New Member From the Chicago Burbs

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Highvelocity
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New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#1 Post by Highvelocity »

Hello All, Tom Peck aka: HighVelocity here, the newest 360 aficionado to the forum. I’ll start off with a brief bio. I’ve been a Subaru driver since 1989 when I bought a 3 door Justy, I’m now driving Subaru number 5 a 2015 Forester XTP.

About four or five years ago I first saw a 360 sedan at a car show in Vinton, IA. Two years ago I saw a van and a sedan at a show in Kenosha, WI and I started to get that funny feeling deep in the gut. Last winter at a show in Chandler, AZ the hook was set and the quest to become a driving member had shifted to “Overtop”.

I’m just recently retired from an engineering career and I’m looking for a challenge to keep my skills sharp. I’ve been told that this could be a high leap even for the very experienced.

See ya on the board
HighVelocity
Last edited by Highvelocity 8 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

2stroketurbo
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#2 Post by 2stroketurbo »

Highvelocity wrote:Hello All, Tom Peck aka: HighVelocity here, the newest 360 aficionado to the forum. I’ll start off with a brief bio. I’ve been a Subaru driver since 1989 when I bought a 3 door Justy, I’m now driving Subaru number 5 a 2015 Forester XTP.

About four or five years ago I first saw a 360 sedan at a car show in Vinton, IA. Two years ago I saw a van and a sedan at a show in Kenosha, WI and I started to get that funny feeling deep in the gut. Last winter at a show in Chandler, AZ the hook was set and the quest to become a driving member had shifted to “Top Gear”.

I’m just recently retired from an engineering career and I’m looking for a challenge to keep my skills sharp. I’ve been told that this could be a high leap even for the very experienced.

See ya on the board
HighVelocity
Welcome! Subaru 360's should be sweetcake for HighVelocity !
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oldone
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#3 Post by oldone »

Welcome Tom !!! You should fit nicely in the this group. Are you on a quest for a sedan, van or truck???

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#4 Post by Garm »

Welcome! No one said pictures, so I'll do it. Post pictures. Lots of pictures. 8)

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#5 Post by subaru360nut »

Tom - welcome to The Club!
We exist to help one another
keep our 360s on the road and
running on BOTH cylinders.

Ed
300,000+ miles on Subaru 360s since Feb. 1975, and have never (yet) been stuck on the road with one!

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carlofsumner
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#6 Post by carlofsumner »

Welcome Tom. Ditto what the ones above me said. Also, add your location in the column on the left.
Carl D
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Sigmaz
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#7 Post by Sigmaz »

Welcome Tom!

This is the place to learn about em..
Then you can make your educated decision on what's good or beyond a challenge.


Glad to see you could make it onto the forum.
-Jon
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kjrcace360fan
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#8 Post by kjrcace360fan »

Welcome, Fellow engineer here. I think after you get used to these cars you will appreciate the engineering that went into them. When you consider they took basically a snowmobile engine and used it to produce a cheap, small, light people mover that satisfied the market for which it was designed for 20+ years, It's fairly amazing. Granted the culture has a lot to do with the success.
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books1
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#9 Post by books1 »

Welcome Tom.... from downunder. With engineering behind you, look forward to discovering some unique features of this Club's favourite series of tiny vehicles!

Cheers,

Ian

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#10 Post by Garm »

You're in the right place to find one!
Last edited by Garm 8 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

Highvelocity
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#11 Post by Highvelocity »

I'm looking for a Sedan. Here's a question, as a long time member of the "National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) our goal was to always restore to factory original state. My question is, is converting a 360 Sedan to a convertible acceptable or do we as a club prefer to keep the cars original?

Tom

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#12 Post by Garm »

I don't think we as a club have a single collective opinion.
A few restore to original, but there are plenty of people on here doing all sorts of resto-mod projects.
Pretty much no matter what you do with one, we're all going to cheer you on.

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#13 Post by 2stroketurbo »

Highvelocity wrote:I'm looking for a Sedan. Here's a question, as a long time member of the "National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) our goal was to always restore to factory original state. My question is, is converting a 360 Sedan to a convertible acceptable or do we as a club prefer to keep the cars original?

Tom

Subaru 360's were never loved and coveted from the "get go" like Corvettes, so any 360 saved and driving is to be celebrated . Our standards are (...ahem...) very low. Original is super nice, however, just a running, driving, stopping 360 is truly amazing !
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#14 Post by Garm »

^ Post of the Week!

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#15 Post by rogerbhp »

I think the focus of the club is contained in the club's name. We're all about driving the vehicles, whether they're restored to original or not.

