Good morning, and welcome to another week of bad vehicular choices! Today we have two uncommon vehicles from the desert southwest, both with low miles and a lot of life left in them. One is twice the price of the other, though. Does that make it twice the car, or half as good of a deal? That’s what we’re here to find out.
On Friday, it was all about me, me, me, as I made you choose between my favorites from last week. I suppose it was a foregone conclusion that the blue Nissan Pathfinder was going to win; even as the most expensive choice, it was the nicest by a wide margin. Too good to be true, some of you opined, but there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to go look at it.
The Pathfinder would be my choice as well, though I would be sorely tempted to at least go look at the camper. The Benz isn’t my style, really; if I were going to look for an old Mercedes, I’d make it a W123 or 126. And the Focus? Well, if you just need a cheap car, it’d do, but it’s nobody’s idea of a first choice.
All right, let’s take a look at today’s choices. By the way, there is a theme this week, but I’m not going to tell you what it is. I’m curious to see who picks up on it.
1986 Plymouth Gran Fury – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 318 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Waddell, AZ
Odometer reading: 92,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
You don’t see very many Plymouth Furys of this generation, or the previous one, and I don’t think it has anything to do with Chrysler’s often-shaky build quality. Rather, I think it’s because of Hollywood. The Fury, and its siblings the Dodge Monaco, Diplomat, and St. Regis, were the cop car of TV and movies throughout the 1970s and 80s. Sure, there were plenty of other makes, but the bulk of those cars you saw getting smashed up in chase scenes, or pulling up to a crime scene with the lead detective inside, were Mopars. I don’t think this one is a cop car, based on the presence of fake wire wheel covers and velour upholstery, but the basics are there: a cast-iron V8, a tough Torqueflite transmission, and that boxy, no-nonsense presence that cars just don’t have anymore.
The V8 in question is Chrysler’s 318, equipped with a two-barrel carburetor. It’s not the fastest thing for chasing down bad guys or anyone else, but it’s a solid, reliable engine. The biggest shortcoming for Chrysler V8s of this era was the notorious Electronic Lean Burn system, an emissions control system known for shitty idle, hard starting, and dull, lifeless performance. This one has had that system removed, and the carb and distributor replaced with standard items. It probably doesn’t make any more power than it did, but the drivability should be massively improved. The seller says it “goes down the freeway at 80 MPH no sweat,” quite an endorsement for a Reagan-era car shaped like an office building.
I can vouch for these cars being comfy highway cruisers. My wife and I had this car’s Chrysler sibling, the Fifth Avenue, for a while, and though it had its faults, ride quality and comfort were not among them. This one looks good inside, and the seller says everything works except the fuel gauge, which has a mind of its own.
Outside, it’s not perfect; there are some rust spots and some missing trim, but it’s also a $2,500 car. And you know this car can handle a little rust without falling to pieces, if you’ve ever seen photos of the infamous “Detroit Diplomat.” This thing is showroom-new compared to that one.
1996 Chevrolet Camaro RS – $5,000
Engine/drivetrain: 3.8-liter overhead valve V6, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Cave Creek, AZ
Odometer reading: 83,000 miles
Operational status: Ad doesn’t say, but I assume it runs and drives fine
I have mixed feelings about the fourth-generation Camaro and Firebird. I don’t like the looks of them nearly as well as the third-generation, but I concede that they are much better cars. I guess if I were going to get one, this would be the one I would want: a base model that’s old enough to still have recessed square headlights, but new enough to have the “good” V6 engine.
The V6 in question is the legendary Buick 3800 Series II, mounted longitudinally to drive the rear wheels, which it does in this case through a five-speed manual transmission. As far as I’m aware, this is the only way to get a 3800 with a stick. It was a huge upgrade from the earlier 3.4-liter engine, about forty more horsepower and a whole lot more refinement. It’s not easy to work on, being halfway stuffed underneath the windshield, but the 3800 is known for its reliability and low maintenance, so with any luck you won’t have to get in there very often. We don’t get any useful information about its condition, only that it comes with “full service records.”
Camaros aren’t known for luxury or refinement in general, of course; they’re more about looking cool while going fast. The interior design leaves something to be desired; it’s all that GM Fisher-Price-feeling gray plastic, along with gray fuzzy seats. The seats are comfy, though, and they look like they’re in good shape.
It’s clean outside too, and the paint is shiny, which means it must have been garage-kept. Cars left exposed to the Arizona sunshine don’t stay this glossy. The door panels and fenders on these are plastic like a Saturn, so it’s hard to say at a glance if it has any rust, but I’d be very surprised if it did.
So there they are, and as I said, there is an overarching them for the week, but I doubt today’s choices are enough to go on to guess it. I’ll say this: it’s sillier than you think. But would you expect anything else from me? Vote for your favorite, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.
