By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, eBay

I’ve always wondered why there aren’t more 818s out there. The concept is nothing short of genius. Take a modern, mass-production Subaru with a peppy all-wheel-drive system, and adapt it for use in a lightweight, mid-engine sports car. And given the WRX’s high chances of being involved in a wreck at the hands of vaping, backwards-hat-wearing youths, donors are plentiful. But even with all that in mind, there are never many secondhand 818s available.

The market on a nicely equipped 818 is around $20,000 these days, with outliers coming in at +/- $5,000. A reader sent in this 818 last week though, which seems like a buy at $16,950. Check it out here on eBay.

Like most other 818s, this project started as a builder kit from Factory Five and a wrecked WRX on an insurance company auction site. We can’t speculate whether a vaping youth was involved, but the ’06 Subaru was surely a lamentable loss at just 27,741 miles on the clock. After putting down a deposit in 2013 on the kit, the builder purchased and disassembled the WRX and started the kit in 2014.

Finished in white over red NRG bucket seats, the 818 makes a strong visual statement. The builder opted for the open-top street version but added in a roll bar around the windshield, which is tied into the rear roll bar with two center bars. FFR five-lug wheels were utilized, measuring 18 inches up front and 19 in the rear.

The stock Subaru 2.5-liter flat-four makes a respectable 230 hp to the wheels, but we’re glad to see the builder incorporated some upgrades here. By halving the driveline power loss incurred by the all-wheel-drive, and likely some bolt-ons, the seller lists a dyno output of 276 hp to the wheels. The completed, registered car weighs 2,002 pounds, making it a lightweight in any division.

Going through the limited photo selection, it can be seen that this car will need a little TLC. With some interior cleaning and upgrades, and some rerouting and rewiring, this car would show nicely. But as always, seeing the car in person is a must.

Thanks to reader Matt E. for passing along the ad, which you can view here on eBay.