Diamonds In The Rough

[Satty]

The SRT4 doesn't have mufflers, and if you take it to be inspected, a moron mechanic wont realize they come like that and will fail the car. Had that happen to my friend before he unloaded his.

[A Horse With No Name]

I'd love to have one, they are so cool. I love that they have factory dual exhaust. How many 4-bangers have that? Plus the exhuast note is the best sounding of any 4-banger I've ever heard, IMO. It's deep and throaty, not raspy and high-pitched like a weedwacker on steriods.

I like some aftermarket exhaust notes on the Boxter four in the WRX or WRX SRTI. Sounds like an angry insect in a good sort of a way.

Worst exhaust note IMHO is the Nissan 240 SX...

Chris

[Intrepidation]

The worst is any 80s or 90's Honda/Toyota/Acura Ricer with a fart can exhuast. When they run like ass it's even better (worse?).

[A Horse With No Name]

Either way, both are horrible...

We just need to get one of those Cudas out of your garage so we can make some REAL noise pollution....

Chris

[LosAngeles]

(personal favorite as far as "modern" FWD cars...)

80-85 Cadillac "Bustleback" Seville

I like the '79-85 Eldorado and Riviera also....

I don't see the appeal of E-bodies. Sloppy chassis, awful engines.

[XP715]

I like the '79-85 Eldorado and Riviera also....

I don't see the appeal of E-bodies. Sloppy chassis, awful engines.

If you can get an '80 Eldorado or Seville with the carbureted 368 V8, those do just fine. But I'd avoid an HT4100 or a V8-6-4 like the plague. My mother had an '85 Eldorado with the 4100 when I was little and she got plenty of miles out of it (had around 140,000 on it when my parents got rid of it), but not without being meticulous and anal about maintenance. I remember many a Saturday morning spent at the local Cadillac dealership with my father waiting for the car to have those special tablets ran in the cooling system that kept the dissimilar metals in the engine from heating up unevenly.

[Sixty8panther]

Only GM... aluminum block with IRON HEADS! LOL

[LosAngeles]

Speaking of Cadillac power....try this Celebrity with a 4.5:

[LosAngeles]

More A-bodies:

Celebrity:

Pontiac 6000:

Seems that's a popular swap, since it's also in a Century

Edited August 2, 2008 by LosAngeles

[LosAngeles]

Acura Vigor:

[LosAngeles]

While I'm sure to be all alone on this, as I took some looks at LeBarons of that period, I couldn't help but feel they had lines reminiscent of the FC3S Mazda RX-7.

[A Horse With No Name]

While I'm sure to be all alone on this, as I took some looks at LeBarons of that period, I couldn't help but feel they had lines reminiscent of the FC3S Mazda RX-7.

Your not all alone at all, I've been looking at ragtops of the Era. Dirt cheap and good looking...there may be another Chrysler in my future.

Chris

[LosAngeles]

Nissan Sentra:

This particular model doesn't have the raciest rep:

I know, I know, but still....:

But best of all:

More Isuzu Impulse:

Side note: a non-turbo would make a great place for a non-sacrilgeous GM engine swap (e.g. HF, Atlas, Ecotec, Buick 3.

[LosAngeles]

Excuse my posting of cars '03 or newer, I'm slipping here...

Try the Mercedes 190 (another good drifter candidate perhaps?):

<-- Excuse obnoxious music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPS8197ojd8 <-- Why not? Mercedes don't have to be coddled...besides they do it in the ads too!

[Intrepidation]

There's some guy on allpar who is planning to stuff a V8 in a Shadow.

Edited August 4, 2008 by Dodgefan

[LosAngeles]

Whoa, edit that pic out and save it for another thread (I was planning to start it all week long). Besides, that's not gonna honestly be a beater for quite some time. Japan takes care of their cars better than the U.S. Let's stick to stuff we actually get in this market (Euros are welcome to add on the stuff people treat like POSes across the pond).

There's some guy on allpar who is planning to stuff a V8 in a Shadow.

