For your average car nut, it’s hard to not like the idea of a 1980s Subaru – turbo power, angular 1980s design, some restrained aero pieces, full-time four wheel drive, and some sweet graphics proclaiming the strengths of the car, in the hope that someone driving behind to you will get up really close and say to themselves “full-time 4wd Subaru GL-10 and two mudflaps with 4WD on them? where do I sign?” just before rear-ending you. Much like yesterday’s early 1980s Escort, attrition has claimed many of these, only it’s more exciting if you find a good one since, well, it’s not a 1980s Escort. Check out this 1989 Subaru Loyale GL-10 Sedan for sale for $2500 in Portland, OR.
Archive for September, 2015
Leaf it Alone – 1980 Comutacar and 1981 Jet Industries Electrica
September 14, 2015Some old-car nuts are confronted by a serious dilemma. Perhaps you’re one of them. Have you ever had one of those moments where you’re sitting on the couch, thinking about cars, and you think to yourself, I’d really like a car powered by something that’s not so stinky (neatly side-stepping the question of whether the electric power infrastructure is actually cleaner, so pat yourself on the back). But a Nissan Leaf is too boring, a Chevy Spark Electric with it’s ridiculous torque figure is just too new, and the BMW i3 and i8 are too costly/one-percentish/over-designed. Well, here are a couple of choices for you, starting with this 1980 Comutacar for sale for $1500 in Portland, OR.
Red Roadster – 1970 Datsun 1600 SPL311
September 13, 2015Everyone talks about the Japanese interpretation of a British roadster being the Miata… copied the Lotus Elan, all the fun and drips less oil, blah blah blah. But back in 1963 when Tom Matano was only a teenager and the Miata wasn’t even a glint in his eye, Datsun released a roadster to compete with the British, Italians, and the odd German or French. And the Datsun SPL3xx roadsters, built from 1963 to 1970, were really pretty competent cars, even if they weren’t widely recognized as such when they were in production. Overshadowed by hits like the 510 and the 240Z, it’s only in the last few years they’ve come out of the shadows of their more famous siblings. Check out this 1970 Datsun 1600 SPL311 Roadster for sale for $3900 in Portland, OR.


