Before acquiring the necessary balance required for mastering a two-wheeler, many of us started out in kindergarten riding trikes. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe half-a-Sunbird trike speaks to your inner kid, but is its price annoyingly childish?
A Ferrari with a salvage title is much like a supermodel with an STD - still high maintenance, but with fringe benefits that are only able to be exercised with great trepidation. So sayeth the 58% of you who cast yesterday's salvaged 1991 Ferrari 348TS on the scrap heap, the remaining 42% apparently willing to take the risk.
Have you ever seen the movie, The Fly? Not the original one with Vincent Price, but the David Cronenberg remake with Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. In that version, instead of getting crushed in a 10-ton press (Ooh, spoiler alert!), the transforming protagonist becomes progressively more fly-like until finally becoming melded with the telepod he is unwisely exiting during the grand finale. And even then, missing legs, and with more metal in him than Evel Knievel, HE'S STILL ALIVE! It fact it takes an over-under to the melon to finally wrap up the movie.
I mention that ‘80s horror flick in preparation for today's candidate, which, much like Mr. Goldblum's mutating character, seems to have had a Kafkaesque transformation, and yet continues to operate unabated. This odd Pontitrike started out life as a third-generation J-body Sunbird, a car for cheapskates who for some reason maintained an aversion to Chevy dealerships. The seller claims that it was converted to its current open two-seater format a decade ago, likely as a result of panic surrounding Y2K. Not currently running, the seller thinks it may need a battery or dome sort of switch. His lack of assuredness is not comforting.
You will note that it's not a true trike, there actually being a pair of rear wheels - and as a nice touch they appear to match the fronts - albeit in an Isetta-like narrow format. That leaves little room for a trunk, but the builder kindly supplied both a small storage bin and saddle bags mounted on the rear fender. In front of that is a pair of small bucket seats which are fitted into what looks like video game arcade driving sim booth. That has been bolted to the front clip of the Sunbird, and atop it is a windscreen obviously lifted from some sort of Carny ride.
Further reinforcing the video game feel is a center-mounted steering wheel that looks like it was made by Kensington. One wonders if when firing up the car your are greeted with ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!?
What you're actually firing up (after throwing in a battery, of course) is the 2.0-litre OHC four that was standard fare in this generation of Sunbird. That put out either 96-bhp if it were the TBI engine, or a romper stomper 110 if it was the muti-port edition. Completing the drivetrain is an auto gearbox, which would have been GM's 3-speed Turbo-Dull-a-Matic stunting any performance that might get you in trouble.
Trouble however is what you might find riding this weird Sunbird-bike amalgamation. It's too odd for car shows, and yet too Pontiac to hang with the biker crowd. Shunned by both groups, its owner would be condemned to travel forever alone, understood only by this contraption's creator and perhaps Keanu Reeves.
And if that scenario holds appeal, well then it's time to consider the price of admission to this freakshow costs. Fine craftsmanship is hard to come by these days, and you usually have to pay dearly for such quality. Fortunately, this three wheeler exhibits none of that, and is priced at a commensurate $2,500. The question is, should someone pay even that paltry amount to park this car-bike in their own leaf-strewn driveway?
The Sunbird was always kind of a crappy car, and by removing damn-near three quarters of it, the builder of this one of a kind trike may have actually increased its value over stock, but do think its increased $2,500 worth? Or, does your inner child say eff that!?
Your decide!
Johnny Knoxville Craigslist or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to theallpowerfulme for the hookup!
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