Hooniverse Asks: What’s your favorite car that you think no one else likes?

Jeff Glucker

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Comments

This is a hard question. Here in the Hooniverse we can find the good in pretty much any car out there. But there has to be a vehicle that you love and have trouble finding others who agree with you. So what is it?

I couldn’t even think of one myself. I know anything I pick, someone will raise a hand and agree. The lead photo? It was just an excuse to show a big-ass truck flinging across the dunes. We definitely all love that.

So let’s put our heads together and see if we can find cars that we love, where others don’t share that love. Sound off below…

About

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker is the co-founder and Executive Editor of Hooniverse.com. He’s often seen getting passed as he hustles a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero up the 405 Freeway. IG: @HooniverseJeff

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121 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: What’s your favorite car that you think no one else likes?”

  1. Mister Sterling Avatar
    Mister Sterling

    I’m thinking it has to be somewhat pointless, like a badge engineered thing. So maybe Dodge Raider? Also: the original Honda Passport?

    Reply
    1. caltemus Avatar
      caltemus

      One of my co workers has a Raider, and it’s pretty neat. Nice to see a mitsubishi with a V8 badge, no matter how badge engineered it is.

      Reply
      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        I completely forgot about the second Raider, and thought of the rebadged Montero (which we know has fans).

        https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/cimg/www.dodgeforum.com/1600x900_85-1/164/Dodge-Raider-1b-391164.jpg

        Reply
      2. Jeff Glucker Avatar
        Jeff Glucker

        Is that the Raider truck based on the Dakota?

        Reply
        1. caltemus Avatar
          caltemus

          Yup, it’s a Dakota in eclipse cosplay

          https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Mitsubishi_Raider_crew_cab.jpg

          Reply
          1. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            The marketing lines practically write themselves.

          2. Alff Avatar
            Alff

            “Parts bin Raider”

    2. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      Dodge Raider… come on man. That’s basically a Montero with a taste for Murica… of COURSE we love those.

      Reply
    3. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      Why have a Honda Passport when you could get a Honda Crossroad? Still the only Honda badged vehicle ever sold with a V8. And Landrover’s full range of accessories

      https://iheartjapanesecars.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/3dd3e-crossroad-05.jpg

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Was it put together in a separate factory? Is this the holy grail of Landroverism, one that works?

        *carefully closing the door behind me*

        Reply
        1. Rover 1 Avatar
          Rover 1

          No, it was just the ‘Honda’ most subject to warranty claims, and by a very large amount.
          It was a ‘fair trade’ for the Australian market only Rover 416, which was a rebadged Integra.
          Honda sold the Integra YY as a 3 door and Rover the 416 as a 5 door in Australia only. They had 90’s Honda reliability, so still the lowest warranty claim Rovers. This is a 416 Vitesse.
          https://i0.wp.com/www.roversd1australia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DSC_0708-1989-Rover-416i-Vitesse-Luddenham-30-10-2011.jpg?resize=768%2C511&ssl=1

          Reply
      2. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        Wow. I had no idea this even existed. I’ve looked at it several times wondering gif it was a photoshop.

        Reply
        1. Rover 1 Avatar
          Rover 1

          Honda’s rationale for the first Cossroad can be seen in the treatment of the ‘s’es in the name which are halfway to being dollar signs. Later union with Isuzu made much more sense from a quality management point of view

          https://crankshaftculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Honda-Crossroad.jpg

          Reply
  2. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I don’t mind admitting I dig the PT Cruiser – it’s a small wagon with great space utilization, the Turbos were decently quick, and it’s not half-bad looking. It’s the one of the last gasps of Chrysler’s great run in the 90’s, before The Merger of Equals turned on them.

    Barring that, I have a weird soft spot for the original Mercedes SLK. They look decent, and apparently corner well (for some reason, it’s stuck with me for decades that it was the quickest car through R&T’s slalom for years). Linking it back to Chrysler, I also like the related Crossfire for the same reasons – while not a beloved sports car, it’s still one of the first sports cars I’d driven.