How was he trying to make that work? Neither Mopar nor Mitsubishi (and definitely not Mercedes) have a front-drive V-8 in the parts bin. It's gonna be sacrilege, unless he's fabricating a tube chassis Pro Street Shadow.

Edited August 3, 2008 by LosAngeles

[Sixty8panther]

Celebrities?

LeBarons?, Sentras?

Sorry but the only one I'll agree with you on is the Datsun 240SX/Silvia & MB E190.

But the much cooler, two-door hardtop 300CE is the only baby-benz I'd pay any

REAL amount of money for...

(my old 240D we purchased for $500 and I flipped it for $1500)

[LosAngeles]

Since you like them so much....

Buick Park Avenue:

Seems to be a popular car in Texas.

I personally would like to find an Ultra that isn't too beat to play with the blown 3.8.

Edited August 3, 2008 by LosAngeles

[LosAngeles]

LeSabre:

[A Horse With No Name]

Excuse my posting of cars '03 or newer, I'm slipping here...

Try the Mercedes 190 (another good drifter candidate perhaps?):

<-- Excuse obnoxious music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPS8197ojd8 <-- Why not? Mercedes don't have to be coddled...besides they do it in the ads too!

Actually the 190 is one Benz I'd buy....

[A Horse With No Name]

LeSabre:

I wonder how one of these would work for my 18 year old daughter. I need to get her something autotrajic and indestructable.

This may just do the trick!

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

I would add the original SRT4 to that list.

By the way, Dodgefan, I was out walking with my sons and wife the other night in our neighborhood and discovered a pristine SRT-4 about 4 blocks from where I live.

I thought about you when I saw that thing, because this thing looks like it has babied.

Chris

[daves87rs]

More A-bodies:

Celebrity:

Pontiac 6000:

Seems that's a popular swap, since it's also in a Century

IU don't know hwy, but that is pretty cool.....

[LosAngeles]

I don't know hwy, but that is pretty cool.....

Maybe because it can be more than a crummy Tech-IV powered commuter car. I've always found the Celeb and Ciera to have nice lines (guess I can add the 6000 wagon), plus I've seen some folks put rims on them and set the car off.

Anyway, moving on, how about some Cadillac Eldorado?:

^^^A Northstar swap into that body would be quite effective^^^

[Blake Noble]

Hmmm ...

And you can pick one up for under five grand.

I want one. :AH-HA_wink:

[Intrepidation]

Whoa, edit that pic out and save it for another thread (I was planning to start it all week long). Besides, that's not gonna honestly be a beater for quite some time. Japan takes care of their cars better than the U.S. Let's stick to stuff we actually get in this market (Euros are welcome to add on the stuff people treat like POSes across the pond).

How was he trying to make that work? Neither Mopar nor Mitsubishi (and definitely not Mercedes) have a front-drive V-8 in the parts bin. It's gonna be sacrilege, unless he's fabricating a tube chassis Pro Street Shadow.

Fine

As for the Shadow, the guy is thinking of doing a 360 or 440 conversion. Apparently the 360 has been "done to death", so he's thinking about doing the 440. The Dodge dealers used to actually sell conversion kits for the Daytona so you could stuff a 360 pretty easily in there (relatively speaking). The Shadow shares many structural components so I guess it can be and has been done.

The thread goes on later to mention that someone at turbo-dodge.com made a RWD P-Body!

[Sixty8panther]

DF:

Ever see the '71 Cuda that frequents local carshows.... sits a bit "different"

At close inspection it's VIPER powered, (8.0 liter V10) and the unibody

shell rides on a customised Dodge Dakota frame!

BTW: it was made by the same guy who made the wicked cool

2-passanger Olds Alero 2dr that sits on an S10 frame & is powered

by an tunned-port 350 that was borrwed from a totalled Firebird.

[LosAngeles]

Cadillac Seville:

[Intrepidation]

DF:

Ever see the '71 Cuda that frequents local carshows.... sits a bit "different"

At close inspection it's VIPER powered, (8.0 liter V10) and the unibody

shell rides on a customised Dodge Dakota frame!

