Honda Prelude, Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, Ford Model A: The Dopest Cars I Found For Sale Online
A very special all-green edition of the week's Dopest Cars.
Y'know what's an underrated car color? Green. People always talk about missing the pastel shades of the sixties and longing for the bright metallics of the eighties, but green always seems to fall by the wayside. Unless it's British Racing, there's never a clamor to bring it back.
I, for one, think that's a mistake. We should be asking for more greens from manufacturers — bright neons, sleek dark shades, whatever variant you want. Green is a fantastic color (that's been on my mind recently, for no particular reason that I can put my finger on) and thus it's the basis for today's installment of Dopest Cars. Green is good.
1998 Honda Prelude - $4,500
I'll be honest, I didn't even know the Prelude came in green. These shady photos may not show it off too well, but Honda has a history of fantastic green shades for its cars. Someone, please, respray a Prelude in Midori and donate it to me.
This Prelude isn't perfect, but its California listing means it's likely rust-free. It has some body damage, some dings and scrapes and caved-in panels, but who among us doesn't? What, you demand that your car be in better shape than you are? That doesn't sound fair.
1991 Land Rover Defender - $22,500
What's better than green? Green with a white roof and black grille, obviously. But what's even better than that? Green with a white roof, black grille, and color-matched green steelies. That, friends, is perfection.
Which is convenient, because there are some imperfections on this Defender. It was restored two years ago, in a job described as "decent but not perfect." The seller also claims the Rover "starts right up even after sitting for weeks," which sounds like the kind of thing that should be table stakes for a motor vehicle. At least, that's my thinking, but I've never owned a British car.
2020 Honda Grom - $2,700
I could have easily made an all-green list out of purely Kawasakis, but that would have been too easy. Instead, I found green bikes that don't come from Big Green. I like a challenge, you see, and it appears the owner of this Grom does too.
I say that because this Grom has evidently been challenged in its life. The clutch lever is bent all the way back around, the mirrors have been deleted, and the front turn signals have been swapped out for low-profile units. This is a series of mods we call "oh so you absolutely dropped this bike huh."
1993 Mitsubishi Delica - $29,999
There are few exterior photos of this Delica, and those that do exist were all taken under harsh sunset lighting. They make for a gorgeous color temperature, but it's difficult to see whether the body itself is black or dark green. The seller lists it as green, though, so I'll go with their description.
I'll also defer to them on the absolutely massive service history list. This Delica has truly been meticulously maintained, with the seller going so far as to treat the underbody for rust and bedline it against further water intrusion. That's a rare bonus in the Delica market.
1950 Ford Custom - $27,900
Not every green has to be a deep, rich shade like ours. Sometimes you want something a little more Easter egg, a bit more pastel. If that's your style, then this Ford is right up your alley.
I'll admit, I don't understand some of the naming of older cars. This was sold by Ford as the Custom, that's its model name. Yet, by virtue of it coming fresh from the factory, it cannot be custom until modified. So not all Customs are custom, not all customs are Customs, and now the word "custom" sounds fake to me.
1971 Chevy C10 - $7,500
More cars should be rattlecanned, I think. This C10 wasn't necessarily painted with Home Depot's finest, but the finish certainly looks the part. This, to be clear, is a good thing. You should give your own car a shitty paint job.
In contrast to some of the lovingly-restored classics we've seen here this week, this C10 is a survivor. It still carries its original inline six under the hood, but it's been updated to more reliable electronic ignition. The seller even claims it's their daily driver. Maybe it'll be yours next.
2015 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide - $15,500
When writing up the BMW R 18 Roctane, I realized that I don't really get the Harley-Davidson Road King. It's a big, heavy bike with saddlebags — perfect for touring — but it has no wind protection for those long hauls. It makes no damn sense, and does not compel me. Compare it to this Electra Glide which, while still nonsensical, compels me greatly.
Look at that green! Look at the pinstripes! This is the kind of bike I'd love to ride once, maybe twice, just to get it out of my system. They're heavy, not particularly fast, and horribly suited to my stoplight-to-stoplight city riding, but there's just some je ne sais quois here.
