Good morning, and happy Friday to all of you out there in Autopianland! (Wait–that’s awkward. Can’t just call it “Autopia,” though, or can we?… We’ll figure that out later. [Editor’s Note: No comment. -DT]). Usually on Fridays, I throw out the price cap so we can look at something that isn’t a rusty hulk, but we already did that on Wednesday. So today, I went looking for those most annoying of listings: the ones with no price at all. I specifically avoided ads with “$1” in the listing, because I hate that, and I avoided “$1,234,” because I hate that even more.
But before we get there, let’s circle back to our wagons:
Corolla by a country mile. I couldn’t agree more. I think the only thing that will stop a mid-’90s Corolla is the heat-death of the universe. Or running out of oil; 4A-FEs and 7A-FEs are thirsty critters. Watch that dipstick.
A quick aside: I seem to have ruffled a few feathers by complaining that modern crossovers are badly packaged compared to these old wagons. I know that modern small crossovers sure feel more cramped than older small wagons, but I was curious about the numbers. So I went to Edmunds and looked up the dimensions of our winning Corolla, and a new Corolla Cross. And the numbers don’t lie: despite being more than 9 inches taller, 3 inches longer, and 4 inches wider, the Cross has less cargo room behind the seats, by about 5 cubic feet. Front seat room is more or less a wash, but there’s more hip and shouder room for rear passengers in the old Corolla than in the new. That’s poor packaging.
Yes, some of that is due to all the extra safety doodads and a more bulky structure. I get that. But are you really telling me that 27 years of advances in CAD and metallurgy have meant nothing? Automakers can’t eke out as much interior room from a modern “safe” car with a larger footprint as they could an old “dangerous” one?
But enough about that; let’s look at some more cars. Today’s choices are both offered for sale without a price listed. I know a lot of people hate that, and I’m not fond of it either. It’s wishy-washy and noncommittal, and makes it too easy for buyers to offer a ridiculously high or insultingly low amount. On that point, I’m not saying you should contact the sellers of these cars and offer them typical Shitbox Showdown money for them – but I’m not not saying that either.
1977 Mazda Rotary Engine Pickup – make an offer
Engine/drivetrain: 1.3 liter Wankel rotary, 5 speed manual, RWD
Location: Chicago, IL (we think)
Odometer reading: 70,000 miles
Runs/drives? Doesn’t say, actually
In the 1970s, after winning a war of attrition with everyone else trying to make Wankel engines viable, Mazda set out to “rotary all the things,” as it were. Mazda’s rotary engines found their way into sports cars, family sedans and wagons, pickup trucks like this one, and even buses, with varying degress of success. The Rotary Engine Pickup (often REPU for short) was based on Mazda’s standard B-series pickup, which also provided the basis for Ford’s compact Courier truck. It was an interesting notion, but rotary engines by nature don’t make much torque, and like to rev, which makes them ill-suited for truck use. It didn’t take long for buyers to figure that out, and the REPU only hung around for four years.
What few rotary pickups Mazda did manage to shift have become sought-after by the Mazda faithful, naturally. It’s a great-looking little truck, and by all accounts fun to drive (I’ve never had the pleasure myself), but not brilliant at hauling or towing or, you know, being a truck. But it has to be fun to bomb around in a mini-truck that makes rotary noises.
This truck looks pretty clean, with only a little surface rust on the back edge of the cab, and the inevitable cracks in the vinyl dash top. I don’t know what the reproduction parts availability is like for these, with so few made, but I have a feeling you may have to learn to live with the cracks. The seat is covered up by a Mexican wool blanket – a requirement in old pickup trucks regardless of powerplant – so we can’t ascertain its condition.
Neither do we have any indication that the little 13B rotary engine runs. The seller mentions that it has factory air conditioning (non-functional) and that the engine is original, but doesn’t specify whether it runs or not. But a rotary with 70,000 miles on it is probably due for a date with a rebuild stand anyway.
Man, I miss rope hooks on the sides of trucks. Nothing says “let’s carry some shit” like a place to tie everything down built right into the truck.
This truck is listed on Craigslist in Los Angeles, but the ad says the truck is actually in Chicago, but was a California truck. And someone has done the Vermont registration trick with it, which makes me think it might actually run, wherever it is. You don’t bother plating a project that doesn’t run, do you?
1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 – make an offer
Engine/drivetrain: 5.7 liter V8, 4 speed manual, RWD
Location: Dyer, IN
Odometer reading: unspecified
Runs/drives? Oh yeah
All right; break out your mullet jokes and crank up the Iron Maiden, because I’ve got another Camaro for you. This time it’s the swoopy second-generation, a last-year Z/28 with all the trimmings, and – even better – a four-speed stick.
Chevy’s signature cheap-thrills machine was completely redesigned for the 1982 model year, which makes this 1981 model the last of its kind. Vehicles that weathered the regulatory storms of the 1970s with the same bodystyle often got uglier as well as slower as the regulations piled on, but I always thought the Camaro (and its Firebird sibling) wore the required rubber bumpers well. The early second-generation Camaros are gorgeous, but these later ones have a style all their own, and I think they pull it off.
This Camaro is said to have been a lifelong Arizona car, and restored in 2016. It does look nice. It’s certainly the cleanest interior I’ve seen in this era Camaro in a while. Nice shiny paint and what I assume are reproduction decals round out the package.
It’s powered by a Goodwrench “crate” 350 cubic-inch engine, which is certainly the quick and easy way to get a Chevy back on the road. It might even have a little more snort to it than the factory engine; these only had 165 horsepower to begin with. Enough to do donuts on your lawn, but not exactly a speed demon. Goodwrench crate engines came in a variety of power levels; you’d have to ask the seller which one this is.
If you’re going to buy a second-generation Camaro, it seems to me that you’d want to buy a good one, or not bother at all, because the bad ones are really bad. This looks like a good one. It’s probably going to set you back some; after languishing in the “Thrifties” section for ages, these cars are finally getting their due. Hagerty lists this car’s value at $35,300 in “Good” condition.
That’ll do it for this week. Tune in next week for… well, I don’t know what yet. But it’ll be a good time. Until then, you’ve got these two choices to mull over. And put your offers in the comments, and on Monday we’ll see who “wins.” Have a great weekend!
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
In all fairness a Corolla cross is a hatch back not a wagon… a RAV4 is more akin to a Corolla wagon, but they have grown absurdly since the 90s too. Or you know, you could just measure a 2022 Corolla wagon. You just can’t have one
I’ve been there, done that, and have moved on from the second gen F-body. I was the 4th owner of a ‘79 Camaro Berlinetta 350-4bbl/4-speed/posi from about 1996 until 2004. I knew the second and third owners. The second replaced the original Saginaw trans with an older Muncie 4-speed and added a Hurst Competition-Plus shifter and an Edelbrock intake manifold. The body was rusted beyond repair by the time I got it, but it was a very satisfying DD/winter beater when I owned it. Totally obsolete and underperforming in every way compared to my C5Z, I have zero desire to own one today, even as well preserved as this one appears to be.
No doubt, it’s the dorito truck for me
Bitchin’. Camaro.
‘Nuff said.
Who’s going to drive it up from the Bahamas?
That Z28 all day everyday, it is super clean, and the manual seals the deal, but it would have to be priced right. that one is super clean, but I would not pay more than 20K for it. I would enjoy driving that. not so much on the little buzz bomb. even if it were as clean as the z, it is still a terrible MPG little truck with a ticking timebomb of a motor. it would have to go to someone that really digs rotary motors I think
I love the tie-down hooks on these old mini trucks! That is the one thing I hate about my ’94 F150. There is no place to hook a strap! There is a hole in the front of the bed and one in the back of each bed side. That’s it. I could use some indentations for 2X4s to separate things in the bed, too. Those are VERY useful as well.
I know the Mazda is nothing but a curiosity piece at this point, but those are perfect for car shows and meet-ups. Your Camaro will get lost in the sea of muscle cars, but that Mazda will stick out like a sore thumb in a fun way. The example looks serviceable (keeping that great green color), although you’ll likely need to get creative with some parts. Although that Camaro looks very nice, I’m going with the lime green oddity today.
For a while on Craigslist in these parts (MO), it seemed like many a redneck listed “camaro parts” as an supplement for cash. That, or “FOID items” in IL. I called it redneck bitcoin. Was this just a midwest thing?
That is truly a Bitchin’ Camaro.
I would say a kitchen Camaro. Rebuilding parts at the kitchen Tae while DT washes parts in the dishwasher. Right DAVID?
Why the fuck would you want a Camaro with no T-ops? WTF?
I don’t want either enough to pay what they’ll go for, so I voted for the RPU that I want less on the assumption that I’m risking less imaginary money on a car I’m going to re-sell as is. Both are worth less to me than they are to a large number of potential buyers.
Triangle Truck is weird and wonderful. Make mine the Mazda.
I went for the Camaro as it is running and I like that body style. Not sure where it will end up in price, but money no object that would be my choice.
That Camaro is pretty bitchin. Just not $35,000 worth of bitchin. No way in hell Never knew these had risen that much in value, they look cool but were poorly built junk that couldnt pull a greasy string out of a cats ass stock
Ive never been a rotary fan, but the novelty factor here is thru the roof. Plus this thing is RARE, they didnt make many, very few survived. Suprised at how little/no rust is on this one.
