool though
Offtopic: "BRAT" (written in cyrillic "БРАТ") in bulgarian means "brother" *Bulgarian is a language spoken in Bulgaria, a country located in Eastern Europe. :D
i vote doug as part of the new true american top gear. not that abomination that the history channel made. maybe mr.regular can be the second guy. whos the third? that rich fat bald guy from /drive?
+CreepinWhileYouSleepin Mr. Regular+The Roman as writers, along with a few others i'm sure, with Matt Farah, Doug D, and Jason Cammisa or Carlos Lago as hosts
My uncle had one of these when I was a kid. Sitting in those back seats was about the most fun thing ever.
Rumble seats
I recall riding in those jump seats.
Very fun, a little bit scary.
Looked awesome. As a kid, I always wanted to ride in a Brat's ejector seats.
Rich Sackett I just heard him say ejecto seat as I read that
Until it rollovers
When “quirks and features” was merely “key details”.
When my wife was still a child, her dad had a couple of seats from a BRAT in the back of his sixties vintage Chevy pickup. She and her little brother would ride in them when they went out on the highway, which wasn't terribly safe to start with, but what made it worse was that the seats weren't bolted in. The kids and seats kinda just flew around back there. Things were different back in the seventies.
Back in the late '00s my dad had a Ford Ranger. It only had two seats. When he would drive my friends and I around, we had to ride in the back. There was a cap at least, but there was also a bunch of loose heavy crap (including items with sharp rusty metal edges). He would make sure to drive as manically as possible so we had no hope of staying stationary in the bed and would have to constantly fight off whatever items were tumbling around with us. Things maybe weren't _quite_ that different in the '70s.
😂
I can imagine my dad saying "I love this thing, it's so old and little"
Haha
I’m your dads age I bet. I love these. Ronald Reagan had one. Yes, the president👍🏼😬
I'll be saying that about my pp in 25 years.
My wife tell that to me every day
But doug already said that
3:46 He sounds like Elmo flooring the Subaru BDRATT
Americans don't want things that are small and affordable. we like army tank sized trucks that cost as much as a medium sized house and are capable of hauling/towing things we'll never haul/tow.
*****
plenty of them around here, and it's still a relatively nice neighborhood.
haha yeah XD, that's true. i live in germany and drive an old volvo 240 but i also like musclecars.
And thats why you trow shit at the subaru brat and the Yugo.
Neither was "bad".
The Yugo done what was meant to do: be cheap and simply work; and so did the Brat: it was a small and simple little pickup truck.
The only problems with them were that the Yugo didnt have many spear parts in the US (go to Serbia and that'll change) and both simply were... Not giganticly wastefull and/or big.
Uhh, most car owners in America have "small and affordable " cars. Just because there are big cars in America, doesn't mean there aren't tons of small ones.
Im american and i hate american ideals. One of my favorite cars is the Suzuki Cappuccino. One of the smallest cars ever made... I plan on having an sw20 mr2, as a daily.
This isn't a "pickup truck", it's a pint-sized El Camino.
El Ca-Pinto
Whats a el Camino
Thats exactly why I want one...El camino that sucker out
@@Nexus104 half truck half car from Chevy produced from 1959 all the way to the 80s.
ute
As a proud BDRAT owner, I must add a few key & interesting points. First is that in addition to the rear facing "jump" seats as we BRAT owners call them, they also installed a weatherproof carpet in the bed which was added proof to the tax-man that it wasn't designed to function as pickup truck. Also the air vents aren't really full lenght lol! That's because about 8 inches of the "vent" section right above the glove-box area was a center mounted 25w speaker. Also offered in the later years(83/84) was an optional 94hp Turbocharged & fuel injected BDRAT!! sadly though, it was only offered in an automatic transmission that had a push-button single-range 4WD, unlike the more versatile dual-range 4spd manual offered in the standard production vehicles.
I read that in Doug's voice 🤣
You are the first and hopefully last person to ever say "Bdradt." Seriously, don't do that ever again.
BDRATT
BDRATT
BDRATT
BDRATT
BDRATT
Hey Doug, in russian "brat" means a brother :D
in balkan too
so it is in most slav languages
At 4:48, the white one, if you squint, the front almost looks like a delorean.
Man of culture
Omg it kinda does
Yea
you cannot squint until you have some kind of nerve damage or myopia or hyperopia
I totally see it!
