Archive for June, 2016

City Survivor – 1971 Renault 10

June 22, 2016

Compared to some other Renault products – say the 4L, 16 or 15/17 fraternal twins – the Renault 10 seems rather unspectacular. The design is boxy with an excessive front overhang (bad for off-roading!), the engine doesn’t have significant power, and the interior seems to be a sea of vinyl, plastic and rubber. However, the 10 came with 4-wheel disc brakes, an alloy-head four-cylinder, rack-and-pinion steering, and independent suspension all around, and that synthetic interior was actually quite durable. Some are so durable, they survive life on the streets of San Francisco’s Mission District, like this 1971 Renault 10 for sale for $2500 in West Oakland, CA.

1971 Renault 10 right front

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Sunny Skies – 1973 Datsun 1200

June 19, 2016

Sometimes, the rarest version of a car is the stock one. And that’s the case with many Japanese classics – between the cars that died because Japanese cars were considered cheap throwaway appliances (and quite a few still are), and the surviving ones are popular for modifications for drag racing, vintage racing, and showing. So it’s exciting when you find a stock survivor, whether you see it as a blank canvas or just an example to be loved, preserved and brought back to factory spec. So let’s check out this 1973 Datsun 1200 for sale for $3400 in San Francisco, CA.

1973 Datsun 1200 right front

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Be Right Back – 1962 Volvo 122S

June 17, 2016

Back when there wasn’t much in the way of affordable sporty sedans for North American drivers, Volvo was one of the only choices. BMW was only just beginning to emerge from its odd super-luxury/super-economy strategy with the New Class 1500, Alfa was great but not as maintenance-free as most Americans wanted, and the American successes of Datsun were just a glint in their daddy’s eye. Debuting in 1956 with Chrysler-aping styling, by 1962 the 122S sported a dual-carburetor, 1.8-liter engine good for about 95hp. Let’s take a look at this 1962 Volvo 122S for sale for $2450 in Belmont, CA.

1962 Volvo 122S left front

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