The R5 Turbo is an incredible car, in street trim or full race.   I'd love to have one, just not at their current asking prices. Too many other cars available for high five/low six figure money that I'd rather have.   Purebred editions like this? I'm sure it's going to be way more than I'm willing to cough up.  ... View more

As a car enthusiast, and someone who'd like to leave a liveable planet for my progeny, I thank Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, the EPA and CARB for their forward thinking innovation. And marvel at how paradigms have shifted in the GOP in fifty years.    Equally, keeping my old cars in tune, and applying technology where you can, helps even the handful of miles each are driven annually. New vehicles? Heck, my daily wagon is a ULEV, hits sixty in under six seconds, is two and a half tons, is full time AWD, and gets 30mpg on the highway. My sixties muscle cars are long on personality, but we've come a long way. Try going 100k on spark plugs in my 409 Impala.  New cars are sterile, but they really are good at transportation.   I also remember a C&D article from about 25 years ago when they drag raced a '64 tri-power GTO and a 6 Cylinder Honda Accord. The Accord was faster to sixty, the quarter, and 100.... ... View more

I, too, own a 2CV.   I'm betting it would still run after a flip, rollover down a hill, and smashing through random stuff in a town. Best designed (for its purpose) vehicle I've ever owned when it comes to simplicity and durability.    Outrun an old lady with a walker. Uphill. Carrying groceries? Doubtful.    504s aren't rocketships, but compared to a 2CV/6 they are... Anyone who's owned one can comment on how quickly that chase would have been over in real life.  ... View more

Nope, nope, nope.    Another two factors nobody discussed is battery longevity if they're not used consistently (as many toy cars aren't) and weight.    If I don't drive my car all winter, even if I don't start it, they fire right up. I can let the FI system drain or float bowl evaporate. Worst case, even with Ethanol, I'm out a few bad words, a soak in the parts washer, and a carb rebuild kit.    Let a Lithium Ion cell battery fully discharge and tell me how that works out for you.   I'm not sold on electric vehicles, on so many levels, from range to recharge times and ongoing costs... I'm good.    Until they can get me to 500mi range in five minutes, like I can on the gas burner, I'm out.  ... View more

Cool.  As a guy who owns a few old Corvettes, there's someone in this community that'll buy them (maybe not $90k, but for a ton.) Remember, these are the same people who will argue a bolt head stamp change when GM swapped vendors mid-year for a valve cover. Then pay $100 each for the same bolt I just bought for 39 cents at Tractor Supply.  Being attached to a Small Block Chevy, both will leak equally.  It's a community made of folks who will pay obscene amounts of money for something that's "correct", whether it's worth it or not....  ... View more

Rob, I can't agree more on the convertible idea.    As a matter of fact, only one of my toy cars (the practical one, a pickup that we use to haul everything from engines to plywood) has a fixed roof. My wife stipulates if the car is going to be impractical, make it totally impractical and get a drop-top.    For me, nothing is better than as few electronic driving aids as possible, wind, a static-y, knob tuned AM/FM radio, and a third pedal. Stick the smartphone in the glovebox, find a roadside diner/ice cream stand and leave me alone for a few hours.    Although I'm a Benz guy for my German vehicles (the two daily drivers and two toys), I've always had a soft spot for Z3s. It was a return, IMO to BMWs roots. Drove like my Dad's 2002 tii with the rev-happy little motor, and direct connected steering (long gone, sadly.) The styling was knockout when launched, and has aged better than the Z4.    If Zelda needs a home, reach out.. We'll let it sit next to the wife's R107 in the barn.  ... View more

I've laid hands on and worked on many 500ci Caddy motors. They're Cadillac 5200-series motors, and still fairly common (great torque, meh breathing, few performance parts) around junkyards. They exist, along with the 472 and 425. Unless you're restoring a Cad (or want something odd), though, they're a tough sell. ... View more

As a man who's owned a vintage Bentley, this is no joke...  When you need a windshield, there's 5 in the world (and I've sourced *tons* of parts for oddities), it's a high 4-figure part, with a 4-figure shipping price, and no insurance available for the shipping... High 4-figure brake service jobs (my labor.) Six-ply Avon tyres. Suspension parts that cost as much as a kidney....  You sell it and buy a Citroen. And are infinitely happier. 🙂 ... View more

As a guy who's driven a Tiger-260 (shoeless, because that top-loader gets awful close to your right foot).... You and I must have completely different expectations on "handled well." The one-off bent outer tie-rods (to make the one-off steering rack work around the SBF and frame) lead to disproportionate steering angles, so the car tracks, well, odd. She pushes into every corner you can put her in. Pulling a U-Turn on a divided highway for example causes the inner wheel to hop because it's darn near perpendicular to the car. The rear leaf springs are terrifying under even the 260's launch power (and a 2-bbl, not a CAT Tiger with a whopping 450-ish CFM Autolite/Holley.) Servicing the rear spark plugs through a hole/plug in the firewall? Valve cover leaks require disassembly of the engine bay, pulling the driveshaft and exhaust, and suspending the motor at almost 90 degrees to the ground? The interior was pretty. The wood. The Motorola radio. The wheel. She was fun in a straight line, underway. Reliable, sure. Cool factor? Absolutely. Driving experience? Gimme a Healey 3000 or MGA or TR6 if you want the Brit vibe; a C2/C3 if you want 'Murican torque in a sportscar. All better vehicles for less cash. I can keep my shoes on (Size 11) and fit in the car (6' 2",  215lb.) to drive any of those. Cool car, sure. I miss my buddy owning it, but I don't miss driving it...  ... View more