For what it’s worth, it makes sense to me to call Autopians denizens of Autopia…
Went with the REPU because I have an unhealthy desire to one day experience the magic of rolling behind a spinning Dorito
Wow those rotary pickups are rare. They had a lot of changes done to them to make them handle better, had bigger brakes etc. Very cool little truck.
Well, it’s definitely worth more than I can afford, but I’d love to have that Camaro. I dig the disco-Camaros quite a bit, and that’s a lovely example.
The only REPU I’d want is that certain special one with an Olds 455 in the back, but we all know that one is stolen anyways.
As someone who grew up during the Disco Era, with both a Peach and powder blue leisure suit and the corresponding tight jeans I have to say this is not a decade to remember fondly. Remember the movie Howard the Duck? An alien creature in the form of a 6 foot tall duck has sex with Leah Thompson. Frankly her having sex with her son in Back to the Future 2 is less unsettling.
A cassette deck in an old Z-28 with a stick shift? Hell yeah! I’d have to go rummage around my parents attic to see if still had all of my obscure ’80s metal tapes–everything from Alcatrazz to Zebra.
My wife still has all her cassettes (including the entire Judas Priest catalog) and she picked up on the tape deck right away. And somebody sprung for a JVC! No Sparkomatic here, no sir.
Wow! Your WIFE has the whole JP catalog… on cassette?! There’s a keeper, my man.
I will be blaring “Dissident Aggressor” until the 6×9 Blaupunkt speakers get blaun aut as I peel outta the parking lot in the Camaro, mirrored shades glinting and hair billowing in the breeze.
She’s way cooler than me. What she’s doing with a weird car and sci-fi nerd like me I’ll never know.
JVC had the best sounding stuff. I bought a really. nice JVC cassette deck for my gf (wife)’s 87 GLI. In 93 or 94. This thought gets me going in the other article’s discussion about head units. Amps and speakers; you can’t be too rich or too thin or too successful or have too much amp power. Double your speakers rating for Max Headroom!
Camaro for me. I like the look and colour of that one. And chances are that at worst, that Goodwrench engine only makes the same HP as this thing had coming from the factory.
Note that the build sheet indicates it came with the LG4 305 CID engine with standard emissions. So that means it only had 165hp from the factory.
And that means this 350cid Goodwrench engine is a performance upgrade over the original no matter what way you slice it.
And I’m also willing to bet that the rotary truck gets the same (bad) fuel economy that the Camaro does.
The only reason to get the REPU is to have something rare/unique with a high novelty factor.
But for me, I’d rather have the Camaro.
Out of curiosity & for the more knowledgeable here, what would the Mazda be worth?
I can see the Camaro being overpriced due to seller expectations given current nostalgia, but the Mazda seems so niche.
Would it be a bargain, no matter the eventual price, or does a small be devoted fan base combined with the rarity keep prices where one would expect?
I’ve simply come to the conclusion there’s never going to be a Camaro I’ll vote for on the Showdown. Chalk me up for the Dorito truck. I’d get it just for that Rotary Power tailgate alone.
That’s the nicest ’81 Camaro I’ve ever seen. The paint, the graphics, and the factory alloys are gorgeous… but honestly, it’s too nice.
It’s like your college neighbor’s Barracuda, Mark. I’d just pull it out of the garage, wipe it down, drink a Busch, and carefully pull it back in. Y’know? Too nice to hoon the way it deserves.
The REPU, though, that’s a blank slate. If it runs, it’s already a local parts/grocery hauler, and if not, there’s an opportunity to build whatever crazy rotary setup you’d like. I’d respectfully wash it and clearcoat it to preserve its patina regardless.
You guys have fun with your camero and your iron maiden. I’ll be over here listening to devo and wondering what’s wrong with the rotary engine now
“If YOU have a PROBLEM, YOU must WHIP IT! WHIP IT GOOD!!!”…let’s see, apex seals, oil consumption, carb tune/choke failure, ignition coil, rust, wiring…very appealing to every man, woman, and mutant out there.
I’m sure you’re not alone. If you live in a small town, you might find a dozen or two.
Although I am Mustang guy my vote is for f-body. I know that Camaro comes from dark hairy machismo era but the cars should be driven. F-body is easy to work on. There are no problems with parts. It is a good base for a daily driver or a collection piece.
I love crate engines. We have good experiences with LS engines. They are quick and easy fix. Someone knew what they were doing by putting crate engine.
Hell yea brother! is my choice of these 2.
But I wouldn’t say no to a REPU either so…