The hybrid is clearly offered strictly for advertising purposes given that its $2000 more expensive than the gas version and loses AWD. I doubt many will think paying that much extra to NOT have AWD will be worth the extra fuel economy over the turbo-four. It does have a strong price-point but it looks like they saved all the money on the interior. Is it actually made from cardboard or does it just look like it? ... View more

The eventual "3800" this engine turned into was truly one of GM's best engines. Efficient, smooth, quiet and durable. My dad had them in both a Bonneville and a Park Avenue in the late 80's and early 90's. Great engine! ... View more

In retrospect, I'm actually shocked that a vehicle like this didn't actually happen. ... View more

The truck harkens back to a time when RAM's were decent trucks.....dated but decent. ... View more

It's possible the Tempo you saw that didn't have the motorized belts was (originally) a Canadian-spec car. Canada never had motorized belts on the Tempo (or almost any vehicle for that matter), just regular seatbelts. But the Tempo/Topaz had a driver's airbag from 1990 onwards. ... View more

I watched an interview at least 10 years ago and they were speaking with the curator of the Henry Ford museum (great place to go if you haven't been). Towards the end of the interview, they asked him what kinds of cars does the museum need. He joked that if he gets another call about Model T or Model A he'd scream but if anyone knew of a mint-condition Tempo, call him right away! He said that all the "disposable" cars of the '70's and '80's where nearly impossible to find in good shape. I say let people collect what they want to collect - whether it's Tempo's, Camry's or 911's. Who cares? Everyone can enjoy the hobby. And I sincerely hope Hagerty is willing insure these oddball collections too. ... View more

When I was about 6, my uncle had a silver '77 Trans Am with the screaming chicken on the hood and I thought it was awesome! Nearly forty years later, that Trans Am is long gone but I still think they're awesome! ... View more

It seems that Toyota, and to a lessor extent, Hyundai are the only automakers to have not been devastated by this chip shortage. Better planning often wins the day as I recently read an article on how Toyota learned lessons from the tsuami ten years ago that crippled their supply chain so they've been able to develop a supply system that helps guarantee supply of chips as well as having a safety stock of them at all times. Hyundai admits they made a strategic "guess" that demand would rebound and it paid off as they never cancelled orders for chips like many other manufacturers did. So while its unfortunate that some makers are suffering, others take advantage because of superior planning and fewer knee-jerk reactions. ... View more

God help us all if other manufacturers are trying to equal Audi's level of quality control! ... View more

I know a person with a Hyundai Sonata and one with a Kia Forte that have both burst into flames and both where less than 5 years old. Maybe once Hyundai and Kia can PROVE that they've stopped making vehicles that seem to regularly spontaneously burst into flames, I'll take them more seriously. But that might be a while as another friend just got a recall notice that their new '21 Kia Seltos has defective piston rings that will let oil blow by and potentially cause - you guessed it - an engine fire! Until they figure that out, I'll reward other manufacturers that put more money into long-term quality engineering rather than whiz-bang gadgetry that only impresses in the showroom. ... View more

In regards to the '92 STS being the first car to use LED lighting, I'm not sure that's actually true. An early adopter? Sure. But the 1990 Honda Accord EX had an optional rear spoiler that used LED's for the third brake light and the '92 Lexus SC400 which launched in mid-'91 had an LED third brake light as well. And there may be others that I'm missing. ... View more

A swing and a big miss with that styling IMO. The RAV4 looks better, get's better fuel economy in all configurations, will run forever and have better resale value. Although I suppose that's also why it outsells everything else too! ... View more

As you stated, separating your own emotion from the purchase can prove to be the hardest part. I know when I was looking for my car I had a few close calls and kind of had to shake my head and take a step back to regroup. One car was advertised with photos that looked good with the car parked in front of a nice house and appeared to be well represented and was described as "mint". It was a hard-to-find colour that I really wanted with my preferred wheels too. I drooled over the ad for a week before I was able to go and see it myself (a 2.5 hour drive each way). The reality when I went to see it was a dirt-lot used car dealer (or maybe mud-lot would be more accurate), a dead battery, a severely leaking trunk from previous, poorly-repaired crash damage, a shredded drivers seat and far from the "mint" the seller claimed. The pictures had been taken from very specific angles to avoid showing the many flaws it had. I was crushed as I thought this was going to be "the one" but it turned out to be far from it. I could have bought it and repaired the flaws but honestly, at that point I wasn't giving this guy a dime as I felt I had been misled already. I did eventually find what I was looking for though! ... View more

