Happy Friday, Autopians! Today we’re looking at two cars I pulled from the Underappreciated Survivors For Sale group on Facebook. They’ve got to be just about the cleanest examples of their breeds left; seriously, wait till you see these things. But first, let’s see how yesterday’s pint-sized pair fared:
Narrow win for the 126P. That would be my choice as well; if I got a kei-sized truck, I think I’d rather have a Hijet with a dump bed on it. And I have always wanted a rear-engine Fiat or Renault, for no good reason.
One of my favorite used car categories is the well-preserved ordinary car. There’s just something about seeing something that should have been beaten to death, junked, and recycled into toasters decades ago still gleaming in the midday sun that makes me smile. They’re not the bargains they once were, but clean survivors are still out there if you look. One of today’s pair is certainly overpriced, at least by my standards, and the other is borderline, but it’s so charming that I still think it’s a good buy. Let’s see if you agree.
1992 Dodge Shadow Convertible – $4,950
Engine/drivetrain: 2.5 liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Black River Falls, WI
Odometer reading: 84,000 miles
Runs/drives? Great, according to the seller
The Dodge Shadow is one of those cars that instantly places you back in its time when you see it. Once upon a time, Dodge Shadows and Plymouth Sundances were everywhere. But as cheap cars tend to, they got used and abused, and had nearly all disappeared by the end of the decade. They exist now almost exclusively in memory, so when you see one, especially this new-looking, your mind goes back to the days of Bill Clinton and Jurassic Park. And it’s teal, with pink pinstripes. The only way this thing could be more early ’90s is if it were driven by the bass player of the Spin Doctors.
Everyone knew someone who had one of these. An ex-girlfriend of mine drove a Sundance for a while. She really liked it, except for a draft of cold air coming from somewhere under the dashboard in the winter. I told her I had never noticed a draft when I drove it, and she replied, “Yeah, but you’ve never driven it in a skirt, have you?”
Fair point.
Plymouth never got the convertible version; it was strictly available as a Dodge Shadow, in various trim levels. This looks like a mid-level one, with a 2.5 liter version of Chrysler’s long-running four that debuted in the K-car. The 2.5 has a bit more power than the 2.2, and is equipped with balance shafts for a little more refinement. The seller says this one runs and drives like it should, and everything works. It even still has the tonneau cover that fits over the top when it’s down.
And it really is clean. Central Wisconsin isn’t exactly a forgiving environment for cars six months out of the year, and I have a feeling that this one has never seen a single winter. Which is fine, as long as it gets plenty of use the rest of the year.
1988 Mazda 323 SE Hatchback – $8,999
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6 liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Sylmar, CA
Odometer reading: 62,000 miles
Runs/drives? Flawlessly, from the sound of it
I try not to make fun of the ads for cars, but one line in this ad jumped out at me: “Disclaimer: Offers from discerning classic/collectible auto enthusiasts will be considered ONLY.” Well, pardon me, but I’m off to play the grand piano. It’s a Mazda 323, dude. Come on. Granted, it’s probably the nicest Mazda 323 anyone has seen since they were in showrooms, but it’s still a mass-produced economy car, not a hand-built Italian exotic or something.
This BF-platform 323 is powered by a 1.6 liter engine making 82 horsepower, but a good chunk of that is sucked away by a three-speed automatic transmission that someone probably paid quite a lot extra for in 1988. The seller says this is a two-owner car, and the original owner was elderly, barely drove it, and kept it in a garage. It has had a recent timing belt service, all fluids changed, and a new battery installed. However, if I were you, I’d check the date codes on the tires; no mention is made of them having been replaced, and they could be twenty years old.
Honestly, I feel a little sorry for this car. Cars like this were meant to have been bought by recent college graduates, proudly driven to their new job at the office park, carried them through all kinds of adventures, taken them on that first date with Mister or Miss Right (and countless Mister and Miss Wrongs), been traded in on a Honda Odyssey after the second kid came along, and gone on to become some teenager’s first car, loved and abused at the same time. Instead, this one did pretty much nothing.
There’s still time to take it to Radwood or something, I suppose, where it would undoubtedly draw a crowd, but I would hope that whoever buys it would take it to an event five states away, and drive it there. This poor car needs some exercise.
I don’t imagine the sellers of either of these cars wants to see them get used like regular cars, but the fact is, they are just regular cars. Time capsules, yes, but just cars. It’s my opinion that all cars should be driven, even the “priceless” ones, and these are certainly not those. The age of gasoline is going away all too quickly; do we want to leave behind pristine examples of vehicles that can no longer be driven anyway, or a bunch of worn-out husks full of awesome memories? Which one of these do you want to use up?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
That Shadow is so nice that I would not hate myself for dropping nearly 5 grand on it. I’m a sucker for convertibles to begin with, and this car was built when I graduated high school, so why not? I deserve it!
Yeah, that Mazda seller sounds like he thinks he’s running a Bronhams auction!! Yes, it is a time capsule, but put down the Monster drinks (I’m assuming he’s two-fisting) and take a deep breath.
(edit) WAIT! Classic.com says the average price for a 1988 Mazda 323 is $7,300???!!!
(I am speechless. Or else they were all 323 GTX turbos.)
My mom had a 1988 Mazda 323 hatchback base model with a 4spd stick when I was learning to drive. It’s what I learned to drive stick on. It may have only had 82hp, but it weighed basically nothing so it could really boogie ass. While this one is way overpriced and an auto, I still have to go with it, because those little fuckers run forever (until they rust away).
