Welcome back! Today we’re conducting a little thought experiment: Given the same purchase price, are you more interested in a super-clean example of a boring but competent car, or one of the greatest sports cars ever made in appalling condition?
This matchup is inspired by yesterday’s little economy cars. Of course the CRX won yesterday, in an absolute blowout. Nobody, including me, wants a Tercel when they can have a CRX for five hundred bucks less. I knew that going in, but how often do you find a clean Tercel of that era? I had to feature it, even though I knew it was going to lose big.
But those two were in about the same condition. The CRX had more miles on it, but ran better, otherwise they were both pretty clean. This meant that most of you probably cast your votes based on the CRX being cooler and more fun.
What would happen, I wondered, if they weren’t in the same condition? If the price is the same, what happens if a near-spotless example of an undesirable car goes up against a badly-abused and poorly-modified example of a desirable car? Would that change things? Just how bad does the “good” car have to be for you all to choose the “bad” car over it? We’re about to find out.
1984 Pontiac 6000 LE – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.8-liter overhead valve V6, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Cheyenne, WY
Odometer reading: 66,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
General Motors vehicles have often followed a pattern: the engineers come up with something brilliant, the accountants penny-pinch it half to death, the marketing people rush it into production, and then the engineers gradually undo all the damage done and fix the problems. The front-wheel-drive X-body was a mess when it first came out, but GM engineers learned from their mistakes, and the FWD A-body that followed turned out to be a pretty good car, and stayed in production for 14 years.
This Pontiac 6000 is a fairly early car, lacking the refinements of later A-bodies. It still has a carburetor atop its 2.8 liter V6, and its transmission is just a simple TH125C three-speed. But it’s a nice low-mileage example that has had only two owners and has been well cared-for. The seller says it runs and drives “beautifully,” and recently took it on a road trip down Interstate 25 from Cheyenne to Denver. It’s not a long road trip, but it’s encouraging nonetheless.
Inside, it’s an absolute time capsule. I can look at this photo and know exactly how this interior feels, sounds, and smells. I can hear the click of the turn signal stalk and feel the plastic rim of the steering wheel. A lot of you dislike GM cars from this era, I know, but to me this looks like home. This car also highlights what it was like to have a la carte options available; you’d never see a car equipped with a power seat but manual crank windows even ten years after this.
It’s clean and shiny outside, and since Wyoming doesn’t use road salt, it’s probably clean underneath as well. I believe this may have been a fleet vehicle of some sort; I see what looks like a unit number in one photo.
1996 Mazda MX-5 Miata – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: Supercharged 1.8-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: El Cajon, CA
Odometer reading: 121,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives, but stalls at stoplights
Who doesn’t like a first-generation Miata? They’re cute, fun to drive, user-friendly, economical, and reliable. It’s no wonder enthusiasts say “Miata is always the answer.” I had one myself for many years, and only reluctantly sold it when I bought my MG and thought it was silly to have two small sports cars. Sadly, I sold mine back when they were cheap; these days, good Miatas are going up in price, as the rough ones age out or get modified to death.
I’ll just come right out and say it: I do not consider this a good Miata, and I do think it has been modified very nearly to death. It has an aftermarket supercharger bolted to its 1.8 liter twin-cam engine, and while I’m sure it has increased the power output, it sounds like it has ruined the Miata’s easy-going nature. The seller says it idles rough and stalls at stoplights. There is probably some tuning that can be done to alleviate this, but honestly, I don’t think a little extra power is worth it.
The questionable modifications continue inside: The airbags are gone, it has that ridiculous katana-handle shifter, and the characteristic “eyeball” vents in the dash have been removed and replaced by gauges related to the supercharger. At least the seats look like they’re in decent shape. The outside is, of course, a greatest hits of terrible ideas: lowered suspension, a hideous body kit, aftermarket wheels, and LED headlights with those halo thingies.
The rear window is shot, and I bet the rest of the top isn’t far behind. Replacing a Miata top isn’t as difficult as some other convertibles, but it’s still a few hundred bucks and a day’s work to do it right. The fire extinguisher is probably a good idea, but the “roll bars” are probably useless. It’s just a sheetmetal shelf under that carpet, and if the bars have a flange at the bottom that simply bolts to it, as I suspect, then it offers negligible protection. A proper roll bar for a Miata attaches to the tub at the sides, along the seat belt towers, and actually stiffens the structure quite a bit. But this is not that.
