TTAC Forum Crapwagon ReCrap: Scouting for Interesting Cars

by Chris Tonn

Published: August 28th, 2015

ttac forum crapwagon recrap scouting for interesting cars

Last week, we began our occasional look back at the interesting cars I’ve been posting daily in our Classic and Collector Car forum. Maybe these cars aren’t quite worthy of the full Crapwagon treatment, so we call this the Forum ReCrap.

(To the 2 percent of our readers that are female, please recall that nearly all males — especially those who happen to love cars — are perpetually twelve years old, and thus still find toilet humor titillating.)

This week, the forum featured: an SUV from a tractor company; a modern shooting brake; a legendary FWD sports car that will likely be stolen; a Japanese-built, Italian-styled derivative of a Chevette; and a hatchback that was born from jets.

Monday, I looked at an attractive International Harvester Scout. The pea soup green paint looks marvelous, especially with the gunmetal steelies. It looks like the seller ended the auction early, perhaps after a sale outside eBay. Someone probably picked up a fun ride.

Tuesday, I featured another car with a removable rear body panel. This one, however, is a bit less compelling to the general public. The Nissan Pulsar Sportbak is one of those answers to a question that, if asked, probably shouldn’t have been. Nonetheless, it’s kinda cool, and could be a fun, quick ride with something a bit more beefy under the bonnet. It’s still only $2,000 and for sale very close to Myrtle Beach. Fly in, hit a seafood buffet or a golf course, and drive home in glorious Eighties style.

Wednesday, I found a unicorn: an Integra Type-R that might not yet have been stolen. The seller needs to learn how to get photos off the phone, however, rather than screenshotting everything. I love reading ads for hot Hondas — invariably, the words “Adult Owned” will appear on anything that doesn’t have dozens of decals littering the clearcoat. As of this writing, the bid is around $10,000 with five days left, so my guesstimate of a $15k sell price might not be far off.

Thursday brought a favorite sleeper of the Eighties. Isuzu’s Impulse, penned by Giugiaro, is a stunning sportscar built on pedestrian GM underpinnings. Sadly not a turbo, the performance might be a bit blunted, but this looks like a cheap, fun classic.

Today, I happened across a Saab 9-3 Viggen. The last hurrah of the hot hatch from Trollhättan, the Viggen was a torque-steering monster of a family sedan. I wonder how good the parts support is now that Saab has left this realm. That would be a significant factor in whether I’d consider one for myself.

I know I’m not the only one out here in internetland that trolls the web for interesting cars. Head over to the forum, and post the cool stuff you find!

#Acura #Impulse #Integra #Isuzu #Nissan #Pulsar #Saab #Scout #Sportbak #Viggen

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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4 of 45 comments

Dolorean on Aug 28, 2015

For me, a true crap car would the '88 Yugo GLC cabrio. Or Chevette Diesel 5 door with 3 spd auto. Or Renault Fuego! Or '06 Dodge Calibre below rental vehicle base model.

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- JohnTaurus on Aug 28, 2015
  
  Agreed, but make the Shitvette a gas model so its engine isnt desirable. The car would be misribly slow, and wouldnt be good on fuel without overdrive. The Yugo would be interesting for the sake if it being rare, and the most expensive version of a notoriously cheap car. I owned a Yugo for an afternoon. I bought it for $50 without a title. A tie rod broke as I was beating the crap out of it, and so I left it running and watched it from a buddy's first gen Accord sedan. It sat there idling for like 10 minutes, then the exhaust turned cloudy, then a billow of steam from under the hood, then it sputtered and died. Im sure Pull-A-Part got $50 worth out of it, lol. I was hoping to take it to a buddie's field and get my money's worth out of it, but oh well.
  
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- Dolorean on Aug 29, 2015
  
  @JohnTaurus When I was twelve and before I had anything of my own that I cared about, I and a friend took an M-80 and shoved it into the tailpipe of a Yugo parked in a lot. Lit it, ran away and watched in fascination hearing the POP!, the Yugo shaking like a paintcan at Ace Hardware, and two seconds later, the entire exhaust system collapsing to the ground with a loud KA-Chang! What an a-hole I was.
  
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Jeff S on Aug 29, 2015

I always liked the IH Scouts and have a special place in my heart for all the IH passenger vehicles.

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