Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Sunbird looks a lot like a Ferrari but is priced like a… well, that’s what we’re here to find out.
Wednesday’s 1996 RAV4 Two-Door dropped in a 70% Crack Pipe loss, and I think I know the reason why. You see, the RAV4 was originally designed for Japan’s right-hand drive market, and when Toyota made the switch to LHD for the U.S. they for got to switch the swinging rear door to the other side too.
That of course means that whenever you need to access the back from the curb the door opens toward the street, and that’s butt-clenchingly annoying. It would be a mistake Toyota would make for another couple of RAV4 generations before they figured out that an upward-swinging hatch would work everywhere. Well, everywhere I guess except Australia where it would be a downward drawbridge owing to everything there being “down under,” amiright?
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Today’s 1980 Pontiac Sunbird also has a hatch, and that hatchback body style is one that looks remarkably like Ferrari’s short-lived 365 GTC/4. This Pontiac is also screaming red. Coincidence? I think not.
Now, this generation of Pontiac Sunbird is a modestly disguised Chevy Monza and both of those cars were not much more than a thinly veiled version of the vilified H-body Vega. There were two major improvements on these cars however: the availability of factory V6s and V8s, and the fact that they weren’t Vegas.
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The ad for this ‘Bird says it has a 4.1-litre which I think is the LC4 , a punched out version of the Buick 3.8 V6. That was good for 125-bhp back in the day, but this one is claimed to sport a 4bbl carb and a Kenne Bell cam. Who knows what sort of voodoo those bring to the party.
Backing that up is what’s claimed to be a 700R O/D automatic, and that’s about the only thing automatic on this car. Everything else, from the windows to the factory sunroof is operated via manually labor.
Aesthetically, the car looks to be in pretty good shape both inside and out. The paint seems to hold a shine and the snowflake wheels—the seller says he has the factory Rallye wheels too—really spiff it up. The factory rear spoiler is present, and holy crap if these things don’t look like a Mustang II from the back with that piece on.
Inside, it’s vinyl seats and a plastic dash, but all looks okay and the seller says that the car came with factory A/C. You’re not likely to get laid with this car, but old guys will dig it so be prepared to hear a lot of stories and inspect a lot of nose hair while out and about in it.
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You are less likely to find another one of these in this nice of shape than you are to find Donald Trump at the Dollar Store. Most seem to have been converted into some sort of drag racers while the remainder seem to have been left to their own devices in fields, driveways, and back yards.
For this survivor, you’ll need to come up with a cool $6,500 to keep it keepin’ on. What’s your take on this Sunbird and its $6,500 price? Does that seem like a deal? Or, at that price is this ‘Bird a dead duck?
St Louis Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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