Archive for the ‘Feature’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Needs more Italian sedan – 1980 Fiat Brava

May 14, 2010

Having just written this piece about a 1979 Fiat Brava 2-door, I won’t belabor my thoughts about the car. It’s still a great sport sedan, though, and this particular car benefits from the practicality of 4 doors. Combined with the 2-liter double overhead cam, aluminum head engine, and rear-wheel drive there should be some fun to be had.

This particular car, despite being of east coast origin, seems to be in excellent condition. It was driven by an obviously fastidious woman through the late 1990s, then purchased (after donation) by a Fiat enthusiast. He later sold it to another enthusiast, and between the two of them, they repainted, installed an NOS velour interior, and essentially completed a full restoration on the car. With 75,000 miles, it’s currently listed on your favorite auction site, with no reserve and bidding at $3050. The seller’s detailed story of his history pursuing the car is also there for your reading pleasure.

1980 Fiat Brava right

(more…)

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Feature | Leave a Comment »

Topless British Fun For Four – 1962 Triumph Herald 6

May 9, 2010

Not as scandalous as it sounds… Britain of the early sixties wouldn’t have stood for that! Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of a 4-seat convertible so my family and I could go out with the top down, so 4-place convertibles have always held a special appeal for me. Besides being an interesting car as it is, the Herald convertible is a 4-seater with a good-size trunk, just right for taking the family away for a weekend in the Gold Country.

The only problem with taking a Triumph Herald out with a load of luggage and people is that there’s only 39 horsepower to get them there. Luckily, someone else thought of this problem before you did, and decided the best way to resolve the problem was to install the engine from the GT6, creating the Vitesse. Then, someone else who couldn’t get their hands on a Vitesse decided a good idea would be to do it themselves. That brings us to this car, for sale in the East Bay Area near San Francisco, CA for $3000.

1962 Triumph Herald 6 left

(more…)

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Feature | Leave a Comment »

Black Bullet – 1980 Triumph TR7 Roadster

May 8, 2010

Out of the many candidates to be my car (and apparently benefit from a lot more financial indulgence than I ever expected), a Triumph TR7 got an interview. It was actually not a bad car, but felt rather heavy and isolated compared to some of the late 60s and early 70s cars I had tried. At the time, it was also just a used car at the time. But the years have been kind to it, and in retrospect it’s a fairly attractive car with a forward-looking shape for the time.

Since they weren’t so well-respected back when they were built and sold, TR7s have had a pretty high attrition rate (especially the hardtops, which were not the most attractive). So in the meantime, they’ve become pretty rare cars (much like, say, Alfettas), and a good one in a desirable color is pretty hard to find. Today’s car is available for $3250 in Wayland, MI (near Kalamazoo).

1980 Triumph TR7 right

(more…)

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Feature | 4 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »