What Classic Car Would You Want to Own?

[Joey D]

Coming from a small discussion the Dodge Challenger thread I said that I would rather own an original 60's or 70's era Challenger over this new reincarnation. However, me not really being one for American muscle cars, I don't know if I would really want that either. Instead of clogging up that thread with off topicness I thought I would open up a new thread to see where members preferences are when it comes to classic cars. I would also like you to at least think somewhat realistically, owning a Duesenburg is something you'll probably never have the opportunity to own where as a 1967 Camaro is. And give a reason why you picked what you did as well, saying "because it's cool" doesn't really mean much.

Now a classic is typically defined as a car at least 25 years old, for all you non-math whizzes out there this entails vehicles made prior to 1983.

Also I do not want this thread to turn into an American/Japanese/European cars are the best thread, which seems to happen quite a bit when this subject is talked about

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For me I would have a hard time deciding on what it would be, I've always wanted a Datsun 510, there is just something about that car that makes it full of all sorts of win for me. I would want one from the 1970's, painted some ugly colour...orange or something. I'd probably put one of those turboed Nissan engines in it the SR bunch of letters and numbers ones from the 180sx (maybe, I fail at engines).

The 510 has often been described as a poor mans BMW and I think with a little work on one I could turn it into a nice autox car but also still have something to go to car shows with and confuse people on what it actually is...especially here in Michigan.

If not one of those I would honestly love to have a class Mini Cooper to go along with my new one. I would probably end up turning that into some sort of racing car as well and take it to those classic British car races they have all over the country. Ideally though I think I would rather have the 510.

 

[Jim Prower]

I've always admired this car: the 1969 Dodge Charger.

When I was young, I was going to get a rusty old one so I could drive it when I was sixteen. Ah, such a nieve kid I was. I've made it my character's main street car, and that's probably what I'd turn mine into: sidepipes just in front of the rear tires, resplendent Evernham Red, with little #9 decals just above the exhaust exits.

Honestly, I'd love to have a big block motor, and if money were no object, I'd get a crate Hemi (so I could abuse it without worrying about driving an $80,000 car into the ground) and give it a little more power. In fact, I'd look into getting an EFI setup, if there is one for the 426. I'd probably get the "Autocross" front torsion springs for the car, (if not stiffer) and high-performance rear leaves, too. and disc brakes. 15"x8" American Racing Vectors with 55- or 50-series Z-rated tires would complete the look I'd be after. I think the other thing I'd do would be to install a modern overdrive 5- or 6-speed transmission. ((I've driven a car with ridiculously short gearing...my 1988 Nova. I'm surprised it gets 26MPG, with my heavy foot, an overrestrictive carb, and a high gear that revs concerningly high above 70. It's fun till you get to 55.))

I started liking the Charger when I first viewed...you guessed it...

At the time, (About 1996) I really liked the Dodge Viper GTS. It had just won a top speed comparo in Motor Trend, after all. But then I saw "Dukes," and that High-flying General Lee...I was hooked on that coke-bottle shape and rugged suspension for life. I was VERY sad when they flipped the Charger in F&F, (At least in "Dukes" you had the illusion that they made it...) but, still, I really like the car. It's too bad they kind of made fun of it on Top Gear.

Furthermore...I've never really liked the incredibly wide grilles of the '68 and '70 models: the '69 had a very good look, and I find it interesting that they chose a similar grille for the '71-onward models.

 

[006r]

I would love to have a 1965 Corvette Stingray. 327ci, with a 4spd on the floor. This car has history with my family. My dad restored one and loved to drive it but having more kids forced the sale. He has always wanted another one but they are fairly pricey for a nice one...if someday I could buy him one I would. I grew up loving this car and although the 63' split window is more of a collectors car, this one has special meaning to me.

OR... another car I really like is the 67' GT500 Mustang. Very nice cars!!

 

[superberkut]

I would take a 1966-67 Corvette Coupe, 427ci. It sounds amazing and looks very sharp, and even if the headlight buckets tend to give up the ghost, it would be all worth it. The 1967 cars in particular have exceptional build quality, but more of them tend to go on the auction block or in collectors' garages for their rarity. When I first saw one walking home from school one day, I knew that this would be my dream car.

 

[Philly]

There are so many. Here are a few I would love to have:

MKI GTI. It's close enough, being "only" 24 years old. It's more or less "the car that started it all" and I'm a hot hatch and VW fan so here it is. Plus, it would probably be really fun to toss around.

Old Mini cooper. I would love to take a beater one and make it all new and shiny again, something I probably couldn't say about any other car:

From Japan I would be very interested in a well-done 240Z. They look great and it would be really fun to do stuff to it to make it fast, and maybe race-able.

 

[Joey D]

I think that Mini is probably new, like a late 80's or early 90's based on the wheel arches...I'm not sure though since classic Mini's are something I do not really know much about.

 

[Jim Prower]

I'd surmise you're right, at least about it being a recent car, but it looks modified, too, possibly explaining the wheel arches. Doesnt' matter much to me, though: It's pretty much the same.