(Image credits: sellers)
I will take both, if I had the money. They are equally good and equally horrible at the same time…
I have a soft spot for M-Body Mopars, having owned several 1980’s Diplomat/Fifth Ave/Fury models. It will probably outrun the Camaro too, in what would be a very sad drag race.
I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d buy a 4th gen GM F-body in any condition at any price. They have zero appeal to me.
And oddly, I kind of like the Chrysler M platform cars, so that’s a natural pick for me.
I had to go Camaro because 5spd, it’s worth more, and it’s sporty/more fun. I do like the Gran Fury especially w/ the V8 and in blue, but most of these types of cars from that era weren’t all that great especially w/ the emissions equipment smothering the engine; but then later the whole switchover to fuel injection improved things
Since I’m 72 years old, I would be exactly who people would expect to be behind the wheel, complete with a pork pie hat and a fuck-you-the-car-and-I-are-still-rollin’ sneer on my face.
A 1970s tech cop car that probably can’t be smogged in CA. Heck no.
That 3800 probably pulls as well as the 305 in my 84 Camaro back in the day. Gen 3 was the best looking, but I’d take a Gen 4 with a stick.
If the Camaro were a V8, maybe. But I’ve never really liked that body style of Camaro, while I do like old American land yachts.
Fury it is.
This one is tough. The 318 will almost live forever. Only the slant 6 was more durable in the Mopar world. But, 3800 with a stick? Mmmmm
I like them both and they each have engines I respect. I have to go Camaro on this choice. Good looking with a 3800 and a manual? Certainly.
I’d much rather make a rippin’ sleeper out of the Fury. Hubcaps on 15×8 steelies and some wide 60-series rubber in the back. Throw modern heads, cam, fuel injection, and quiet-ish exhaust at the 318, and I think you’ll surprise a lot of folks and still enjoy cruising down the highway in those cozy Lay-Z-Boy sofa seats.
I’ll take the cheap, reliable, and comfortable Mopar.
The Buick 3800 is also reliable. It is a difficult choice.
Both are just as good as each other, unless you are a Mopar loyalist…
Who the fuck would want a Camaro with no T-tops? LOL
That’s the whole reason you buy a Camaro.
I voted for the blue car. It might even have better build quality than a 4th gen F-body, where the plastic likes to peel and crack.
Camaro it is then. Much more interesting car even if it wasn’t for the manual. I think the theme of the week is low-mileage fwd cars from Arizona.
the Camaro would be my choice, simply because I have often wondered if the Glass rear end could handle a Turbo, and even though it probably does not work, I have always thought the 3.8 V6 Camaro’s of this year should have been available with a Grand National Turbo with the slightly updated Fuel injection systems of a decade later. Honestly though, even if you just daily drove it the 3.8 and manual makes for a pretty balanced vehicle and those low miles mean something on that car a bit more I feel like.
That 318 with the Electronic Lean Burn was just awful. My company issued Dodge Diplomat wagon of that era had it and trying to get through a gap in cross traffic could be harrowing. Most of the time, it felt like the carburetor’s acceleration pump was MIA as it would stumble, almost stall and then finally exert a little (not a lot) ooompf.
The Camaro is a no-brainer between these two. I have really liked the 3800 engine in the cars I’ve driven so equipped.
I want to say they’d gotten rid of Lean Burn or at least fixed it by ’86 but those were carbed to the last, in 1989 a year after even the bargain-priced Omnirizons got TBI.
All I had to see was the interior and I was all in for the Fury
I’ll take a 3.8L V6 manual Camaro any day over that old RWD Chrysler M-body. In terms of driving dynamics, it’s a night and day difference. The V6 F body will have better performance, better handling and better fuel economy. And certainly be way more fun to drive.
A V6 F-Body just isn’t right*, regardless of transmission. I’ll take the Mopar and have some fun Breaking Bad cosplay.
*Excepting the ’89 TTA.
That is the question of course, what would it take to recreate the TTA with this drivetrain and will the T5 and 7.5 inch rear end survive 16PSI of boost.
The Plymouth might be low mileage, but it’s not desirable enough to command that price. The manual in the Camaro gives it an edge that it needed, and the condition is icing on the cake.
You had me at stick shift!!
I’d rather have the Plymouth.
It’s far more useful and nobody is going to mess with you in that car.
Hmm. A silly theme? Okaaaay .. could be coupes vs. sedans, V-8 vs. V-6, or manuals vs automatics, but none of those is silly. Red vs Blue? Wheel covers vs. wheels? White sidewall stripes vs. black sidewall? Handbrake vs. pedal parking brake? Crank windows vs. electric? Cars you wished had been destroyed in the LA fires vs. cars you hope survived? MOPAR vs. the world? Intriguing possibilities.
Maybe rwd cars with sealed-beams? The Camaro has sealed-beams,right?
No brainer. Camaro.