Posted on 07/04/2014 6:15:13 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Yesterday, on the eve of our nation's birth, I asked you to find the best value for money you could on eBay, the rules being that it had to be American, and it had to have a value of $5k or less. These are the 10 best American cars that ever did 'Murica - on a budget.
With the nation's 238th birthday around the corner, I figured it necessary to grab a La-Z-Boy, …
10. Military Vehicles
A Willys Jeep and an assortment of other specialized war machines, with engines that run on freedom (and probably diesel). We thank you for your service.
(Tie - Suggested By Loping Camshaft, Admiral Akbar)
9. Dodge Charger
It's ten different colors, rusty, and destined for the scrapyard, but it's one of the coolest things you could ever drive.
It doesn't get any more American than this. If not for the fact that General Lee was a Charger which is as American as it gets right down to a confederate flag on the roof. It's big, it's loud, it has a shape that won't be mistaken for anything else. Not to mention is appeared in many American films and TV shows. Bullitt, Dukes of Hazzard, Vanishing Point (remake), Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, Wheels of Terror, Fast and Furious just to name a few. Suggested by: BigNSlow
8. Chevy Camaro RS Heritage Edition
It's not an IROC-Z, but it acts and sounds the part. It's built to do burnouts and sound more powerful than it actually is, but it's an icon all the same.
By all means not a the fastest but possibly the most American—and my first car. Suggested by: johnjcuster
7. 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury Pace Car
It's a red-blooded, 60's convertible with a V8. It's the epitome of cruising.
Does it get any more 'merican than Indy 500 Pace Car? Try this 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury that I picked out of Ohio via eBay last year for $3400. Paid cash and drove cross country back to SoCal without a hitch except for throwing tread from driver side front tire at 107mph passing through Wyoming 8-O Suggested by: flyingbosun
6. Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Here's 2 examples of America at its most decadent. These 2-door landyachts ( 1968, 1975) were all about style over substance, and they still hold up today as a great value, if only for the scrap value alone.
Its completely SPOTLESS so you can take that extra grand and go on an epic cross country road trip Suggested by GhostZ and Drobin78
5. 1978 Pontiac Trans Am
This not-quite Smokey and the Bandit car is so American that it comes with a complimentary TSA pre-screening.
Obvious answer is obvious. Can you see some well respected British man or woman driving one? No. Suggested by Bandit
4. Fox Body Mustang
It just makes perfect sense.
Uncle Sam would be proud to drive around the car that started it all. The car the helped propel America into the limelight when it came to making fun cars. Cars that looked good, and sounded good at the same time. The Mustang accomplished that it's first time out.
A decent Fox Body can be had today for around $5000. It won't be in stellar shape, but still a driver. Suggested by Sky Blue
3. 1965 Chevy Corsair Corsa
I don't care if it's unsafe at any speed. It's a classic and it marked a time when we weren't afraid of thinking outside the box.
When you walk up to a Porsche owner and they are telling you about the brands storied past and how they have always been an innovator you can compliment them on how original being the first company to put a turbo on a car with a rear engined flat six. Oh wait, that was Chevy. The Chevy Corvair Corsa. MURICA. This one has the turbo 6 motor with a manual transmission for $2500. Unfortunately $2500 does include the turbo itself so $1000 for junkyard engineering to get the boost back on, $200 for a pretty thorough cleaning, $400 for plastidip and backyard bodywork if any need be done, and $800 for fresh sticky rubber. That puts me at $4900 for showing up to as many PCA meetings as possible with olive drab 911 turbo hunter. Suggested by: mcseanerson
2. 1954 Dodge Coronet Police Car
In a country with hundreds of millions of cars, you can rest assured that no one in a 500-mile radius will have one of these. At least in running shape.
Suggested by Bad Idea Hat
1. 1982 Ford School Bus
This makes so much sense I might actually bid on it. on it. You can take 30 of your closest friends and party until you have to hose down the floor, you can tow all the other cars in this list, and you can convert it into a home-away-from-home to park down by the river. It's simple to fix and lasts forever. The only thing you'd need to worry about are hop-ons.
I want an antique fire engine.
Ransom Olds Variety?
I want another 1955 Chrysler Imperial like I had back in 1965. Great car.
Especially in a convertible.
Red what? She’s wearing a black bathing suit.
This makes no sense.
10. Military Vehicles
A Willys Jeep and an assortment of other specialized war machines, with engines that run on freedom (and probably diesel). We thank you for your service.
(Tie - Suggested By Loping Camshaft, Admiral Akbar)
9. Dodge Charger
What military vehicles, what year Charger?
BTW, the 59 Impala is the coolest car EVER produced!
Number four is so wrong it’s calls into question the entire list, nay, everything the author has ever written. Perhaps everything that he has ever done...at any time...anywhere. George Washington would challenge the author to a duel for suggesting he would rather drive a ‘78-’93 mustang than pretty much any model year. Not even Benjamin Rush would choose a ‘87 mustang over a ‘67 Shelby GT500 Mustang. It’s so wrong my head hurts from trying to encompass the wrongness.
American cars SUCKED in the 80s/90s. Complete garbage.
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