TOP 10
Classics between $10,000 and $20,000
First Published Unique Cars Magazine issue #228
Article by Cliff Chambers.
Picking ten cars from the 100 or so candidates in this category of the classic car market is a daunting task. After culling on the basis of availability, practicality, performance, parts costs and a range of other factors we still had a short-list of 30 models.
That's the conundrum facing thousands of buyers who will this year invest up to $20,000 in a car that will be expected to earn its keep in a host of different ways.
To qualify for final selection it needs to be an attention-grabber. No point
spending the price of a perfectly-good Hyundai on something that's going to blend
into the car park scenery. No, it has to be a car that the neighbours will gawp
over and inspire senior motorists to stare at lovingly with an `I used to have
one of those look' on their faces.
It needs to be in decent condition and sufficiently reliable to be pressed
into service as regular transport on occasions that your later model is unavailable.
Or even serve as regular transport in its own right.
In the end the choice came down largely to personal preference. Our Top Ten therefore comprises a mixture of formal and fun cars, economy models and gas-guzzlers. It includes a couple of underrated Aussie muscle machines and a couple from the era before many of us were born. Most offer a decent degree of practicality and all of them have a better than average chance of keeping your investment safe in an uncertain market. All I need now is the $200,000 and somewhere to keep them all.
CHRYSLER CHARGER E55 - Performance: 8/10 Practicality: 6/10
Affordability: 7/10
With a little luck and a lot less political interference, this might have been the car that brought Chrysler's first victory in the Bathurst production car race. Had that happened, Chrysler Australia might not have withdrawn from motor sport and remained part of the local industry instead of selling out to Mitsubishi. The Charger E55 could have changed Australian motoring history.
As it appears here, the E55 is a pale shadow of the car it might have been and that's a great pity. The 5.4-litre, 340 cubic inch V8 ranks among the best and most easily developed engines that Chrysler ever produced. Modified for racing, the `340' would have produced the 250+ kilowatts available from Plymouth's AAR `Cuda with its `six-pack' carburettors and special induction manifold.
Instead, production E55s appeared in Chrysler showrooms with a single four-barrel carburettor and three-speed Torqueflite 727 automatic transmission. Output was 205kW - compared to the estimated 225kW developed by the Charger E49 - and the E55 was almost 120kg heavier than the six-cylinder car. 0-96km/h took 7.2 seconds in an E55 with a standing 400 metre time of 15.6 seconds.
Externally, the car is incredibly understated. Apart from a thin red grille surround there are no stripes at all and the only outward hints to the car's competition potential are ROH alloy wheels. Special black and white vinyl-trimmed seats dominate the cabin and the dash is trimmed in fashionable turned metal.
Without the tweaks it would have received in Series Production form, the E55 suspension is more pliant than an E49's with slower steering and typically-Charger dislike of rough surfaces. But given a decent highway populated by sweeping bends and long straights, the E55 ranks among the best long-distance touring cars of its day.
Chris Zerafa has owned his E55 for five years, during which time the car has been restored to pristine condition with a back-to-metal respray."
"Fortunately, the interior was in pretty good condition but the body had some dents and minor rust so it was a ground-up job to get it right," Zerafa said.
Finding fuel to suit the E55's 10.5:1 compression ratio is a problem. Standard LRP won't do the job so Zerafa uses an additive to restore most of the car's zip.
"It's still a bit down on what it was running leaded fuel but it's been to Albury for the Chrysler display and running at 110km/h it was quite OK."
E55s aren't common in the market however values have remained stable for several years. $15,000 buys an excellent original car - those in original condition but needing minor restoration good value at between $5000 and $7000.
CITROEN DS23 PALLAS - Performance: 6/10 Practicality: 5/10 Affordability:
5/10
Advanced design had been a Citroen trait since before World War 2, but even the brand's most ardent supporters were astonished by the audacious DS that appeared in 1955.
At a time when mainstream buyers were just coming to terms with independent front suspension, the DS had hydro-pneumatic suspension on all four wheels, power-assisted disc brakes and steering, front wheel drive and an aerodynamic shape with space for six occupants.
Early cars had 1.9-litre four-cylinder engines but by the mid 1960s the relatively heavy Citroen was crying out for some additional power. The DS21 released in 1965 came to the party with 2.2 litres and enough power to get Lucien Bianchi within 200 kilometres of winning the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon.
