Yesterday you decided that the force was not with the seller of a particular '80s SUV. Today, we're going arboreal with a Dodge Aspen that's willing to flip its lids for you. When they were introduced in 1976 as replacements for the venerable Dart/Duster/Valiant line, the Volaré and Aspen appeared ready to meet the competition from Ford and GM head on.

Unfortunately, as admitted by Lee Iacocca in his autobiography, the pair had been rushed to market, and lacked the testing and R&D time that would have caught many of the problems that plagued early adopters. The rusting fenders, stumbling engines and shoddy build quality issues were mostly addressed by the time the ‘77s were rolling off the line, but that was too late, and the F-body twins became poster children for the sweet malaise of American manufacturing craptitude.

But all that shouldn't stop you from appreciating this lovely example of an Aspen Coupe from 1977. From the "watch out where the huskies go" paint color to the 145bhp 318 V8 this car is all original. And nothing says original 1970s like a hot set of T-tops. That's right, just like a Corvette, you could pop out the glass panels and toss them into the trunk for all your melanoma inducing pleasure. The juxtaposition of the T-tops and the opera window-bedecked padded vinyl top mean this Aspen will be ready for anything, from a night on the town, to the early bird special at Olive Garden. And its yours for the taking.

The seller claims that the car is "highly optional" and who are we to disagree? It's still nice to have an option, and the inclusion of such niceties as an 8-track tape player, working cruise control (possibly meaning the throttle sticks) and two fender tags only sweetens the deal. And what a deal that is; $5,150 is the asking price for everything you see- 2 tops, 4 tires, 8 cylinders and lots of miles to enjoy that white leather interior, leaking top seals, and ponderous handling.

So, does $5,150 put this Dodge at the T-Top of your list? Or is that price as padded as its roof?

You decide!

Madison craigslist or go here if the ad disappears. Thanks to tempesjo for the aspending tip!

Not much represented gaudy performance cars American muscle in the 1990s better than the Pontiac Firebird. This convertible 'Bird is decked out like he just did 120 down Findlay, Ohio's main street. [Cars Photos]

See the rest of our Jalopnik Auto Flag-Elation here and check out our pre-Fourth Jalopnik Automotive Amerigasm here.

The Rally Sport designation had become more or less meaningless by the time George Bush Senior took office... oh, wait- it was always pretty much meaningless.


Seeing the USS Hornet (and San Francisco) in the background reminds me that the Camaro was once the car to have for sailors stationed at Alameda's now-closed Navy base. You spent 9 months at sea in the Enterprise or Coral Sea, and your Camaro- which was kept stashed in a Navy parking lot packed with GM A- and F-bodies- would be waiting for you and your heavy right foot when you hit shore with a fat bankroll in your pocket. Unfortunately, the Navy wouldn't let its personnel grow mullets.


This example is pretty clean; I wanted to go with an '82 car, but the only ones I could find were hideous beaters... not that there's anything wrong with hideous beaters, but I thought we should start off with a fairly intact car if we're going to add these things to the DOTS repertoire.

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No, this car wasn't quick (in factory trim). But, just like its Z/28 sibling, it looked quick.


California Trans Ams came with the Olds 403, an engine more or less synonymous with the word "Malaise." 185 horsepower, on a good day; they had to use nitrous in Burt's car to do burnouts in the movie. Scream, chicken, scream!


This car is rough, though not rusty. Try to imagine it back in '78, with its Firebirdly allure enabling its owner to catch a virulent case of herpes from a feathered-hair fox within hours of initial purchase!


Well, at least this wheel is only missing one lugnut, unlike the Mustang we saw the other day.

Remember, no irony is permitted with second-gen Camaros, which means no punk stuff makes the cut (though we realize Joan Jett edges into punk territory, the song we present here comes straight from her inner Camaro driver and thus qualifies). Since the pinnacle of second-gen-F-body-ness was reached when they were new enough to be common, yet old enough to be cheap, we're focusing on the mid-70s to mid-80s here. We're drawing from a pool of songs you might hear in a 12-year-old '75 Z/28, with a 406, B&M Megashifter, Holley double-pumper, and plywood over the rust holes in the trunk floor. Feel free to make your own suggestions, though links to some means of hearing your preferred Second Generation Camaro Anthem are appreciated.

Ohioian Dave Flynn showed off his new, 700 hp Baldwin-Motion Phase III Camaro in Carlisle, PA recently — now his car's got its own publicist. We were graced by e-mail with shots of the bitchin' repro F-body this morning, under the heading "The Devil Is in the Details." Such details include a Motion red finish with silver accent stripes, air conditioning, Tremac five-speed, four-wheel SSBC-Motion disc brakes (eight-piston front), coil-over shocks and an independent (IRS) rear developed by Blue Moon Motorsports for Baldwin-Motion. Well-heeled cammy heads can get their own Baldwin-Motion 450-hp SS-427 and 600-hp Phase III 540 Camaros for $169,000 and $189,000, respectively. It's a bargain, considering an original Baldwin-Motion Camaro can go for as much as a Manhattan brownstone. Click through for more pics.

Related:
First Customer's Phase III Baldwin-Motion Camaro Displayed at Carlisle [internal]