    Reply
    1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      Good answer. I hate the PT Cruiser.

      Reply
  3. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    *coughs*

    https://i.redd.it/t2jg26vp0k261.jpg

    That said, I started following a group on Facebook called “Seoul Classics” this spring and there is a lot of stuff posted there that would usually be the poster child of “rarity doesn’t equal value”. I love them all, but sometimes have to look twice just to get…eh…adjusted. People collect Protons! Which are Malaysian rebadged Mitsubishi until they made some quite interesting looking stuff themselves.

    https://i.ibb.co/hcFbTqs/Proton.png

    Reply
    1. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      The Proton Satira GTI was a pretty decent steer by all accounts

      https://myroadnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cautofotoDSR-Satria-GTi_Ext-4-1200×609-1-750×450.jpg

      Reply
      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        Because if you own Lotus at the same time, as Proton did, you really should use their chassis tuning expertise. (But, oddly, none of those ‘Handling By Lotus’ little green badges plastered all over Isuzus for the same reason.).

        Reply
        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          Btw, that’s a cue for another one:

          https://api.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/kia-elan.jpg

          There are only about 200 of these left in Korea. Prices are super low, because people are afraid of parts supply issues and such. I found one for about 5k$ earlier and the guys I chat with in my Korean Equus forum considered that an insane price. Makes me double down on my desire to own one.

          Reply
          1. crank_case Avatar
            crank_case

            The overthinking mans Fiat Barchetta.

        2. crank_case Avatar
          crank_case

          I do wonder if the lotus thing is a little over stated. The Mitsubishi Colt wasn’t a bad basis for a competent hof hatch in the first place.

          Reply
          1. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            Being overstated was Lotus’ entire business model at the time. But, personally, I am a sucker for rarity as well as obscurity. Related desires, but not quite the same.

          2. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            Being overstated was Lotus’ entire business model at the time. But, personally, I am a sucker for rarity as well as obscurity. Related desires, but not quite the same.

  4. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    I find it easier just to assume everyone likes the cars I like. Well, easier for me, anyway.

    Reply
    1. Lokki Avatar
      Lokki

      “Cars”. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means….

      Reply
      1. mdharrell Avatar
        mdharrell

        I find it easier just to assume everyone uses the word “cars” the same way I do. Well, easier for me, anyway.

        Reply
        1. Lokki Avatar
          Lokki

          I do the same thing with the word “sanity”.

          Reply
  5. Double G Avatar
    Double G

    Those early 90’s Oldmobile 442’s with the quad 4 engine.

    Reply
    1. wunno sev Avatar
      wunno sev

      ooh, this reminds me that I’m totally into the mid-90s Oldses with the very squinty lights up front. and the Riviera and Regal GS from the late 90s/early 00s. GM had some cool stuff back then!

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        As a teenager, I was annoyed we didn’t get the Aurora in Urop. Still pretty to my eyes.

        Reply
      2. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        As a teenager, I was annoyed we didn’t get the Aurora in Urop. Still pretty to my eyes.

        Reply
        1. Vairship Avatar
          Vairship

          Yes, both the Aurora and the Intrigue were good looking.

          Reply
        2. wunno sev Avatar
          wunno sev

          yeah, the first-gen Aurora is a very beautiful sedan. the second gen lost the plot.

          Reply
          1. Fuhrman16 Avatar
            Fuhrman16

            To be fair, the second gen wasn’t supposed to be an Aurora. It was planned to be a replacement for the smaller 88 and was to be called the Antares.

  6. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    Well, I know at least one Hoon on here that likes these…
    My ride, circa 1992 or so:
    https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49444058791_4cbe022a0b_h.jpg

    Reply
    1. danleym Avatar
      danleym

      Hell yeah! My ride, circa 5 minutes ago (its a work in progress…) https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/80a6ad48092ffef68916d055eaf944b143a6180798cda6805bce675545b56631.jpg

      Reply
      1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
        Wayne Moyer

        Go ahead and geek out over this. You know that I am fan of these as well.
        https://roanoke.craigslist.org/cto/d/roanoke-1983-amc-eagle-sport-sx/7235800116.html

        Reply
        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          My dad has one like that, except it’s maroon and not a 2-tone. I can’t believe the asking price!