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ogiebendogie
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#16 Post by ogiebendogie »

There was a factory convertible... you could try to aim toward something like that.
Currently:
Yellow 360 van, "Yoshi"

Past:
1972 MGB, 1959 Goggomobil TS400 Coupe, 1990 Legacy, 1997 Outback

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#17 Post by Garm »

Rag top 360's are awesome!

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#18 Post by oldone »

There was a member in Europe that made a blue convertible from a sedan. The top slide down channels on the sides & looked good up or down. It may be in the very old posts. Me, I'm old school & work at making them as close as possible to original for the next generation, but also like customs, paint & chrome.
Anyone remember the convertible, I think he used some Mustang top bows???

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Sigmaz
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#19 Post by Sigmaz »

if i remember correctly he slid the bows manually in the rubber channel. that was a good solution but i cant imagne it was either easy to do in a rush nor durable enough for frequent usage.

The best bet would be to beg a member with factory bows and hinges to help document some dimentional details.

There is only one person on the forum with true blue Subaru convertible components on his sedan.
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carlofsumner
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#20 Post by carlofsumner »

That was Leon from Denmark I believe. Here is his phptobucket site.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v110/ ... aru%20360/
Carl D
1968 Ultra Van 400 - referred to as a whale and named The Righteous Coach
1970 Subaru sedan- referred to as an Orca chaser

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#21 Post by 2stroketurbo »

here's one !
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5062540_78ea020a8785b6c7054aaa35f8ed5854_wm.jpg
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Highvelocity
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#22 Post by Highvelocity »

The blue car shows the rear window as stationary, the yellow cars shows the rear window folded. I assume the yellow is the factory design? You just have to love a ragtop!!

Tom

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carlofsumner
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#23 Post by carlofsumner »

The blue top was created by Leon and uses the original channel and rubber of the "hard top". Leon created the entire package for his blue subie.
Carl D
1968 Ultra Van 400 - referred to as a whale and named The Righteous Coach
1970 Subaru sedan- referred to as an Orca chaser

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kjrcace360fan
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#24 Post by kjrcace360fan »

Anyone know the measurements on the folding frame?
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Highvelocity
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#25 Post by Highvelocity »

The ragtop assembly (frame, linkage, latches, mounts, hardware, top and rubber extrusion) look to be good simple design, all we need is a car to take a few measurements. So far I can't find a car with the top up to see how much they down sized the rear window. Bottom line this a very doable project.

Tom

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#26 Post by Sigmaz »

Good find Mark.. thats the one I was referring to.

lol

I have photos of the bows and hinges and latches here somewhere I just don't have measurements.
-Jon
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#27 Post by subaru360nut »

Highvelocity wrote:The ragtop assembly (frame, linkage, latches, mounts, hardware, top and rubber extrusion) look to be good simple design, all we need is a car to take a few measurements. So far I can't find a car with the top up to see how much they down sized the rear window. Bottom line this a very doable project.

Tom
David Brower lived in NC many years ago and made a convertible
top frame assy, don't know where he lives now but he was as the
SW Little car Show here in Tucson in April.
If you can find him he likely has all the plans he used to make his.

Ed
300,000+ miles on Subaru 360s since Feb. 1975, and have never (yet) been stuck on the road with one!

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#28 Post by TONY »

Welcome to the club ! We wanna see pics

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#29 Post by Garm »

^ I don't think he found a car yet

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#30 Post by yachtsteve »

Dave "all caps" Brower is still in NC, I don't keep in touch with him, but he has a bunch of micros. The vert I THINK you are talking about was a slider for his Freeway
Colorado and South Florida

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#31 Post by 2stroketurbo »

I talk to David "rimspoke" Brower often, he rolled his 360, 25 years ago due to a dry rotted blown out tire. It was a total loss. No mention of it being a convertible.
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Highvelocity
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#32 Post by Highvelocity »

I have found high detail pictures of a right hand drive ragtop, top up and top down. There is a member in our group that has a sedan only 5 miles from me in Belvidere, IL, does anyone know him?

Tom

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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#33 Post by subaru360nut »

I have the '65 parts book (in Japanese)
that shows the convertible top assy

It's on P. 49 of BOR or I can probably make
a scan with higher resolution and e-mail it
if someone wants it - also 2 pix of convertible
on P. 71 BOR

Ed
300,000+ miles on Subaru 360s since Feb. 1975, and have never (yet) been stuck on the road with one!

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carlofsumner
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#34 Post by carlofsumner »

The BOR gives the parts list but not dimensions. Is there anyone who has the dimensions?
Carl D
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1970 Subaru sedan- referred to as an Orca chaser

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books1
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Re: New Member From the Chicago Burbs

#35 Post by books1 »

Perhaps David "Wire Wheel" Brower ?

:lol: :lol:

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