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)
Jeep because I already have a 66 c10 project.
I would have probably gone C10 if the year was a 67 to 72. I just like those bodies better. the Jeep is kind of a unicorn as it is not completely rotted out, it is a somewhat desirable drivetrain, and it has not been modded to the world or on BAT for 16K. Basically it is a solid daily hooptie, especially for the winter. And when summer comes you can likely start the modded to the world journey.
I’m going with the Oldsmobile. It has low mileage, isn’t rusted out and won’t get lousy fuel economy like the Jeep or the old project truck.
C-10! C-10!! C-10!!! C-10!!!
I’ll take the C10, though the battle in my head between that and the Jeep was pretty brutal.
Jeep is definitely the only answer to this question. Drive it as is, or go crazy. You can’t go wrong.
Jeep. It’s a decent deal for that price and you know you want it. I hear ya on the AW4 automatic, but they’re pretty durable so long as they don’t seep too much fluid through the inevitable XJ leak spots and they work decent enough. I winter daily mine and appreciate the break from the clutch pedal in traffic.
V8 4-speed C10 > all
This is the correct take.
I think Mark said it comes with an extra bed, which is good considering all the sunlight under that truck.
I want to agree, but the legroom in those old trucks is awful and I’m not sure I could actually drive one with a clutch.
Yeah. You aren’t kidding. I have a 72 C10 and I’m 6′ tall. It’s an auto, so at least I don’t have to worry about a clutch. But I can barely get into the driver’s seat and the steering wheel practically rubs the top of my legs. There is no “arms length” grip on that wheel either. My elbows are at a 90′ angle, and that’s as far away as I can get from it.
Clearly the term “ergonomics” had yet to be coined in the 60s or 70s.
My ’89 K1500 isn’t a hell of a lot better, honestly.
Fair.
Went for the Jeep (again), but the C10 is a close second. I’m not sure if a shorter bed would’ve cinched it, but it’d be easier to park.
Could fix that real quick with the gas axe and a coat hanger.
Olds Man(TM)
I picked the Volvo yesterday.
But the XJ is better than any of today’s contenders. So I’m going with it
What are the odds of doing that?
#itdeservesa2ndchance
Most definitely the XJ Jeep. My son and I each had 2 and except for the one that was totaled in a head-on crash (only broken ribs) they all rusted away and I’d still take my 95 Country edition again.
Jeep, it’s the only one I’d be excited to drive. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
I don’t need another truck.
I don’t need another truck.
I don’t need another truck.
Voted for the truck.
As someone who DD’d a 1997 Taurus (3.0 Vulcan, 4 speed auto didn’t blow up) for more years than I necessarily wanted without any real issues ever?
Olds Achieva looks like it’d be pretty much the same experience behind the wheel.
The other three look varying degrees of painful, or at least slip-slidin’ away on the seat, without significant work.
I know the Jeep will win, but I like the Achieva. Why? It’s a cool early example of Olds trying to stay relevant. Sure, the Aurora and Intrigue might do it better, but I like that Olds really did try here.
The pickup and Jeep are just those, for better or worse, and the Impala is aggressively meh, but the Achieva took some chances to make an old man car brand cool again. I appreciate that.
FYI, “V8 project truck” and “rusty Chevy”, isn’t a huge difference and leads to mistakes when you don’t look at it long enough.
Jeep
I don’t need a cruiser, have access to trucks with actual beds (though none are cool like the C10), and I wanna go boonie-bashing.
Cherokee, of course.
I should disqualify myself. I drove all these when they were new — except the Olds, which demonstrated its Quad 4 power by snapping a transmission shaft like a carrot before I got it out of the driveway, and the C10, which I’m assuming isn’t all that different from the Chevy pick-’em-ups I drove later — and became a Cherokee fan on the spot. Ignoring the rust which will inevitably consume the XJ, I’d still shell out for it first.
However, I agree with the Esteemed Mr Tucker: mine MUST have a manual transmission.
I like the idea of using my project vehicle to pick up its own parts. C10 me, baby.
I don’t have garage space for a third car, and none of these could make me sell my DD, so I would buy one that would sit outside and be the go to work/ gas saver (maybe)/ keep miles off my main truck mule. So I picked the Impala
“An old beat up Chevy pickup. Well, isn’t that special. And it comes with an extra bed? How con-VEEN-ient! And just look at the black paint job! I wonder, could it be C10?”
I’ll take the Blurple Jeep. I like the body style
None of these speaks to me especially, so I’m going to vote for the one that is clearly in the best shape.
I might be the only one, but I’m taking the Olds.
I’m with you. Has an airbag, doesn’t look ready to become origami, a little interesting.
I’d daily it.
Same with me. It’s rare enough on the roads to be cool-ish. Decent fuel economy and at least some basic safety features.
Definitely, the Olds is far more interesting than the others. The pickup is an antique, the Jeep is a bit rough for the price, and that Impala is DOOOOOOOMED.
It’s not shown here, but the view of the Achieva from the rear is perhaps the best – very strikingly futuristic without going full-on blob like much else of the era.
The Olds would be my second choice after the C10. More economical than the Jeep, and not an expansion joint away from snapping in half like the Impala. If you just need basic transportation on a tight budget it’s a good deal.
I’m all in on the Olds. My uncle had a Skylark in white that I remember fondly. But I do wonder what it’s like to be in one that doesn’t reek of Marlboro Reds.
This is the most interesting car in the lineup somehow. Which nobody would have said in 1995, but hey, times have changed.
Purple Jeep or you’re a creep.
Blech