1973 brought the ultimate expression of Citroen's DS design - the DS23 Pallas. The technological brilliance that had characterised earlier models finally received the performance it deserved via a 2.3 litre fuel-injected engine with 103kW and five-speed manual transmission. A complex and typically Citroen automatic was available from 1974-75 but is best avoided unless recently overhauled.
The DS23 remained in the local market for less than three years and are now rarities on the classic market. Cars in very good original condition that not so long ago sold in the $8000-10,000 bracket have soared in price to better than $15,000 and perfect examples will sell beyond $20,000. The cavernous Safari wagon is extremely rare but prices are similar to those asked for sedans.
Problems include corrosion and damage to the pneumatic suspension tubing, leaks from the air accumulator and fuel leaks from perished fuel injector hoses but for those who dismiss this amazing car as too complex and potentially unreliable for its own good, owner Adrian Bird has some well-informed advice.
"The DS is a lot more robust than people imagine," Bird said. "In the past five years I've only had one problem and that was a faulty electrical connection that gave plenty of warning before failing."
DATSUN 2000 SPORTS - Performance: 8/10 Practicality: 6/10 Affordability:
5/10
The days when you could find Datsun 2000 Sports sitting unwanted and at bargain
prices behind rows of MGs and Triumphs in specialist used car lots are long gone.
If by remote chance an owner is prepared to relinquish their 2000, the asking
price for cars in ordinary condition is going to start at $12,000, with perfect
specimens capable of reaching $25,000.
Nissan's 1.5-litre Fairlady that arrived here in 1964 was dismissed by `enthusiasts'
as an underpowered pretender in a market dominated for years by British models.
Three years later came the 1982cm3 SR311, dispelling any impression that Nissan
wasn't serious about carving its niche in the world sports car market.
The four-cylinder overhead camshaft engine was a larger version of the 1.6
litre unit that would appear here a year later in the Datsun 1600, hooked to
a five-speed gearbox. Initially priced at $3370, the Datsun slipped neatly
between the $2900 MGB and $3500 Triumph TR4A but slayed both of them in the
areas of performance and standard equipment.
Off the mark and en route to 60mph (96km/h), the 2000 was a full three seconds
faster than an MGB and two seconds ahead of the TR. Nissan Australia claimed
a top speed of 125mph (201km/h) but Australian Motor Sports' test 2000 ran
out of puff at 184km/h. Never, mind, it was still comfortably quicker than
its main rivals.
Standard features include carpet, a heater-demister, driver's footrest, proper
centre console, driving lights and even a hand throttle. Early `high screen'
cars look a little ungainly, especially with the well-finished soft-top erected
but a restyle in 1968 improved the car's profile and aerodynamics.
Much has been made of the 2000's indifferent handling on rougher roads but
modern shock absorbers and suspension bushings help mask the design deficiencies.
Mechanical spares are available provided you've got the necessary contacts.
Membership of the very active Nissan Sports Owners Club will be very helpful
in this regard however even they will be hard pressed to find the panels needed
to restore a rusty or damaged 2000 to the same standard as Ian Pringle's example.
FORD CUSTOMLINE - Performance: 5/10 Practicality: 5/10 Affordability: 6/10
The Customline name arrived here in 1952, attached to a bigger, fully-restyled
version of the `Spinner' Fords that had won plenty of Australian friends during
the preceding three years.
The Customline used Ford's first Australian-built side-valve V8, developing
82kW from its 3.9 litres. While the styling closely resembled US cars of the
same year, the chassis and most body panels were made here. Mainline utilities
were unique to Australia and built on modified convertible chassis imported
from the USA.
1955 was a landmark year for the Ford Motor Company. After 23 years of reliance
on its side-valve V8, Ford updated the engine design with overhead valves and
a capacity of 4.4 litres. Complementing the underbonnet upgrade was revised
styling - not dramatically different from the preceding model but more aggressive
and with the first fins to be seen on an Australian-assembled car.
1958 brought an upgraded `Star' model Customline. Identified by a circular
parking lights and a large chromed star in the grille centre, the revised car
came with an enlarged 4.8-litre engine and optional automatic transmission.
Drum brakes were standard but many regularly-used cars have acquired front
discs from later model Fords. Brakes apart, Customlines are well suited to
regular use and mechanical parts freely available. Rust has always presented
a problem so body panels in decent condition are difficult to find.
