ocnblu

But if the bones of the car aren't formed right as a base model, then you're stuck with a fancy face with no (Kia) soul. Eyes black.

I'm guessing more likely a 400 2 bbl, like mine had. '73 is my year. I'd definitely take a green over green coupe with tin top, even though mine was white over green with green interior, 4-door hdtp.

Shoot, that would be hella cool restored to original. I'd rock it that way, and leave the hubcaps off, just ridin' on steelies.

Mersey River immortalised in Brit Pop music

She's a beauty, a symbol of what GM did right in her heyday.

It would be fantastic if Jacket could afford his dream car, and everything that goes with it (garage, upkeep, a beater daily driver so he could play with it on the weekends), but I'm afraid, based on what he's told us, these Firebirds will have to remain just a poster on the wall in the bedroom of his mind. His time will come, once he's established himself, if he plays his cards right. Right now though, reality continues to slap all of us in the face. There is absolutely nothing wrong with holding on to the dream. We should support him in that dream, as some of us share it. Reliable daily transportation that requires next to no maintenance is what he needs right now, so that he can start to save money toward a really nice Firebird that he doesn't have to rely on every day. LOVE that '73, and the convertible is sweet, too.

They are not good on gas, either. There has to be something sporty, reliable and relatively cheap to maintain within your price range. How about a '99-'00 Civic Si? That was, IIRC when the Si coupe model was brought back to market, but before the British-made, slightly frumpy Si hatchback appeared. If you can find one that hasn't been beat. There's also the Focus SVT...

I found this ad to be interesting. We sometimes tend to romanticize the old days, but how many '59 Biscaynes (where is that?) like this were run into the ground in hard service, getting their rocker panels filled with mud and salt and slush until they rusted to pieces? Plenty.

Those are nice looking, Jacket. Except for the rotary engine's propensity to burn copious amounts of oil, even in the newest versions. That's all I'm sayin'.

This is just a fun little puppy to maneuver around. A light car that's set up right like this one has such little drama over bumps and around corners. Very fun.

swingin' right here

Yup, I think the '63 1/2 Futura, like this one, is the best looking with that greenhouse, and possibly the best looking USDM Falcon ever made. I guess Ford decided to frump it up in '64 so as not to steal the Mustang's thunder.

Darn hippies. Older couple in their 70's came in to pick up their '03 Outback wagon after collision repair yesterday... in their pristine beige '71 Super Beetle. VW shredded its generator belt on the way in, so I made arrangements to have one delivered. I was shocked when the local Carquest said it could narrow it down to two different widths, and they had both IN STOCK! Had it installed for the guy, took about 3 minutes and he was on his way. Cool, and made me feel good.

This video shows the same car's style to greater advantage......... <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-qlqcJ5LACg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I am digging on the style of the '63 1/2 Falcon Futura Scatback... so sleek, small and lithe with that low body and rakish roofline. For a brief period of time... the '64 Falcon was more boxy, not as sexy as this little baby... <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yvqUn6xS_lM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6DEZM8yZOgg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> I'll always remember...

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KCqrTaPfTDc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OrCxbsQJT5M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

pendulous

That's how Cadillac should be in Europe: a shock. Not commonplace.

The top itself, how's the material? The headliner? The folding operation? Does it seem nice? Drove a Miata yesterday, and maaaan, the body quivers in that thing made me ill, in an '04 with 55k miles. I hope the Camaro feels better over bumps than the MX-5.

It's way pretty, yes. But it is no Honda.

Was the Civic taken to the same dealer that sold it? If so, those items they're charging you for should have been replaced before you bought it. I've never heard of a new car dealer not sending their used cars through the shop to make sure everything's cool before putting them out for sale. And yes, that service package price is outrageous for a car with only 27k miles on it. Cobalt, Focus or Caliber don't require that much maintenance that early, do they? I'm going to check my maintenance schedule book for the Fiesta.

Cool. Daewoo products nearly ruined Suzuki in the US (thanks to GM). I wish them a bright future. The wildcard is VW's dalliance with them right now.