Colli Alternative – 1974 Fiat 124 TC Wagon

March 7, 2014

Ever had a hankering for an Alfa Giulia or Berlina? Or, even further down that path, a Giulia Colli wagon? Well, sure, if you have $20-$50K, you can pick one up with a little rust but otherwise in good shape. And never mind the low production numbers, which means most folks haven’t even seen one. So what’s a old-car nut who doesn’t mind a bit of rust to do? Well, there’s another similar-sized wagon with equally significant styling, and what’s more, they also have a twincam, 1.6-liter engine, 5-speed transmission, and rear-wheel drive. And if that doesn’t blow your mind, they were built by the factory, so no struggling to get body panels made by hand when your friendly local Fiat dealer has them in stock, right? Wait, what? There’s no Fiat Mobile Tradition/Classic/Heritage division? you can find this 1974 Fiat 124 TC wagon for sale for $2500 in Burlingame, CA.

1974 Fiat 124 TC wagon left rear

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Not a GTI – 1989 Plymouth Colt GT Turbo

March 7, 2014

Before many manufacturers happened on the clever idea of throwing a turbo on their hot hatch engines, Mitsubishi (and by extension, Dodge/Plymouth) were doing it. Starting in 1984, they put the 4G32T turbo four in the fourth generation Colt GT (with the famous twin stick transmission), and by 1989, the sixth generation Colt GT received the 135hp 4G61T. With the turbo lag of the day, this must have been really fun, and this version of Colt GT has become something of a cult favorite with tuners, who modify the factory engine or slip in a 4G63T engine from the DSM Eclipse/Talon/Laser. Unfortunately, the combination of tuning and the cars’ cheap-speed mean that many have been lost to attrition, and the remainder are hard to find for sale. You can find this 1989 Plymouth Colt GT Turbo for sale for C$3200 in Mission, BC.

1989 Plymouth Colt GT right side

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3-Box Car – 1984 VW Jetta Coupe

March 6, 2014

Nobody will include Volkswagen’s Jetta in their list of rare cars, but ask them when the last time was they saw a first-generation Jetta. Then, ask them the last time they saw a 2-door version of that car – anyone who is not a hardcore watercooled VW fan will be drawing a blank. Back in the early 1980s, if you were looking to replace your BMW 2002 or Fiat 131, you might look at the Jetta. Sure, it wasn’t terribly powerful on paper, but the engine is quite perky and the handling was quite good compared to most economy cars of its time. And the folded paper design was modern, while staying closer to the proportions of something like a 2002. Check out this 1984 VW Jetta coupe for sale for C$3400 in Delta, BC.

1984 VW Jetta Coupe left rear

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