These were super popular in the UK on farms. They were not called the Brat and didn't have those silly back seats. They were just light utility vehicles. Way cheaper than a land rover more capable than other light pickups like the Marina or dreaded FSO as they had four wheel drive and Japanese build quality and reliability. Subaru did not have a dealership network in the UK but instead sold their cars and pickups out of Agricultural supplies being sold alongside tractors and other farm equipment. For a very long time Subaru were the chosen car brand of the country set.
For us it was Mazda now it is Toyota
Ah by “silly back seats” you mean “im angry i didnt get free seats” hey id be mad to but thats just the price brits pay
Every farmer I knew that had one swore by them
Are you referring to the FSO from Poland?
Silly back seats? They’re jump seats that can be removed whenever. You must be salty you didn’t get them in yours
In Australia they were called a Brumby, very very tough and as a result were driven harder than a new girlfriend.
Thats the newer modle man, slightly longer and less of a bitch than that one
Mine is 25 years old still a daily driver
@@divelizard1966 when they hit 25 usually that's when I'll shop around for a side bitch. Women generally start to lose their splendor after 24.
ayporos - better to trade in than to buy the extended warranty?
@The Bushwacker hah nah man the brumby
I had a Red BRAT in 1983 with a bed cap. It handled great in the Maine winters.
Doug! This was the car we had at our place we had a hut like 20 years ago, So nice to see this again! Brings back alot of childhood memories! Imagine how fun we had... Man simpler and good times!
BRAT means BROTHER in Polish.
Impreza means PARTY in Polish.
Seems Legit.
same in russian
Иван Масликов same in serbian
Brat-Brother
Also, Brat-Brother is same in Bulgarian :)
And in english: Brat means an annoying person lol
Same in Croatia brat/brother
My Grandma had one when I was 9 or so. I got to ride in the jump seat roughly 10 miles to town and back. Mom nearly had an aneurysm, and grounded me for a week. So worth it! I also remember Grandma reminding mom that she rode in the bed of a Chevy with *no* seats.
I still want a Brat.
Something like that. Yup
About the same as me my grandma has one that sits in the same place under a lean too off the shed. It only gets started and driven when I go there I first started driving it when I was like 5. I’m 16 now and even whenever I go there I always run over to it, start her up and blow out some cobwebs. It gets started, flogged around, put back and never touched until I return even then she’s barely had a day of maintenance in her life and the old banger just keeps instantly chugging to life whenever you hit the key. My grandparents has told me stories about how they used to rip along a dirt road at 120KPH with the ute fully packed on the way to the farm. I’m going to buy one soon and my uncle has a farm about an hour’s drive away down through the bush so I’m going to be doing the same thing soon
5:06 and that proves that subaru is a crazy group of mother.......
:-D
Shut yo mouth, I’m talking about bdrat 😆
>:D
Mother blockers
I wonder what the end of that sentence would be...
I had a friend who had a BRAT when I lived in Ft Lauderdale as a teenager, was great for getting everyone and everything to the beach , always loved the jump seats
This was my first vehicle back in 1994 I was only fourteen. And I loved it and would love to get another one. Classic.
so the BDRAT actually pioneered those full-length air-con vents before Audi
Rekt
+Monster of Luckiness Lol, exactly. He's trying to be funny but he can't even pronounce his own word right. Dumb
+boy638 And the side-step for the bed that new pickups are saying is new!
boy638 BDRAT just looks like BORAT from afar.
And now the Tesla model 3.
I had a 1978 Brat. Best car in the snow ever !
Man, that chime gave me some old Initial D memories.
ArthurAlcantara ikr
Nay2003 AKA350ZRULES
michael brears what
藤原 - とうふ - 店 （自家用）
lol same exact sound too.
BDRATT starting not being funny the 53rd time he used it. Went to the well a few to many times...
I couldnt even finish the video.
I was wondering why he had so many dislikes and then I found out
Esp the pronunciation of the extra T
It's funny. Doug is acting like a brat...I mean BDRATT 😊
mfoxo it wasn’t even funny the first time he did it.
Ironically Honda also has its own version of the BDRAT on sale today, it's called the Ridgeline.
We currently have a Ridgeline for my wife. I drive a Tacoma. The Ridgelines are competent but the steering is extremely sensitive and not suited for life on gravel roads. The Ridgeline also lacks personality.
It's less a Pickup and more what Australia calls a ute.
I was about to say that, although the seats on the tray look funny.
Never heard of this model, this was a nice find!
It's what Australia calls a Brumby
Its basicly a Japanese El Camino.
find a small v8 and ram it in
Needs an LS
Affordable little truck back in the day. Cool, useful seats in the back much better than sitting on hard metal. The BRAT was fairly well respected back in the day unfortunately Doug did not know that and did not give the BRAT the respect it deserves.
Agreed. They actually went good in the snow and the engine lasted forever.
Yeah, he is sorta of an opinionted ass, and a dork to top it off
Well said.
Yep! He wasn't even alive when these were cool. He's only like 29 or 30.
All very valid points 👍 that over grown geek is probably 6'8" and squeezing his sorry ass in and making fun of a good economy vehicle 👍
I've owned 4 - but here in Australia we call them the "Subaru Brumby" and they never had the awful rear facing seats ha ha ha. I am slowly dying at the moment though because I desperately want to own my 5th "BDRATT/Brumby"
It''s true though - they barely make enough horsepower to get out of their own way - but they have an unrivalled charm all their own! Only Subie owners know it and those people that never owned one will never know!
I had that car with seats in back ..laughing my ass off ..really love hearing that chime and had flashbacks of my buddies in those rear seats while I was doing doughnuts ..thanks a bunch for the chuckle !
To be fair those rear-facing seats did have seatbelts. They were just lap belts not a shoulder belt but still that was a standard in those days.
i bought a brat in 79 and loved it. Very simple and very reliable. Great gas mileage and did pretty good in snow.
i lifted it a few inches and put mud tires on it with chrome spokes and took the brat stickers off and painted
it black. Looked damn good i thought. Putting the gas in a gmc sierra at the time cost way too much for an 18 year old to
afford. Besides, in calif everyone was getting the new 1980 toyota 4x4 pickup. I didn't want what everyone else was getting.
greg h dang I kinda like the low profile look on the brat. I really like the blue one in the video.. the what and red one not so much.. I wonder what kind of engine swaps you could do with this.. given it has a tire under the hood there is plenty of space
Stop trying to make BDRATT happen.
Ooooooooooooh
I purchase a 1986 Brat, the last year it was offered. It came with no seats in the bed! I used that car for roughly 20yrs as a daily driver and hauler. Not to mention how great it was in winter weather conditions. I finally sold it to a collector. I still miss it!
BDRAT: funny once. BDRAT through the whole video: I want to slap the speech impediment off your face.
I knew I shouldn't have watched this video. Only reminded me what a pompous, bougie, personal wipe Dougie is. I had the station wagon. Great car.
I loved the BRAT when I was a kid. Thanks for the video.
lol I learned to drive in a 79 Subaru wagon. I horse whipped that little car for years & it never broke. For the time, it wasn't exciting but it was a great, economical, somewhat utilitarian kinda car. The 4x4 worked great. It wasn't a Bronco by any stretch but it do amazingly well for what it was. I gotta admit, I have fond memories of that little car but, I really wanted a BRAT instead. Drive in movies were popular back then & the BRAT was small enough to park in front (tall vehicles have to park in back) but still had a bad in back to hang out & watch Jaws or some old Burt Reynolds flick. lol Those were the days.
I hate that he calls it a BIDRAT through the whole video. It was funny for 5 seconds and got old fast.
Why make three buttons?
garcemac that genuinely made me bust a laugh 😂
Yeah.... Doug does that often... he picks one thing that is pretty funny and then overkills it. Just about every video he does that happens. I still watch them though. "why make 3 buttons was the worst though"
Oddly enough, I wasn't as annoyed by "why make 3 buttons" because the phrase became synonymous with "why make a superfluous feature." Repeatedly calling the car a "bidrat" was only funny twice and just made him sound stupid.
adamgh0 That's doug for ya
the Bdrat joke got old really fast after the 2nd time he said it
it never gets old
Best Subaru ever made , not fast but an excellent ride. All wheel drive excellent in the snow. One of the 80ies classics.
My 79 fell apart a little more every time I drove it, but my 81 was a little go-getter. I had the seats cut out for when I needed to haul something really big like a gallon of milk or a pair of boots, but I could bolt them back in for coolness and originality. Wish I still had my little "truckette".
The 70's, when nobody gave a rat's arse about motor vehicle safety.
That door chime was common in older Japanese cars. My aunt had a Nissan (Datsun) pickup that sounded just like that.
when he opened the door and heard that tinker bell sounded, it reminded me of a particular AE86 ;)
Exceeding 100km/h in a corner.
sharing components...
japanese did it..
european did it
they still do it
now you see a japanese MAF sensor made in japan
in a range rover that has a BMW 4.4 engine
with a ZF transmission
another example ?
toyota supra had a 6 speed manual german made getrag brand which is a German unit....
yeah but did you spill the water?