Cannot possibly justify that kind of cash for an econobox with an automatic. What the hell?
Shadow for me. Leno’s probably already bought the 323 anyway.
Convertible > Hatch every time.
Of the two, the only one that has a chance of being “semi-collectable” is the Shadow. It’s a little convertible, fairly rare (especially nowadays), and will be popular in the “ironic” sort of way that Edsels and other forlorn cars of yesteryear are today.
For that generation 323 to be a collector it should be the Mercury Tracer version.
With a stick…….
As much as the Mazda call out to me the autotragic, the price, and the (British understatement here) less than appealing seller are all huge turnoffs. The Shadow is also perhaps a bit overpriced but I could genuinely have some fun in that car, both ironic and unironic. In fact, the more I look at that silly Shadow, the more I like it.
“Disclaimer: Offers from discerning classic/collectible auto enthusiasts will be considered ONLY.”
Dude! It’s not even a manual bro.
Let me grab you a step stool.
Help you climb down off of there.
I’ll take the convertible. At least it has that going for it.
The 1988 Mazda 323 SE MSRP was $7,500.00 in 1988 , this seller is on crack!
Shadow for me!
“So drop the top baby
And let’s cruise onto this better than ever street”
Freeway of love- Aretha Franklin ﾍ(￣ー￣)ﾉ
Wow, that is so crazy they want more than it was MSRP…what a ripoff! Total CP
That Shadow looks like so much fun!
I prefer the 323 since I like the styling of boring ’80s hatchbacks for some reason. Obviously, the price is absurd, but what really bothers me is the owner appears to be a tremendous douche (the disclaimer Mark highlighted is one of many irritating things in the original ad). You know this guy would be a tremendous pain in the ass to buy a car from. He seems like the kind of person who would make you prove you are worthy of purchasing such a fine machine as this.
This is the first time my selection has been influenced by the owner’s attitude. I generally don’t care about who is selling the car and I’ll usually buy from anyone who is semi honest, but I simply don’t want to give this person my money.
Exactly. If you bought it he would probably be calling or texting to constantly to make sure that you are maintaining it properly, and not allowing your deadbeat friends to ride in it.
I would much rather have the Mazda but not at that price, especially since it’s an automatic.
Gotta be the Shadow! Wear your IOU sweater, stonewashed jeans, thin-ass gold chain and put a pager on the sun visor. Pop in a Mary Mark tape and off you go.
Anybody still sell Hypercolor shirts?
Splash Swimtrunks do the color changing thing, although I don’t think they make shirts.
Check Amazon and Etsy. Still a supply of them available.
Shadow convertible for sure. I had a friend in college with the Plymouth Duster version from the early 90s(?), that car could haul ass around town surprisingly quick. Price seems fairly reasonable for a convertible to me also if everything works as advertised.
You couldn’t give me that Mazda penalty box for free, no thanks. Dodge for the win!
I know the price difference is large between these two cars but this is a japanese hatchback in california with low miles, I have to go for it.
Even in California you can pick up a nice manual Civic or CRX Si from the same era for that kind of money.
The Mazda is awesome in the most regular way, and would undoubtedly make you the king/queen of Radwood, but it’s just too damned expensive for that clout. The Sundance offers much, albeit not all of the same for half the price, plus convertible. I’d be tempted to find some wheels from one of the higher spec MOPARs of this vintage to dress it up.
Oddly, when I was buying my first new car it was down to a ’90 Mazda 323 and a ’91 Plymouth Sundance America. I went with the Sundance because it had an airbag and the Mazda would not get them until 91, I believe. I loved that damn Sundance. I got the Wild Cherry color. It actually had plenty of power in the 5-MT and great brakes due to the fact these things weighed nothing. I bought mine with exactly zero options, not even a radio. I can smell the one in the picture here. If I ran across a really nice Sundance in wild cherry over grey and a manual, I would probably buy it.
The Shadow all day long. It will be a great Radwood car.
That 323 owner needs to fuck off with the cocaine. LOL it’s not even a GTX!
Do these cars run great?
Absolutely. They’re early 90’s econoboxes.
Will they keep running a good long time?
Absolutely. They’re early 90’s econoboxes.
Will you enjoy them in any manner whatsoever?
Hell no. They’re early 90’s econoboxes.
Seriously. The Shadow’s got the chassis rigidity of a piece of cheap recycled paper. Which describes the 323’s handling characteristics. The Shadow will at least accelerate decently though. But the 323 make you thought you bought the convertible with all the noise.
I chose the Shadow. It is a complete pile of crap (all of them were), but the cool color and being a convertible make it just interesting enough to consider. It is too expensive, and I have some concerns about that top, so some negotiation and investigation would be in order.
It’s astonishing that the Shadow has survived Wisconsin Rot, can’t have been driven in the winters. That color combo takes me back. Awful but awesome that we drove around in cars like that and it was normal. The 323: you’re dreamin’ you’ll get that price.
I was just listening to the Spin Doctors 2 days ago so I voted for the Shadow.
Take early 90s Dodge build quality and lop off the top, and that Shadow probably has the structural integrity of a freestanding cube of Jell-O. The price on it is too high, but it’s not nearly as insane as the price on the 323, and I like the idea of a time capsule drop top runabout.
In the early 90s, Sundance convertibles were *everywhere* as rental cars in central Florida, that all the tourons (tourist + moron) rented. My Sundance convertible rental was fairly inauspicious at that time — the honeymoon from hell. The car wasn’t the problem, my choice of spouse back then was… I’d still take the convertible over the ex-wife.