Harry Beckwith's side-valve Customline is a 1953 `Anniversary Model' - released
50 years after the Ford Motor Company's foundation. Owned by Beckwith for the
past nine years, the car is used frequently and travelled from Melbourne to
South Australia for the 2003 Bay to Birdwood Run.
The car is original right down to its six-volt electrical system but in the
interests of safety sports a set of Coker whitewalled radials.
"The old cross-ply tyres were a bit scary," Beckwith told us. "They
didn't have much grip and if you got anywhere near a set of tram tracks you'd
need to follow them to the depot before you could get the car back on the bitumen."
Customline values range from around $5000 for restorable runners to $20,000
if the car is a fully-restored or a Star model in near-perfect original condition.
HOLDEN TORANA SS HATCH - Performance: 8/10 Practicality: 7/10
Affordability: 7/10
The Torana SS V8 Hatch ranks as one of our country's most underrated performance
cars. Released in March 1976 and killed off less than two years later, the SS
was never given the opportunity to fulfill what could have been a very successful
reign as Australia's only high-performance production hatchback. Instead it has
faded into the shadows of the derivative A9X that gave Peter Brock two of his
nine Bathurst endurance race victories.
The major difference between a 5.0-litre SS and the A9X Hatch is the competition
car's disc brake rear axle and heavier differential, accommodated by a modified
floor pan. Engine output and performance in roadgoing form are similar; the
A9X Hatch tested by `Wheels' magazine recording a 0-400 metre time of 16.0
seconds compared to the 15.6 extracted a year earlier from an LX SS.
LX model Hatchbacks came with the choice of 3.3-litre six cylinder engines,
4.2 or 5.0-litre V8s. The UC model that followed came with uprated Radial Tuned
Suspension but concerns that V8 Toranas might provide unwanted competition
for the Commodore that would appear later that year prompted Holden to discontinue
SS production.
Carrying capacity under the long, shallow rear hatch is fairly restricted
and larger objects can only be accommodated with the rear seats folded. Under
the boot floor is a hideyhole providing secure storage for smaller objects.
One downside of the rear-end design is the tiny fuel tank - 52 litres just
not enough for a V8-engined car that uses around 18 litres every 100 kilometres.
Finding an SS Hatch in decent, unmodified condition can be difficult. Many
have been converted to resemble A9X models, with add-on wheelarch flares and
`drop tank' fuel containers visible below the rear bumper. Mechanical parts
are freely available however panels needed to eliminate rust or rectify poor
accident repairs will be hard to obtain. Cars with the unique `Hatch Hutch'
- a tent-like affair that turns the rear section into an impromtu bedroom -
are said to be worth $500-1000 more than non-Hutch cars.
Asking prices for five-litre SS Hatchbacks have soared in recent years, with
top-class cars now close to $15,000. 4.2-litre versions like Andrew Corvevu's
seem to be less common but haven't appreciated at the same pace so the majority
remain below $10,000.
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL - Performance: 7/10 Practicality: 6/10 Affordability:
8/10
If bulk for your bucks is a factor in your classic car selection process, put
this piece of North American opulence at the top of your wish list.
Graham White's 1974 Continental Town Car measures 5.9 metres in length and
weighs 2435kg. Its 7.5 litre V8 delivers 270kW and the limousine-like interior
is packed with features and trimmed spectacularly in leather. Best of all,
a car like this will cost around the same as a new Daewoo or five year-old
Fairlane and handle everyday use without a murmer of protest.
1968 brought the first complete Lincoln restyle in eight years and an all-new
Mark III coupe. Trademarks of the new design included a square-edged grille
- who mentioned Rolls-Royce? - concealed headlamps plus a return to the `humped'
bootlid last seen on the 1956 Continental Mark II.
For 1970 an all-new Continental Sedan and two-door Hardtop joined the range;
their styling sharp-edged and clean but clearly influenced by the lower-priced
Mercury Marquis. 1974 brought the mildly-restyled Town Car with larger bumpers
and turning lights mounted occupying the leading edges of the front mudguards.
Later versions of the four-door car adopted a large, ungainly grille and `C'
pillar porthole windows as featured on the Mark IV and V coupes.
While bearing no resemblance to a sports car, the two-door Lincolns don't
handle too badly for cars of their size and weight. 0-100km/h takes a tick
over 10 seconds with fuel consumption in the vicinity of 22 litres/100km.
