Curbside Classic: What Car Was This Once?

by Paul Niedermeyer

Published: January 16th, 2010

The Saab 99 wasn’t the only vehicle in its owner’s back-yard imaginarium, although it took me a bit before I realized what it was, and what it started its life out as. This cut-down vehicle with the park bench for a seat was a summer project who knows how many years ago, and was used to scoot around the neighborhood and the alleys. The blackberries have now claimed it as theirs. In any case, can you tell what it started out as? If you need a big hint, make the jump:

Hint: there’s a corporate connection from this car to the Saab. A rather major one, at that.

#ArtCar #Cut-downCar #OvergrownCar

Paul Niedermeyer

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2 of 19 comments

Rusted Source on Jan 18, 2010

I always had a fancy to visit Oregon, but the more of these CCs I see, the more I'm concerned that I wouldn't make it out alive. Seems like echoes of The Day of the Triffids.

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Wolfe on Jan 19, 2010

Hi, This car once looked like this: http://www.efn.org/~wolfe/buggy1.jpg and http://www.efn.org/~wolfe/buggy2.jpg It never showed a tendency to flex in the middle but note the tire chains, it lost all traction, even with the box trunk full of scrap metal treasures. Everybody's guessing right, it was a 1979 chevy chevette, four door hatchback. A neighbor gave it to me for $100 with a blown clutch. I took it solely for this experimental art project. The front discs have froze completely but it otherwise still drives fine. The engine has so many complex hoses and gadgets, if it ever failed to start I would have no clue.

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