Good morning! I seem to have stumbled on a theme for this week, so we’ll just go with it and see where it leads. Today we’re looking at two four-door sedans with manual gearboxes, but with wildly different levels of difficulty. Before we get to those, however, let’s see what you made of yesterday’s air-cooled beasts:
Yes! A full one-fifth of you are crazy enough to take on that dune buggy. When one of you one hundred and twenty-nine brave souls brings that beast home, we expect a full report.
Today, we’re shifting gears and looking at two vehicles with fixed roofs, four doors, and a certain degree of respectability that was lacking from Monday’s or Tuesday’s offerings. Does this mean that they’ll be boring? Not on your life. Here they are.
1986 Chevrolet Nova – $2,250
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6-liter inline-4, 5-speed manual, FWD.
Location: Portland, OR.
Odometer reading: 162,000 miles.
Runs/drives? Like a top, from the sound of it.
Before there was Geo, Chevrolet slapped its own badges on GM’s captive imports. The Chevy Spectrum was a rebadged Isuzu Gemini (or I-Mark in the States), the Sprint was a Suzuki Cultus, and the Nova was essentially a Toyota Corolla with some minor sheet metal changes. GM caught some flak for applying the Nova nameplate to a front-wheel-drive import, much like Chrysler faced with the Japanese-built late-1970s Challenger and front-wheel-drive Charger and Duster. What’s in a name? Quite a lot, according to some, it seems.
The Nova was built alongside the Corolla at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant (NUMMI for short) in Fremont, California. As such, the Nova wasn’t really an import after all. Or was it? And what about the Toyota-badged cars rolling out of the same factory? They were built by the same workers; did that make them domestics? The whole “Buy American” thing gets more muddled the closer you look at it.
The best thing about this car, to me, is the complete lack of bullshit or pretense. It’s just a car, built to be useful, reliable, and reasonably comfortable transportation. And I can vouch for the truth of that: I commuted a hundred miles a day in one of these for the better part of a year, and it held up just fine. It won’t impress anybody except the person who owns it, but who cares?
The condition of this particular Nova is certainly impressive; it has covered only 162,000 miles under one owner, and it has been well-kept. In fact, looking at the photos, I don’t see anything wrong with this car except a little ding on the left rear corner. Really, this is a hell of a deal on this little car, and I can’t figure out why it’s still up for sale after eleven days, honestly. Maybe nobody wants to drive a manual. Or the average car-shopper has no idea about this car’s Toyota DNA. Whatever the reason, it’s a bargain, and if I were looking for a car, I’d be tempted to scoop it up myself.
(Images and listing from Craigslist.)
1961 Jaguar Mark II – $2,200
Engine/drivetrain: 3.4 or 3.8-liter inline-6, 4-speed manual with overdrive, RWD.
Location: Monterey, CA.
Odometer reading: Unknown.
Runs/drives? That would be a no.
When you think of a 1961 Jaguar, what probably comes to mind is the legendary E-Type sports car. But about twice as many Mark II saloons rolled out of Coventry than did E-Types. The Mark II used the same XK series dual-overhead-cam engine as the E-Type. The Mark II’s engine was slightly de-tuned, and it had a live rear axle on leaf springs in place of the E-Type’s independent rear end, but this was still a high-performance car, especially the 3.8 liter version.
There’s no indication of which engine size this Jag holds under its long bonnet, but whichever it is, its cylinder head is in the trunk. It was in storage for a long time, presumably with the head off, so here’s hoping some sort of prep work was done to keep the cylinders from rusting, or this may be a famous Le Mans-winning dual-overhead cam boat anchor. The rest of it looks rough but restorable, and compared to an E-Type in similar condition, this is a bargain.
I love these little folding trays for the rear seat passengers. This car may have been fun to drive in its day, but one wasn’t meant to drive it oneself; one was meant to be driven in it.
The seller seems to have thought it more important to take artsy close-up shots than any decent overall condition shots, so I guess I’ll leave you with this look at of one of the Lucas headlamps and fog lamps:
Look at that patina. This old Jag wouldn’t be welcomed at The Quail, but we here at Shitbox Showdown aren’t so highfalutin (we are, at best, medium-falutin) and we appreciate a bit of texture.
[Editor’s Note: This Jag has fantastic potential to become a rally car. It would be very welcome at a Gambler 500 or a HooptieX. Get that pile of crap running, wrap some all-terrains on those wheels, bolt some rally lights to it, then take it on an adventure! – MS]
(Images and listing from Craigslist.)
So that’s what we’ve got for you today: A captive import in remarkably good shape, or a decent deal on a restoration-ready British motorcar. Which one will it be?
Normally I’d be all over a Jaaaag, but this particular one looks like a box of raaaats. I’ll take the Nova that has clearly received the level of care that the Mark II should have received. Kudos to the owner for putting in the work to keep such a cheap and basic car in terrific shape.
GM really loved using names on completely unrelated models in different parts of the globe didn’t they? A (Vauxhall) Nova here (UK) was a 1980s hatchback that was one of the standard first cars you got if you passed your test in the 90s. It wasn’t particularly great handling or fast, other than the GTE turboed one that was uninsurable, but the three door did have great blistered arches.
Obviously I bought a 5door before realising this crucial detail wasn’t on that body style.
Would an LS fit in the Jag? It’s a little bit too much money do go full Roadkill on it but I think that’s the direction I’d like to go.
Voted for the Nova though because I’ve made enough bad decisions on these votes this week.
I believe I’ll channel my inner Homer Simpson and take the easy way
Hide your silverware and your easily looted valuables, I’m driving the Jaaaaaaaag
Cut my teeth wrenching on them. Chuck, a friend of Dad’s, was a WWII Marine (lied about his age to join, turned 15 on a boat in the Pacific) and spent the second half of his life wrenching on Italian and English luxury and performance cars. Taught me most of what I know about how to handle a wrench.
Passed away about 15 years ago. I miss him.
really this depends on what you are buying a cheap ass car for. if you are looking for a great winter beater and realize there are no more 500-1000 dollar ones out there anymore, then that Corolla is a steal. it will get around everywhere and even though Americans, and Californian Americans no less screwed it together, the Toyota design is known to have won out on the question of low cost quality here.
But if you are looking for an investment that Jag is a solid thing, and I hear they are making them electric in England, so if you have deep pockets or medium pockets and some wrenching skills, a tesla motor swap seems like a grand idea in the jag.
Very much this, regarding the Jag. I said as much before reading your comment.
Pardon me, but would you happen to have any Grey Poupon?
$2,250 for a 36 year old Nova seems absurd, regardless if it celebrates Toyotathon during the holidays. It is remarkably clean, though. I don’t wrench, but that Jag…oo-la-la. I think DT should restore that for his LA driver.
I haven’t seen a Novarolla (or even an early Preo Gizm) that nice since I was a kid watching traffic go by from the passenger seat of my mother’s then-new Contour. If anything, it’s *too* nice – my 15-year-old Yaris has more miles and worse paint, and I’m not half as worried about driving it in the winter. It wasn’t mechanical failures that killed ’80s Toyotas up here, as Griznant touched on. Brilliant car for someone else.
The Jag, in my mind, is a perfect electrification candidate: it’s a handsome classic sedan that can handle a few hundred extra pounds of battery weight, it’s old and British so you’ll have to rewire the whole damn car anyway, and a previous owner has helpfully removed the head and likely let the bores get all rusty, which would be an ideal challenge for someone else who buys the disassembled engine from you on Craigsbook.
Lokki’s right – the answer is both, if you don’t already have an appliance. I’d love to bring the Nova to Cars and Coffee and chat with folks whose dads had one back in the day… but the Jag’s stolen my heart.
‘The Jag, in my mind, is a perfect electrification candidate’
this has been done, very recently; suggest you search Youtube for fast Matt
“He sent me to the top floor, away from the main cruise-in area… That’s fine.”
Matt’s our kind of guy. Thanks for pointing me his way!
I voted Nova, because it’s a no nonsense car that from the add at least looks to be in decent shape. Anything that’s going to break should be easy enough to fix at home. My heart really wants the Jaguar though. It can’t be that hard to bring it back to glory can it? So my official answer is both, in spite of that not being a choice.
I voted Jag. Because of course I did. But i’d plan to Tesla swap it.
