Have a rare or desirable car? Share it. | Column

Midlana qualifies as "rare", as in there's only one like it, but as for "desirable", well that's being determined now on BaT

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2014-special-mid-engine-lotus-seven/

I have a 1993 Ford Probe GT with 70k original miles in great condition. Original owner with all paperwork. It's red and is identical to the Motor Trend Car of the Year test car.

kb58 said:

Midlana qualifies as "rare", as in there's only one like it, but as for "desirable", well that's being determined now on BaT

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2014-special-mid-engine-lotus-seven/

Dude, I'm cheering you on from here!

Ok, I am sure there are those here who will vilify me for having more than one subaru and even more so for trying to pass any of them off as either desirable or rare, but hear me out. I have an 05 Wagon 5 spd that is maybe a bit crusty and rusty, but serves as occasional track toy and daily driver when its running. Yeah I can hear the laughter.... nevertheless, this humble looking machine provided considerable challenge to much more expensive and sophisticated hardware in the slower corners and a boatload of driving fun for me that day. From my perspective this is the best looking car Subaru ever built and one of the best handling they ever built, and the number of them left for enthusiasts to snatch up and play with are frightenly few. And that was true when I bought this one several years ago. Hard to find even one for sale in driving condition now. So does that meet the criteria for rare? I would say so. Desireable? It is to me, I know its quirks and have made peace with them.   Then there is the 2009 WRX that is still in very nice shape. Something of a garage queen. Hasn't been run to death on the drag strip or autocross course, tastefully modded so that it is indecently quick, still reasonably usable as a form of rapid transit should the need arise. But mostly its for those Sunday afternoons on a crooked backroad where you can exploit the boost as desired and feel the suspension work. Or just enjoy a leisurely drive. Desireable? Sure...ask any 19 year old if they want it. Rare, getting that way because most of them have been used up, wrecked and sent to the crusher. Mine has less than 65k on the clock and still looks good and runs better. So I dont know which one would be rarer or more desireable....guess it depends on who you ask.

Semi Rare kit car, and getting less so each year.  It goes to rolling active car shows, aka HPDEs.  I have never turned down any interested party for a ride, and offered plenty, though some folks just don't fit.

In reply to tb :

I concur with your evaluation of the Z driving experience. I had a '90 SlickTop NA, bought new and kept for 13 years, before foolishly selling it to get more "practical", and I currently own a '90 TT that is just such a joy to drive. Probably won't ever sell that one.

In reply to livinon2wheels :

I hear you.  I've been shocked how much fun I can have in my cheap beater Subaru.  It's honestly the most fun I've ever had in a car, and I've owned far more desirable cars.  I'm really looking forward to getting a more hardcore rally car and doing rallyX, hillclimbs, and whatever else I can get into.  If I find a navigator stage rally might be on the menu too. 

Nothing rare when new, but these days...

1997 Nissan 240SX SE with 5spd manual, 99.9% stock and never used as a drift missile!

2003 C5 Z06, it's my autocross/nice weather driver.

Ive owned a few cars that I'd like to have back though, 1993 RX7, 1992 3000GT VR4, 2007 Subaru STI, are just a few...

The Z06.

It's only a w211 E55, but the previous owner sent it off to Brabus for the full K8 treatment. I've always only considered small light manual trans cars but I've put more miles and more years on this than any other car I've owned.. Rare? I think there are 4 or 5 others in the US. Desirable? Well it is at least to me!

How about this?? There not like butts, everyone has one. I have never seen one driving on the road. I never seen one at any of the car shows I have been too. To me it was worth purchasing. It has the original motor, tranny, carbs, air cleaner. It may have had been a race car/autocross in the past.

Your Datsun could be a 1600 or a 2000.  What year is the car?

Jay_W said:

It's only a w211 E55, but the previous owner sent it off to Brabus for the full K8 treatment. I've always only considered small light manual trans cars but I've put more miles and more years on this than any other car I've owned.. Rare? I think there are 4 or 5 others in the US. Desirable? Well it is at least to me!

Count me in as well

chandler said:

Jay_W said:

It's only a w211 E55, but the previous owner sent it off to Brabus for the full K8 treatment. I've always only considered small light manual trans cars but I've put more miles and more years on this than any other car I've owned.. Rare? I think there are 4 or 5 others in the US. Desirable? Well it is at least to me!

Count me in as well

This seems like a valid answer to the "What Car for a Cross Country Trip?" thread.

I'll just assume it's desirable since it was mentioned in the article and I can't go to the gas station without somebody walking up and asking me, "how much?"

1987 Buick Grand National

It's heavily modified now, but I do still have the original engine and transmission in it, though they've been gone through.

It keeps up with current equipment just fine. Had a guy in a GT3RS come up to me at Road America last summer to let me know I'd walked him down the front straight. Pulled a 7.77 1/8th mile on just 14 pounds of boost. The Falken 660s really couldn't launch the car with it set any higher, I'll need to get some drag radials and go back to the strip sometime.

It made it to the Optima Invitational in Vegas in 2018 and 2021, and went to Saudi-SEMA in Riyadh in 2019.

It still gets miles. I drove my kid to the doctor in it through a thunderstorm just yesterday.
 

In reply to ascott :

It's entertaining to follow around NCM as it starts smoking and then bursts into flames.

I was glad that the fire was put out quickly.  You need to set up a showdown with the MaliBeast one day.

I've been a 'Porsche guy' since the early 1970s. I was hooked by a 1969 911T coupe. A two-liter aubergine example with Weber carbs and a rare light tan interior. Years later I bought a 1973.5 911T Targa as a 50th birthday present to myself. It's a 2.4 liter with CIS; black leather interior with black/white hounds tooth inserts; 'S' instruments and trim. 23 years later I still enjoy driving it on our twisty mountain roads.

In reply to KyAllroad :

That was the Probe.

I don't have rare cars or ones that are desirable as the original models, but they are hilariously modified.  I try to let as many people as possible drive them at Autox events.   They are both low prep "EMod" cars and 99% of people will never get to drive something like this.  They both have passenger seats which are always open for ride alongs as well.  There are 0 others like them so I suppose they are Rare, and certian people will desire them but it's not like they are exotica or even a dream car.  

The MG is more docile so I will basically let ANY experienced autoxer take a drive in it.  The Subaru at current is a bit more of a handful but I still am apt to share.  

I'm planning to get the Subaru out to a few car shows and share it's hilarity in that way also.  

I wouldnt say rare but it's desirable to me

18 SS 1LE

Sadly I think the most desirable thing I own is a regular old chevy pickup. I get way more compliments and offers to buy it than I do my camaro.

nocones said:

 

This made me smile :)

In reply to APEowner :

Oh yeah. We've done several 17 hr 1200 miles in one gulp road trips and it doesn't hurt to do em. Of course it also doesn't hurt that those trips involve crossing Montana, which helps with the entertainment side of things...

Opti said:

...Sadly I think the most desirable thing I own is a regular old chevy pickup...

I can relate. So I'm cleaning Midlana, my one-off custom car, in the garage with the door open. Also in the garage is a Jaguar F-Type. The UPS guy stop and I hear him say, "Nice car!" I said thanks as I turn, only to see him looking at the Jag. Humbling that was, yes...

Is this what you get if you make a Locost wider?

Great build BTW...

And I got nuthin'.  Unless you count a GS Eclipse with a bad head gasket cool or desirable.

In reply to jr02518 :

It is a 1969 2000.