Posts Tagged ‘swedish’

1966 Volvo 122 Wagon

July 25, 2013

One of the cars that’s always been interesting for me (if you live within an hour of Berkeley, you really can’t avoid them!) is the Volvo 122. They’re really quite attractive sedans in the typical European look of their era. To see what I mean, take a look at a contemporary Fiat 1100, VW Type 3 notchback or squareback, or maybe even an Austin 1100. They’re also still easily modified with cams, suspension, and ignition improvements readily available. And I can’t imagine I’m the first person to think it would be cool to drop a 1980s Volvo turbo engine in one of these, although according to VClassic, supercharging is a better choice. But right now, that’s all academic – today’s Volvo is available for $3500 in Oroville, CA.

1966 Volvo 122 wagon left front

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Disappearing Breed – 1991 Saab 900 turbo

June 26, 2013

RustyButTrusty has a soft spot for Saabs. The nice thing about our home base is the level of car nuttiness going on here, and people will truly buy anything. I don’t mean that in a bad way – but driving around the streets of this area, you’ll see all kinds of things on the roads, including rare stuff like the last version of the Saab 9-5, released just before the company went out of business. But in spite of their longevity, the first-generation Saab 900s are becoming a less and less frequent sight. At some point, that distinctive exhaust note these have should make it part of the fleet, but for now we’re left to admire from afar. And while you’ll find beaters and automatic turbo convertibles, it’s rarer to find a 5-speed hardtop turbo in good shape with relatively low (say, less than 150K) miles. Like today’s car, listed in Santa Cruz, CA for $3200.

1991 Saab 900 turbo right front

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More Lamenting – 1973 Saab Sonett III

June 23, 2013

As I mentioned in the last post, I grew up with a succession of Saabs in the family, and as such, I was quite sad to see Saab go. While they were not the same company by the time the lights were turned off, what with the overweight 9-5 and the overaged and somewhat bland 9-3, it looked like hope was just around the corner (kind of like Pontiac, honestly). And let’s face it, no car company is like they were in the 1980s, or the 1960s, and to some degree they’re much better for it. When was the last time you took a family road trip to Yosemite and the exhaust fell off the car, and you had to tie it up by the side of the road so you could drive to a rental car agency to finish the trip in a 1985 Camry? For my family, that was in 1985… Anyway, enough rambling, and back to nostalgia, where things were always better. Like this 1973 Saab Sonett III, listed in Gardena, CA for $1700.

1973 Saab Sonett III left front

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