The issue I have with most FCA products is the long-term quality. My neighbor has a 2011 model and it has holes rusted through the rockers and surface rust over the rear wheels. The A/C hasn't worked the last two summers and he jokes that he'd be more concerned if the check-engine light wasn't on. He's also happy to tell anyone who will listen that it will be his last RAM truck. ... View more

Same with my '95 SC400! I didn't expect to see it on the list but was secretly hoping it might be. ... View more

Exactly!  I learned manual trans from watch and mimicking the actions of the school bus driver.  Dad was shocked when I drove his 5-speed F-150 across the yard when I was 11 with no issues. ... View more

Kindred spirits. Growing up before the internet I knew nobody else who liked cars like I did. My dad had a flailing interest but nothing like myself. Zero friends in elementary school had an interest in cars although high school was better. It wasn't until college that I really met others like me - although it did help that I took a program that was focused on the auto industry. This led to livelong friendships and not a bad career either. All because of a love of cars that started almost from the time I could walk. I hope your nephew keeps his interest because I know the wait can seem like forever at that age but makes it all the sweeter when the time comes. ... View more

Well, any of these are better than reading about the painful "joke" that VW tried playing on the public over this past week ("Voltswagen"). It may very well have been the most awkward and blundered "joke" any company has ever done. Worst. Joke. Ever. ... View more

Why not recreate the original tour? I'm sure lots of service people would love to see it in action today...especially with its history! ... View more

I feel the same way about my 2004 Tundra. 584,000 km currently (365,000 miles), its faithfully taken my family and our travel trailer on some simply amazing journeys. Across all 10 Canadian provinces and 37 US states including Alaska. It's made the round trip from Toronto to Los Angeles six times! It has never left us stranded once and I've watched my kids grow up in the back seat. I brought my son home from the hospital in it when he was born and it was new. He learned how to drive in it last year. The decision on what to do next wasn't too hard though. I recently placed an order for a '21 Tundra and my son is already planning on the "mods" he plans on doing to the 2004 when my new truck arrives in a few weeks. So the '04 stays in the family where it belongs but starts a new chapter in both it and my sons life. I have every faith that it will run for as long as he wants to keep it because family doesn't let family down. 🙂 ... View more

Unpopular opinion: Tesla's are ugly. The front-end style in particular looks like it was inspired by a Ken doll with no pants on (think about it for a moment, you'll see it). The model X, on whole, is particularly unattractive. But this doesn't stop any Tesla from being popular though because they're in vouge right now. And while I don't find the ID.4's styling to be particularly ground breaking, it isn't ugly....it's inoffensive. To your point, it doesn't do anything style-wise that a gas-powered car couldn't. But when automakers are risking, as you say, billions, it DOES matter. Because risk matters and they're trying to appeal to as many people as possible. Buyers can find enough reasons not to buy a BEV right now, VW doesn't need odd styling to pile on. I'm confident the cool EV designs will come...just a bit later. ... View more

I know there are so many school's of thought on the subject of how often to change the oil in an infrequently driven car. From early May to mid-October, my car gets about 2,000 km (about 1,300 miles) of use on average. I change the oil on the day that I put in into winter storage and then don't touch the car until the day that it comes out of storage. I use Mobile1 synthetic oil. I feel that one dry start in the spring is better than several cold starts over the winter with just idling that will pollute the oil with gasoline and condensation. I can't bring myself to let oil stay in my car for more than one year. Cheap insurance. ... View more

I remember one of my teachers in high-school had sort of a rust-coloured RX-7 that I'd say was about an '83 or '84 that was about 10 years old when I was in school. Nice car! She used to bring it to us to work on in the auto shop class for maintenance and such (gasp!). So I've changed the oil and spark plugs but never driven one more than about 50 feet. A shame for me, really. But I do remember the distinctive sound of that engine. ... View more

Years after the project it complete, it won't be the money you spent that you remember. It will be the memories you've made with the car that you will cherish. ... View more

My vote is CP. ... View more

I'm not a newer Cadillac fan generally but these are cool cars. Sadly, if you listen carefully you can hear the construction being completed on all the barns that these cars will be immediately rushed to after delivery. Oh well, it will someday make for interesting YouTube videos... "This Cadillac Blackwing has 6 miles on it and has been in storage for 40 years....will it run?" ... View more