          Reply
          1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
            Wayne Moyer

            I’m having a hard time saying that it is way too high. It’s a bit too high though. The mileage is low for a Eagle and this is a later Eagle as well. This one is also in exceptional conditional and has that rare stick shift. Personally I think it should be closer to $8k anywhere but a BaT auction right now. They will likely get it.

          2. danleym Avatar
            danleym

            Price does seem a tad high, but it’s clean and low mileage, and they aren’t getting any newer. I think we’ve moved past peak depreciation on these and I wouldn’t be surprised to see prices on the way up for the cleaner ones.

      2. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        Haha… you were the “one Hoon” I was counting on. I was interested in an update!

        Reply
        1. danleym Avatar
          danleym

          Unfortunately progress has been slow. The engine is at the builder, but they haven’t been moving too quickly… which doesn’t really matter because I’m not yet ready to put the engine back in yet. I still have 2 nickel sized holes to patch in the floor, just haven’t quite been able to get the time to finish them. Once they’re done I’ll be able to make some real progress because I won’t need to make lots of noise so I can do most other stuff while my kids are sleeping.

          I did get the clutch master cylinder mounted, and a clutch pedal, but I need to do some modifying to make the two work together. Most of the under hood wiring is done, other than a couple things I have to have the engine in for.

          Reply
      3. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Next to a Crosstek – true to form. Once your Eagle has landed, a side by side comparison would be quite awesome.

        Reply
  7. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    I’m not so obtuse as to think there’s not a fan club for everything, but there’s definitely cars I like and wonder where the fan club is?

    The Stubebaker Scotsman Wagon. There’s an entire ancient race of western Europeans who have very good reason for not liking this car. Even without them, no one seems to have too much love for the humble buckshaver.
    Maybe it’s because you look like you’re driving a hearse, and the hearse is trying not to crack up laughing at something inappropriate; but for me that’s a feature.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9f654f85b7c04c8567f729c3715896ce6331ffcc557a354f8cc17f665ccca74a.jpg

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      I love it, and half my family is Scots. My favorite great uncle had a special affection for Studebakers (particularly his restored Champion), and I’ve never met a station wagon I didn’t like!

      Reply
      1. Batshitbox Avatar
        Batshitbox

        Two-door wagon, no less. Gotta be love for the 2-door wagons in this world.

        Reply
        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          Absolutely. I have an unrestored 1960 Rambler American 2-door station wagon in storage that I eventually want to get back on the road. It’s as spartan as hell, and I like it all the more for it.

          Reply
    2. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      Great description!

      Reply
  8. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    Only trainspotters seem to have any love for the Scammell Scarab, and apparently not enough love to salvage very many of the hundreds that were in British Rail service delivering freight on the ‘final mile’.
    What’s not to love about a tripod tractor-trailer cab in “blood and pudding’ livery? If you think about it, it doesn’t have a 5th wheel type hitch, but a 4th-wheel.

    Reply
    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      Amazingly basic machine, very cool!

      Reply
    2. Wayne Moyer Avatar
      Wayne Moyer

      So utterly British.

      Reply
      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        Maybe it was just the time. The Tempo Hanseat was similar.
        https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/516b4509e4b0f727065b368f/1403405440788-IIFY1NF4C1M4DOHG3XU3/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kEuKtRN0JO9A_R1A1zjn9NtZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWEtT5uBSRWt4vQZAgTJucoTqqXjS3CfNDSuuf31e0tVEzDyuZVRWWwMT6Q8MgEB6dsuLBDwJFpY_A62KOi7LUFj3gf-2TEy3pnjJYnrpIssg/image-asset.jpeg

        Reply
        1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
          Wayne Moyer

          How many British car photos are of them jumping something? You know that ten seconds later those same vehicles are wrecked.