The Jaguar. It’s the automotive equivalent of the Sisyphus myth though. For all those stalwart mechanics out there who have multiple times cheated an automotive demise, by extracting useful miles from a worn-out beater that had no legitimate right to be clogging up the highways, this Mk II will always and forever need more and more tasks to keep it running. You will constantly be pushing that boulder up the hill. Unendingly.
It is therefore the only cure for the hubris of those of us who might say, “Well actually, I can make just about anything useable, if I really want to…”
And despite this knowledge, this certitude of the Hell I would be willingly walking into, this is a thing I might just do. It has the cachet of a 1960’s Sergio Leone western drama, where the hero knows he is about to die, but flicks his cigar butt to the ground, sets his Stetson in place, and pulls out his weapon anyway.
Would I do it? Yes. Yes I would.
I like your style!
Having opted for the Corvair yesterday, how could I not go for the Jaguar today? Yes, it’s a hot mess, but after a LOT of hard work and more money than I want to think about, it would be a Classic Jaguar. The Nova would cost less, but no amount of effort can make it anything more than…a Nova.
Nutball associations with wood, leather, Wilton carpets and SU carburetters (!) aside, I simply love Mark IIs. Preferably 3.8s, BRG with wire wheels. They feel good, look good, smell good, and drive, well, good.
So I go for “yummy! over NUMMI. All day.
The only thing that would make the Nova better is if it were a hatchback.
If I wanted a project, the Jag is a good choice.
However, a running and driving car for just over 2 grand is a hard deal to pass up.
I own an ’87 Nova in the same color as this one. I’ve had it since ’94 when I bought it for $1400 with 60k miles on it as my college car. Still own it almost 30 years later and through four (unnecessary) engine swaps.
Currently sports a JDM 4AGE 20v silver-top. I love these cars and they are wonderful little simple pieces of engineering that just keep going. Watch for rust, but this one looks clean!
I am sorry but in one sentence you said 4 engine swaps, and then the next one keeps going, By that measuring stick a BMW seems pretty reliable
He said unnecessary engine swaps, then noted it currently has an engine making roughly double the initial power.
Upgrades aren’t a sign a car was unreliable. Sometimes they’re a sign it’s so boring and reliable you’ve decided to make it unreliable just for excitement.
I pulled the 74hp 4ALC engine in ’97 and put in an ’86 MR2 blue-top 4AGE (116hp) and converted to EFI. Didn’t have to, just did because I could.
I roached that $300 junkyard engine in 2007 after beating the living piss out of it for 10 years and swapped in the first JDM silver-top 4AGE (160hp).
That thing lived over 8000rpm but hitting 9 grand on it a couple too many times spun a rod bearing.
Enter the next 4AGE silver-top. That’s been in it since 2009. So, I guess four engines, just three physical swaps. These are all bolt-in by the way, aside from the EFI part.
The car also has a host of other upgrades. Trueno/Levin short ratio five-speed, AE-92 rear discs, AE101 front discs, FX-16 gauges and steering wheel, front/rear sway bars (stocker had none), and ’86 MR2 Alloys. The car isn’t worth much but hearing those ITBs sing from under that blue econobox is always an attention getter. 🙂
Sounds like me with my 03′ Focus ZX-5. Car has been kinda good, it’s eaten it’s fair share of automatic transmissions (original, warranty, junkyard, and AAMCO), and I’m now trying to track down why the car will accelerate on her own (no vacuum leaks, transmission sensors, throttle cable adjusted, still no resolution). If I barely tap the accelerator she will continue accelerating for a little bit and when I start her up, it’s a higher RPM, like if I were flooring it while starting it.
Sounds like unmetered air getting in somewhere, or maybe check the Idle Air Control flapper
zetec just kicked in yo 😀
Exactly! My first car was an ’87 (auto) in tan. It was a hand-me-down from older siblings. That little tank was in 13 tow away accidents from them before I even got my grubby 16 yr old mitts on it. Little dude lasted me 5 years with limited care. When the head gasket gave up, it just so happened that my brother was graduating college and got a new car, giving me his ’92 Metro 4-door instead of me fixing the Nova. It went to the Salvation Army.