Well said! I know I have been guilty of "gate keeping" for sure. I know I've said things at shows that I later reflected on and realized I shouldn't have. I read a post on Instagram once (I know, I can hear the eyes rolling now but stay with me) about a slammed 4WD truck which I just don't understand the purpose of. However, they said "don't be too quick to judge, it's the same passion with a different outlet". That statement really spoke to me and it made me realize exactly that. We all have different passions but that doesn't make one person's passion better or worse than mine or anyone else's. How does that saying go....can't we all just get along? 🙂 ... View more

I actually sold Saturn's for a while back in the late '90's. They were good cars, the plastic panels were novel and held up well and the dealer service (at least at my store) was very good for this price of car at the time (a full wash and vacuum with every service was not common back then). But yes, like everything GM does well, they eventually ruin it. The "2-series" were the ones to get with the DOHC as this was the way the engine was originally designed but then it was felt a cheaper version would be better for the base cars for a price point. So the SOHC was developed quickly before launch. The SOHC would eventually pop a head gasket or burn oil while the DOHC engine rarely ever suffered those issues. I really admire any young person that follows a passion (especially when its cars!) and strongly dislike anyone effectively saying "eww, why Saturn's?". We may all have our favorites but at the end of the day, it's the passion we all share for these "things" on four wheels. Same passion, different outlet. And anyway, it's not like she's into Dodge's or something foolish! Just kidding...or am I? 🙂 ... View more

What else can I say but simply awesome! ... View more

I wish him and Legendary Motor Car every success in recreating this amazing piece of Canadian history. I look forward to seeing it in person someday. Someone from the Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance should contact Mr. Foss to include it in this years show in September. ... View more

I drove the new Ranger extensively before I bought my new Tacoma. I had two major complaints and one minor. The two major was 1) I wanted a six-foot box with a four door truck - 5 ft feels like a toy, 2) I couldn't get over the looks of it. Particularly from the rear, it has odd proportions, too tall and narrow - like it was designed for Europe, not North America. Lastly, I keep my vehicles at least 10 years and the thought of a small, turbo 4-cylinder working to pull my 3,800 lb boat didn't sit well with me. My new Tacoma pulls it like a champ and I'm confident it will for as long as I want to keep it. Plus, it will be worth more than anything else in its class when the time comes to sell it. ... View more

Because Ranger's 4-cylinder was designed to compete with the Tacoma's V6. Clearly. ... View more

Very cool. I bet you'd be the only one at a cars and coffee with one of these! Almost makes me want to set fire to something just so I can justify having it (just kidding). ... View more

I'd totally rock that. Although my better half may prefer the version with a real bathroom. lol ... View more

I'll take the '83 Toyota pickup and the '87 Chevy Silverado. Please have them delivered to my house. Thank you. 🙂 ... View more

This is an interesting way to keep this car somewhat relevant, no doubt. However, I have to wonder if this will be the first car in history that will be simultaneously still being produced new while next year the earliest versions of cars on this chassis could also qualify for Hagerty's Silver Wheels program.  Talk about a little overdue for an update!   ... View more

Some of those haven’t hit their stride in the eyes of collectors yet. Some of them may never.  If we can add to the list, I would add the 1992-2000 Lexus SC300/400. A wonderful GT car that helped establish a brand that looks and drives great and also happens to be super reliable as well. I would also argue for the 1988-1991 Honda CRX which does get some love but not as much as it probably should, and finally, I would add the first generation of FWD Pontiac Grand Prix coupes. Amazing tech for the late ‘80’s (head up display and those awesome steering wheel controls!). I’m not saying that that any of these are necessary strong monetary investments but if you find a good one, they’ll each pay you back in their own special way which is, in my opinion, worth every penny.  ... View more

I've been using clear plastic polishes from Mother's and Meguiars on items like the instrument cluster bezel and radio screens for years.  It always amazes me how much of a difference they can make.  Additionally, try car wax on interior wood trim (both real and fake).  I've even so much as done a three-step (clean, polish, wax) bringing the brilliance of the grain and colour back to the factory finish.  And not to worry, it doesn't add any more gloss to the trim than what would it would have had when new anyway.  ... View more

Unfortunately, I just can't get passed the outside styling of this car.  Oddly, I like several individual elements of the design but it just doesn't work for me all together in one package.  I just can't do it. ... View more

