NeonLX

Another possibility for me would be: 1. Take a circa-1980 AMC Concord D/L or Limited wagon (curb weight in the 3100-lbs range). 2. Cut it crosswise just behind the front seat and splice in 2 inches between the front & back seats for more rear seat legroom. 3. Take an AMC/Jeep 4.0L inline six and toss in the crank & rods from a 258 six. The resulting "stroker" displacement is something like 4.7L. 4. Again, use an almost ridiculously high overall top gear ratio to allow the engine to loaf along at interstate speeds. And in either of my "ideal" car scenarios above, don't have any touch screen infotainment systems or other shenanigans clogging up the electrical system. Use the KISS principle (coz I'm nothin' if not simple) and rely on some basic, sound engineering.

Yeah, I hear you Riviera74. I completely agree. When I'm thinking of this "ideal vehicle", it's something I'd be living with day in, day out. My primary vehicle. I'd want a really comfy interior (kinda like the Mopar minis had), as well as a nice suspension that allowed decent load-capacity while not punishing passengers. I'd still want an old car of some sort for fun, probably a 1950s or '60s beast.

I've kinda sorta kept up with the new car market and sadly, I'm seeing nary a thing that appeals to me. Everything seems to have gotten fat, heavy and grotesque-looking. Another symptom of my old-guyness, I suppose. Anyhoo, this has made me think about what an ideal vehicle would be for my weird tastes. Here's what I came up with: Something on the order of the original Caravan/Voyager in a (compact) external footprint AND internal dimensions--including height and seating position (the Mazda 5 was heralded as the successor to the original Mopar minivans, but it really wasn't--didn't have the height to stash taller items in the back for one thing, and the seating position wasn't much higher than a Mazda 3). I'd also like the vehicle to be about the same weight as the first-gen minivans, around 3000-lbs. Yeah, I know with all of the impact protection and other crap, this ain't conceivable, but still, I don't want a lard-ass vehicle. I'd be fine with front wheel drive, and with 3000-lbs to yank around, I'd like the vehicle to be powered by a large displacement, low-stress 4-cylinder that has huge gobs of torque. Or better yet, a moderate-sized V6, similarly low-stressed and torquey--something along the lines of Chrysler's 3.3L minivan V6 or GM's 3800, but tuned for even more low-end grunt. Have the final drive gearing in top gear be REALLY tall for very low RPM cruising at highway speed--something on the order of 1800 RPM at 70 MPH, f'rinstance. This would be doable with the light curb weight and reasonable aerodynamics, I'd think. Maybe you'd need a 5-speed auto tranny to acheive this, maybe you wouldn't. I always wished that Mopar had gone with an OD version of their old Torqueflite, rather than developing that A604/41TE box o' turds that they came up with instead. Anyhoo, that's a start...what about you?

Complete with redline tires!

I've got a collection of promos but they are stashed away somewhere and I can't remember where that is. Some of the highlights: 1950 Plymouth 1963 Olds Starfire 1965 Imperial 1966 Marlin 1969 Grand Prix 1970 Bonneville convert 1971 GTO 1976 AMC Pacer 1996 Dodge Caravan (!) That is all I can think of off the top of my pointy head. It's good to see other grown men collect "toys". I'll have to show these pix to my wife, so she doesn't think I'm the only one. Very nice collections, youse guys!

Nice day for a walk...The Alliance was a "GTA" model, but the top wasn't down:

In the words of G W Bush, "looks like I hit the Trifecta" yesterday. Are those 1960 Buick wheelcovers on the trailer holding the '59 Chevy?

AMC 232 six powers this. I need to have it.