 

[Joey D]

While they look similar, they have many changes to the underpinning of the car...never tell a classic Mini owner all their cars are the same, you'll get a long drawn out speech on how they aren't. Trust me, I've made that mistake.

 

[superberkut]

Well, the Mini design is rather unchanged otherwise even into the 90s, so not much of a loss, value aside, would be experienced in fixing up a 1980s era Mini Cooper.

Those wheel arches and wheels must be from the 90s car, though.

 

[Philly]

Did I post a "newer" one? Oops. I thought it was just modified to make it look like that. I'm no Mini expert either.

 

[Joey D]

Well, the Mini design is rather unchanged otherwise even into the 90s, so not much of a loss, value aside, would be experienced in fixing up a 1980s era Mini Cooper.

Those wheel arches and wheels must be from the 90s car, though.

You get a better engine in the more modern ones because they had fuel injection.

Here are the changes as you move up in the model years from wikipedia

The Mk III Mini had a modified bodyshell with enough alterations to see the factory code change from ADO15 to ADO20 (which it shared with the Clubman). The most obvious changes were larger doors with concealed hinges. Customer demand led to the sliding windows being replaced with winding windows – although some Australian-manufactured Mk I Minis had adopted this feature in 1965 (with opening quarterlight windows). The suspension reverted from Hydrolastic to rubber as a cost-saving measure. [25]

Production at the Cowley plant was ended, and the simple name Mini completely replaced the separate Austin and Morris brands.

* MkIII (introduced in November 1969) had wind up windows with internal door hinges except for the van and pickup models. The bootlid lost the original hinged number plate and its recess shape and a large rear colour coded lamp was fitted in its place, along with larger rear side windows.

* MkIV (introduced in 1976) had a front rubber mounted subframe with single tower bolts and the rear frame had some larger bushes introduced. Twin stalk indicators were introduced with larger foot pedals. From 1977 onwards, the rear indicator lamps had the reverse lights incorporated in them.

* MkV: all cars had 8.4 inch brake discs and plastic wheel arches (mini special arches) but retained the same MkIV body shell shape.

* MkVI (from 1990): the engine mounting points were moved forward to take 1275 cc power units, and includes the HIF carb version, plus the single point fuel injected car which came out in 1991. The 998 cc power units were discontinued. Internal bonnet release were fitted from 1992.

* MkVII was the final twin point injection with front mounted radiator.

In the late 1970s, Innocenti introduced the Innocenti 90 and 120, Bertone-designed hatchbacks based on the Mini platform. Bertone also created a Mini Cooper equivalent, christened the Innocenti De Tomaso, that sported a 1275 cc turbocharged engine.

Reports of the Mini's imminent demise surfaced again in 1980 with the launch of the Austin Mini-Metro (badging with the word mini in all lowercase). In New Zealand in 1981, the Mini starred in a road trip movie directed by Geoff Murphy called Goodbye Pork Pie. The Mini was beginning to fall out of favour in many export markets, with the South African, Australian, and New Zealand markets all stopping production around this time.

Although the Mini continued after the Metro's launch, production volumes were reduced as British Leyland and successor combine Austin Rover concentrated on the Metro as its key supermini.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the British market enjoyed numerous "special editions" of the Mini, which shifted the car from a mass-market item into a fashionable icon. It was this image that perhaps helped the Mini become such an asset for BMW, which later bought the remnants of BMC as the Rover Group. It was even more popular in Japan, where it was seen as a retro-cool icon, and inspired many imitators.

In 1994, under Bernd Pischetsrieder, a first cousin once removed of Issigonis, BMW took control of the Rover Group, which included the Mini, fitting an airbag to comply with European legislation.

 

[Philly]

Hmm. Yeah, the 1990s models had those arches. I had no idea they were produced so recently!

 

[Joey D]

Hmm. Yeah, the 1990s models had those arches. I had no idea they were produced so recently!

Yup 2000 was the last year for them with the BMW MINI starting production starting in 2001.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

ether a 1975 Holden Torana SL/R5000

or a Holden Torana A9X

when the american muscle cars were dieing out the aussies were still going strong and these cars were built to go around a mountain very fast....which they did.

although realisticly ill would go with a skoda 120L.

 

[Philly]

Yup 2000 was the last year for them with the BMW MINI starting production starting in 2001.

That's impressive. And I thought the MKI Golfs still being produced in south Africa was extreme for a less-developed country.

 

[///M-Spec]

I've always wanted a Jaguar E-Type. It just oozes class and elegance.




M

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I'd have to agree with Joey and Philly Cheese, the Mini Cooper has always been one of my favorite cars. Although, a HK Monaro, A9X Torana or Falcon GTHO Phase III would be awefully nice too.

Yeah, a little strange to pick a Mini over muscle.

 

[exigeracer]

Elan

GTA

 

[Jim Prower]

ether a 1975 Holden Torana SL/R5000

And I thought the Superbird was extreme!!!!! did it look like that STOCK?!

when the american muscle cars were dieing out the aussies were still going strong and these cars were built to go around a mountain very fast....which they did.

Yeah...I'da liked to see Chrylser's Hemi slant six come over.

