This week’s Friday AutoHunter Picks is a random/eclectic assortment of cars featuring two cars that I wanted in the past, while the other two have never been on my radar. Nonetheless, they all have mass appeal in the collector market, which is why they all are classic in their own way. Which one would you consider having in your driveway?
1966 Ford Thunderbird
When I was a kid, this was among my favorite cars. I loved the full-width taillights, and the rest of the car wasn’t half bad either. I also felt the 1966 was superior to the similar ’64-65, too. In fact, the first plastic model I ever built (thanks, Dad!) was the AMT that could be built stock or custom.
My tastes have evolved since then, so this Thunderbird has fallen many rungs from the top. Nonetheless, I do like this is the hardtop over the somewhat gaudy Landau. This one came with the standard 390 four-barrel though a rebuild has added a Holley Sniper fuel injection system.
1963 Volkswagen Beetle Sunroof Sedan
Ever go to a show and there’s a car that seemingly has every accessory under the sun? It’s like the owner went through the entire J.C. Whitney catalog, no different than a French poodle owner who dresses his/her dog to the nines while Fido sullenly looks humiliated.
That’s what I see when looking at this VW. It’s a sunroof sedan with that cloth top, which is pretty cool unto itself. So is the dual-carbed 2,110cc flat-four. But, lordy, I can’t get past all the goofy accessories that may have appeal individually, but not all together.
1995 Pontiac Firebird Formula SLP Firehawk
When I got out of school, I spec’d out a Formula with the 1LE package and a six-speed, which was well within my reach. However, the insurance payments were not, so I didn’t buy my dream car. I’ve read that only 20 were built in that year, which is kinda a bummer.
So, when I see a Firehawk like this, it somewhat reminds me of that woulda/coulda/shoulda moment. This car is Firehawk #538, one of 569 coupes built, with 41 of those painted in Dark Purple metallic. Only 12,276 miles are on the odometer, which means it’s not for a person like me who wants to drive it.
1973 Chevrolet Corvette
The ’73 Vette is known to be Zora’s favorite. Its one-year design featured the updated monochromatic front end combined with the ducktail rear used since the C3’s inception (if not 1961). This was due to new front-bumper regulations for 1973, while the rear-bumper regs were phased in for 1974.
Another interesting aspect of the 1973 is that the LS4 454 offered five more horsepower than 1972’s LS5 — weird! This is certainly not the emasculated Corvette that would soldier on for several years, but I must express a bias that there are others I’d prefer.