There's a '66 Chrysler 300 4-door hardtop that resides down the street from us. I think it was "inherited" by this dude in his 20s. It was a nice looking car when I first saw it, about a year ago. Last night, I was in the front yard and I heard this terrible knocking sound coming up the street--sounding for all the world like a diesel that had just been cold-started at -15 degrees F. I turned to see the 300 limping its way up the street. As the "minimum" engine on that year's 300 was a high compression 383 w/ 4V carb, I'm sure the car was protesting violently against its diet of no-lead, low-octane gasoline. I swear, the pistons in that thing are gonna grenade any day now. You would not believe the clatter it's making. Oh yeah, and the car is looking like hell now, too. big dents, wheelcovers missing, fading paint...what a shame. Thanks grandma, for dying and leaving me this old car. I really wanted a Honda Civic because that's what all the cool people drive.

I like the Impala. Say, is that wood tone trim I see inside??

Well, it certainly oughtta...

...and where is the late 1970s Datsun 200 SUX?

Yeah, what ponchoman said. The Zephyr sure didn't strike me as ugly. But most modern Nissans, especially the Juke & Cube, as well as the guillotine-grilled Acuras, definitely DO push the ugly button for me. Jeez, I forgot about the bustle-back Continentals from the 1980s. I liked those as well.

I loved the first-gen (1970s) Seville. I mean, LOVED it. The car had marvelous proportions and its simplicity was part of its elegance. I hated when they get turded up with the fake RR grille or "landau" roof. The second gen Seville, on the other hand...well, I wouldnt call it Nissan Juke-ugly, but it was disappointing after the first-gen (FWD not withstanding). Hate to say it, but the bustle-back thing seemed to work better (at least a little) on the 1981-'83 Imperial coupe. I also liked the front styling of that gen of Imperial.

1956 Dodge Custom Royal sedan in tri-tone: coral, black and white. I love this combo. For years, the car has been sitting in the lot of some auto repair place along Hwy 59 in northern Illinois. I stopped to look at it once and got a really bad vibe from the dude who came out to the chain-link fence to see what I wanted. Asked about the Dodge and he just stared at me. OOOOH-KAAYY, I'll be moving along now. Saw it again yesterday as we were passing through. The car looks solid enough, though the paint is certainly fading.

Y'know, the Gremlin and Pacer are such easy targets. I've grown weary of "experts" taking cheap shots at them. I happen to like both of them. I owned them as well. Great powertrains--AMC's rugged inline six backed up by a Torqueflite auto tranny (except my '77 Gremlin had a 3-on-the-floor).

Loads of Neons from all generations around here. Came across an SRT-4 recently. Glad it didn't have a for sale sign posted on it.

I love that '59 Chevy Viking conventional cab! Also, my daughter got to ride in the Wienermobile--Oscar Meyer's headquarters is near the ice rink where she skates.

1974 Chrysler Newport sedan. Turd brown. Was still (barely) moving under its own power. I think its once-mighty big block V8 was down to five cylinders.

Yay! Saw my billionth Subaru Outback wagon today! They are ubiquitous around here.

Gawd, I'm jealous. Coming up on 100K miles on the '07 Malibu Maxx. Still love the car but it needs some work (brakes again & the front end knocking sounds are returning). Plus it looks like crap because of the awful winter we've been having...

Another AMX/3 fan here. 'course, I'm kinda partial to AMCs anyway... When I was a little tyke, my dad brought home a 1956 Mercury Montclair 2-door hardtop. White over red. There was a fold down armrest in the center of the rear seat and that is where I perched whenever we went somewheres. I felt like King Sh!t whenever I rode like that. The car itself was gorgeous and I can still hear the burble of the 312 V8 exhaling through dual exhausts. My dad put curb feelers on it and at some point, glass pack mufflers. I'd dearly love to have another one like it. We also had a '61 Chevy Parkwood wagon in fawn beige. It had dual exhausts and yeah, my dad glass packed it too. Riding in the way back was an exceptional auditory experience because you could actually feel the rumble of the exhaust at certain RPMs. Kinda like a low-tech bass kicker. Another car I'd love to find a clean example of.

Nice 'do, man.

How come when I see this: I immediately think of this: