There’s no rule saying that just because you have a plain white or silver car that it needs to stay that way. You can jazz it up with stripes, or add a second paint color, and have something that looks really striking. Today we’re going to look at two vehicles that have had such treatments.
We looked at two classic six-cylinder coupes yesterday, and it sounds like it was a hard choice for some of you. The rust and general shoddiness of the BMW turned some of you off, but from the sound of it, for a lot of you that Corvair was just too damn charming to pass up. It won by a decent margin.
I think I agree. I’ve always admired the BMW 6 Series, and that example doesn’t scare me, but when it’s up against a nice Corvair like that, for a thousand dollars less, it’s a much harder sell. Like a lot of you, I’d prefer the second generation Corvair, but I don’t think you’re going to find one of those in that shape for four grand.
As hard as I try to find cars in good colors, I have had my share of boring ones. I’ve had several silver cars, and a couple of white ones, and one Corolla that was kinda the color of dirt. (I’m sure you know the color I mean.) In several cases, I’ve thought about adding stripes, or painting them, but I never followed through on it. I admire the sellers of these two cars for taking it upon themselves to spice these two up. Let’s check them out.
1988 Toyota Van LE – $5,895
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter OHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Olympia, WA
Odometer reading: 179,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Japanese vehicles often have more interesting names in their home market than here in the US. I’m not sure why we don’t get the cool names; some marketing person thinks they won’t work, I guess. But it is kind of a shame. In 1984, Toyota started importing its TownAce line of cab-over-engine vans, but instead of calling it the TownAce, we got the spectacularly descriptive name of “Toyota Van.”
Much like the old Ford Econoline and Dodge A-series vans, the Toyota Van houses its engine in a lump between the front seats. Access for maintenance is via a panel under the driver’s seat; the seat and panel lift up out of the way so you can get to the oil filler, oil and transmission dipsticks, radiator cap – and that’s about it. Anything more serious requires some more surgery to the interior. It’s not fun. Luckily, the Van’s 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine is just about bulletproof. This one runs and drives just fine, according to the seller, even with nearly 200,000 miles on it.
I don’t know why we don’t get any photos of the driver’s area. The seller says the interior is “almost perfect;” why not let us see all of it? The back seat area looks great. I hope the front looks just as good, but not showing it makes it seem like they’re hiding something.
The combination of the red, orange, and yellow stripes and the aftermarket wheels really make this van look cool – and in my opinion, that’s not easy to do with these things. I’ve never been much of a fan, but this one works for me. It shouldn’t have any rust on it, being in the Pacific Northwest, and I don’t see any damage except one ding in the tailgate.
1992 Geo Tracker – $5,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: El Mirage, AZ
Odometer reading: 55,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Little soft-top SUVs are another one of those vehicles that are sorely missing from the market these days. Back in the 1990s, there were a bunch: the Jeep Wrangler, the Isuzu Amigo, the first-generation Kia Sportage, the first-generation Toyota RAV4, and of course, the Suzuki Sidekick, and its badge-engineered twin, the Geo Tracker. They were inexpensive, fun, playful vehicles that sold well, so why doesn’t anybody sell them anymore? Sure, you can still get a Wrangler, or a two-door Ford Bronco, but they’re not exactly cheap, or small, and they take themselves too seriously. This Tracker doesn’t take itself seriously at all, and that makes it way cooler.
Power for this little bundle of joy comes from a Suzuki-built 1.6-liter four, backed by a five-speed manual gearbox. Don’t let the chunky tires fool you, though; this Tracker is strictly 2WD. It runs and drives well, and has a new battery. It also has air conditioning, which was just recently converted to R134a refrigerant, and works great.
Someone has been to Mexico, it looks like. This Tracker’s red and white vinyl interior looks for all the world like a south-of-the-border custom job. I like it, personally; it’s a hell of a lot more interesting than the standard Geo dark gray. They were thorough, too: Not only are the front seats done, but the back seat and door panels are as well. The carpeted dash cover sort of ruins the effect, though.
The theme continues outside, with a two-tone paint job and a matching spare tire cover. Now that’s commitment. I think it needs a third color dividing the red and white, though; at the moment, it looks a bit Marlboro-like. The convertible top is new, the seller says, so you don’t have to worry about leaks.
Personalizing a car to suit your own tastes can sometimes ruin it for other people, but I applaud the boldness shown by these two. They’re a lot more interesting looking than they would have been as just plain silver and white. And they’re both cool and reliable vehicles. It seemed like a nice way to send you into the weekend. What’s your pick?
As the owner of a great, fun, delightful little ’93 Geo Tracker, I can’t pick that Space Van fast enough! The Geo stands out but the Space Van is on another level!
I drove a company Toyota van for 3 years and LOVED it. Still want one for myself.
I was about to vote “both!”, but after seeing the Geo’s interior, oy vey, that is not acceptable! Love the 5 speed and low miles (assuming the upholstery shop didn’t fudge the odometer while they were at it), but that red and white vinyl interior is someone else’s trip, not mine.
The van would be very useful and looks great, in that it’s very clean. The stripes give it personality where there was… not so much of that. It’s kind of high mileage, and even though they are very dependable, the engine and transmission aren’t going to last forever unless it’s been very well maintained and the new owner is gentle with it.
I’d rather not drive an automatic, and even though I’d love a Tracker, that interior kills it, so Toyota it is, for today.
A friend of mine did the same sort of treatment to a 96 Landcruiser, but it was dark red and white. Almost made me want to cry when I saw it.
An automatic Van that uses your legs for a crumple zone is being outvoted 2 to 1 over a convertible Jimny.
It has a real front bumper. You are confusing it with the old VW.
Google up Geo Tracker safety statistics if you think the Toyota would be the less safe car here. Trackers are rollover prone death traps. They were notably bad even among 1990ish SUVs.
Also the Geo is 2WD so you’d be buying it for the looks (meh) and the driving experience (ugh). The van at least has some utility. A 4wd Tracker would be a fun toy, they are surprisingly decent offroad, but a 2wd is all the danger with none of the capability.
The van has minilites on it, so it automatically wins.
I have lusted after a Toyota Van like that for ages! There’s a cargo version that shows up at the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach every year (it’s a transport vehicle for one of the exhibitor/vendors, and has had a cracked windshield for at least the last three years, so maybe those are hard to get?) and I love it. I drove one of these that belonged to my boss when I was about 20… the whole cabover seating position, and steeply raked windshield/nose, etc… feels weird at first, but you get used to it. The relatively short wheelbase and high center of gravity rightly gives one pause when it comes to handling, but I seem to remember being impressed with it on the windy Hutchinson River Parkway.
Jeez, I want it. But Washington state is a thousand miles from where I’m typing this. And I already have three cars. But it will literally be a decade before another one like this pops up for sale. 🙁
This is the first time I’ve chosen the automatic over the manual transmission. I just wouldn’t be able to live with the colours of that Geo.
Both are pretty cool. But stick shift and working AC win.