Archive for the ‘Feature’ Category

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British Fins – 1964 Sunbeam Alpine

October 27, 2013

About 20 years ago when it was still not unusual to see British cars (made by a British conglomerate, not an American, Indian, or German one) on the road, Sunbeam Alpines were already a fairly unusual sight. Very distinctive for their fins, and somewhat more luxurious than a contemporary MG or Triumph, they were not in the mainstream and suffered from a reputation for not being a true sports car. However, by contemporary standards, the small luxuries make them usable by today’s standards. Alpines were built in several series, with the first 3 maintaining the rear fins that are part of what makes them similar to a Ford Thunderbird. Last to bear the fins, this 1964 Sunbeam Alpine Series III is for sale in sun Valley, CA for $3200.

1964 Sunbeam Alpine right front

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JDM WTF – 1991 Honda Civic Si

October 25, 2013

Given the common perception of Honda today, it may be a little surprising that Honda was late to the hot hatch party. While VW had had their GTI out since 1983, with significant improvements to horsepower and handling, Honda’s 1983 Civic S only got improved suspension and had to make do with a paltry 62hp. It was only by 1989 that Honda got its act together, by which time Toyota’s Corolla FX16 GT-S with the 16-valve 4AGE engine from the MR2 and AE86 Corolla fastback had come and gone, and VW had already released its 134hp 16-valve Mark 2 GTI. Honda’s first true entry in this market had a 16-valve 1.6-liter engine with 108hp and 100 lb.-ft. of torque to motivate a sub-2300 lb. car. You can find this 1991 Honda Civic Si for sale in Marysville, WA for $4000.

1991 Honda Civic Si left front

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Triple Threat – 1975 Datsun B210 Trio

October 25, 2013

It’s always funny when a car you think is nearly extinct shows up in multiple listings (although – when’s the last time you saw a Honeybee version?). Succeeding the B110 Sunny, or Datsun 1200 as it was known in North America, the B210 was a rebodied B110 platform with a 1.4-liter A14 engine, sold for $2849. That sounds cheap now, but on an inflation adjusted basis, it’s over $12,000 – think of what you can pick up for $12K now. It may not be the best car in the world, but it probably has cloth seats, a stereo with at least 4 speakers, and air-conditioning, never mind all the new safety features. But who wants all that crap weighing your car down? The B210 weighed in around 2000 lbs., and for some reason they have an exceptionally high survival rate in the Los Angeles area. Our first 1975 Datsun B210 hatchback is available for sale for $3000, straight outta Compton (sorry).

1975 Datsun B210 turquoise

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