I’m not being very impartial on this one, I realize, but if you’re a regular reader you probably already know which one of these I prefer. But I’m curious to hear what you all think. Can you make a compelling case for that Miata? Can you allow yourself to “settle” for the Pontiac instead? I’m honestly curious to see which way this one turns out.
(Image credits: Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist sellers)
“A proper roll bar for a Miata attaches to the tub at the sides, along the seat belt towers, and actually stiffens the structure quite a bit.”
Not only that, but to install the bogus roll bars it looks like they removed the factory brace that actually does help stiffen the structure. It’s a shame when good cars happen to bad people.
Yeah, even though the Miata is a stick, I’m definitely taking the clean, clean 6000! I miss Pontiac and would enjoy this one
Miatas are fun. This one is not. While I would prefer a four speed and a 3.1 EFI in the Pontiac, at least it is an honest vehicle still, rather than a pimped out disaster.
The Pontiac is an honest machine. It’s not trying to be anything that it’s not. That Miata is the epitome of everything I hate about the bros that drive the modified examples you see around. As much as I would like to own a Miata, this ain’t the one. I’m voting for the GOOOLE just for it’s honesty about what it is.
66,000 miles? Bah. My Pontiac 6000 had 240,000 when it was killed by a middle-of-the-night hit and run as it sat parked in front of my apartment. (Perp turned left badly and hit my car’s front left corner, and pushed my car into my roommate’s car.)
That Miata is toast – I want the GOOOLE!
Just for that trunk deck alone.
As the article said, later A-bodies were pretty squared-away, especially with the 3800. This earlier carbureted 2.8 version was far from the apex of the lineup, but I would take it over that clapped-out Mazda any day. The Pontiac is in shockingly good (visual) condition.
“clapped-out Miata”
Looks like a case of syphlis too…
Anybody who picks the pontiac over the miata is an idiot. You can sell the supercharger for almost $2000 and turn this into a spec miata and live out your racing dreams. Or tune the supercharger and make this a solo racer, weekend track toy or drift car. Do yall not remember how bad these GM cars were when they were NEW??
Yeah, that was my thought. That Miata will never be any good as a daily driver again, but it’s still a Miata. Buy it, strip it, and build yourself a track toy for cheap.
I’m not a fan of the early A-bodies’ styling, however this 6000 is a time capsule and I dig the brown interior with the unconventional selection of power features.
And the 2.8 has a particular note I’ve liked since forever. I could even see this thing being rented for movie sets once in a while as it looks that good for its age
OTOH, I like Miatas and I’ve dipped my toes into ownership of molested vehicles. But this one is far too gone and I want nothing to do with it.
So early, clean FWD A-body for me.
That 6000 is gonna clean up at Radwood.
Gimme the Pontiac. At least it’s all there. Anything that breaks can be fixed with a hammer. And it’ll actually pass inspection for use as an ice cream cruiser. That Miata sadly won’t without major work.
That Pontiac is an honest survivor. The Mazda has barely survived (and I can smell the vape from here). Gimme the 6000 and point me towards the nearest Radwood.
Having been the driver of a Chevy Celebrity and a Old Cutless Ciera back in the 80s – yeah, I’ll take the Mazda. Plus who doesn’t want a samurai sword shifter!
Miata for the win…usually. except for this one. And usually a pontioldsmobuick is a floating couch on wheels, but not this one. No bench no fuel injection, no go. And 3 grand? What kinda crack they smokin out in cheeseland? I had one 15 years ago, little body damage but serviceable, bench seat, believe it was a 3800 engine, God it was a great car, style doesn’t matter from the inside, drove back and forth from buffalo to Boston. Paid $200
Oh, forgot to vote, neither for the win
I’d take the burned out shell of a Miata over just about any GM. Especially a ponti-ack from the 1980s, ugh.
I’d still take the Miata. I drove 80’s GMs of this era. They are not worth saving. They were terrible to drive at the time, and the years have not made them better.
At least with the Miata, my efforts would be obviously rewarded. With the Pontiac, no matter how much effort I waste, It will still be a terrible POS (at best).