          Reply
          1. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            Actually the Tempo Hanseat was German, from a company now part of the Daimler Group.

            https://2.bp.blogspot.com/–shXznS-WdM/Uzq1gATzXDI/AAAAAAAAdjs/0HjUyhkPwc4/s1600/img001.jpg

        2. crank_case Avatar
          crank_case

          See also, the Mazda T2000

          https://d39a3h63xew422.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/02085905/Dennis-van-Loenhout-Mazda-T2000-22-1000×667.jpg

          Reply
        3. Fuhrman16 Avatar
          Fuhrman16

          Either these were fwd or someone forgot to install the driveshaft…

          Reply
          1. mdharrell Avatar
            mdharrell

            The Tempo Hanseat is indeed front-wheel chain-driven:

            https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jt6Fp5JOThY/UEvv0VD1KOI/AAAAAAAAHio/PcH9K5Ezw8I/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2Bimg002.jpg

        4. crank_case Avatar
          crank_case

          Look! No Hans!

          Reply
        5. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          Photo showing very big balls and a very small vehicle

          Reply
        6. neight428 Avatar
          neight428

          Where/how is the driveshaft?

          Reply
          1. mdharrell Avatar
            mdharrell

            There isn’t one. It’s front-wheel drive via chain. The entire powertrain is mounted on, and pivots with, the front wheel assembly:

            https://thetransportjournal.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/tempo-hanseat_5.jpg

          2. neight428 Avatar
            neight428

            Got it. It does look like a differential “pumpkin” in the middle of the rear axle though. Must be parts bin stuff, easier than engineering a beam?

          3. Rover 1 Avatar
            Rover 1

            See above

  9. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    i totally get bro trucks. i want a big, square diesel monster with a crew cab, a long bed, and perfect paint. i’d leave out the ricer mods that are so popular these days, but the contest of bigness has a special appeal, and it’s winnable. you need what i described.

    i’ll also have a Biden/Harris flag or two flying in the bed. not because I’m particularly enthusiastic about them, i just want to see heads exploding in bafflement.

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      I don’t get bro trucks at all. I like grampa trucks from the 70s and 80s, with thin steelies wearing narrow tires. Slow. Worn paint. No rust cancer, but surface rust ok. Stock bumpers, 2WD, long bed, but standard cab. Fewer options the better. I want a truck that fades into the background and garners no attention whatsoever. One that people’s brains almost intentionally filter out from their vision.

      Reply
    2. wunno sev Avatar
      wunno sev

      to be clear, i know lots of people like these. maybe the intent was to find weird obscure things, in which case sign me up for the Acura Vigor fan club. but nobody here would admit to liking bro trucks for the very same reasons as the bros. i think i can win that competition because i can bro truck *better* than the bros.

      Reply
    3. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      I don’t get bro trucks at all. I like grampa trucks from the 70s and 80s, with thin steelies wearing narrow tires. Slow. Worn paint. No rust cancer, but surface rust ok. Stock bumpers, 2WD, long bed, but standard cab. Fewer options the better. I want a truck that fades into the background and garners no attention whatsoever. One that people’s brains almost intentionally filter out from their vision.

      Reply
      1. wunno sev Avatar
        wunno sev

        there’s not much to get about bro trucks. they speak to the primal instincts of toxic masculinity. MORE and LOUDER are the only rules.

        the best lowriders and donks show how the same rules taken to an extreme can be an art form. but show-car level bro trucks look like eBay nightmares instead of rolling sculpture. they’re formless excess, no discipline.

        Reply
      2. Lokki Avatar
        Lokki

        I don’t think I’ve ever seen a truck like you’re describing.

        Reply
        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          If I can sell my BMW, I’ll have one in my driveway by spring.

          Reply
        2. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          Taking his words literally, I see. Comment gold, this one.

          Reply
    4. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      This is a good answer.
      I’ve come to fear the bro truck in my neck of the woods…

      Reply
      1. wunno sev Avatar
        wunno sev

        my neck of the woods aint far from yours. these days I usually see the dozers roaming in packs, flags aflutter, honking and looking for trouble.