By the time I got it, the rear windows could only be lowered from the driver’s panel and raised from the specific door, the tape player would only work if you beat on the side of the whole stack (which would sometimes result in it switching sides of the tape so you had to listen in order, haha), and the trunk was eventually just bungee corded down so tight that it was not accessible….
But, it ran and ran and ran. They are great cars mechanically.
p.s. Could you imagine the absolute uproar in today’s world if you named a car “Spectrum”? lolol.
I saw the picts, Toyota and a Jag. Then read the caption. Nova and Jag…I thought you had the captioning wrong LOL. I never remember seeing a Nova badge on a Toyota LOL. The 80s are kind of a blur anyway
I’m guessing that the lack of wire wheels on the MkII signals this as a 2.4 or 3.4 liter version rather than the 3.8. Still a manual overdrive version is pretty desirable, although I suspect a full restoration would cost more than a concours condition example. Would rather have this as a project than the running Toyrolet.
‘running Toyrlet’!
Thats gold, Jerry!
I was going with the Jag, hands down, when I saw the title. Upon reading through, the Nova got my vote. While the Jag is unquestionably cool, there is a Gawd awful amount of stuff to be done to it and getting it back into shape will be extra difficult because of how scarce parts will be. The Nova is impressively maintained and that cannot be discounted.
All about restoring cool cars, but I pick my battles. The Jag is an entire war campaign.
Here is a case why we need a “Why Not BOTH?” button. You can confidently drive the
ToyotaChevy all over the country searching for Jaguar parts for the 100 years it will take to restore that old beauty to working order.In the meantime, if anyone teases you about driving such a plebeian vehicle as an old ‘Nova’ you can reply (with honesty!) that you only drive it while your Jag is in the shop….
“In the meantime, if anyone teases you about driving such a plebeian vehicle as an old ‘Nova’ you can reply (with honesty!) that you only drive it while your Jag is in the shop….”
So, what you’re saying is you drive a Toyota Nova. Got it.
This is my vote
The implication is that the Nova, somehow, does excite you. And it ain’t even a Pontiac.
https://youtu.be/rBgNoZvv0zU
Anyway, the Jag is the obvious choice. It’s a handful, but it’s cheap. Not so rare that you’d feel bad doing any conversion that struck your fancy, nor so rare that a full restoration would be completely out of reach. It’s art, but approachable art. And your gearhead skills would get lots and lots and lots of practice, the whole time earning admiring shakes of the head from passersby for your tenacity/foolhardiness. Sure, it would spend more time in a state of “No va,” as a Spanish speaker might put it. But imagine the triumph on your first successful round trip to the 7 Eleven without having to call AAA!
The Nova just won’t feel nearly as good.
Sorry, that was meant to be a reply to R.J.
The interface seems wonky today.
So far the Jag is winning! Good! It proves we’re all crazy, but we have impeccable taste. The Nova is an amazingly well preserved time capsule and its secret Toyota-ness is great, but come on. Project car Jag all the way.
Man, I really wanted to say Jaaaaaag, but having already spent untold money getting an old Triumph running and roadworthy again, that old bird would probably bankrupt me.
Nah, I’ll take the Nova, roll it to a Radwood or two, and be happy about it.
This is the correct take, but I voted for the Jag anyways.
Same here! I can’t be rational when it’s a Jaaaaaaag of this vintage.
I’m gonna take the easy way.
I love that E-Type, but I fear for parts availability. Even after allowing myself to dream about what it would be like when the basketcase is all sorted, I’d still never trust it for more than a short trip to high tea on Sundays, and even that’s doubtful. This was the hardest “easy choice” I’ve ever had to make.
Practical me says the nova. Pretty much a decent cockroach of a car. Not exciting but will probably be running for doomsday. I don’t need a practical dd so fantasy me says get the jag. It’s not an etype so go fun restored on it.
I voted for the Nova. The Jag is cool, but doesn’t excite me at all. So I went for something that runs.
If I did the Jag I would chuck the whole drive train and LS swap it. Drive it all torn up the way it is. Zombie Jag!
I’m with you until the LS. Wrong rumble in this case. OOhhh, what about a 2JZ-GE or 2JZ-GTE?? That stays I6, gets power, and is irreverent enough to go with clear coating the patina. That’s what I’d want and not be able to do, so NUMMI.