Posts Tagged ‘Feature’

Not Tail-less – 1965 Jeffries Mantaray II Kyote

July 1, 2014

While many car enthusiasts are familiar with the concept of VW-based dune buggies of the 1960s and 1970s, and many might even know the Meyers Manx for its bug-eyed headlamps and krazy kandy colors, what is not immediately clear is the extent to which this industry boomed. However, one visit to the Dune Buggy Archives will clear that right up, and the difficulty of identifying these machines is highlighted by the fact that they have a searchable database in which they’ve assigned design attributes to the various cars, which you can use to identify yours. And that’s how to determine that the car identified as a 1965 VW dune buggy is actually likely to be a Jeffries Mantaray II Kyote, for sale for $3799 in Sacramento, CA.

1965 VW dune buggy right front

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After Trouble – 1985 Toyota Celica Convertible

July 1, 2014

So what do you do if you’re intimidated by the experience of owning a needlessly complex Italian car, but you still want wedgy 1980s styling and a suggestion of sportiness? Giving up on some driving excitement by accepting a durable 22R-E inline four that’s probably only halfway through its lifespan at 165,000 miles will certainly make your life easier, if not more fun. This car also comes from what you might call something of a golden age for Toyota – they had moved beyond a lineup of mostly tinny economy cars, but had not yet arrived at the mostly-appliance lineup they still have today, and had a significant proportion of sporty cars in the family. The Celica was outdone by the Corolla GT-S, MR2 and FX16 in terms of sportiness, but was still a popular contender. Check out this 1985 Toyota Celica convertible for sale for $3900 in Vallejo, CA.

1985 Toyota Celica convertible right front

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No Trouble – 1984 Maserati Biturbo

June 30, 2014

Standing on its own, apart from the history of its marque, the Maserati Biturbo is a pretty neat car. This is especially true when you look at it compared to similar size and class cars of the 1980s – the Biturbo looks a little like an E30 3-series from an alternate universe, with a twin turbocharged V6 instead of the 2.7 eta engine. That’s not to gloss over the issues the Biturbo had, but once one has made it this far without self-combusting or devolving into a sunburned shell with cracked leather and blown headgaskets, you know it’s either had an overindulgent owner, or it’s a good’un. You can find this 1984 Maserati Biturbo for sale for $4200 in Hayward/Castro Valley, CA.

1984 Maserati Biturbo left front

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