TTAC Forum ReCrap: Corvairs, Jeeps, and Italians – Oh My!

Chris Tonn
by Chris Tonn

This week on the TTAC forum, we’ve had a few interesting rides on the Classic and Collector subsection. Not just the stuff I’ve posted, either, as our own Ronnie Schreiber posted a very cool vintage truck he had photographed.

This weekly feature isn’t just for TTAC writers, either. I’d love nothing more than to wake up on Friday and not write about a single car that I’d posted. Please, post links to cars you’ve found as you search the web, and I’ll give a shoutout to the best.

This week, we have Ronnie’s Corvair, a Jeep, a K-Car, an Eighties-vintage Alfa, a cheap Ferrari, and a Lotus.

That Corvair Rampside truck is just stunning. The work equipment staged in the back is a bit cheesy, but the patina looks perfect. And those Torq-Thrust wheels? I’m in love.

Monday I posted an Alfa Romeo Milano Verde, the big-engined limited edition. I’m a sucker for a Busso V6. That said, I’ve never liked the black rub strip that rides atop the fender and doors. It always looked to me like a Pep Boys’ add-on, especially with the misalignment so common from the factory. Being a Texas car, it should be pretty clean underneath.

Tuesday brings a K-Car, a Chrysler Town and Country much like Jennifer Grey (and her nose) drove at the end of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It looks rather clean for what it is; an economy car with leather and faux-wood. Cars like this make me thankful that I was an only child, else I’d have been shuttled to school in one of these or an OG minivan rather than mom’s Sentra.

Next I happened across a Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler. It’s a project, to be certain, but one that shouldn’t take much to get right. With the possibility of a new Jeep (or Ram) midsize truck coming from Toledo, there may be renewed collector interest in these older versions.

Yesterday I found one of the least-loved Ferraris ever, the Mondial 8. Sharing the V8 from the 308 and the earlier Dino GT4, the performance wasn’t that bad for the era, though any modern family sedan can spank it easily. I just can’t imagine how someone can buy any car and let it sit — it only has 31,000 miles.

Today brings an early, clean Lotus Europa. The graphics are a bit odd. Can anyone tell me if they are period correct? I love the Minilites, however. I frequently see basketcase Europas sold for pennies and wonder how a Gurney bump would look on one of these?

B&B, please come join us in the forum. I’d love to feature the cars you find.

Chris Tonn
Chris Tonn

Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.

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