I have a different approach to looking at cars currently for sale based on the platform. With Craigslist, I usually default to “manual transmission” as that filters out most of the cars I’m not interested in. Facebook Marketplace is a mess, so I usually let it guess what I want to see and enjoy being amused by the response. With eBay Motors, I like to select the “modern classics” section, which brings in a lot of ’70s and ’80s cars, and today we’ve got two very different views of modern classics.
There’s this theory I have that Malaise Era cars are super cool again, which is somewhat related to the Radwood effect, but skews towards early ’70s and mid ’80s cars, whereas Radwood always feels more late ’80s – ’90s to me. If Radwood is Saved By The Bell, then Malaise is CHiPs, or maybe The Fall Guy.
Arguably, neither car from yesterday would have fit, as the Celebrity is too new and the XC70 is a decidedly Bush Era car. Even with the potential transmission issue, the Volvo captured most of the vote by a Texas mile.
That Volvo is uncomfortably close to my parents, and I’m slightly tempted to have them go check it out, so if anyone wants an E39 manual with high miles, let me know. My goal would be to get enough for it that I could get an older XC70 and set some money on fire inside of it.
But onwards to today. I probably couldn’t convince anyone in my family to buy either, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see the promise in both.
1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham D’Elegance – $4,200 OBO
Engine/drivetrain: 4.1L V8, RWD, 4-speed automatic transmission
Location: Arlington Heights, IL
Odometer reading: 64,000 miles
Operational status: runs and drives “beautifully”
Oh boy, this is going to be fun. I love these mid-80s Cadillacs and Lincolns because they remind me of my wonderful, amazing grandfather. I was his only grandchild, so he understandably focused in his attention on me, but I get the sense that if I had a brother or sister, he’d somehow just double the amount of attention he could give.
The earliest car I remember of his was a mid-’80s Ford Crown Victoria LTD with a plush blue interior that matches what’s inside this Cadillac. I’m pretty sure my mom was driving the car because something had happened to one of our vehicles, but it was definitely grandpa’s car.
This specific model is interesting, and I’m sure Mark would be able to tell you more about it. The 4.1-liter V8 is, of course, the much-discussed HT-4100 V8. I’m not into ’80s GM products in general, and I had to squint to remember if this was the RWD model or the weird, transverse-V8 FWD version. It is, thankfully, the RWD one.
According to the seller, it’s been gone through mechanically, and so the biggest improvements are all going to be aesthetic. In addition to fading paint, it’s missing some body trim around the trunk. The headliner is sagging because even a low-mileage car is subjected to gravity. A little paint and body work, and this thing would be a slow but fashionable way to get around town.
1984 Dodge Colt – $4,950 (OBO)
Engine/drivetrain: 1.4L inline-four, FWD, twin-stick manual transmission
Location: Pasadena, CA
Odometer reading: 237,820 miles
Operational status: Was a daily driver in the early 2000s
What is the exact opposite of that Cadillac? Probably this Dodge, which has a little inline-four, a manual transmission, and puts its power down via its front paws. It’s also a captive import, as it’s actually a Mitsubishi underneath all of that. One of Chrysler’s many experiments in selling other cars under its various brands.
These things aren’t particularly powerful, although they are light. I am a little curious who might win in a drag race between the V8 Caddy and the little Dodge. It would be close and, also, extremely boring. There’s only one big question to ask when looking at a Colt, and it’s “Twin Stick?”
The answer, I think, is yes. That’s a good sign, even if the interior also needs work. As Mark explained in the past, the “Super Shift” transmission was a four-speed manual with a two-speed final drive, which is most notable for having two reverse speeds.
As you can tell, this one needs work. It was a daily driver before it was garaged, which was roughly around the time the Ted Danson vehicle Becker went off the air.
Which end of the Malaise Era spectrum appeals to you?
Top photo: eBay Motors
I think the colt is the most overpriced one,and the Cadillac definitely look better. I vote for the Cadillac today.