Not being content with a fleet consisting of a couple of reliable 90s beaters, I've been itching to take on a fun car project of some sort. So, I've been scanning the Craigslist car listings, looking for just the right starting point. Lots of interesting stuff can be had for cheap, but I've played this game long enough to know that what starts out as a "fun" project can become an inescapable quagmire...
Thing is, having an obscure and/or oddball car is great... but impossible-to-find parts and undiagnosable mechanical woes give you a one-way ticket to Crazy Town. So that brings up today's Choose Your Eternity poll: We have two cars on Craigslist that we're pretty sure most Jalopzoids would consider cool, each can be had for $1000 or less, and each would be total freakin' nightmares to repair and maintain on a reasonable budget. The question is, which one would drive you crazier?
First off, we have this 1971 Fiat 500, available for the reet price of only $800! Yes, you'll have the Sophia Loren lookalikes kidney-punching each other as they vie for a ride in your dashing little Italian machine... provided you could actually make it work! Oh yeah, you'll have to fabricate a few things...
But what if you're the smooth-talking British-sports-car type with a preference for Japanese power? This 20R-powered '67 Austin-Healey Sprite can be yours for the low, low price of $1000! Was the engine swap done right? How about the electrical system? Hey, finding out is part of the fun!