This grand old lady would have been the jewel of the neighborhood in 1954, even in low-level Clipper trim. The phrase вЂњthey donвЂ™t make вЂ™em like they used toвЂќ might have been coined for Packard. This car has that wonderful Audi five-cylinder engine in it, good road manners, cavernous cargo space, and a cool offbeat vibe to it. It does need to have reverse gear fixed, or the transmission exchanged for a junkyard unit (if you can find one), but thatвЂ™s worth doing. Generally a winning combination around these parts. Rabbit too small for you, but you still want that вЂ™80s VW goodness? This Quantum GL-5 beat out a pretty but dying Dodge Daytona in our vote. All four cars this week are projects to some degree or another, but this one is the one IвЂ™d personally be most likely to take on. This Rabbit needs a little mechanical attention, but there are so many VW diesel aficionados around that it shouldnвЂ™t be a problem to get it clattering down the road again.

But itвЂ™s charming, and youвЂ™d certainly be able to spot it in a parking lot. I still want to know the story behind its Evel Knievel tramp-stamp.

But speed isnвЂ™t everything, and my goal on Monday was to find cars that could hit fifty miles to the gallon. It had air conditioning, and you could feel when it kicked in: itвЂ™s like the car dropped anchor. It was slow, and noisy, and got a bazillion miles to the gallon, and she absolutely drove the wheels off it. 1981 VW Rabbit Diesel вЂ“ $1,000ДЄs I think I mentioned, I have fond memories of another old VW diesel: a white two-door Dasher that my mom drove when I was in grade school. So with that, our foursome is set: two Reagan-era Volkswagens and two American orphan sedans. Park it next to the nearest taco truck and watch the sales roll in. Especially here in Portland, I feel like that would be a big hit. I did like the suggestion of turning the fire truck into a mobile taproom. (Well, maybe some kids did, but no kids I knew.) But I guess, if youвЂ™d rather have Dick TeagueвЂ™s funny-looking four door instead of a real live fire truck, thatвЂ™s your choice. No kid ever spent hours driving a toy beige sedan around the sandbox. Of course, we need to know what the fourth car weвЂ™re rounding up is, so letвЂ™s check yesterdayвЂ™s results: ItвЂ™s Friday again already! Time for another weekly roundup. Hello Autopians! Well, would you look at that.

Pontiac vibe for sale