        Reply
  10. GTXcellent Avatar
    GTXcellent

    Um, this is Hooniverse – so isn’t this question the very definition of rhetorical? We love ’em all!

    Weird ’90s Alfas? ’70s disco vans? Chevy Viking tow truck? late ’80s gutless Cutlass Supreme? ultra-brougham land yachts? I guess I’m at a loss trying to come with some unloved vehicle that nobody else would like.

    Reply
    1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      I said it would be a tough question though… and some have come through.

      Reply
    2. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      I’m struggling too, everything I think of, I just think actually, I bet this bunch of automotive perverts would actually love it.

      Reply
  11. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    Honda Accord Crosstour. Not quite ugly enough to go full Aztek, not sexy at all, no full wagon panache, yet I like them.

    https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/640×400/quality/80/https://s.aolcdn.com/commerce/autodata/images/OOHOGEC1.jpg

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      Great example! I hate those cars. Crossovers. Vans. Whatever.

      Reply
      1. neight428 Avatar
        neight428

        It strikes me as a car for people that found the Subaru Outback to be a little too spicy.

        Reply
        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          I just tried to explain to my wife why I laughed…getting a long stare in return. Obscure Honda/Subaru burn; would read again.

          Reply
    2. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      It’s a little weird that Honda Corporate did two oddball fastback crossover things that were a similar size and mostly unrelated. While the Crosstour is absolutely the better, more sensible one, I sort of dig the Acura ZDX. Terrible space utilization, but better proportions than most of what the Germans did.

      Reply
      1. neight428 Avatar
        neight428

        I guess they were all-in on the lifted hatchback sedan approach one afternoon when the project green light guy was in a good mood.

        Reply
      2. Vairship Avatar
        Vairship

        Acura ZDX: the original Tesla CyberTruck https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/2011_Acura_ZDX_–_NHTSA.jpg/1280px-2011_Acura_ZDX_–_NHTSA.jpg By U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/vehdb/testtabledetails.aspx?LJC=7417&amp;existphoto=Y&amp;p_tstno=7417&amp;existreport=Y&amp;r_tstno=7417&amp;existvideo=Y&amp;v_tstno=7417&amp;database=v&amp;tstno=7417">safercar.gov</a&gt;, Public Domain, Link

        Reply
  12. Troggy Avatar
    Troggy

    Well I’ve got a bike: The 1st gen Honda Crossrunner.
    I always wanted a VFR800 mainly for the engine and that it’s a versatile medium-weight sports tourer, but the riding position was a little too face-forward for my comfort.
    The Crossrunner came out: same engine, a little more upright, which was perfect for me. The looks are little subjective, but as with any bike, I’ll be riding it more that I’ll be looking at it, and the view over the bars of any bike is about perfect.
    But I couldn’t buy one. Honda marketed it as an adventure bike, which it is not – it has sport-touring suspension, side by side radiators, and it’s too heavy (220kg dry).
    This meant that sport-tourer buyers never even saw it, and it’s nowhere near what adventure bike buyers wanted. Dealers didn’t want to stock it, because “It’s the same bike as the VFR. Just get the VFR and put handlebar risers on it.”
    One dealer wanted over RRP because he didn’t see any use for it, and he was keen for me to buy a V-Strom off his shop floor instead.
    I finally got a deal on an ex-demo that was collecting dust at another dealer.
    I’ve put about 60,000km on it so far. It’s been tracked, been been camping, and it still takes me to work every day.

    This is a generic shot, not mine.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dcd7e0d42fb7b70c132ca01173e9bf8e7a2a10a3ed585fd80f53a659f98772bd.jpg

    Reply
    1. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      The list of great Honda motorcycles that no one loved is long. Or maybe it’s “no one in the United States loved” since a lot of them were available for more than two years in Canada and Europe.