GONNA GET YOU, LIKE A SPACE BOY!
FYI, this "inexlicable" AC vent that runs the width of the dash is actually a stereo speaker. Look closely at the one that doesn't have direction controls, and you'll see a speaker hiding behind the slats.
My mom bought a new one in 1980. I remember as a kid riding in those back seats. Fun!
My dad had a 1979 Brat. It was white with quad round headlights and had a camper-like bed cover. My grandmother called it the Space Shuttle. It was a great little truck...the 4-wheel drive did well in the snow.
maybe I should sell my skyline gtr and buy a Brat
Hell no
Check out videos and let me know what you think! thank you
I know hes joking, ive watched all his videos
+DSC1320 Yeah man - go for it! :p
you should take the LS out the Supra and put it in a BRAT
That actually sounds like something dumb as hell I'd do. I love making people say "wtf for.. but it's badass"
As a 11 year old, All it took were the seats in the bed. This was the coolest thing on the road.
THAT WAS AN E30 AT THE END. THIS MEANS SOMETHING
+Andrew Zhang It's because he also did an E30 M3 on the same day.
+Andrew Zhang that we should have a day dedicated to odd automobiles in TDB? :D
+a55doggy Lmao what a random spot on youtube, you two! haha
My father drove a 78 BRAT when I was a kid. It was a fun little vehicle in the mid 80s.
I wish they still made that thing. It's Aussie slang for el-Camino Gotta Love that Vehicle
The Subaru BDRATT: For when you're too poor for an El Camino
el camino:when your to poor to afford a ranchero
I like the look of El Caminos way more than Rancheros personally
*****
i only like the 80s el caminos
El Camino was offered with 4x4?
Thurnis Haley I don't know about you but I believe the El Camino was genius
You could go to Home Depot to get some lumber on Friday and beat everyone at the drag strip on Saturday
Fuckin Genius
My Aunt got one of these brand new in 78. I remember me and my brother when we were little riding in the backs seats of that thing. That's my earliest Subaru memory ever. Hers was brown with the wagon style rims and had the flannel pattern front seats.
That chime sounds exactly like the S-Cargo chime when it goes "too fast"
My dad had one when I was a kid. My sister and I definitely rode in the back, a lot. I learned to drive in it. It was a blast to drive. My dad got rid of it after a few years because of rust issues. I miss that little truck.
Although not a Subaru Brumby (the Aussie version of the BRAT), bought a 1990 L-Series 4WD wagon. Tough little beast! Nearly 30 years and around 237,000 miles on, still got it. Survived my ex-missus ( she hated it - damaged trans support bracket, 2 damper units bent, bent the trailing arm support beam), son's driving lessons ( backed over by some moron's Land Cruiser in a car park, who drove off without leaving details, so repaired it and fitted a roo bar now), niece's driving lessons. It sat unused for three years in the backyard. Now used for my daughter's driving lessons. Engine tappets tick like a bastard until it warms up. But just need to replace timing belts every 50,000 miles and front driveshafts (cheap as in Australia) around every 82,000 miles. Other than these extra and easily done maintenance items, it simply just keeps on going!
We get your B-Drat joke dude. Drop it after the 2nd time...
ik please i felt like punching him after the second time
william kunzer Annoyed me to, Bi-drive is one word, thus naming it the BRAT and not the BDRATT
william kunzer 😂
He had me rolling on the floor EACH time he said it.. not sure why, just the way he actually said full serious like it was the actual model name made it funny.
It was funny for about 2 seconds
Ronald Reagan has a red Brat at his ranch in Santa Barbara.
DIAMLER: he’s dead.
Wrxhatch doesn't mean his name still isn't on the title LOL
Had*
Robert Wise private family estate, presidential Memorial property.
so still could be under Reagan ownership as far as legality is concerned
thank god
great video, but i think it would be better if you added pictures of the cars you referense so everyone knows what you are talking about
+michael garber Or you could Google them.
+Colton Blumhagen AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FO DAT
+michael garber Like a Subaru 360 and Subaru Baja? Really, you need pictures of those?
herranton1979 yea idk what those are :/
+michael garber don't worry dude your not missing anything good xD
I grew up riding around in the back of one these. Good times.
