By now, you’re probably familiar with the wild-looking wagon featured in this video, at least from the outside. For those who don’t, it’s a 1983 Subaru GL wagon called the Family Huckster, built specifically for the crazy Gymkhana stunts at the hands of Travis Pastrana. That is it seen like the boxy 1983 Subie. But apart from the side mirrors and taillights, the similarities end there.
We’ve already shared a detailed look at this custom-built racer, but if you missed it (or prefer a brief clip to a half hour stroll), here’s a look underneath the retro bodywork. It starts with a 2022 WRC-specific tube chassis, nearly matching the wheelbase of the OG Subaru GL despite the Huckster being a foot wider. The build process gives us a clear idea of how large a car’s roof scoop is, a feature that is often obscured by roof rails.
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25 seconds into the video we’re greeted by a six-speed sequential transmission. It sends power to all four wheels just like Subarus do. This was followed by something Subies don’t do, at least on purpose – lengthen and retract the movable rear wing as part of the wagon’s active aero package. At 39 seconds we catch a glimpse of Subaru’s 862-horsepower boxer four-cylinder engine, or rather, we catch a glimpse of a portion of it. Apparently, extracting massive power from such a small factory required sophisticated technology unsuited for reconnaissance, as most power plants are digitally shut down.
We finally started seeing the carbon fiber body panels of the wagon arriving in about a minute. By now, the suspension components, cables and most of the powertrain were in place. We see the dashboard – a molded replica of an ’83 GL – shaped and assembled, and oh yes, there’s one more original item. It was an official Subaru stereo with a floor-mounted equalizer. The rest of the video involves the final assembly and other details such as the retro-inspired body wrap.
It seems simple, but one can’t build a racing car that jumps through a puddle in 3 minutes, 34 seconds. If you’ve never seen Family Huckster in action, check out Travis Pastrana’s recent Gymkhana video to see the fruits of all that hard work.
