What do you get when you cross the elements of a Subaru GL Coupe and, ohhhhhh, let’s say a Continental Mark III? You get one offbeat Suba’fly! This crazy custom 1973 Subaru GL Convertible is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in – where else? – Las Vegas, Nevada, and the seller is asking $9,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Jack M. for the super tip!
Government regulations had nothing to do with these bumpers, they were from the mind of Mr. Ernie Snyder, owner of By Ernie Snyder Subaru out of Bayville, New Jersey. This crowd-gathering custom was built in about a year out of various 1973 to 1979 parts from Subarus, and obviously other makes. We don’t know if this was a regular GL Coupe or if it started out as a GL convertible, which would have been a custom job anyway as Subaru didn’t offer convertibles from the factory.
Now that’s a Continental Kit! This isn’t AI, folks, it’s real and really unusual, and really cool in a custom way. This car has been parked for four decades and, sadly, Mr. Snyder is no longer with us, so the family is selling this car rather than restoring it to its former gaudy glory. Almost everything was modified on this car, including those gold wheels and wide white wall tires. And lots and lots of body filler.
We don’t know when this Suba’fly (not the official name) was created, but it was featured in Automotive News in 1979 and toured East Coast Subaru dealerships in the 70s and 90s, according to, I believe, the seller’s son, who is listing it for sale. The interior appears to be mostly Subaru. The seats look good but the door panels will need work, and we don’t know if the red dash cover is hiding a cracked dash or not. Subarus are notorious for having cracked dash tops so I’d bet on cracks. They say this car has 193 original miles so it wasn’t driven too often.
That being said, it does run as the seller has uploaded a video of it starting and idling. It’s not linked to YouTube so I can’t add a link here, you’ll have to check out the listing. We don’t know what engine is here, but if it’s a 1973 GL Coupe, this should be Subaru’s 1.4-liter OHV boxer-four with 61 horsepower and 69 lb-ft of torque. The decals on the side say 5-speed, so it may be a later model as I don’t believe a five-speed manual was available until 1975, at least for U.S. spec cars. I’m assuming the front wheels are still pulling this car, or they were where when it was a driving car. Have any of you made a custom like this Suba’fly?
Subafly lol 😂
Spare in the front and one on the back !
Proper Stick shift too Scotty. 😎
Ridick car, ridick pricing. Heck, no.
I love that!!!!! Suba’fly!!!!!
Thats classic. You made my day Scotty!!! Thanks for the laugh.
Subafly. Lol. That was funny. Well, pretty sure you’ll never see another like it…
I don’t think the term “convertible” applies here. There is no top, so there’s nothing to convert. This is an open car.
You stole my comment – LOL!
Just like people calling Corvette Convertibles “roadsters”.
If money gets tight, you can always rent out the car for pool parties. Just back it up to the water and you have the perfect diving board!
Why… Just, Why…? Although I am guilty of cutting the roof off of a 77 Chevelle back in the day…Took my girlfriend to her friends nice, dress up, party in it and 10 blocks away a monsoon hit us. Soaked down to my underwear… She looked at me with makeup dripping down her face and said, I #$@&+ hate you…
I want to hear from Angel Cadillac Diva on this one. If the highly scripted show “Pawn Stars” has taught me anything, and it has, Vegas sure attracts an odd crowd. I’m not exactly sure how someone that isn’t into money could live there. Someone “Americanized” a Subaru, and while that may seem a bit odd to
most, I’m not really sure what the builder was going for here.
Hi Howard,
Remember, I don’t live in Vegas right now otherwise I would have to go see this monstrosity. Lincoln Mark lll grill, 75/6 Cadillac parking/cornering/side marker lights, Mercedes bumpers that’s all I recognize.
You don’t have to have money to live in Vegas but it certainly helps. Lots of homeless there.
Wait, what…?
Get to work girl!! Daddy needs some new threads and chains!
The weight of the bondo I’m seeing must be staggering!
Kill it with fire, lots of fire!
Kill it with fire.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Quite possibly the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen on 4 wheels.
Hope it stays in Vegas
What the H-E-double hockey stick, is this even for??
The car is ridiculous. I believe that was the point. It was built as a promotional prop for a Subaru dealership. Was it worthwhile? Probably. I’m sure it attracted a lot of attention. Now it’s old, shopworn, and ridiculous. Interesting to see how that translates into dollars.
Well it’s different. At first I thought, oh he!! no. Then I’m thinking, why not? You’ll get plenty of convo from the ratchet mouths passing by. Make it a psychology exam.
Oh, dear God, that poor thing…
Ridiculous!
The answer to the question nobody asked.
That has to be the goofiest car I have ever seen. What a waste.
This might be the nicest ’73 Subaru in existence! How ironic is that!!??
The phrase “couldn’t get any worse” does not apply here.