Buy In Bulk And Save: Two 1989 Chrysler TCs vs Two 1990 Nissan Paos

Good morning! It’s Friday, which means it’s time for something special, and today we’re seeing double, with two pairs of cars offered for sale. There’s a surprising amount of similarity between the pairs, as well: colors, equipment, and conditions all line up almost too well. It’s like they were tailor-made for a showdown.

Yesterday’s cars weren’t so nice, but they amassed a lot of comments and sparked some good discussions, and that’s exactly what they were supposed to do. The Volkswagen “won,” but most of you weren’t terribly happy with either choice.

I think I would have to drive them both to see which one I preferred. The VW feels like a more honest deal, and a dealer that won’t tell you anything about a car and just says “As is – no warranty” doesn’t inspire much confidence in that Dodge. My gut feeling says VW, but the proof is in the driving.

There’s an old joke about Jaguar automobiles that you shouldn’t buy one unless you’re wealthy enough to afford two, so you can drive one while the other is broken. But it’s not uncommon for enthusiasts to own more than one of the same car, no matter what they are; you like what you like, and if you already have one and a “better” one comes along, what are you supposed to do, ignore it? Of course not.

And I’m just as bad, albeit on a smaller scale. Right now on my hobby workbench are two Futaba FX-10 RC buggies that I’m restoring at the same time: one stock, and one modified. One was meant to be a “parts car,” but you know how that goes.

These two pairs of cars can put you ahead of the game from the start. Both are pairs of similarly-equipped, rare vehicles in nice condition, the perfect start to a collection. Let’s check them out.

Two 1989 Chryslers TC By Maserati – $4,500

Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.2-liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Redmond, WA

Odometer readings: unknown

Operational statuses: Both run and drive but need a little work

The Chrysler TC by Maserati is no stranger to us here on Shitbox Showdown, of course. If memory serves, Thomas featured one in the very first Showdown, the day before I took over. And we’ve looked at a couple of them since. These Italian-built LeBarons with delusions of grandeur can often be found for sale cheap. They seem like they should be more collectible than they are, but for some reason, they have never come into their own.

These two TCs came from an estate sale, and are being offered either as a package deal or individually. Both of them are said to run and drive, but are in need of a little tinkering before they’re truly roadworthy. That seems to be the case with a lot of estate-sale cars; maintenance gets deferred as more important concerns take over. That’s as it should be, of course, but one would hope that the cars find new homes that will care for them as much as their previous owners did. These cars come with shop manuals and some spare parts to get you started.

As 1989 models, both of these cars are powered by Chrysler’s 2.2 liter Turbo II four-cylinder, coupled to a Torqueflite automatic. It’s not the coolest powertrain combination offered in the TC; that would be the rare 16-valve twin-cam turbo four, which came with a five-speed manual. But they only made 500 of those, and you won’t find one this cheap. The Turbo II is better if you actually want to enjoy the cars anyway, because you can actually get parts for it.

The interior of these cars is the most Maserati thing about them. Every surface is covered in leather or wood, and it’s way more comfortable than any old LeBaron ever was. They’re both in pretty good shape, though the yellow car seems to have a little more wear inside. It may have more miles on it. One important difference between them is that the red car has air conditioning, while the yellow one does not.

Two 1990 Nissans Pao – $7,200

Engine/drivetrain: 1.0 liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Odometer readings: 126,000 kilometers and 115,000 kilometers

Operational statuses: Both start and run, haven’t been driven in a while, need some work

The Nissan Pao needs no introduction around here, of course. The one and only Jason Torchinsky has one that he loves, and drives the hell out of, no matter how many deer he hits with it. The Pao is one of the legendary “Pike Factory” cars, along with the Be-1, Figaro, and S-Cargo, four charming and adorable little runabouts built by Nissan back when they were a force to be reckoned with instead of a punchline. These cars were never sold in the US, but quite a few of them have found their way across the Pacific since they aged out of the 25-year import embargo.

These two Paos were brought over by an importer in British Columbia. Plans have changed, the dealership is moving in a new direction, and the Paos have to go, and pretty cheaply, actually. It sounds like both of them needed some work when they were imported. They both run, but start hard, and the seller says they’ll both need some suspension work and other miscellaneous tinkering.

Unlike Jason’s Pao, these two are both equipped with automatic transmissions. Automatics are common in Japan from what I hear, especially in small city cars like these, so it’s not surprising. It does take some of the fun out of driving them, but it does nothing to decrease their charm. I just love the minimalist interior of these things. And they both have the big canvas sunroof, which is cool as hell. The red (sorry, “terracotta”) one’s top leaks and needs to be replaced, but the white one is new. These are both in good shape inside, but the seller says they need a good cleaning.

The Pao’s mechanicals, including its tiny 987 CC engine, are based on the Nissan March and Micra, which were also never sold here, but were available in Canada, so parts should be at least broadly available. The seller says that both cars have a record of their last timing belt changes, which is a good sign.

Having two of the same car makes sense if you really like them; you can mix and match parts and create one “good” one for special occasions and one “beater” to drive the snot out of. And if you have to dig into a big repair on one, you have the other car there as a reference. Of course, it means you have to have room to park two cars instead of one, but who are we kidding? If we want another car, we find room. Which one of these twosomes would you find a spot for?

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)