BTW: it was made by the same guy who made the wicked cool

2-passanger Olds Alero 2dr that sits on an S10 frame & is powered

by an tunned-port 350 that was borrwed from a totalled Firebird.

I don't think I've ever seen that one, but I'd love to.

[A Horse With No Name]

Hmmm ...

And you can pick one up for under five grand.

I want one. :AH-HA_wink:

Get the best one you can buy, repairing them is expensive.

But this car IS on my list of cars I would like to own.

Chris

[Blake Noble]

Get the best one you can buy, repairing them is expensive.

But this car IS on my list of cars I would like to own.

Chris

I have seriously been thinking about selling my Sonoma for one of these. I'm tired of a truck and I really need a car; I'm tired of waiting on the Camaro.

[Sixty8panther]

I have seriously been thinking about selling my Sonoma for one of these. I'm tired of a truck and I really need a car; I'm tired of waiting on the Camaro.

Dear lord, and I've been warned of expensive repairs on the MB 500SEC.

You buy a 924/944/968 and you DON'T work on your own car, you might

as well get an AmEx and give it to your mechanic, just because they can

be bought for $5000 used does NOT mean they do not command Porsche

epic repair bills.

[LosAngeles]

You buy a 924/944/968 and you DON'T work on your own car, you might

as well get an AmEx and give it to your mechanic, just because they can

be bought for $5000 used does NOT mean they do not command Porsche

epic repair bills.

While I agree, I thought the issue with premium Euros was more the parts being expensive than the labor.

[Blake Noble]

You buy a 924/944/968 and you DON'T work on your own car, you might

as well get an AmEx and give it to your mechanic, just because they can

be bought for $5000 used does NOT mean they do not command Porsche

epic repair bills.

Trust me, if I got one, I would make sure it was in proper running condition. If there were any repairs, I would make sure that they were within my own reach to repair personally.

[Sixty8panther]

While I agree, I thought the issue with premium Euros was more the parts being expensive than the labor.

It's both.

But as far as my 500SEC vs. a POrsche 944, the MB is far easier to find cheap parts for.

The same basic motor was used in the SL500 & 500SEL, the suspension and most

major components not related to its hardtop-coupe body can also be sourced from

the 420SEL, 500SEL & 560SEL... as well as, obviously, the 380SEC & 560SEC.

THe 944 is the 944... not exactly easy to find parts availability wise... not like any

major component interchanges witht he 911 or 928.

[LosAngeles]

We talk about the 88 Fiero GT all the time....now to make a case for other models:

The best case of all: 4.9 Caddy V-8 swapped in to an old crummy Tech-IV car!:

Anyway, a few others:

Blown 3.8 in this one:

As well as this one:

But what the hell, here's a couple of 88 GTs for good measure:

I almost forgot how beautiful Fieros really were.

[Intrepidation]

We talk about the 88 Fiero GT all the time....now to make a case for other models:

The best case of all: 4.9 Caddy V-8 swapped in to an old crummy Tech-IV car!:

Anyway, a few others:

Blown 3.8 in this one:

As well as this one:

But what the hell, here's a couple of 88 GTs for good measure:

I almost forgot how beautiful Fieros really were.

Yes, I especially love the GTs...I saw a neglected yellow one besides a Mustang II this weekend...very sad.

[LosAngeles]

The mighty 3.8 twin screw gets around...even to Berettas!:

[Camino LS6]

To be honest, most of the cars in this thread are just raw material for recycling in my eyes - I wouldn't even consider expending any effort on them.

[Intrepidation]

To be honest, most of the cars in this thread are just raw material for recycling in my eyes - I wouldn't even consider expending any effort on them.

Although I agree withs ome of them, different strokes for different folks.

Although some of them are just tasteless.

[LosAngeles]

To be honest, most of the cars in this thread are just raw material for recycling in my eyes - I wouldn't even consider expending any effort on them.

Well, the general point of the thread was that one man's junk is the next man's treasure. That there is a world of cars one can see value in beyond musclecars, exotics, and 50s finmobiles. There's a lot of there there in plenty of cars from the 70s to today. It's not the end of the world if you don't have the V-8 or turbo model nor should you feel bad that you drive a Celebrity instead of a Chevelle or Caprice.

