Cool Four-Wheel-Drive Toys: 1980 Plymouth Arrow vs 1985 Subaru GL

Remember when 4x4s used to be fun? They were playful and carefree, advertised with photos of smiling folks unloading surfboards or having a picnic on a mountaintop. Nowadays, it’s all Very Serious blacked-out faux-tactical bullshit, and nobody looks like they’re having any fun at all. So today, I thought we’d take a look at a couple of 4WD toys from the good old days.

Yesterday’s crossovers weren’t much fun, but you all really hated one of them in particular – the Jeep Compass. The nicest comments I saw about it were along the lines of “it’s kinda okay, I guess.” Most other comments were far less charitable. I probably could have put a Power Wheels Barbie Jeep up against it and it still would have lost. (Actually, that gives me an idea for the future…)

The Fiat 500X wasn’t really anybody’s idea of a good time either, but at least it carries out its humdrum suburban workhorse duties with a modicum of European flair. Some of you were concerned about the reliability, but from what I’ve heard, the modern Fiats aren’t too bad in that regard. I guess, if you have to drive a compact crossover, that Fiat wouldn’t be completely terrible.

My wife and I love going to antique malls, thrift stores, and flea markets. Last weekend, I came home with a cool old toy truck, which I’m sure my fellow 70s/80s kids will recognize immediately:

Yep, that is a genuine original Schaper Stomper 4×4. If you’re not familiar with these little wonders, they were all the rage in the early 80s. They’re about three inches long, powered by a single AA battery, with 4WD and working headlights. They sold for about three dollars, if I remember right. I paid … more than that for this one. Sadly, it doesn’t work; someone left a battery in it for who knows how many decades, and the terminals are corroded away. But it’s a cool conversation piece anyway.

You could get Stompers in a dizzying variety of bodystyles, all kinds of makes and models, all brightly-colored and decked out with stripe kits and roll bars, just like any good 4×4 back then. I’m pretty sure both of today’s featured vehicles were available in Stomper form, actually. Let’s check them out.

1980 Plymouth Arrow Sport 4×4 – $4,900

Engine/drivetrain: 2.6-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, 4WD

Location: Vancouver, WA

Odometer reading: 84,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

This truck, apparently, never existed. Plymouth sold its version of the Mitsubishi-built Dodge D50 as the Arrow from 1979 to 1982, but it was never available with four-wheel drive. And to my knowledge, no 4WD Mitsubishi was ever available in this country with a solid front axle. This is a custom job. It’s well-done, though; it looks like it could have been a factory product.

Power comes from the stock Mitsubishi 4G54 four-cylinder and a five-speed manual. if I had to guess, I would say that the transfer case came from a later 4WD Mitsubishi Mighty Max or Dodge Ram 50, and if I’m not mistaken, the front axle is a Dana 30, probably from a Jeep. The rear axle is probably stock. Both axles are hung on leaf springs. The only information we get about its mechanical condition is that it “runs and drives good.”

The Arrow Sport came with bucket seats, a center console, a tach, and some other goodies. It looks stock inside, with an additional shift lever for the transfer case. It’s in great condition, except for maybe a missing trim piece or two, but that’s not a big deal.

Outside, it has some rust, but it also has those glorious factory stripes. I’m not as fond of the wheel choice, though; they look too modern. Some nice white or chrome 8-spoke wagon wheels would be a better choice. And it’s absolutely crying out for a roll bar in the bed with lights on top.

1985 Subaru GL 4WD Hatchback – $3,650

Engine/drivetrain: 1.8 liter OHV flat 4, four-speed manual, 4WD

Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Odometer reading: 205,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

Now this one absolutely came from the factory with four-wheel drive. Subaru started offering 4WD in its cars way back in the 70s. This car was known as the Leone in other parts of the world, but here in the US, it had no model name, just trim designations: DL, GL, or GL-10, available in a variety of different bodystyles. This little two-door hatchback is a GL model.

Subaru’s use of flat-four engines dates back even further than its 4WD system, all the way back to 1966. It’s mounted ahead of the front axle, just ahead of a four-speed transaxle that powers the front wheels all the time, and the rear wheels when you pull a little lever in the center console. This one has a bunch of new parts, and the seller says it runs and drives well.

It looks decent inside, except for some weirdness on the left side of the dash, and there’s no telling what’s under those seat covers. It has some modern add-on touchscreen stereo or something in it, which I’m not fond of, but I guess some people like them. Looking at this interior makes me remember two things about these old Subarus: the “ding-dong” key chime, and the clutch pedal with about an inch of travel that engages right off the floor.

It looks like it used to be white outside, but it has been repainted in this dull gray. It kind of suits it, but I feel like it needs some stripes or something. I’m less thrilled about the blue wheels; they’re supposed to be white as well. I don’t see any rust on it, though, which is good. It comes with some aftermarket roof racks, if you’re into that sort of thing.

The seller of the Subaru claims that it would make a good daily driver, but really, these are both toys. Pretty cool toys, though. One of them has been built into what it is, and the other was already a legend from the factory. And they both look like they belong in a plastic bubble package, hung on a peg at K-Mart for $2.99. Which one looks like a more fun toy to you?