      The GB500, The CB-1, The CB1000 (a.k.a. “The Big 1”)…
      Even the 650 Nighthawks of the 90s, everyone swore they were the best motorcycles ever made but nobody liked them.

      Reply
      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        The Pacific Coast 800 is another.

        https://cdn.motor1.com/images/mgl/q3jVG/s3/honda-pacific-coast-800.jpg

        Reply
      2. neight428 Avatar
        neight428

        American motorcycling is burdened with the Harley gestalt. It was great for H-D for a while, but demographics are catching up with them.

        Reply
    2. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      Another non-car vehicle: the NHI H-3 Kolibrie. It’s a helicopter that doesn’t have a normal engine, instead it relies on ramjets at both tips of the main rotor. Fuel-inefficient, extraordinarily loud and a commercial failure. But it could run on may different liquid fuels. Which was a good thing, since that was what its ramjet manufacturer Kromhout was used to in their usual business of truck or ship’s diesel or heavy fuel oil engines. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Uitreiking_bewijs_van_Luchtvaardigheid_voor_de_Kolibri_op_het_vliegveld_Zestienh%2C_Bestanddeelnr_909-3782.jpg/1024px-Uitreiking_bewijs_van_Luchtvaardigheid_voor_de_Kolibri_op_het_vliegveld_Zestienh%2C_Bestanddeelnr_909-3782.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHI_H-3_Kolibrie

      Maybe some day MD Harrell will use it to commute to work?

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        I understand we live in “smarter times” in a way, when a stupid idea like this would get nixed way before you can sit in it. But a society that has never tried a ramjet-rotor in a helicopter is at a loss, too.

        Reply
        1. Batshitbox Avatar
          Batshitbox

          I remember seeing a ramjet copter at the Hiller Aircraft museum (which I visited while having a trailer hitch installed on my old truck, it was a good day.)
          A quick consult of the database tells me it was the “Hiller YH-32 Hornet”

          Putting the prime movers out on the ends of the rotors eliminates the torque on the fuselage (?) and thus gets rid of the tail rotor. Neat!

          Reply
          1. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            Indeed, it gives a much simpler helicopter, also because ramjets have essentially no moving parts (especially because the centripetal force of the rotor makes the fuel flow toward the tip-mounted jets automagically).

            Really all it needs to operate better is having those rotor tips rotate fast enough to reach a more efficient speed for those ramjets…about Mach 4.

            {Starts designing supersonic rotor blades}

          2. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            Indeed, it gives a much simpler helicopter, also because ramjets have essentially no moving parts (especially because the centripetal force of the rotor makes the fuel flow toward the tip-mounted jets automagically).

            Really all it needs to operate better is having those rotor tips rotate fast enough to reach a more efficient speed for those ramjets…about Mach 4.

            {Starts designing supersonic rotor blades}

        2. Vairship Avatar
          Vairship

          Oh, I don’t think people are any more intelligent than they used to be. We may be more risk-averse, which can indeed reduce the chances of either failure OR innovation happening.

          Reply
          1. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            You’re right, this is exactly what I was going for. Until the advent of EVs, the car market, too, was going down a road of consolidation and standardization. Economies of scale might be smart on the face of it, but being able to buy the same car with five different badges isn’t adding much flavour to the marked.

      2. mdharrell Avatar
        mdharrell

        I appreciate most any vehicle with a DANGER KEEP AWAY warning attached, but as a commuter this one would present difficulties for my assigned level of the underground parking garage, or indeed for any level of the underground parking garage. Clearance is only 6’10”.

        Reply
        1. neight428 Avatar
          neight428

          My google-fu is failing me, but your problems would be solved by that contraption that was either a helicopter or hovercraft with the rotor mounted under the pilot in the open cockpit/lawn chair.

          Edit – I remembered something different, but you get the gist…

          https://k41.kn3.net/D09293C0C.jpg

          Reply
          1. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            WARNING: after landing, do NOT be in a hurry to step down to the ground…

          2. neight428 Avatar
            neight428

            Either land on the enemy or well outside of rifle range.