2008 Ford Mustang - $39,500
You didn't think we'd get through a list of green cars without including a Bullitt, did you? I still remember when these first came out, long before I ever knew what the movie Bullitt was. It was a simpler time. A better time.
Unlike Bullitt, Bullitt Mustangs are good. Great color, simple and classic wheels, cue ball shifter. What more could you want in a muscle car? Its namesake movie might put you to sleep (it certainly did for me) but I doubt the car will.
1974 MG MGB - $13,000
This MGB is restomodded, but in the oddest possible way. The engine is an old, carbureted four-cylinder, but it's out of a Ford — and the seller claims it's backed up by a "modern" five-speed gearbox. The gauges look mostly period-correct, save for the digital tachometer, which itself only reads 361 miles. It's an odd one.
The color, though, is anything but odd. By my math, approximately 160 percent of MGs were sold in British Racing Green, and all were equipped with Minilite-style wheels from the factory. Lotta variety in the MG market these days.
1995 Jeep Wrangler - $38,500
I had a real Sophie's Choice for Wranglers this week. In one corner, I had a bright-green modern Wrangler, eye-searing in its greenness. In the other, a Wrangler just a year older than me, with more subdued paint and the venerably 4.0-liter engine. I picked the four-liter, and I do not regret it.
Especially since this Jeep is the perfect color combo — green over tan. Too many people get this wrong, pairing green with black interiors that heat up to approximate the surface of the sun on a hot day. Tan is the way, my friends.
1968 BSA Lightning - $4,000
I understand I'm pushing the "green" definition here, since most people count the color of a motorcycle from its tank rather than its frame, but I think this one counts. The frame is intentionally colored, unlike most, while the tank is entirely bare. It's a green bike. Fight me in the comments.
It's also a neat bike. A classic BSA twin, but with swept-back bars atop a chopped and lengthened front end. Look at how short those exhaust pipes are, how free they are of literally any form of ear-saving volume reduction. This BSA has some attitude to it.
1967 Volkswagen Dune Buggy - $14,000
What made the Wrangler choice easier, picking the deeper green over something bright and obnoxious, was the knowledge that I had this dune buggy in my spreadsheet. You all know me, I'm a sucker for a VW-based buggy, and this one goes above and beyond with our theme — green paint and seatbelts.
This brings me to a bigger point: Why don't more companies offer color-matched seatbelts? You're going to say "economies of scale" or "most consumers wouldn't buy them" or "that only happens on expensive enthusiast vehicles, because they're the only ones who give a shit." You can say reasonable takes about why this doesn't happen all you want, I'm putting my fingers in my ears and going LALALALALALALALALALA.
1999 BMW Z3 - $9,000
This Z3 is a slightly different hue than most greens on this list. It's more subdued, bluer, less outright green. It's almost Jalop-y, in a way. Take some of the flake out, and you'd likely have something very close to the logo right above this image.
The seller of this Z3 claims they wanted to use it as a summer car, but "the back kicked in" and now they can't. They also say "If you are looking to "get over", go somewhere else." I have no earthly idea what this means, let me know in the comments.
1928 Ford Model A - $15,000
The Model T may have come in any color you wanted, so long as it was black, but the Model A was a bit more interesting. This one is offered in what we now, on slide 14, know to be God's perfect car color: Green.
The seller claims a recent refurbishing of much of this Ford, with new engine gaskets and modern headlights. It may not quite be a daily driver, but the Model A does have 63,000 miles on it—someone likely used it as one. Keep it going for just a bit longer.
2000 Toyota Tacoma - $13,900
I'll admit, this Taco isn't perfect. For starters, it has a rebuilt title, which I'm guessing is the reason behind those headlights. They almost fit the car's aesthetic, in the way that an ornate fountain would almost fit my 250 square foot apartment.
But, this is a four-wheel-drive manual Tacoma with a patched frame. If you just need A Truck, something to carry cargo and maybe traipse over a few mountains on the way back, it'll likely do the job. Just, swap some factory headlights back in.