Well, I tried to pick nice sensible cars all this week. The trouble is, that’s just not in my nature. I love weird cars and old cars and unpopular cars, and I just can’t bear to look at another ad for something entirely practical. So I’ve found two very cool older cars that both run and drive well, so in theory you could actually use them as transportation. Is that cheating? I don’t care.
Yesterday’s hatchbacks generated more comments, and more votes, than I’ve seen in a long time. I guess you liked them. The Honda Fit in particular seemed to have a lot of fans in the comments, and that did translate to a win in the votes, but it was closer than you might think. I think the Chevy Sonic being half the age and having a bunch more options gained it some followers.
I really like that little Sonic, and I think it would be the more entertaining to drive of this pair, but I think the Fit would be the better car to own. Honda is still Honda, after all, and nobody knows more about building good small cars. I confess I’ve never driven a Fit with a manual, nor a second-generation one like this, but I can’t believe it’s anything but pleasant – if not quite as much fun as that turbocharged Sonic.
Yesterday’s cars demonstrate just how good modern cars are, and that’s also reflected in the fact that the average car on American roads is now damn near thirteen years old. I guess that makes me above average, because the average age of the cars in my household is over thirty. I clearly like my vehicles older, and I’m not afraid to put them to work, either. Yeah, things can and do break, but they’re also a lot easier to fix. The daily-driven old-car life isn’t for everyone, I realize, but if you think it might be for you, take a look at this pair.
1972 Chevrolet G20 Beauville – $4,500
Engine/drivetrain: 350 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Dripping Springs, TX
Odometer reading: 52,000 miles (probably rolled over)
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Full-size vans have never been at the cutting edge of any automaker’s designs; after all, how many different ways can you style a box on wheels? But General Motors has been especially stubborn when it comes to designing new vans. Since 1971, there have only been two body styles of full-size Chevy van: the G series like this one, which lasted all the way until 1996, and the Express, which is still in production. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I guess.
Of course, even though the basic body style stayed the same for years, there were dozens of configurations available. What we have here is a 3/4 ton van, in the medium 125-inch wheelbase, equipped with a 350 V8 and a Turbo-Hydramatic 350 transmission. It’s the Sportvan passenger-type van with windows, in the high-end Beauville trim, and it has such fancy options as power steering and air conditioning. It runs and drives great, according to the seller, and it recently had the fuel pump and water pump replaced.
Although it was a pretty fancy van when it was new, it shows some age now. The vinyl upholstery is rough, and the headliner is completely absent. The seller calls it a “great starting point,” and I think that’s probably the best assessment. By the way, it also has what looks like a propane heater installed in the back, which is a good start towards a camper conversion.
It’s not too rusty outside; the only trouble areas the seller mentions are the drip rails around the roof. The paint is worn and faded, but it’s not unattractive, and the mustard-yellow color is perfect for the era. You could leave the exterior pretty much as it is and still turn heads.
1975 Dodge Dart Swinger – $4,900
Engine/drivetrain: 225 cubic inch overhead valve inline 6, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Kent, WA
Odometer reading: ad says 100,000 miles, probably not correct
Operational status: Runs and drives well
If a van isn’t quite your style, but you still want something 70s, may I suggest a nice Dart? This two-door hardtop, equipped with the “Swinger” package, is about as 70s as it gets, with its brown paint, vinyl top, and Rallye wheels. These cars were absolutely everywhere even when I was in high school in the late 1980s; I had several friends with Darts and Valiants. But they’re getting thin on the ground these days, so seeing a decent one for a fair price like this is a treat.
Darts were available with some wild powerplants during the muscle car era, but the vast majority of them, even then, left the factory with the “Leaning Tower Of Power,” Chrysler’s famous Slant Six. This is the 225 cubic inch variant, backed by a Torqueflite three-speed automatic. It’s a combination known for reliability and durability, and the seller (a small dealership that appears to specialize in classics) says it fires right up and runs well.
It’s a little scruffy inside, but not terrible. The front seat needs reupholstering, and someone cut holes for speakers in the door panels. I don’t know what happened to the speakers, but I like to think they were Sparkomatics ordered from the Crutchfield catalog and were blown out sometime in 1986 by blasting Night Ranger. If you were planning to restore the whole car, you’d probably want to find replacement door panels, but it’s probably easier to just stick some speakers back in there.
It has some rust in the rear quarters, and the clear coat is failing, but I don’t see any rust peeping out from under the vinyl top, where so many cars this age rust out. The white-letter BF Goodrich tires are a nice touch, and the seller says they’re in good condition.
Yes, you’re absolutely right – life would be a great deal easier with a nice silver Camry than with either of these. They won’t be nearly as economical, safe, or comfortable. But if, like me, you just can’t bring yourself to do that, either one of these should be a reasonably reliable way to get around. Or, if you already have a boring everyday car, they’d make wonderful weekend toys without the daunting prospect of a full-on project car. Which one grabs your attention?
(Image credits: sellers)
I bought a 74 Valiant in 1981 ran okay interior was in fine shape paint looked good 35,000 miles for $2,000. No way paying more than twice the price
Probably neither. How much for the dog pictured with the van?
When I was in early grade school, my parents had a Polaroid Swinger. Many years later, I started wondering whether they were into swapping pictures and/or partners.
My mom is 88 and I will never ask her about that.
I like Chevy G-vans, and a Beauville version like that was probably originally used to tow a travel trailer or a boat on family vacations, but in its successive lives it’s harder to tell where all it’s been and what all has gone in inside it. And something about the blurry pictures just makes it look a little too skeevy somehow. I keep imagining the aroma of wet dog and whatever moldy boxes and stuff were probably stored in it as it sat in somebody’s back yard or behind the garage for a couple of decades.
The Dart, on the other hand, seems reasonably well kept, if well-used. But a slant-six Dart is largely unkillable short of running over it with a truck, and parts availability for repairs or upgrades is good. Plenty of opportunity for it to be a simple, fun car that will make people who remember them smile. The Dart wins this one.
Yeah, I like both of these but on this I gotta go Dart SWINGER! It’s so awesome w/ a great name and has the Slant 6…Mopar rules. I still like the V8 in the VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER! (and the dog)
Great choices today Mark!
No honking way am I touching a ’70s Mopar product. The Chevy, by contrast, has some promise as a starting point for something big, dumb, and fun.
70’s vans are cool, and this one has great patina, and the Dart, well, its a Dart.