        2. Vairship Avatar
          Vairship

          Ah, so you need a FOLDING helicopter. Hiller Rotocycle, or Kamov Ka-56 Wasp? The second one fits inside a torpedo, in case that comes in handy… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ae3390b711af7b75ab5a7e02ef0a3dbd8726d14d094308f4f8739e235401c728.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/75c10c967062d48393e24ae642c6a3c52b58a3b3275ac9e078673d71175670cb.jpg

          Reply
          1. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            This is beyond amazing. There must be a collector scene?

  13. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    Make mine a A100 pickup.

    http://www.dodgea100.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1964_morgan-hill-ca-19.jpg

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      Damn, but that’s awesome. You never see these on the roads. Las I saw was a van model maybe 8-10 years ago. I’m admittedly more of a Ford guy, but these were better looking than the Econolines.

      Reply
    2. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      Matchbox makes an A100 truck, so they’ve reached at least that bar of coolness.

      https://i.redd.it/9n7826t3zvl11.jpg

      Reply
      1. 0A5599 Avatar
        0A5599

        Well, the Deora was in the original release of Hot Wheels, and probably the coolest in the batch…The 1:1 scale version started out as an A100.

        https://i.etsystatic.com/25824347/r/il/32fc72/2670566107/il_794xN.2670566107_95oe.jpg

        Reply
  14. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    I think the early ’60s Y-body cars are the bees knees, but they don’t seem to get much love. When I see a Tempest or Skylark or Cutlass from this era I’m always surprised at how small and agile looking they are, especially compared to the rip-snortin’ muscle cars those names later became.
    They seem to exist in a little breathing space that was taken between the late ’50s chrome-puffs and the late ’60s horsepower wars. Nobody hot-rodded them, or featured them in a movie, and The General still let the various divisions have their own identities and proprietary technologies.

    The Pontiac Tempest
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e4829ad9253755dd50b7926a032566e35752ca48473c9ffa05afbf3022bd7386.jpg

    The Buick Skylark
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/53d7ea8097f3dc3e7a0fe1b2d197920014ca639abce58405b5dbd0b68ff38ca9.png

    The Oldsmobile Cutlass
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9fe56787990cf7eaba354e8d71ea7bc8bd722b65351a6772ba655ba27a275078.jpg

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      Is it that there’s little interest now, or did people just not adequately appreciated then? We only see cars that were maintained well enough to survive the decades, and I don’t see many of those in shows and cruise-ins. I agree with you, they are fantastic examples from the early 60s, but I really like that period in general. I’m guessing when they do trade hands, they do it for good money.

      My dad told me part of the reason 60s Mopars are so expensive now is because drivers didn’t cherish those cars back in the day, making them uncommon now. People ran them hard, put them up wet, and tossed them aside when worn out. I don’t know if that’s true (Dad’s a dyed-in-the-wool FoMoCo guy and is hugely biased), but you do see a ton more Camaros and Mustangs than you do Chargers and Cudas, and the Mopars carry big price tags. They’ve ridden pretty high on the resurgent muscle car wave.

      Reply
      1. 0A5599 Avatar
        0A5599

        A combination of things. They had some great technological advances (production turbocharging in the Olds, rear transaxle in the Pontiac, First aluminum v8 in Olds and Buick, First v6 in Buick), but some of those experiments resulted in high attrition (the turbos required a special additive which resulted in mechanical failure when owners neglected to top it off, aluminum casting processes that were utilized led to block porosity problems).

        I have a driver-quality one that probably rolled the odometer twice but the body is straight, interior fresh, and the paint looks good from a distance. Every time I go to a nice place, the valets park it in the prime parking spot by the door, even when mid-6-figure cars are around (Ferrari, Rolls). But if I sold it, I wouldn’t expect it to go for even as much as a Camry’s MSRP.

