1983 Subaru Brumby Pricing and Specs

You could have a missing tooth on the differential or some other problem that is leading to the clunking noise. But don’t rule out something like a broken or worn engine or transmission mount, either. These mounts control the movement of the driveline relative to the chassis and wear in them can allow excess movement that can sometimes be heard as a clunk or knock.

You may also have a problem with the suspension. This is a very common source of knocking sounds, caused when something worn or loose has develops enough movement to contact another part of the car or suspension. You could start by checking the suspension struts, ball-joints and bushes for wear and play.

Sadly, the Jumbuck has gone the same way as the Subaru Brumby — the world now wants bigger utes. In any case, the Jumbuck was based on the old Mitsubishi Lancer, which meant it was barely safe, and Proton has insufficient funds to develop a new model.

The short answer is no-one. Subaru was first with a half-tonne ute in its Brumby, which I owned and loved. But it has no plans for a replacement and neither does Proton, as all utes are now one-tonne and bigger. Hyundai revealed a ute based on the ix35 compact SUV at Detroit, but any production version is still a couple of years away.