Spare parts for Lincolns aren't common in Australia so access to the Internet
is essential. A quick search revealed several US-based suppliers offering mechanical,
electrical and trim. Body panels are scarce.
Sedans tend to be less expensive than coupes and we've seen good four-door
cars sell between $12,000 and $15,000. Mark III-V coupes in excellent order
cost $20,000.
MG MIDGET - Performance: 5/10 Practicality: 5/10 Affordability:
7/10
The Midget started life as a badge-engineered version of the Austin-Healey Sprite
Mark 2 and sold alongside the Sprite in other markets before making its way to
Australia in 1967.
Our first Midgets came with 1275cm3 engines and standard wire wheels. Performance
was better than the Sprite it replaced with 0-60mph (96km/h) taking 11 seconds.
1970 brought a minor restyle with a black plastic grille and bigger tail lamps
but the Midget was withdrawn from the Australian market in December 1972 as
Leyland geared up for production of its P76.
Our featured car is a 1973 `round arch' model owned by Bill Fleming and built
in the UK. It is one of the last Midgets to use a BMC `B Series' engine - cars
produced from 1974 until the model was discontinued five years later shared
their 1.5-litre motors with the Triumph Spitfire.
"They're a great starter sports car," said Matthew Baragooanath
who brought Bill's car to our photo shoot. "Anything you need is available
here or in England and they can be used for club competition, recreation or
even commuting if you want to."
The Midget is a compact sports car in every respect. It's 380mm shorter and
206kg lighter than an MGB but where you notice the difference is in shoulder
room. At 1345mm, Midgets give away 120mm in width to the bigger MGB- a problem
exacerbated by the oversized steering wheel.
The wire-spoked road wheels fitted as standard to Australian-assembled Midgets
can provide problems as well - flexing under hard cornering and with a tendency
to wear rear hub splines that cost around $250 each plus labour to replace.
Average-quality Midgets sell between $8000 and $10,000 with very good cars
now above $15,000. Fully-imported Mark 3 models will often have spent time
in the USA or UK and need to be carefully checked for rust.
MORRIS COOPER S - Performance: 7/10 Practicality: 5/10 Affordability:
6/10
Just in case nobody else noticed, March of this year saw the Cooper S celebrate
its 40th birthday. In search of a car that would challenge Ford's Lotus-Cortina
on the race track and replace the Austin-Healey 3000 as the company's front-line
rally car, BMC in Britain produced a 1071cm3 version of its Mini Cooper. Power
increased by 7kW over the preceding Cooper, power-assisted disc brakes were fitted
and radial-ply tyres standard equipment.
The Mini was a great social leveler. Actors, movie stars, racing drivers and
all of The Beatles numbered among the Mini's high-profile owners. John Lennon's
Cooper S was fitted with a monster sound system and Ringo Starr had a hatchback
cut into the rear of his to accommodate a drum kit.
Celebrities weren't the only ones to appreciate the anonymity of driving a
Cooper S. Policemen in many parts of Australia used
Minis as highway patrol vehicles and it wasn't long before any Cooper that
appeared in the horizon was being treated as `hostile'.
Local Cooper S assembly started in 1965 and continued until the Mark 2 version
was replaced in 1971 by the short-lived Leyland Clubman GT. At Bathurst in
the 1966 Gallagher 500, Cooper S Minis recorded the most comprehensive whitewash
in `Great Race' history by filling the first nine places outright.
The $15,000-$18,000 you'll need to spend on a recently restored Cooper S buys
very little in the way of creature comforts. The factory front bucket seats
are trimmed in cheap vinyl and provide absolutely no lateral support. The steering
wheel is hard-edged plastic (our featured car has a smaller, after-market wheel)
and set at such an angle as to make journeys of more than 50 kilometres a masochistic
experience.
So why do so many people still clamour to own these austere little cars? According
to Chris Briggs, who has owned his 1970 model Mark 2 for eight years, Minis
are simply addictive.
"When I was young I had a stock-standard Cooper then moved up to an `S'
as soon as I could afford one," Briggs told us. "Eventually when
the family started to come along I had to sell it but there was always the
thought that one day I'd get another one."
Briggs, who is Treasurer of the 750 strong Victorian Mini Club (Inc) drives
his Cooper S a couple of times a month but says that the cars are perfectly
capable of more frequent use.
"There are plenty of Mini specialists here and in Britain so parts are
simple to find," he said. "You can get engines that are modified
to use straight ULP but I run mine on Premium with an additive and that seems
to work fine."
