Sep 16

Guilty Pleasure Cars

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

Sep 16, 2026

Post your reply…

Replies (54)

· Sep 16

Few more picures.

1 / 4

· Sep 16

Side note. Not my guilty please (I like the Gremlin instead) but my wife loves these things.

· Sep 16

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….

(edited)

· Sep 16

Mine. Coupe not the convertible.

· Sep 16

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

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 16

Maverick Grabber. I always thought these things would have decent potential with the right engine / transmission combination.

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 16

knew a kid in town that dropped a BOSS 302 in to a Maverick. That was not a guilty pleasure.

· Sep 16

I kind of wanted one of these when starting to drive in high school. Then they started to fall off the planet.

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 16

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...

· Sep 16

Early 50s Rambler is another one I've always liked.

· Sep 16

Didn't we just have a topic on the Macho Trans Am?

· Sep 16

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

· Sep 16

@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...

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 16

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

· Sep 17

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.

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 16

Me too!

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 16

So 15K buys the nicest one of these in the world. Check out this driving video!

YouTube ↗

· Sep 16

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)

· Sep 16

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!

· Sep 16

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"...

· Sep 16

😂

· Sep 18

I was gonna say the Mustang II Cobra.

· Sep 16

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.

YouTube ↗

· Sep 16

I think this qualifies for the topic?

· Sep 16

Another one of mine is the 71 Stutz Blackhawk. I only want 71 with was the most custom and had the split windshild.

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 17

There are very very few with those wheels.

· Sep 16

I win.

· Sep 16

WTF is that?

· Sep 17

@TeslaFan01 this is not a contest. But if it was, I agree you won.

· Sep 17

@69GoatMan That is a Citicar my friend! What electric cars looked like prior to Elon Musk arriving.

· Sep 17

Don't laugh. The ultimate gift for your teenager's first car! Speed, range & coolness potential limited.

· Sep 17

@Peerless28, limiting dating pool also.

· Sep 17

@BillSmith I've always appreciated the irony of Nash putting a fold-down bed into a car that looks like the Airflyte.

· Sep 18

Make your dream a reality…..

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1315493920504020/?ref=browse_tab

(edited)

· Sep 16

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.

· Sep 17

@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

· Sep 17

Both the blue car and the green car are great! Not guilty pleasures I'm afraid.

· Sep 29

As a Pontiac guy I would vote for this as a guilty pleasure, but compared to some of the others posted here I'm not feelin too guilty about it.

· Sep 17

Here is one of my guilty pleasure cars. They’re so weird, you just have to love them.

· Sep 17

@hupp31 I'll give you that one as a guilty pleasure, but I would not feel guilty about an SM.

· Sep 17

The SM was very cool.

· Sep 18

There have been a few modern SM concepts done. I wish one of them would come to fruition.

YouTube ↗

· Sep 29

YouTube ↗

· Sep 18

The boattail thread reminded me.

· Sep 29

Guy in HS had one. Rusty quarters. Big car. Got older and started to like them.

· Sep 29

We had a club of them. Maybe 3 or 4 kids that hung together and had one. The boattail guys are also very active over on the AACA forum.