Z Is For: 1985 Zimmer Golden Spirit vs 1998 Honda Z

This is it. We’ve reached the end of the alphabet, and we’re finishing off with two cars that really don’t go together. But who said they had to? One is twice the price of the other as well, but it’s also twice the size. So on a per-pound basis, they probably cost about the same.

I had to get a little weird for the letter Y on Friday and put up a Yamaha side-by-side you can’t drive on the street against a  Lancia you can’t import yet. It wasn’t a great matchup, but I started this silly theme, and by gum, I’m gonna finish it, so I did what I had to do. You gave the Yamaha enough votes for the win, but it doesn’t sound like any of you were too happy about it.

I don’t think I can resist the idea of that Lancia Y for only 800 Euros, though. One or two of you mentioned taking a trip to Italy, using the car while you’re there, and putting it up for sale or into storage for a couple years before you leave. It’s a dumb idea, but it’s my kind of dumb idea, and I wholeheartedly approve it.

All right, let’s finish this stupid theme off. This was going to be Zimmer versus ZAZ, but over the weekend, my buddy Stephen Walter Gossin posted the cutest little Honda for sale in his neck of the woods in Slack, and, well, I just had to use it. I kept the Zimmer, though, because how can you not? Let’s check them out.

1985 Zimmer Golden Spirit – $14,500

Engine/drivetrain: 302 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Simi Valley, CA

Odometer reading: 72,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

Have you always wanted to cosplay as Cruella DeVil? Do you think the turning radius of most cars is just too tight? Have you ever wondered what Liberace would look like as a car? You’re in the right place. Allow me to present the Zimmer Golden Spirit, a neo-classical coupe based on, of all things, a Fox-body Ford Mustang.

Zimmer kept only the roof and doors of the original Mustang sheetmetal, replacing all the rest of the bodywork with fiberglass. The wheelbase is stretched more than three feet, all the way out to 142 inches – that’s even longer than a Chevy Suburban. The Mustang’s 302 V8 and three-speed automatic are stock, so finding parts when necessary should be no problem. This one runs and drives fine, and has covered 72,000 miles, which seems like a lot for a car like this. I can’t imagine anyone dailying something like this.

Inside, it’s just an early Fox-body Mustang, but with Recaro seats and a fancy steering wheel. It’s generally in good condition, but it appears the seats don’t match and it looks like one has been replaced. It’s loaded, of course; you can’t build a car like this and give it crank windows, as funny as that would be.

It’s clean and shiny outside, but good grief is there a lot of crap stuck on the outside of this car. There are a total of three spare tire covers on this thing – two on the fenders and one Continental kit in the back. And I’d be willing to bet that none of them actually contain a spare tire, and that the actual spare is a donut in the trunk well.

1998 Honda Z – $7,000

Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 656 cc overhead cam inline 3, four-speed automatic, AWD

Location: Wilmington, NC

Odometer reading: 90,000 kilometers

Operational status: Runs and drives well

Not in a neo-classical mood? How about something a little smaller? Here we have the Honda Z, a Japanese domestic market Kei car with an overall length shorter than the Zimmer’s wheelbase. But this isn’t your typical little front-wheel-drive hatchback; the Z has a secret hiding under its rear seat.

The Z is powered by a 656 cubic centimeter three-cylinder, which uses a turbocharger to make 63 horsepower, the agreed-upon maximum for Kei vehicles. None of this is unusual for a car like this, but the engine’s placement is. It’s mid-mounted, under the back seat, and drives all four wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. Ever dream about mid-engine rally cars like the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, or Ford RS200? This is like that, only tiny and Japanese.

It’s right-hand drive, of course, so drive-thru windows and toolbooths will present a challenge, but Kei cars are so narrow that you could probably just lean over far enough if you don’t have someone riding shotgun to help out. This car has 90,000 kilometers on it and shows a few signs of wear in the interior, but nothing too bad. It has power windows and locks, as well as air conditioning, which works fine.

It sits tall and is riding on some pretty beefy tires for a Kei car. The ad shows a photo of it driving on the beach, which could be fun with 4WD and mid-engine weight distribution. It’s in good condition, though it looks like the burnt-orange paint might be faded a little unevenly. Doesn’t make it any less adorable, though.

So that, I suppose you could say, is the long and the short of it. We’ve managed to find at least two cars from each letter of the alphabet. I’m still not sure what the rest of the week will bring, but I’ll figure something out. In the meantime, the choice is yours: pretend to be a rally driver in the tiny Honda Z, or go for Baroque with the Zimmer?