NISSAN SKYLINE GTS - Performance: 7/10 Practicality: 8/10 Affordability:
7/10
When Nisan's racing manager Fred Gibson and driver Glenn Seton put their heads together to create a road-going car in the image of their Group A Skyline Turbo, the result had no chance of being anything less than inspiring.
Taking the brand's already competent Silhouette as its base, Gibson's Special Vehicle Division massaged the sweet-running overhead-cam 3.0-litre six to develop 130 kilowatts before going to work on the suspension and braking systems. Out went the standard shocks and struts; in their place specially developed Bilstein units, larger front disc brakes and calipers from the Japanese GTS-R coupe and 16 inch wheels carrying 215/55 V rated tyres. Dressing the boxy four-door Skyline body without spending major dollars was a challenge met by the addition of a body coloured grille insert and slush-fitting boot spoiler.
The first run of 200 GTS sedans were painted entirely in white and appeared in1988. Within a few weeks, the entire batch had been sold and those enthusiasts who missed out had to wait more than a year in anticipation of the red with white wheels Series 2. Where the Series 1 was available only as a five-speed manual, Series 2s were built with automatic transmission standard and manual as an option.
Carolyn Kruger is among the host of current and former owners (the writer included) who believe the GTS to be Australia's most underrated sporty sedan.
"I had one from new and always said I'd get another one," Kruger admitted. "When this one came up it was just so original that even though it needed some work I just had to have it".
One of Kruger's first expenses was $1050 to replace the car's noisy differential - a common problem with all R31 series Skylines - and $130 each to have the special shock absorbers reconditioned. Diff problems aside, these cars are mechanically bullet proof and well-maintained engines will get beyond 300,000 kilometres without needing major work.
High kilometres Series 1 cars have sold recently for less than $8000 but cars of either colour scheme and in excellent order will cost more than $15,000.
VOLKSWAGEN KARMANN-GHIA - Performance: 4/10 Practicality: 7/10 Affordability:
5/10
Karmann-Ghia values have for years provided a pointer to the health or otherwise of the classic vehicle market. A Karmann-Ghia is the type of car that attracts people who are feeling good about the state of the world and themselves.
Under that curvaceous bodywork the mechanical components are pure VW Beetle; an 1192cm3 engine developing 27 hard-working kilowatts, four-speed Volkswagen gearbox, torsion bar suspension, swing axles at the rear and drum brakes all around.
Inside are seats with grippy cloth inserts and considerably greater cabin width than a Beetle. Rear seat headroom is slightly restricted by the low-set coupe roof but legroom is similar. The rear seat can be folded to provide extra luggage space.
Within weeks of the model's US market release in 1956, an example had found its way into Road & Track magazine's test programme. There it was discovered that the coupe's advantageous aerodynamics and revised gear ratios didn't quite compensate for its 50kg of additional weight - acceleration to 60mph (96km/h) taking 27.8 seconds in a 1200 Beetle and 28.7 seconds in a Karmann-Ghia.
Australia saw its first examples of the sleek VW coupe in late1959 and at least one of them was a good deal quicker than the R&T test car. When timed by `Modern Motor' for its March 1960 issue, the snappy two-tone K-G reached a top speed of 130km/h and was a full six seconds quicker to 60mph.
The four-headlamp Type 3 Karmann-Ghia was released here in early 1965 but production of Type 1s for overseas markets continued until the 1970s. Early Type 3s came with 1.5-litre engines that were expanded to 1.6 litres in 1966. Although very popular in the United States, Type 1 Cabriolets weren't sold in Australia but privately imported cars cost $20,000 and $30,000.
Type 1 coupes in good original or restored condition aren't difficult to find and sell for between $16,000 and $20,000. Type 3s are less common but up to 30% cheaper.
Ron Hodgetts is an avowed VW enthusiast who bought his first Beetle new in 1958. His Type 1 Karmann-Ghia is a 1960 model believed to have been owned by the wife of the Volkswagen dealer in Ron's home town of Geelong. The car was restored in 1988 and acquired by Ron in 1995. While the Hodgetts also own a current-model Beetle, the Karmann-Ghia is no pampered pet and regularly driven.
"It's very reliable and I'd happily jump in it today and drive it from Melbourne to Sydney," Ron Hodgetts said. "I don't know about body panels but all the mechanical parts are easy to get and reasonably priced."
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