        Reply
      2. Batshitbox Avatar
        Batshitbox

        Your dad and OA5599 are touching on one of the reasons these aren’t so popular: The availability and interchangeability of parts. Mopars from the ’60s are notorious for having single-year specific parts, and although I love the individual quirks of the different GM marques it was not a good setup for aftermarket manufacturers (or original manufacturers, which is why GM homogenized everything in later decades.) When the muscle wars of the late ’60s came around, these 10 year old B-O-Ps just got sent to the knacker. Mopars also suffered from terrible build quality, making them easier to throw away.

        Reply
    2. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      Hey, an unseen Y-body Tempest was a major plot point in My Cousin Vinny for its IRS and limited slip diff (which maybe still proves your point?). But I think you’re right, where these (like the Corvair) fall into an uncanny valley where they’re not American enough (neither giant 50’s fins or enormous muscle car engines) for American car fans, and too American for foreign car enthusiasts.

      Reply
      1. 0A5599 Avatar
        0A5599

        Probably the only film in history to have won an Academy Award due to Positracton.

        Reply
      2. neight428 Avatar
        neight428

        I have had the “what might have been” thought if Pontiac took the direction it was going with the OHC I-6 in the Pontiac Banshee and was allowed to run with it.

        Reply
  15. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    Nobody else in my family wants to drive or even take long rides in my daily but I don’t think that’s what you’re getting at.

    Reply
    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      That would actually make a smooth transition to another Hooniverse Ask: Does your family support, accept or abhor your hobby? We know of a few perspectives already.

      edit, a day later First Hooniverse post with 110+ comments I have seen in a while. And the question couldn’t really be more “hooniversy”. Great thread!

      Reply
      1. mdharrell Avatar
        mdharrell

        For my family it’s not entirely a question of “or.”

        Reply
  16. Land Ark Avatar
    Land Ark

    I’d really love to own a good condition low mile 1995 Pontiac Grand Am GT coupe in teal.

    I also like the Suzuki Kizashi A LOT

    Reply
  17. Lokki Avatar
    Lokki

    My personal unloved baby is the early (1966/67) SAAB Sonnet II with the 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine. It only made about 60 horsepower but it was only made of fiberglass, engine, and optimism so it only weighed about 700 Kg (1550 pounds)….wet. It would just about touch 100 mph and would scream to 60 mph in 12.5 seconds all the while trailing a delicious smelling plume of blue oil smoke behind it. Note that this is the Sonnet with the traditional sports-car nose- not the later space-age nose- and with no bump in the bonnet. Those are both indicators of the Triumph V-4 which was stuffed into the later cars. That engine weighed more, only made 5 more HP, and left no trail of blue smoke, so who cares about them?

    My dad took a Swedish-blue Sonnet II for a test drive when they were new and I got to co-pilot. It screamed and howled and was a lot of fun on a snowy road…and I have wanted one ever since. While talking with the sales guy, my dad said, “Geeze this fiberglass is kinda thin, isn’t it?” To which the salesman replied, “Well, yeah but just don’t let the cat walk on it and it’ll be fine.”
    My dad didn’t buy it though.

    http://www.tomdonneymotors.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/1967-Saab-Sonett-II-new.jpg

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      “…so who cares about them?”

      I quite liked my Sonett V4:

      https://live.staticflickr.com/5050/5367492393_0193fa793d_z.jpg

      Ford Taunus V4, by the way, not Triumph. The Triumph engine is the slant four used in the 99.

      Reply
      1. Fuhrman16 Avatar
        Fuhrman16

        Have you always own a Sonnet? I don’t recall seeing it before.

        Reply
        1. mdharrell Avatar
          mdharrell

          I owned that for a few years, a number of years ago. I then sold it to a guy in Oregon who later sold it to a guy in Sweden.

          Reply
          1. 0A5599 Avatar
            0A5599

            If he sent a Sonnet to Sweden, hopefully he got a Camero in return to balance things out.

  18. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
    SlowJoeCrow

    I want a VW Brasilia. I also weekly drive an “aero body” Ford F150 (97-03 with the Triton V8). I say weekly because most days I don’t drive at all and i reserve the truck for when I need it or my wife has the car.

    Reply