My family had two opposite ends of the K-car spectrum.  My grandmother had a mint green on mint green '81 Aries (the only options being a 1-speaker AM radio and automatic transmission) and my great-aunt a fully-loaded '91 Plymouth Acclaim LX with the 3.0L V6, Infinity stereo and power-everything.  The Aries was pretty reliable but despite a pampered, garage-stored life and only 50,000 km (30k miles) over 22 years, the floors still rotted through (like every K-car) and it randomly caught fire one sad day ending its life (no body hurt fortunately).  The Acclaim also lived a pampered life with the stereo-typical "little old lady only driven to church on Sunday's" but still managed to eat a head-gasket, a transmission and a number of electrical problems that caused it to leave her stranded on several occasions.  Nobody in the family drives FCA vehicles to this day because of that car.  But there is no doubt that the K-car saved Chrysler, and while not everyone is thankful for that, K-cars where cheap, simple cars that could be fixed easily.  But you got what you paid for as the competing models from Toyota and Honda where more expensive but vastly superior vehicles in every way. ... View more

In the province of Ontario, the only ethanol-free gas available is Shell Gold V-Power.  As such, I use it exclusively in my collector car (and my lawnmower!).  I pair it with a full tank of fuel and Sta-bil in the fall and I've never had an issue in the spring.   ... View more

A few more recent examples are the Acura 1.6 EL and 1.7 EL which were basically fully-loaded Civic’s with unique front and rear end treatments. Plus the Chevrolet Orlando and if you get really picky, the Toyota Echo 3 and 5-door hatchbacks circa about 2004.  All sold in Canada and not in the U.S.   ... View more

Living in the land of rust as I do (Ontario), I'm very familiar with this concept of a winter beater.  All of these could be decent picks but finding one that isn't already too rusted-out for winter-beater money (<$5,000) will be the challenge.  Explorer (rocker panels and frame), GMT-800's (rockers, cab corners, bedsides & tail gates), Grand Cherokee (rockers, front fenders, doors, tail gate).  Of course, a winter beater isn't (and shouldn't) be a perfect specimen, but you also shouldn't require a tetanus shot before getting in (at least not when you first buy it, anyhow).  All these years of these models are/were prone to bad rust unless meticulously cared for and could be difficult to make pass a safety inspection.  I would rather spend a lot less money on an old FWD sedan (Bonneville, Olds 88/98, Accord, Camry) put on some good winter tires and be done.  You'll find them in better shape for a lot less money than any truck or SUV and unless you have to have to capability of a truck, are just fine in the snow with the right tires.  Just my two cents.   ... View more

How about the Toyota 2000 GT in "You Only Live Twice"? ... View more

I put myself through college detailing cars and its something that I've always enjoyed and I find it therapeutic.  I love talking to my neighbours, but they know not to bug me when I'm cleaning my car - it's me time!  My car has mostly original paint but some has been resprayed over the years.  It's pearl white which is relatively easy to maintain from a swirl-mark perspective.  Generally, it gets one solid day of detailing per year (engine, wheels off, clay, polish, wax) and the rest is just easy maintenance touch-ups. In the summer, I wash my daily-driven truck by hand once per week or so if the weather is cooperative but in the winter I have no issues using an automated wash for the truck. ... View more

Funny you mention that Nakamichi was known for cassette decks in the '80's.  The Nakamichi in my '95 SC400 sounds incredible playing cassettes (even the couple old, worn-out ones I still have left) and only very good with the standard 12-disk CD changer mounted in the trunk.  And the cassettes don't skip over every moderately-sized bump you encounter either!  🙂 ... View more

My '95 SC400 was a daily driver for the first 10 or so years of it's life and a weekend toy thereafter.  I bought my Diamond White Pearl SC400 in 2013 after wanting one for years.  Mine is unusual in that it is completely stock and in excellent condition.  So many of these have unfortunately been modified by someone thinking they're the "next Chip Foose" and/or heavily neglected by people who can afford the purchase price of a used luxury car but not the maintenance of one.  Fortunately, Lexus products don't suffer the same bankruptcy-inducing repairs as many other luxury competitors do but everything requires care - especially as they start to hit the 25-30 year old range.  The major things I've replaced are the power steering pump and the A/C compressor.  The LCA's are getting to the point they could also be replaced.  But at 25 years old and 207,000 km (129,000 miles), it's never leaked a drop of engine oil and starts and runs after sitting for five months of winter storage like it ran the day before (isn't fuel injection wonderful?). I would also say that, with double-wishbone suspension at all four corners, it is a capable handling car but this is a GT, not a sports car and was never meant to be one. It handles much better than the contemporary Eldorado's, MARK's and SL's of the era even if it isn't a BMW. The 4.0L V8 is approved by the FAA for aircraft use due to its smoothness and durability - not many car engines can say that. I think it's one of the prettiest cars of the '90's.   Oh, and the exhaust note from the factory exhaust is both wonderfully throaty and muted from that silky V8 as it was tuned differently than the LS sedan.  ... View more