Posts Tagged ‘japanese’

Northwest Profit – 1980 Subaru 1600DL

January 14, 2015

There’s something to be said for sending cars to their most suited environment – their adoptive homes, where their strengths are appreciated, and their idiosyncrasies are overlooked, or even embraced as character. That’s why the Peugeot 504’s true home is somewhere on the African continent, biodiesel Mercedes sedans from the 1970s and 1980s are best off in Berkeley/San Francisco, and why, if you let go of the wheel on an older Subaru, it’ll naturally gravitate towards the Pacific Northwest. So here’s your formula: 1) Purchase low-mile classic Scoobie; 2) Drive to Portland or Seattle; 3) Sell for a profit! Check out this Subaru 1600 DL sedan for sale for $2800 in downtown San Jose, CA.

1980 Subaru 1600DL left front

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Eighties Hot Hatch – 1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo

October 22, 2014

So if you’re bought into the idea of a 1980s hatch, but you’re not a hipster looking to make a statement with a diesel Escort, nor do you want a boring mainstream GTI or Civic Si, and you’re not crazy enough to try importing an Alfasud ti. Well, how about a Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo? It’s less complex than a Mazda 323 GTX, and less tinny than a Chevy Sprint Turbo, but you still get that wacky 1980s turbo kick-in-the-pants, perfect for serious wheelspin on those wet Pacific Northwest days. Check out this 1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo for sale for $3500 in Hazel Dell, WA.

1986 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo right rear

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Slant Nose 1-Tail – 1972 Toyota Celica ST

October 15, 2014

Toyota’s Celica was one of the first steps in its intermittent relationship with sports cars. Although their history includes some prominent cars like the 2000GT and Sports 800, it must be hard for this manufacturer of automotive appliances to understand why people would want their cars to have more style, better handling, and more soul than the average family sedan. It’s the same as Frigidaire or Maytag trying to make a more engaging washing machine or refrigerator – their core virtue is reliability and getting the job done without requiring much attention. Making those things interesting would be like creating a phone that people would want to interact with all day long without ever putting it down. But sometimes a rogue engineer or marketer at Toyota gets their idea into production, and that’s how we got this 1972 Toyota Celica ST for sale for $4000 in San Mateo, CA.

1972 Toyota Celica right rear

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