 

[Joey D]

I'd have to agree with Joey and Philly Cheese, the Mini Cooper has always been one of my favorite cars. Although, a HK Monaro, A9X Torana or Falcon GTHO Phase III would be awefully nice too.

Yeah, a little strange to pick a Mini over muscle.

There is so much one can do with a Mini though, if you want to pump up the power and turn it into a weekend racer you have the ability to do that but if you just want to drive around a basic classic car then you don't have to do anything to it at all and people will see think it's cool.

 

[Jim Prower]

Sure...but if you keep it stock, you also have to deal with driving a small, sub-100 hp car, and if your drives contain a lot of cross-country running with high speeds...

well, I don't know what the old Mini's do on an interstate, but untuned, I'd hope for the 1275, Like a 1600 Dual Port with the Bug. (Another old car I'd take.) I live with a lightweight 70HP car anyway...no picnic on the interstate. Be a perfect city car, though, being smaller than a VW.

 

[ND4SPD]

Hands down it would have to be what I find the most beautiful car ever built and the grand daddy of the supercar. The Lamborghini Miura.

 

[TopHat]

(Pictures and Cars taken from eBay)

Lincoln Continental MK V

It's just so big, so cool, and it looks sinister. I'd feel like the king of the road.

 

[Joey D]

Sure...but if you keep it stock, you also have to deal with driving a small, sub-100 hp car, and if your drives contain a lot of cross-country running with high speeds...

well, I don't know what the old Mini's do on an interstate, but untuned, I'd hope for the 1275, Like a 1600 Dual Port with the Bug. (Another old car I'd take.) I live with a lightweight 70HP car anyway...no picnic on the interstate. Be a perfect city car, though, being smaller than a VW.

There are plenty of people on the North American Motoring forum that have no issues with driving their classic, US speced, Coopers across the country for shows. The power to weight ratio is quite good on them, the only issue would be mountains.

 

[Venari]

Oh, why not. My perfect old car garage (bearing in mind I'm a Brit, and yes, there are some post-1983 cars here...) and in no particular order:

1967 Camaro Z/28 (Rallye Green/Black)
1968 Camaro RS/SS 396 Convertible (Butternut Yellow/Black)
1969 Camaro COPO ZL1... but one with some of the creature comforts and a set of TorqThrusts... in Ermine White.
1963 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe, Fuelie with a four-speed (good call.)
1969 Corvette Stingray drop-top with the 350 small-block.

And the best Corvette of all...
1968 Iso Grifo 7 Litri MkII

1967 Ford GT40 Mk II
1967 Ford GT40 Mk III
1968 Mustang GT Fastback
1984 Ford RS200

1968 Lola T70 MkIIIB Coupe

1970 Dodge Challenger T/A

1962 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
1968 Ferrari 365GT/4 'Daytona'
1969 Dino 246GT
1984 Ferrari 308 GTB QV
1984 Ferrari 288 GTO
Ah, probably an early 456GT as well.

1968 Lamborghini Espada
1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV/J
1974 Lamborghini Countach LP400
The 1974 Lamborghini Bravo (oh, so sexy for 1974.)

1970 Porsche 917K

1990 Jaguar XJR-15

1994 McLaren F1 (the original, ta.)

The 1968 Lotus-GKN Type-47D (Could have been fabulous.)
1971 Lotus Europa Twin-Cam Special
1997 Lotus Type 115 (Elise GT1, made road legal, 'coz let's face it, it was pretty, but it never made it as a racecar.)
The 1999? Lotus M250

1969 Aston Martin DBS V8
1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage ('Oscar India' spec.)
The 1998 Aston Martin 'Project Vantage' (prototype Vanquish. With a bit of fiddling, this car could be back on the road. The production Vanquish never quite got the right look for me.)
2002 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Zagato

1983 Renault 5 Turbo 2
1984 Alpine A310 V6 GTB

1990 Volkswagen Golf Rallye G60SE (actually, the one registered G400OSS, which is somewhere in Liverpool at the moment. I used to own it. )

1984 Audi Sport Quattro


Oh, and my '74 Lancia Fulvia, '68 Mercury Cougar and '62 Corvette all get to stay too. Probably my '94 FTO too, it's proving very difficult to replace.

 

[Leonidae]

Let's start with my current must have car..

that, with 20 valve 1.3l 2A-GZE ( home made engine ). it'll be rocking with Lotus Exige's.

That, with a modern DOHC V8. another PWR monster.

AWD, bolt on yet another modern DOHC V8 and lower it a bit.. yum.

Mazda Cosmo. add 20B and you have a lovely sleeper.

Porsche 944. Best looking Porsche by far, and probably one of the easiest to drive.

Alfa Romeo Zagato Junior 1600.

Ferrari 308 GTB QV, one of the last true Ferrari's.

Lamborghini Jarama S. a stealthy performer packing 365bhp.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

And I thought the Superbird was extreme!!!!! did it look like that STOCK?!

that is stock (one of the bathurst specials anyway)

 

[YSSMAN]

The two most-obvious for me:

1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Coupe in blue

1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (302) in silver or white

 

[Tornado]

That is all.

 

[V1P3R]

I'll go with a '81 Toyota MR-2 for now.