2:42 cessna aircraft have throttles that push.
These cars are ultra reliable
Silver Subaru very true. My dad bought one that had been sitting unused for two years and all it needed to fire up was some fresh gasoline and a new battery.
They leak oil like crazy when they get old but never gushing.. keep em full and they will run till the fucking wheels fall off.
The rear seat handles are the greatest auto additions in auto history!
my dad had a brat when I was a kid. now I know why I remember the chime. also. we couldn't get the spare out once when needed. when we did the "frame" collapsed. a rust belt brat with that spare holding it together. epic backfires in that thing and plenty of burns on legs crawling out the back as a little one.
I had a brat, and the caruck was awesome. It was slow, but got 35 mpg and was amazing off-road. A friend once told me what a p.o.s. it was, so I asked him to get inside and I drove up a set of stairs at an apartment complex on a hillside in Colorado. These stairs we're like a hundred yards long and like a 35 percent grade. He never made fun of it again. I drove that car on most of the crazy 4x4 road's in Western Colorado and Moab. I ended up losing the car on a trip to Alaska, yes I drove the whole way. But lost it driving across a frozen river. Best caruck I've ever owned.
A family member had a sedan version in the 80's with the 1.8 and it was quick and a brilliant car overall.
Great times. My uncle had 3 of them back when these things were new. He had a driveway at a 45 degree angle up hill, stones and then snow covered and it went up with never a problem. When they would rust out here in Pennsylvania, he would just get another one. I got the bug when he let me drive one on a snowy afternoon. I was hooked! I found a gold 1978 DX wagon 4wd and the front brakes locked up on the way home 20 minutes after I bought it. Fixed the brakes, put a stereo and 4 speakers in it (it had a/c!) and I was cruisin'!
4 speed, shift-on-the-fly back then, and it went anywhere. Had sex (with a girl) in it a few times!. I had it in the woods on dirt bike trails and never a problem. My younger brother wanted to learn to drive a 4 speed. He had a 1969 Chevelle SS 396. So I convinced him to trade for the day and we both had fun (right?). He learned to shift and I had the time of my life in that big block Chevy.
He found a really clean 1979 model color blue later on, and it was mint. We would go find trails and go through them to the end that came out on pavement and never got stuck! He used it for a few years and I ended up buying it for 700.00! I drove it for several years until it sold and I moved on. Wish they still made something like that. Great memories. Thanks.
You had to call it a BDRAT the whole time?
Paul Wallace thats the only annoying thing. He becomes an asshole each time he says it.
Well, at least remember that the real abbreviation for all of the words is still BDRATT
This is what happens with someone who's utterly smitten with his cleverness and the sound of his own voice.
bully
I mean, yeah, you could go into grumpy New York grandma mode, complaining about peasants taking it too far, ua-cam.com/video/TcLU4LGTPk8/v-deo.html, I am probably guilty of that manifold, but this here seems humorous and so in a harmless way, and thorough also, so perhaps you could consider getting over it, Doc.
The old blue one sounds like a sewing machine. Did Subaru make sewing machines too?My family had a 2 dr hardtop, an 82 I think. It was so cool, it had a hill holding clutch. Stop on a hill, push the brake and the clutch at the same time, while waiting for the light to change.... remove you foot from the brake and the car did not roll until you let out the clutch. Very cool feature.
Direct lifters
I was born in 1970 and remember the BRAT as I was growing up. I loved its look and thought they were so cool with the seats in the back
Doug, this is your short video format. Love this short video packed with great car facts and manu history nuggets, plus the comedy punches that are pure gold.
"I've got my friends in the back"
"There's no one back there"
"I know" 😢
The BDRATT joke was kinda funny the first time and super annoying the 100 other times you said it. Talk about beating a dead horse.
My older Subaru like that could get out of its own way but went anywhere. I also loved the Subaru emblem opened up to reveal the fog light in the middle of the grill
Knew a guy who had one of these and it was definitely distinctive, his was the only one I had seen in the mid 80s
I have always wanted one of these. Hard to find in good condition. I wish Subaru would make a light pick up truck now that there aren't any left. The Colorado/Canyon and Tacoma are basically full size trucks now. I think Subaru would find a ready market for it.
I agree. But it doesn't seem like most people do. They even stopped making the ranger and S10. Sometimes you just need a big truck, but most of the time a mean little four cylinder pickup does fine.
LoneWanderer360 never heard of the Subaru Baja???
