Friday Fun Thread: The Gauntlet Is Thrown Down!

Well, I was going to continue my stroll through the Big Three's best offerings this week, but the Munchkin Wrangler himself threw down a challenge via e-mail:

Jay,

Here’s a special request for your car feature…sort of a chronologically-restricted “Best Of”.

Assume that some day in the not-too-distant future, I’ll have a chunk of cash to spend on a vintage automobile. Further assume that I’d like to buy a car of the same vintage as myself.

What are your top picks for the year 1971? (Preferably cars that are at least somewhat available on the used market, no 100-unit special runs that’ll fetch more than a lakeside house on Lake Winnipesaukee.

Up to the challenge?

--Marko

Marko, for those of you who might not realize it, has a birthday coming up. He and I are born in the same year, so this is applicable to myself as well. I'll try to balance out the list between cars I'd like, cars I think Marko would like, and cars that might just possibly be affordable. 1971 is nearly 40 years old. Pristine cars from this time period are few and very far between; fixing up a beaten-down clunker can easily push the price well into the stratosphere. This will be a juggling act indeed...

I'm ready...

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1. Porsche 911. How could I not include the pinnacle of German automotive design and engineering? The 911 has been one of my favorite cars for as long as I can remember. This would be one of the more expensive cars to collect and keep running, but boy would it be worth it...

2. Cadillac El Dorado Convertible. Everything about this car just screams decadence. It's 180 feet long. Has a turning radius measured in furlongs. Requires two men and a boy to open the door. And yet, imagine every head turning when you roll up to the local drive in night in a classic Caddy convertible. Bonus points if you have horns on the front and are wearing a white suit...

3. Mercedes 280 SL Convertible. The real beauty of the 280 SL is that, since it's a Mercedes, it's basically still running just the way it did when it rolled off the showroom floor in 1971. Of course, it's required a dedicated mechanic, a heated garage, and a side business selling dubiously-obtained organs to pay for everything, but when you want to look like Matt Houston, what are ya gonna do?

4. Oldsmobile Cutlass 442. Pristine examples of the rarer convertible version sell for around $40K, so this one isn't too far out of the realm of possibility. The Olds is a little less known than the Chevelle or the GTO, so demand's not quite as high (a '71 Chevelle in pristine shape is selling for nearly double). Less expensive options would be a plain-jane Cutlass or a non-SS Chevelle.

5. BMW 2002. Here's another one that's a lot of fun to drive and shouldn't be terrifically expensive to pick up in decent shape. The 2002s were BMW's unsung heroes; cars that quietly established BMW as a player in the "fast but comfy" niche long before anyone ever dreamed of a Lexus IS.

6. Dodge Challenger R/T. The R/T package might put the total cost outside of the budget for this exercise, but finding an entry level Challenger or Charger shouldn't prove too costly or difficult. Plus it's nice to have something that's a little out of the ordinary, and the big Mopar is certain to grab some looks, especially in Plum Crazy Purple or Hugger Orange.

7. XKE Jaguar. "And then I saw the Jag slide into the curve" Ah, yes, the ill-fated XKE Jaguar, the lone Brit car on the list. I just couldn't picture Marko contorting his Germanic frame into an MG or a Morris, and there was just something plain wrong about a little Triumph Spitfire...

8. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. For less than the cost of a new Camaro, you could have a fully restored Stingray or an unmolested version. The fiberglass body holds up over the years better than the other offerings, so finding one that looks bad but only needs a little work shouldn't be too hard. Plus it's not like there aren't about a hundred bazillion places to find aftermarket parts for Vettes or the Chevy 350...

9. Toyota Landcruiser. How much you'd care to spend on a Landcruiser basically depends on how much bondo you want to put in - or take out - of it. There's nothing quite like open air fun in the summer and hardcore four wheelin' in the winter, so this would be a practical vehicle as well as something fun. At least that's how I'd pitch it to Robin...

10. Ford Bronco. Of course, if I'm going to include the foreign four-wheeler I have to include the American counterpart... The Bronco hadn't yet ballooned out to monstrous proportions to keep up with the Blazer in '71, so it's still a small, lightweight off-road demon with a removable roof. Eminently fun, and mostly practical.

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So there's my list of possible project cars and/or midlife crisis acquisitions. There's a little something for everyone, from land yachts to off-road trucks to sporty European runabouts. What cars can you think of to add to Marko's conundrum?

And Marko, what do you think? Did I meet the challenge?

That is all.