Nicest Ones Left: 1992 Dodge Shadow Convertible vs 1988 Mazda 323 SE Hatchback

Happy Friday, Autopians! Today we’re looking at two cars I pulled from the Underappreciated Survivors For Sale group on Facebook. They’ve got to be just about the cleanest examples of their breeds left; seriously, wait till you see these things. But first, let’s see how yesterday’s pint-sized pair fared:

Narrow win for the 126P. That would be my choice as well; if I got a kei-sized truck, I think I’d rather have a Hijet with a dump bed on it. And I have always wanted a rear-engine Fiat or Renault, for no good reason.

One of my favorite used car categories is the well-preserved ordinary car. There’s just something about seeing something that should have been beaten to death, junked, and recycled into toasters decades ago still gleaming in the midday sun that makes me smile. They’re not the bargains they once were, but clean survivors are still out there if you look. One of today’s pair is certainly overpriced, at least by my standards, and the other is borderline, but it’s so charming that I still think it’s a good buy. Let’s see if you agree.

1992 Dodge Shadow Convertible – $4,950

Engine/drivetrain: 2.5 liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Black River Falls, WI

Odometer reading: 84,000 miles

Runs/drives? Great, according to the seller

The Dodge Shadow is one of those cars that instantly places you back in its time when you see it. Once upon a time, Dodge Shadows and Plymouth Sundances were everywhere. But as cheap cars tend to, they got used and abused, and had nearly all disappeared by the end of the decade. They exist now almost exclusively in memory, so when you see one, especially this new-looking, your mind goes back to the days of Bill Clinton and Jurassic Park. And it’s teal, with pink pinstripes. The only way this thing could be more early ’90s is if it were driven by the bass player of the Spin Doctors.

Everyone knew someone who had one of these. An ex-girlfriend of mine drove a Sundance for a while. She really liked it, except for a draft of cold air coming from somewhere under the dashboard in the winter. I told her I had never noticed a draft when I drove it, and she replied, “Yeah, but you’ve never driven it in a skirt, have you?”

Fair point.

Plymouth never got the convertible version; it was strictly available as a Dodge Shadow, in various trim levels. This looks like a mid-level one, with a 2.5 liter version of Chrysler’s long-running four that debuted in the K-car. The 2.5 has a bit more power than the 2.2, and is equipped with balance shafts for a little more refinement. The seller says this one runs and drives like it should, and everything works. It even still has the tonneau cover that fits over the top when it’s down.

And it really is clean. Central Wisconsin isn’t exactly a forgiving environment for cars six months out of the year, and I have a feeling that this one has never seen a single winter. Which is fine, as long as it gets plenty of use the rest of the year.

1988 Mazda 323 SE Hatchback – $8,999

Engine/drivetrain: 1.6 liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Sylmar, CA

Odometer reading: 62,000 miles

Runs/drives? Flawlessly, from the sound of it

I try not to make fun of the ads for cars, but one line in this ad jumped out at me: “Disclaimer: Offers from discerning classic/collectible auto enthusiasts will be considered ONLY.” Well, pardon me, but I’m off to play the grand piano. It’s a Mazda 323, dude. Come on. Granted, it’s probably the nicest Mazda 323 anyone has seen since they were in showrooms, but it’s still a mass-produced economy car, not a hand-built Italian exotic or something.

This BF-platform 323 is powered by a 1.6 liter engine making 82 horsepower, but a good chunk of that is sucked away by a three-speed automatic transmission that someone probably paid quite a lot extra for in 1988. The seller says this is a two-owner car, and the original owner was elderly, barely drove it, and kept it in a garage. It has had a recent timing belt service, all fluids changed, and a new battery installed. However, if I were you, I’d check the date codes on the tires; no mention is made of them having been replaced, and they could be twenty years old.

Honestly, I feel a little sorry for this car. Cars like this were meant to have been bought by recent college graduates, proudly driven to their new job at the office park, carried them through all kinds of adventures, taken them on that first date with Mister or Miss Right (and countless Mister and Miss Wrongs), been traded in on a Honda Odyssey after the second kid came along, and gone on to become some teenager’s first car, loved and abused at the same time. Instead, this one did pretty much nothing.

There’s still time to take it to Radwood or something, I suppose, where it would undoubtedly draw a crowd, but I would hope that whoever buys it would take it to an event five states away, and drive it there. This poor car needs some exercise.

I don’t imagine the sellers of either of these cars wants to see them get used like regular cars, but the fact is, they are just regular cars. Time capsules, yes, but just cars. It’s my opinion that all cars should be driven, even the “priceless” ones, and these are certainly not those. The age of gasoline is going away all too quickly; do we want to leave behind pristine examples of vehicles that can no longer be driven anyway, or a bunch of worn-out husks full of awesome memories? Which one of these do you want to use up?

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)