pnomanikon
Senior Member
(NOTE: I posted this over on a car forum I participate in, but was curious to see what responses I got over here)
As a kid growing up in the 60s, I was witness to some of the greatest (read: "Coolest!") cars ever made. You could tell a Chevy from a Ford from a Dodge from a mile away. Imports were mostly a novelty. Cars had personality and individuality - like the Pacer, Cosworth Vega, VW Thing, 'Cuda, Riviera boat tail, The Judge, etc. Not that these were all well-engineered vehicles (they weren't), but you have to admit - they had personality.
With all this spare time I have now (retired plus the COVID-19 distancing), I started dreaming about what I would do if I could go back in time to where I was 10 years old (1968) and buy one car each year through 1985, when I got married and reverted to minivans. Ha! No exotics or "Garage Queens" like Shelby 427s or Lamborghinis, but cars you could actually use on a daily basis. Except maybe the DeLorean and the '69 Corvette L-88.
What cars would you go back and buy if you had a second chance?
Here we go....
Year | Make/Model | Engine Transmission | Link | Notes: |
1968 | Oldsmobile Toronado | 455-4v V-8 (400HP) Auto | 68 Toronado | Front-Wheel-Drive! 400 HP! 5,000 pounds of personal luxury. And, the coolest scrolling speedometer ever! Ahead of its time. |
1969 | Chevrolet Corvette | L-88 427-4v 430HP HD 4-Speed | 69 Corvette | Actually well over 500 HP. Only 216 L-88 Corvettes made from 1967-1969. They were intended for the racetrack. This one (along with the '71 Cuda) is part of my retirement plan. A mint L-88 would bring around $3 Million.. |
1970 | Ford Ranchero GT | 429-4v Cobra Jet 4-Speed | 70 Ranchero | 370 HP and all that practicality! Who would expect a 429 Cobra Jet engine in a "gentleman's pickup"? Surprise!! |
1971 | Plymouth Barracuda Hemi Convertible | 426 Hemi 4-Speed | 71 Cuda | Less than a dozen built. One in mint condition just sold at auction for $3.5 Million. This is Part II of my retirement plan. |
1972 | Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser | 455-4v V-8 (L-75) Automatic | 72 Vista Cruiser | "That 70s Show" fans will understand (except that was a '69 VC). A piece of Americana. Lots of fun with the 455 Rocket V-8. |
1973 | Cadillac ElDorado Convertible | 500-4v V-8 Automatic FWD | 73 Cadillac | One of the last 5,000-pound American luxury convertibles. And one of the last 500 cubic inch engines! Prepare for 10 MPG. Prepare to be in every town parade. |
1974 | Volkswagen Thing | 1.6 Air-Cooled H-4 4-Speed | 74 VW Thing | Fold-Down Windshield, Removable Doors, Removable Top. Nothing else like this "European Jeep". VW reliability. |
1975 | International Scout 4X4 | 345-4v V-8 Automatic | 75 Scout | Unstoppable. Unbreakable. Unrefined. Go-anywhere 4x4. I've seen them go through mud, deep water, & deep snow. |
1976 | Dodge Dart Sedan | 225-1v "Slant 6" Automatic | 76 Dart | I learned to drive on my family's full-size Chevy with manual steering. I took the driving test on a Dart with power steering, so the parking test was a breeze. The Slant 6 would run forever. |
1977 | Chevrolet Caprice Sedan | 250-1v I-6 | 77 Caprice | First of the downsized cars. Still roomy, comfortable, and quiet. The 250 "Straight 6" was classic. Smooth and simple. |
1978 | AMC Pacer | 304-2v V8 Automatic | 78 Pacer | Get your "Wayne's World" T-Shirt washed and ironed! One of the most bizarre styling jobs of the 70s (along with the Gremlin). |
1979 | Jeep J-20 Pickup 4x4 | 360-2v V-8 4-Speed | 79 Jeep J-20 | Everyone needs a pickup truck sometime. Might as well get a rugged, go-anywhere work truck. |
1980 | Chevrolet Chevette | 1.6-1v 4-Speed | 80 Chevette | My wife drove a "Vette" when we dated and married. Rugged little car with very comfortable seats. Cheap to own and reliable. Sold it with over 120K miles. Memories! |
1981 | DeLorean | 2.9 EFI V-6 Plus Flux Capacitor | 81 DeLorean | Come on, who wouldn't want one of these in their garage? Just don't push "2020" on the destination calendar. |
1982 | Saab 900S | 2.0 EFI Non-Turbo 5-Speed | 82 Saab 900S | One of the pioneers in safety and practicality. Front Wheel Drive, tons of room, great visibility, durable, economical. Too bad GM destroyed and abandoned this fine company. |
1983 | Pontiac 6000 LE Sedan | 4.3 V-6 Diesel Automatic | 83 Pontiac 6000 | My parents owned one of these (with the 2.8 V-6). Great handling w 14" Tires and comfortable. I'd like to try the 4.3 V-6 Diesel which had most of the early bugs worked out. 40MPG and comfy room for 5 with luggage. |
1984 | Ford Escort L Diesel Wagon | 2.0 Diesel 5-Speed | 84 Escort Diesel | This is one I actually owned new! My base L wagon with a Mazda built diesel engine averaged 40MPG City - 55MPG Highway. We drove from Hampton VA to Alaska on 100 gallons! Only 54 HP, so leave early and allow plenty of time. When it was -20 Degrees (F), I could idle it overnight on 1 gallon of fuel. |
1985 | Buick LeSabre Limited 4dr Collector's Edition | 5.0 V-8 (Olds 307) Automatic w O/D | 85 LeSabre | This is another one I owned, but not until 1996. Bought used - MINT CONDITION from retired couple. So smooth and quiet! And the soft velour seats were incredible! Olds 307 V-8 rocked, but liked to drink gas. Sold it with 135K miles, still looked new! |
Honorable Mentions: (Very close 2nd place finishers)
1968 Plymouth GTX Convertible with Hemi and 4-Speed - a cleanly styled classic
1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible with 428-4v Cobra-Jet V-8 and 4-Speed
1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 with W30 Package (455-4v V8 at 370 HP and HD 4-Speed)
1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS-454 w 4-Speed (Only a few hundred made with 4-speed)
1971 Buick Riviera GS 455 - with the unique "Boat-Tail" design
1972 MG Midget convertible - to drive when the Cosworth Vega is broken.
1974 VW Beetle - Tough choice for '74 between the Beetle and Thing. Thing is much more rare and is more practical, so it won.
1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega - to drive when the MG Midget is broken
1976 Ford Bronco w 200-1v I-6 and "Three on the Tree" - a simple, rugged 4x4. (This is pre-OJ Simpson)
1977 Pontiac Firebird T/A 6.6 (Black w T-Top and Smoky and the Bandit Gold Firebird Hood Decal)
1977 AMC Gremlin - 258-1v and 4 speed - A Classic!!
1978 Suzuki Brute - LJ80 - A 2,000-pound SUV ready to tackle the narrow trails (early models had 2- or 3-cylinder 2-Stroke engines!!)
1981 Mercedes Benz 240D Sedan - 4 speed - European taxi versions often run 1,000,000 miles!
1984 Eagle Sport Wagon 4WD with 258-1v and 5-Speed O/D - Crossover that was 30 years ahead of its time
OK - What cars would you like to go back and buy??
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