Happy Friday, Autopians! To finish out the week, we’re going to do a four-way shootout, but not with your choices. We’re going to take a second look at the cars I chose. Why? Because I can, and you can’t stop me.
My choice of rides from Delaware yesterday was the Jeep, mainly because I’ve always kinda-sorta wanted one, but never really had a reason to go for it. I’d rather have a manual, but this one makes up for it a little bit by being purple. At least it has the good engine, and isn’t one of those ridiculous 2WD ones.
You disagreed with me, though, and gave the win to the Volvo sedan. It’s not a bad choice at all, and in fact, it looks like it has already sold. I’m just more interested in the Jeep, because I already have a nice comfy sedan.
So now we know what you chose, and we know what I chose, and today, only one of those choices matters. A couple of times this week I went along with the popular vote; a couple of times I didn’t. These are all fairly close in price, and they all run and drive, so use whatever criteria you wish to choose between them. No silly scenarios today. Here they are.
1964 Chevrolet C10 Long Bed
This nasty, crusty old Chevy has got a lot going for it: it’s from an era of Chevy truck when GM was absolutely killing it in the styling department, it has a good-running 283 small-block V8 and a four-speed stick, and it’s not thoroughly embarrassing to look at. Except for the bottoms of the front fenders and the bed supports, it isn’t even all that rusty. And it comes with another bed that’s in better shape to get you started.
The best thing about a project like this is that you don’t have to wait for it to be finished to enjoy it. As long as you don’t completely tear it down and start a full-on restoration, you can keep tinkering with stuff here and there, making little improvements, while still being able to drive it. The worst thing about it is that it might never be finished. Because how will you know when it is? What’s the endgame? Or maybe that’s the whole point; you’ve got a toy you can play with in new and exciting ways forever.
2006 Chevrolet Impala LS
There is something inherently noble about a car with a bazillion miles on it, no matter what it is. My own personal high-mileage champion was a 1991 Nissan Pathfinder, which my wife finally insisted we give up on after it conked out in the airport long-term parking ramp at 365,000 miles. I still kind of miss it. This Chevy is still 100,000 miles shy of that, but its accomplishments are nothing to sneeze at.
You shouldn’t sneeze at it anyway; that might be enough force to knock a chunk of rust loose that’s holding something structural together. Minnesota has a way of chewing up cars and spitting them out in tiny reddish-brown flakes, and there are signs that this Impala is already doomed. But you never know; it could have one more winter left in it.
1995 (not 1992) Oldsmobile Achieva S
Even I, lover of domestic cars from the 1980s and ’90s, have to admit that this Radwood thing is getting out of hand. There is no way a base-model Chevette is worth eight grand, like I saw advertised recently. I don’t care how nice it is, or how few miles it has on it. It does make me curious, though; where the hell have all these cars been hiding? Surely no one actually kept them in nice condition thinking they would be collectibles someday, right? I mean, maybe that happened with some pace-car Corvettes or Buick GNXs, but a rental-spec Achieva? How did this car survive?
However it did, I’m glad it did, and I’m glad that the seller isn’t trying to milk its age and rarity by asking a ridiculous price. This is a nice period piece for three grand; any more than that, and it had better be an SC coupe with a manual. As it is, however, for the price, I could see it being a nice weekend cruiser and conversation starter for someone.
1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport
I have a long-standing fondness for Jeeps. I learned to drive in one, and that same Jeep is also the only vehicle I have ever driven up Pike’s Peak in Colorado. And I’ve liked the XJ-body Cherokee ever since I saw one blasting up Cannon Beach in Oregon, evading the cops by cleverly joining an off-road race. (“You guys, I just saw the most amazing thing…”) The biggest downer of this one is that it’s an automatic; the only Jeeps worth owning have three pedals, and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on.
Unfortunately, XJ Cherokees, like everything else cool and interesting, are going up in price quickly. This one is still a decent deal, and I’m sure it will get snatched up quickly, even in this part of the country where there’s really not much need for a 4×4. Will I ever end up with a Cherokee of my own? I don’t know, but I’ll tell you one thing: if I do, it’ll be a stickshift.
So those are my choices, and I’ll leave you to decide which one I’m most right about. Tune in next week for more crappy car hijinks. See you then!
(Image credits: sellers)
Olds all the way for me, but you probably already knew that.
I posted in the original showdown as well – I’m the owner of the Jeep. I was I guess. It just sold today SPECIFICALLY because the buyer saw it here. Which is just awesome. Free advertising at its best!
As an aside this is a cool weekly thing I’m going to have to check it out more. I’ll let you know when my shitbox 2014 Dodge Journey goes up for sale.
True story: reading about the Jeep vs. Volvo on Thursday, my interest was piqued, as I’m a cherokee guy and it’s price seemed awful good. Took a shot and reached out to the owner thru the Craigslist ad. He promptly got back to me and shared multiple pics of the interior. It’s pristine.
Long story short, i drove it home about an hour ago. The suspect issue with the transmission is actually a worn ujoint at the driveshaft. The headliner isn’t even sagging. Everything works, the paint is in amazing shape, perfect oil pressure, no cel, Temps are normal, and runs and shifts perfect. The AC blows cold and strong.
The owner and the p.o. CLEARLY took good care of it, when I went to look today, he had just washed it to a shine.
Anyone who voted against it is a fool. I shot my shot, I win.
P.s. the owner thought it was hilarious and had no idea his XJ was internet famous. What an amazing and genuine guy he is.
Rich
Easy pick for the Cherokee for me. Had a 1986 with 2.8 with a 5 speed and an 1988 or 89 with the 4.0 with an auto in the family growing up. I learned to drive stick on the 86, unfortunately it got rear ended by a logging truck before it’s time.
The 4.0 was still running fine at 200k miles when my dad traded it in for a Grand Cherokee. Dad abused that truck as a utility vehicle (towing boats, trailers, pulling up stumps and fence posts, etc) and I abused it as a teenaged idiot. Pretty sure I got all four wheels off the ground at once. The only things other than basic maintenance I can remember doing to it were replacing a valve cover gasket and an alternator.
The C10 looks like a nice project, but I don’t have time for that at this point in life.
Truck by default…I love C10’s
The C10 again for me. It’s a useful never ending project.
Congratulations you do it because you can and we can’t stop you. Oops I didn’t vote. I guess we can. Haha. Now excuse me while I scroll up and vote for the purple jeep.
The Olds for a daily commuter. But I think that old Chevy truck would make a GREAT winter project, and one that I could actually make a little money on. I’m choosing it.
I’m torn.
Not the Impala for sure. The only way that body style Imp gets chosen is if it’s an SS.
I would lean towards the C10, but I already have a 72. Also, that would bring me to a total of 4 pickups. That’s an excessive number for any single guy.
The Olds is compelling. I love the dash design, and it whisks me back to my post high school days and all the hype around the Quad-4. Two of my most wanted cars then were Olds: a Toronado Trofeo or a 2-door Cutlass International. But, it’s a 4-door. If it were a coupe, it would be the hands-down winner for me.
Post HS graduation I traded a non running Baja beetle to a guy for his 84 or 85 base Cherokee. Two doors, 4×4, 5 speed, steelies, and the 4 cylinder. This thing couldn’t get out of it’s own way going up a mountain pass. But I loved that thing. I miss it to this day, almost 30 years on.
I guess the Cherokee edges this one out despite having 2 too many doors and an auto.