There's room for creative challenges out there. Keeps the planet interesting.

Also, I don't think any car, no matter how much one likes or dislikes it should disappear from the face of the earth completely. It's part of our history.

[A Horse With No Name]

I have seriously been thinking about selling my Sonoma for one of these. I'm tired of a truck and I really need a car; I'm tired of waiting on the Camaro.

Keep the Sonoma and make the 944 a hobby vehicle. I would NOT want one as a daily driver.

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

Yes, I especially love the GTs...I saw a neglected yellow one besides a Mustang II this weekend...very sad.

I like Fiero's but GM didn't really pull it together until the end on this one.

Which is why I like the SKy/Solstice...GM got them pretty much right (yeah I know, storage space and top) from the get go.

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

Well, the general point of the thread was that one man's junk is the next man's treasure. That there is a world of cars one can see value in beyond musclecars, exotics, and 50s finmobiles. There's a lot of there there in plenty of cars from the 70s to today. It's not the end of the world if you don't have the V-8 or turbo model nor should you feel bad that you drive a Celebrity instead of a Chevelle or Caprice.

There's room for creative challenges out there. Keeps the planet interesting.

Also, I don't think any car, no matter how much one likes or dislikes it should disappear from the face of the earth completely. It's part of our history.

You might try reading Grassroots Motorsports. Sounds like that sort of thing is up your alley.

Chris

[Intrepidation]

I never got why that the year the car finally got the suspension it deserved was it's last year. They could have made it for at least 2 more years so the good ones weren't so rare.

[A Horse With No Name]

To be honest, most of the cars in this thread are just raw material for recycling in my eyes - I wouldn't even consider expending any effort on them.

Biggest problem is that even if you liked the car and did all of your own work, most of these cars aren't even worth $3500 in pristine shape.

To me The only good 'rebuilder" cars of the last 20 years or so are Camaro's, Mustangs, and really mainstream Asian and European stuff.

The rest can pretty much go to the crusher.

Chris

[LosAngeles]

Ford Granada:

Now here's a car I find irredeemable. Rear-drive and sometimes a V-8 be damned, it just has brutal styling that isn't brought out by much of anything, possibly not even lowering....

[Sixty8panther]

his is getting ridiculous.

First off a Porsche ANYTHING is not a "beather worth saving"

maybe a notchback 'Stang or a '79 Monza 4-speed.... but not a Porsche.

And as far as the Granada...

[XP715]

If anybody wants to take a two-door Granada and gut it for a drag car body, that's fine with me. However, if anybody wants to restore a Granada or Fairmont or whatever else they called those piles of &#036;h&#33;, they need to have their heads examined.

[Camino LS6]

Well, the general point of the thread was that one man's junk is the next man's treasure. That there is a world of cars one can see value in beyond musclecars, exotics, and 50s finmobiles. There's a lot of there there in plenty of cars from the 70s to today. It's not the end of the world if you don't have the V-8 or turbo model nor should you feel bad that you drive a Celebrity instead of a Chevelle or Caprice.

There's room for creative challenges out there. Keeps the planet interesting.

Also, I don't think any car, no matter how much one likes or dislikes it should disappear from the face of the earth completely. It's part of our history.

I can think of a few that could disappear without any tears. To use your example, a Celebrity is entirely disposable once it can't be crutched along as basic transportation, ditto Camry and the like. Making some transportation appliance roadworthy so you have wheels is one thing, but modifying or restoring such a car seems completely pointless to me. I don't include the Fiero or the Porsches in this category though. The Granada ranks above a Celebrity, but not by much.

I could see saving an old Pacer for laughs, or something cool like a Triumph Spitfire or a Vista Cruiser, or an old Galaxie 500, or a 70's Caddy , or even a rear drive Celica, but the FWD appliances aren't ever going to be worth the effort. I wouldn't miss any K-car convertible or that "limo" thing they built back then for two examples. I'd also happily crush the last Chrysler TC "by Maserati" myself.