Weekend Quickies, Sunday, March 11, 2012

1973 Mercury Capri - Many, many years ago I dated a woman who drove a V6 Capri. My car at the time was an Opel GT, so if we went anywhere that required carrying luggage, we took the Capri. It was a blast to drive.

These German built Fords were sold through Lincoln / Mercury dealers in the US. They sold fairly well, but you just don't see them around anymore.

This car, except for a paint job, is all original. It looks to be in overall good condition.

In his ad, the seller writes "This would make a great driver as (is) or make it into a RS 2600 replica." No! No! No! Capris in this condition are few and far between. Keep it as is. Please.

Located in Santa Barbara, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

1981 Recaro Trans Am - I had no idea this model existed until today. I had to do a little research to find out what this is all about.

From what I can tell, 2000 of these were built. It was the first Firebird / Trans Am to come with Recaro seats. The engine is a 4.9-Liter Turbocharged V8. All were white and came with the red / gray interior.

This is not my cup of tea, but if it's yours, this one appears to be in very, very, nice condition.

Located on the "Oregon Coast", click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Clint for sending me the link to this car!

1961 Corvair 95 Rampside - 50 years ago the US car manufacturers actually took chances. The results were often quirky and interesting. The Corvair 95 Rampside is one of those quirky, interesting vehicles...

Based on the Corvair platform, but with a shorter wheelbase (95" vs. 108"), the driver actually sat right above the front wheels. This gave the Corvair 95 all sorts of room in the back, but essentially made the driver's feet and legs the crumple zone in the event of a front end collision.

The side ramp was a stroke of genius. The engine, of course, sat in the rear. The rear portion of the bed had to be higher than the front in order for it to clear the engine. While Chevy did offer a Corvair 95 with a conventional tailgate (the Loadside), it was awkward lifting cargo up over the engine cover. The Rampside eliminated that problem. Cargo could be rolled or carried up the ramp.

This Rampside is in overall good condition. It needs some minor work. It has a later 110 HP engine. Unfortunately, it also now has an automatic transmission.

Located in Oakland, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Tamerlane for sending me the link to this truck!