I feel like I must have done this one already. But BAT just put this SAAB Sonnet up and I have always had a strange attraction to them. They are not very big. 4 speed front wheel drive with tiny 1.6L engines.
Do you have a guilty pleasure car?
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-saab-sonett-iii-3
Few more picures.
Side note. Not my guilty please (I like the Gremlin instead) but my wife loves these things.
Love the mongrels, my wife asked me if a Pacer was a Porsche 928 early in our dating. Apparently a big hit with those who grew interesting mushrooms back in our youthful days because of their strong greenhouse qualities after they failed and were pushed into someone’s backyard .
I wanted an Opel GT in high school. The uninformed called them a baby corvette……. I always wanted to go up to somebody with a midyear Corvette at a show and ask excitedly “is that an Opel GT”, with as much sincerity as I could muster…… can’t quite do it….
Mine. Coupe not the convertible.
I had a '62 last two years of college, a $100 special, Condition No. 4.
Other owners include:
Jimmy Buffet
Princess Margaret
Paul Newman
Elvis Presley
I went to look at a convertible back in 1988 for 1500 bucks. I'm happy it was rough because I ended up buying a GT500 Shelby instead not too long after.
I prefer the coupe over the convertible too.
Maverick Grabber. I always thought these things would have decent potential with the right engine / transmission combination.
I wouldn’t call a Maverick a guilty pleasure. They can be really cool. There’s a father and son down the street from my shop that have a pair of hotrodded Mavericks. One has a Vortech blower on some variation of small block Ford, maybe a 347 stroker. That has to run like a raped ape.
You could get a 302 automatic as the top engine combo. I think an option package with a bumped engine, 4 speed and posi would have moved this from guilty please category to just cool category.
knew a kid in town that dropped a BOSS 302 in to a Maverick. That was not a guilty pleasure.
I kind of wanted one of these when starting to drive in high school. Then they started to fall off the planet.
Dan, I remember when those first came out replacing the TR6. In retrospect the TR6 has held up better. Not sure I would call this a guilty pleasure.
Tsk tsk Dan. I can't let this go without assessing at least 50% of the blame for Triumphs demise against the TR-7.
The TR-6 didn't suffer the heightened suspension (at the cost of once state of the art handling at the beginning of the model run) & rubber bumpers the MGB did and when it finished the run Triumph still had a decent reputation. The styling of the TR-7 wasn't horrible especially compared to a 914 or X/19. All about the same imo but quality was another issue...
Early 50s Rambler is another one I've always liked.
Didn't we just have a topic on the Macho Trans Am?
Yes we did. This is one of mine too! But other than the "Macho" on the side there is nothing to feel guilty about with these things.
https://app.rumbleseat.com/rumblefeed/post/15630
@dj1970 my HS car was a 71 Camaro. 2 other pals had 70 - 73s. Another kid had a 79 T/A, then just 2 years old. We called it a "disco car" while secretly wanting it...
Steve, we did the same thing with the 80/81 Z28. We all pissed on them because they were everywhere and eventually we all went out and bought one.
The tough part was finding the 350/Four Speed combo which was only 80 in the US. My car was "hang around" Brown with the optional wheels and AC.
Two pals eventually got new Zs. Nice cars. Both black. One was a 4 speed with turbine wheels and T-tops. 70 - 82 still my faverite F-body cars
Steve, that would have been a 78 or 79 Z. My buddies and I always wanted an 80 because of the cowl inductor hood. When the secondary opened up it opened the flaps on the hood. Big deal to stupid kids.
I never would’ve wanted one when I was a young guy, but as I get older, I could really fall hard for some of the 50s station wagons that were made, I love seeing them that have not been modified and are still totally stock. It’s funny how my tastes have changed on these since I was 18.
Me too!
When I was a kid, my dad had a "beach wagon" that he used to haul parts around. He just beat the crap out of it going back and forth to the junkyard but I guarantee that thing is a big collectible now if it still exists. Probably doesn't.
So 15K buys the nicest one of these in the world. Check out this driving video!
I will go with a 65 - 66 Mustang. Why a guilty pleasure? I like them all but I think the simplicity of a plain jane 6 cylinder coupe is pretty cool. I could see someone maybe cross shopping from say an MG or Corvair to a sporty Mustang. Even better with a three or four speed.
A 6 is less likely to have had a tough life mechanically. A guilty pleasure I would actually consider owning (despite the comments from my HS pals I can hear already)
Steve, I'll give it to you on the six banger, but since early mustang is a dream car for most guys this is a tough call!
Yep. To your point AJ 15k buys a pretty darn good one. My problem is one of my pals from back in the day who had a 6 cylinder nova will try to stick me with his old nickname "Mr. Valvecover"...
😂
Btw, The BAT Sonnet I posted may be the best one in the world. So 15-20k for this car (double what they usually go for) is probably a good idea.
I think this qualifies for the topic?
Another one of mine is the 71 Stutz Blackhawk. I only want 71 with was the most custom and had the split windshild.
The early version is the one to have. More custom and better looking. I don't think many got the manesium wheels but those cars are the best looking to me. I think Elvis had one.
There are very very few with those wheels.
I win.
WTF is that?
@TeslaFan01 this is not a contest. But if it was, I agree you won.
@69GoatMan That is a Citicar my friend! What electric cars looked like prior to Elon Musk arriving.
Don't laugh. The ultimate gift for your teenager's first car! Speed, range & coolness potential limited.
@Peerless28, limiting dating pool also.
@BillSmith I've always appreciated the irony of Nash putting a fold-down bed into a car that looks like the Airflyte.
Make your dream a reality…..
https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1315493920504020/?ref=browse_tab
My guilty pleasure is the Nova/Ventura bodied GTO. I like them and there is one in the marketplace with a four speed that I would be happy to own. Not cool with my GTO friends so that is why I consider it a guilty pleasure.
@69GoatMan I believe this is the car you are referring to. Not a guilty pleasure! And I'm a GTO guy.
https://app.rumbleseat.com/marketplace/3568730
Both the blue car and the green car are great! Not guilty pleasures I'm afraid.
Here is one of my guilty pleasure cars. They’re so weird, you just have to love them.
@hupp31 I'll give you that one as a guilty pleasure, but I would not feel guilty about an SM.
The SM was very cool.
There have been a few modern SM concepts done. I wish one of them would come to fruition.
The boattail thread reminded me.