@Quiet Entropy I saw a whole lot of them, maybe I was in a place where they were more common? Eh, either way, the Baja was great. If it really was rare, it would make total sense to keep it for good. Subaru is bad ass.
4:23 that's what she said
+Desert Gaming DUDE!
Good one
D:
I would absolutely LOVE one of those things!
best review you have ever done.
I cannot believe this was five years ago. Doug has come such a long way.
I don't care how tiny it is, or how underpowered it is, or if it has retarded deathseats, I still want a 2nd Gen one.
It is so choice. If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up. Just look out for rust. My '82 has tons of it.
In Australia, these were sold as Brumbies. Without, the stupid seats in the back :)
Bwahahaha, perfect.
You would think the seats would be more useful in Australia in the Outback!
No....they are only useful in a 3rd world country.
The rear seats are actually pretty cool.
How old are you? The brumbies were here. Last time i saw one was mid 90's
This guy obviously thinks the world didn't exist until around 1995.
NVRAMboi agreed. I mean, how many cars didn’t have a chime that lets you know your keys are still in the ignition?
My friend used to have stacks of old popular mechanics magazines at their cabin, one of them featured the Subaru Brat on the cover. It was one of the most ridiculous magazine covers I’ve seen, it showed a Brat driving off road in mid air with 2 people strapped into the back seats.
I had a BRAT Stomper when I was a kid. It was a lot more impressive on AA batteries. Loved it!
i think it looks kind of cool. Im seeing a good rally conversion
I owned one of these unfortunately it rusted away or I would still have it. We ended up cutting it in half and made the back end a trailer. If I could find another one cheap I would get it. Guessing Doug is too young to remember when they were new and you used to see them everywhere.
2:26 IT'S AN AE86!!!!!!!!
SPEEDY SPEED BOY
*Speed chime activates*
C O O L V I B R A T I O N S
Cringe
In Australia, the BRUMBY is an absolutely incredible vehicle! And it is an iconic car
The Australian market has a number of car/truck vehicles like this, the term is "Ute" and they're very popular. Dodge in the mid 80's also produced one for the US market. It was called the "Rampage" and was based on the Omni front drive chassis. The VW rabbit pickup was another that comes to mind. I wouldn't mind picking up an old brat and fixing it up, they were kind of fun, sort of like having an old AMG Gremlin.
Who else was fucking annoyed he kept calling it "The Bdrat"?
I think you are the only viewer who noticed that...
That acceleration run was faked. I had the heavier loyale with the same drive train and it was faster than that by far. Also the drive acronym was due to it being selectable AWD vs full time awd or 4wd and was reversed from most systems in that it was FWD unless you engaged the rear wheels for AWD.
Spot on
in australia we call it the brumby (wild horse)
The Wide Open Life not many left
tobagotb10 a kangaroo a 6am wrecks m
I so love this review. I think it really needs a Doug score! So does the Baja!
my uncle who is a mechanic told me about these and said he always wanted one back in the day. i bought a forester off of him and he recently took that money to buy a 2004 baja which i guess is the next best thing haha. never heard of them before him pretty cool though
I had an old friend who had a brat with a turbo 2 rotor in it.
WAHT DUH HEYUL thats awesome
Damn it Doug!! You just made me want one of these things! But there so hard to find!
Autocorrect error.
Offtopic: "BRAT" (written in cyrillic "БРАТ") in bulgarian means "brother"
*Bulgarian is a language spoken in Bulgaria, a country located in Eastern Europe. :D
+Vladimir Starokov In case you're not aware, brat in English usually means "spoiled or annoying child"
+Vladimir Starokov This is also true for ex-Yu countries.
Peter Schmidt Learning something new every day. Thanks mate :)
This was cool! Good seeing Dougs progression in the newer videos, but this was still quite good. Funny!
Skaters and bmx guys loved the BRAT when I was in highschool. Matt Ling dated my sister. I had a Hutch back then. 83 to 87. Good times. 😁
i vote doug as part of the new true american top gear. not that abomination that the history channel made. maybe mr.regular can be the second guy. whos the third? that rich fat bald guy from /drive?
no way. he is just way too annoying.
+bikephil the rich bald fat guy or doug?
doug's a quality guy
+CreepinWhileYouSleepin Mr. Regular+The Roman as writers, along with a few others i'm sure, with Matt Farah, Doug D, and Jason Cammisa or Carlos Lago as hosts
I'd say mr.Regular as the stig's cousin that can't stop talking.