Good morning! Today we’re going to look at a couple of strippers. Now, before you get too excited, I’m talking about automotive strippers, you know, really basic cars with no options on them. I mean, one of them is in Las Vegas, but still.
I figured yesterday’s showdown was a foregone conclusion, and I was right. Those Mazda MX-3s come up for sale so rarely, and they’re such interesting little cars, that almost nothing was going to beat it. But I am happy to see that the Z24 had its supporters. I have some very fond memories of a Cavalier Z24 that have nothing to do with the car itself, but I still smile when I see one.
For my money, between these two, I think it would come down to intended purpose. For a car to actually drive around, it has to be the Mazda. It’s going to be a lot nicer car to drive, and Mazdas from that era are utterly bulletproof when it comes to reliability. But if I wanted something to tinker with, maybe modify a bit, and keep as a toy, I think I’d go with the Cavalier. It’s easier to work on and find parts for.
If you want a good chuckle, take a look at an economy car brochure from thirty or forty years ago, and read the list of standard and optional equipment. It’s shocking what used to cost extra. And I’m not even talking about power windows or keyless entry or any of that; I mean a day/night rearview mirror. Or a rear defroster. Or any form of radio, even. Hell, some cars didn’t even come with carpet unless you ordered it as an option.
And if you didn’t want a small car, you had another option when it came to cheap basic vehicles: small trucks. Plain-Jane standard cab short-bed trucks were once a great alternative if you just couldn’t bring yourself to be seen in a Tercel or an Escort. But here again, basic meant basic. We’re going to look at a couple of these stripper models today, one car and one truck, and you can decide which one is better basic transportation.
1989 Volkswagen Fox – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed manual, FWD
Location: San Bernardino, CA
Odometer reading: 154,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives “perfectly”
My dad used to pinch pennies when it came to cars. It’s how he ended up with a ’67 Plymouth Barracuda with a Slant Six and a three-speed manual, and a Fiat 128 with literally no options at all (except dealer-installed pinstripes, which he refused to pay for), and possibly the only non-turbo Dodge 600 ES ever made. He loved a la carte options, and if he didn’t want it, he didn’t get it. In 1985, he bought a new VW Golf, with no options except air conditioning (my mother insisted) and “Radio Prep,” which meant it had speakers and wiring, but no actual stereo. But even that wasn’t basic enough for Volkswagen, apparently, because two years later, it introduced the Brazilian-made Fox, which made our Golf look positively luxurious.
The Fox was so basic that two things buyers take for granted these days – power steering and an automatic transmission – weren’t even available. Its longitudinally-mounted 1.8 liter four cylinder drives the front wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox, in which if I recall correctly, fourth gear is actually a slight overdrive. This one runs and drives great, but that’s all the information we’re given – and in Spanish. I guess if you want to know more, catch up on your Duolingo lessons and go look at it in person.
It looks mighty good in photos, with only a little wear and tear inside to show for its 154,000 miles. And outside, it looks practically new, though sadly it’s industrial gray. I know air conditioning was available on these, but I don’t think this one has it. Fortunately, it has a feature that no new car has – flip-out rear quarter windows.
It’s also a two-door sedan, a bodystyle that I really miss. Not a coupe, just a three-box sedan with only two doors. It’s an economy thing; why pay extra for extra doors you aren’t going to use?
1991 Mitsubishi Mighty Max – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4 liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: North Las Vegas, NV
Odometer reading: 175,000 miles
Operational status: “Ready for work”
Right now, there is only one inexpensive entry-level compact pickup truck for sale in the US: the Ford Maverick. And even it’s a crew cab, with a list of standard features as long as its bed. But in 1991, you had your choice of, if I’m counting correctly, nine: Chevy, GMC, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Isuzu, and Mitsubishi.
Leave every box on the option sheet unchecked, and you got something like this: bench seat, four-cylinder engine, plain steel wheels, manual transmission, unassisted steering, and “2-60” air conditioning (ask an older friend if you don’t know). And if you want music, you’d better know how to sing. Trucks even took the Spartan aesthetic one step further, by making a rear bumper an option – which this truck does not have. Maybe if it had a bumper, it could have been spared that big dent in the tailgate.
It runs great, according to the seller, and has new tires. And since it’s a later model Mighty Max, it enjoys a standard feature that earlier ones really could have used: electronic fuel injection. I mean, power steering by Armstrong is one thing, but there’s no reason for anyone to put up with a feedback carburetor.
It always amuses me how empty the engine compartments of base-model cars and trucks look. There’s so much empty space, and so many unused brackets and mounting holes. And look at that “accessory” drive belt; it’s a triangle, with only three pulleys: crankshaft, water pump/fan, and alternator. Everything you need, and that’s it.
I know that super-plain cars like these aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I just love them. There’s something about having only what you need, without any extra bullshit getting in the way, that really appeals to me. Which one of these appeals to you?
(As a final note: I have a policy about not featuring cars that have sold since I found them. I have done it a couple of times, and once or twice a car has sold between me putting this column to bed and the post going up in the morning. But generally, if something sells, and I notice it, I find a substitute. That Fox was one such substitute; the car I was going to feature was a first-generation Hyundai Freaking Excel. When was the last time you saw one of those, for sale or otherwise? Actually, you know what? Screw it; I’m going to throw it in the poll anyway, as a little bonus. Vote for it if you want.)
(Image credits: Facebook Marketplace sellers)
My 1st vehicle was a ’91 Toyota pickup. Regular cab, short bed, 22RE engine, 5 spd manual. Vinyl seats and floors. Two speaker AM/FM stereo. No A/C. I bought it in ;93 with 7,000 miles at the age of 16, drove it until I was 24, 150K miles. This included 4 Phoenix summers with no A/C. I loved that truck. The Tacoma I bought to replace it was nowhere near as good, though the A/C was welcome. The Mitsu has all that charm and gets my vote.
I had a buddy who worked the parts counter of a Porsche/Audi/VW dealer. One day a gentleman with an accent came in looking for a part for his folkswagon. “What model?” folkswagon.. “yes Volkswagen, but what model Volkswagen?” Not folkswagon! folks wagon!. “Right, volks-wagon..” They finally figured out he was talking about his Fox Wagon..
Anyway, I chose the truck, the Fox is priced too high and the Hyundai Excel is the most frightening car I have ever driven, after the rental Jeep Renegade.
That Might Max is awesome. I had the earlier Dodge badged version and it was pretty much unkillable, and this one is better because of the EFI.
Mighty Max!
I recently acquired a nice example of the Max’s badge sister, the Ram 50. It’s a 1990 model so it shares the MPFI 4G64 engine that this Max has. It’s not fast (mine is a 4×4 with a slight lift and off-road tires). But as Mark stated there’s so much room under the hood and everything is so accessible! I’m quite happy to have the 2.4L rather than the infamous headgasket-eating 6G72 3.0L V6.
Besides the 4WD, my Ram 50 features such luxuries as AC which sort of works and a Walmart-grade stereo with functional Bluetooth! I do wish the original purchaser had sprung for the upgraded gauge cluster with the tachometer, but oh well. It takes me back to my days learning to drive a manual on an ’82 Datsun with a broken tach.
Whoa, look at Diamond Jim with the fancy carpet and cloth seats in the Mighty Max. Too good for vinyl and rubber I see.
It’s the Mitsubishi all the way because a) I always loved the adorable Mighty Max name on a small pickup, maybe only exceeded by P’up, and b) it is so close to my first pickup, a 1997 base Ranger. My truck also did without such luxuries as a radio, power windows/door locks, had 2-60 A/C, Armstrong power steering, a 3-across vinyl bench, and rubber flooring. I loved that truck so much and this little Mitsu is cut from the same cloth.
Did 97 Rangers come without power steering? I remember my family got a 96 XL reg cab long bed and it was pretty basic (no A/C, crank windows, 5 spd, bench seat) but it had power steering
Yep, power steering was an option until 1998.
I had a similar Mitsu when I got my license. Mine was light tan with turd brown interior, vinyl seats, and rubber floors. But whoever bought it new did spring for the automatic transmission, which made it so slow it could barely get out of its own way. I had a friend who had the Ram 50 version with a manual transmission and that was actually capable of moving forward in a reasonable manner. For nostalgia reasons, I’d go with the Shitsibimi.
I do like the Fox, but I’m going with Mitsubishi reliability over ’80s VW. Who really knows at this point, but I could also use a mini truck.
Both these things have passenger side view mirrors? I guess a couple of Rockefellers were the original buyers.
I’m voting Fox, but only because I’m concerned about physically fitting in the Max.
I had a 1988 Fox GL sedan. I remember paying about $8,000 for it in 1988, which is about $21,000 today. It was so fancy it even had velour seats and hubcaps! It also broke a lot, and the radio was so easy to steal that I lost three of them. But I enjoyed driving it, so I voted for it out of nostalgia. Would never buy one again, though.
In the mid-70s in California, small pickups were all over the place–and I hated riding in them. When unladen, the ride was bucking, but what was worse were the seats with vertical backs as straight up as El Capitan. Extend cab versions with seats that could recline couldn’t come soon enough.
