Another Perfect Two-Car Solution: 1979 Ford Ranchero GT vs 1985 TVR Tasmin 280i

Welcome to the end of another week! I’ve been slowly increasing the price range this week, and we’re topping out at just under five figures – and hoo boy, are we going out with a bang. I think you’re all going to like these two.

Our Japanese sports cars yesterday seemed to go over pretty well too, though once again it was a case of the tone of the comments not reflecting the outcome of the vote. I thought the little Datsun roadster had this one sewn up, but not so much. You must all be big fans of Doritos, because the RX-7 won this round handily.

I’m right there with you – I will destroy a bag of Doritos given half a chance, and I am a huge fan of the early Mazda RX-7. I almost bought one once, a ratty 1980 model in a sort of a burnt-orange color, but it wouldn’t start when I went to look at it. Probably for the best. This one, which runs fine, I feel better about. I imagine the comments about it not passing a smog test are probably accurate, but that doesn’t apply to some of us.

It was not as easy as I thought it would be, finding vehicles to write about in the $7-10k range. The trouble wasn’t that I found too few; it’s that I found way too many. That seems to be something of a sweet spot for cool used cars these days, so much so that I might make a whole week out of this price range alone. These two ended up at the top of my list, but it was a hard choice. Let’s check them out.

1979 Ford Ranchero GT – $7,800

Engine/drivetrain: 351 cubic inch overhead valve V8, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Odometer reading: 25,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

Malaise-era muscle cars don’t command a lot of respect. After the horsepower wars ended in a haze of government regulations and spiraling insurance costs, all that was left were the stripe packages. Detroit tried to keep the magic alive, but it was like the drunk guy trying to go on a beer run at one o’clock in the morning. Everybody else knows the party’s over, but bless his heart for trying to keep it alive.

But despite the low compression ratios and miles of vacuum lines, the recipe for something more fun was there: a rear-wheel-drive chassis and a big engine bay with plenty of room for whatever you want to do with it. This one has a 351 crate engine in place of whatever boat anchor it originally came with, sending four hundred horsepower to the rear wheels through a Tremec five-speed manual. It has suspension upgrades to help control all that power, new wheels and tires, and full dual exhaust all the way back.

The seller has a new carpet set that needs to be installed, but the rest of the interior looks good. I love the juxtaposition of the five-speed shift lever next to that thin ’70s Ford steering wheel. The GT was the fancy Ranchero, so it has power windows and air conditioning – which works, by the way. Too many times, hot rod builders rip out the A/C system when upgrading the engine; kudos to this builder for keeping it intact.

Outside, it’s, well, ridiculous. Ford designs in the ’70s were studies in excessive front and rear overhangs and overblown styling. Somehow it works, though, especially with the GT stripes and the slight rake from being jacked up in the rear. The paint looks to be original, and it’s in decent shape, except for a big blemish behind the left front wheel. I wish we had a better picture of that so we could see what’s going on there.

1985 TVR Tasmin 280i – $9,999

Engine/drivetrain: 2.8 liter overhead valve V6, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Encinitas, CA

Odometer reading: 21,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

There are certain bragging rights associated with having the rarest car at a gathering. You think you’re hot shit with your Indy Pace Car Edition Camaro, but then some guy shows up with a Mondial and steals your thunder. But in the hierarchy of rare cool cars, there are nameplates that basically win any time, and one of those is the pride of Blackpool, England: TVR. The legendary maker of lightweight, fast deathtraps tried a few times to import its cars to the US, and this 1985 Tasmin 280i is one of only 500 of its kind to make it to these shores.

As a small, boutique automaker, TVR had to rely on other companies for components for its cars. The Tasmin is powered by a Ford 2.8 liter Cologne V6, just like your buddy’s old Ranger. It’s fuel-injected, and sends power to a Jaguar rear diff through a five-speed manual. The Tasmin has a lightweight steel tube frame with fiberglass bodywork, and weighs only 2,300 pounds, so the 160-horsepower Ford V6 is plenty. The seller says it runs and drives well, and is a lot of fun to drive. I believe it.

It’s in beautiful shape inside, though I’m sure you could find a few flaws if you looked hard enough. TVR is a low-volume British automaker, after all, which means the fit and finish is somewhere between Lotus and kit cars. That also explains the blocky, awkward layout of the interior. But it also looks like the sort of thing you just want to hop in and head for the nearest two-lane road. It does have air conditioning, by the way, but the seller says it doesn’t work. Who cares? It’s a roadster.

The Tasmin was designed by a guy with the most British name ever: Oliver Winterbottom. It has that wedge shape that everyone copied from Giugiaro in the 1970s and 80s, and I’m afraid a few onlookers might think it’s a Triumph TR7. It will be up to this car’s new steward to set them straight.

So that’s what we’ve got for this Friday: a hot-rodded malaise-era survivor, and a low-volume British exotic for Miata money. Personally, I like them both, and if you’re like-minded, I’m going to give you the opportunity to vote for both of them. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week!