Archive for October, 2014

Eighties Hot Hatch – 1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo

October 22, 2014

So if you’re bought into the idea of a 1980s hatch, but you’re not a hipster looking to make a statement with a diesel Escort, nor do you want a boring mainstream GTI or Civic Si, and you’re not crazy enough to try importing an Alfasud ti. Well, how about a Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo? It’s less complex than a Mazda 323 GTX, and less tinny than a Chevy Sprint Turbo, but you still get that wacky 1980s turbo kick-in-the-pants, perfect for serious wheelspin on those wet Pacific Northwest days. Check out this 1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo for sale for $3500 in Hazel Dell, WA.

1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo right rear

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Powered by Mazda – 1984 Ford Escort Diesel and 1984 Mercury Lynx Diesel

October 22, 2014

American manufacturers were pretty slow to the game with diesel engines during their first wave in North America. While VW introduced a diesel engine in their compact Rabbit in 1978, it took another 3 years for a diesel to show up in the Chevette, and 6 years for it to appear in the Escort. And by the time those came out, the fuel crisis had waned somewhat, Americans had become disenchanted with the low power and smelly, smoky emissions of diesels, so sales were not particularly great. So it’s unusual to find a pair of Ford diesel compacts available. To get started, check out this 1984 Ford Escort Diesel for sale for $1700 in Clackamas, OR.

1984 Ford Escort Diesel left rear

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Questionable Style – 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III

October 21, 2014

It’s hard to know what to say about the Lincoln Continental Mark III. On the one hand, it was an unabashed success for Lee Iacocca, even greater than his more famous Mustang and Chrysler minivan. On the other hand, his brief for the car was said to be “put a Rolls Royce grill on a Thunderbird”, and sure enough, while the design is elegant, it’s a bit of a mish-mash of Rolls Royce, Elwood Engel Lincoln, and pre-war car, and of course some of the design cues shared by all 1970s personal luxury coupes. It also shares heavily with the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar, which was of course the key to its success as a profit generator. Check out this 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III for sale for $3495 in Eugene, OR.

1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III left front

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