My dad sounds like yours. My brother loved to go car shopping with him. My mom hated it. My favorite memory was buying an 84 Honda Civic. He was negotiating and threw out his typical low first offer. Sales guy takes offer to manager and comes back. He mentions that the Civic comes with pinstripes and mudflaps. My dad, without missing a beat, says “take em off. I’d don’t want them and I’m not paying for them”. Sales guy with shoulders slumping heads back to manager. 20 minutes later comes back and says we got the car.
Never that Fox (although I remember driving an Excel and it was a real can of crap). A girlfriend had a VW Fox and the number of weekends I worked on that thing. One electrical gremlin after another. One time the car alarm started going off on the highway. That was fun especially in stop and go traffic.
That truck is my pick and it’s not close. If it was within a 100 miles, I would buy it, work on it and teach my sons how to wrench on an engine with a little elbow room.
That Mitsubishi is incredible. I love it. Nice price for a great basic truck!
Honestly, no A/C means that these are both non-starters for those who live where I do. Therefore, I picked the truck as it’s a vehicle I would only drive when I need to put something in the bed.
Had to give a shout out to the VW fox as it was the first new car i had out of college. Stripped to the bone with the radio prep package. I knew it wouldn’t beat the truck though.
Back in the day, rear bumpers were an option. In the 70’s you could tell who the cheapskates were by the lack of a bumper. Just a tidbit, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars made his fortune making aftermarket bumpers.
Passenger side mirror was an option too. My parents had an 84 Buick Century without one.
I love the Fox. It’s an Audi underneath, and I adore old Audis. So I voted for this really clean example.
The Mitsu brings up an interesting historical point- in the 80’s, despite a lot of cheapo cars available, many buyers chose these stripper compact pickups because they usually sold for less than a Tercel or Escort. There were more cheaped-out compact pickups on the road back then than there were full-sized pickups- which were only used for real work. How times have changed.
The Pony is in EXCELlent condition, but even when new it was a piece of shit. Whomever bought it shoulda bought the Fox instead.
It’s actually a Brazilian VW Gol – with a trunk.
It’s an Audi design. The timing cover jammed right up against the radiator is a dead giveaway.
The BX platform, developed by Volkswagen’s Brazilian subsidiary (Volkswagen do Brasil), did indeed borrow heavily from the B1 Audi 80/Passat platform – but it was a Brazilian design which originally was to be another air-cooled, rear-engined car like it’s predecessor.
That one has to be one of most well cared VW Fox out there. It would’ve got my vote against an Excel and most other econocars of the era.
But that Might Max looks Mighty good and that generation aged Mighty well.
I’ll take my Ebay dent puller and give it a try and if it doesn’t bulge, well…. it’ll give it some character
Parati for me! That’s what they called the Fox in it’s native habitat of Brazil. I already have one of the two-door wagon versions in my collection and this coupe would look great next to it. They’re surprisingly fun to drive.
That guy: Nope. Parati is the wagon version you have. In Brazil the 2-door sedans are named Voyage. And yes, they are fun to drive.
Thanks “That guy”! I obviously had no idea about the name difference and really enjoy picking up bits of information on Brazilian cars. On my last trip to Brazil a few months ago there was a Voyage in halfway decent shape awaiting repairs outside of my wife’s cousin’s shop. We got to talking about it – I took a picture and remember calling it a “Parati”, and comparing it to the one I own. Her cousin was either too nice to correct me, or my Portuguese wasn’t good enough to pick up the correction 🙂
I love Paratis, congrats for your ride. I love the 2-door sedans and wagons they had in Brazil until the 00s. It’s an amazing parallel universe.
I guess the SoCal life has somehow allowed that Fox to survive, but I remember a co-worker had one new, and it was an absolute horror show. Give me the Mighty Max.
Mighty Mouse, I mean Max all day. Especially since you can haul jus5 about anything and not have to worry about scratching the bed.
I’m going with the Mighty Max, mostly because a friend used to have one. A friend who swapped a Starion/Conquest motor into it.
Whoa Holy Wheelspin Batman.
If that Mighty Max was built before 1986 or so, it pretty much came with a Starion/Conquest motor from the factory, just with a carb and without a turbo.
The Mighty Max takes me back to the days of the early 90s when I was a brand new homeowner and driving a Mazda B2200. Those small pickups could be reasonably used as commuters while still doing legitimate truck tasks and not breaking the bank for purchasing or operating costs.
The simplicity of the Mighty Max is refreshing, an honest truck with no pretensions.
Mighty Max is a no-brainer for me. The VW is fine, and I’m sure somebody will enjoy it. I’m just not that somebody.
This was an unexpectedly tough choice for me. I have always liked the VW Gol/Fox, and those interiors wear like iron, but the truck is too cute to pass up, plus it’s cheaper. We’ll take the Mighty Max. Anyone know where I can get some six-lug Panasports?