Pleased to see that - at 8:05 am - the “NP” entry stands at 0 while “CP” is getting close to 3 digits...

Yup. Meanwhile, the hitch on my Windstar minivan has kept busy with thousands of miles of utility trailer and popup camper towing.

As a Contour owner: That has nothing to do with the mechanic, and everything to do with the design of the Contour - and where they mounted the alternator on V6 models...

I’ve seen some Suburbans with Duramax conversions - but they tend to want serious money for them.

Yes, the Excursion was really big - but they’re still useful for (and sought out by) people who want to tow decent-sized trailers, and bring the family at the same time.

If it runs, it’s worth it. At $2300, the thing could blow up in a week, and you still might break even parting it out. Meanwhile, lots of manual AWD V8 goodness to enjoy.

I present: The Chevy Chevette.

The seat belt interlock system that showed up for a short time on cars in early days of active safety. Combine a we-know-best approach to safety feature implementation, with the reliability of (in the case of my ‘74 Fiat X1/9) Italian electrical systems. Not only was it too far ahead of its time, it was heading the…

Looks like the owner already took care of that problem for you: The ad says the 20’s are no longer on the car; it comes with stock alloys.

Research how you plan to buy a vehicle; learn the scams. Watch for the scams; avoid the scams.

That demographic would be....well, Jalopnik readers. Of course, we ourselves aren’t typically buying from this specifically scummy end of the car market. However, many Jalopnik readers find ourselves to be the local car expert in our circle of friends - and might be called up to advise someone considering such a…

True - but I knew it was a good deal, even then. However, I was facing some potential financial uncertainty, so I held off. Of course, in retrospect, the car would have kept its value, even a fairly short time after buying it...

You have reminded me of the moment I didn’t buy a 1980 911 SC (not pristine, but solid runner) for $7500 back in the early 90’s. AAaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh.

There’s really not that much to like about this car...

Except I know of no one who sorts by “highest price first.” I’ll admit I tend to sort by “lowest price first.”

Finish the paragraph: This car has the 3.449 liter OM603 engine, not the OM617...

Thankfully, they also added a proper red by ‘79, which mine had - along with a back seat.

Can anyone confirm the “Chevette Scooter no back seat thing?” My ‘79 3-door hatch Chevette Scooter was thoroughly stripped - but it had a back seat. No A/C. No radio at all: Just a plastic cover plate, to remind you how much money you saved. All interior panels (doors, etc.) were flat fiberboard with a black vinyl…

I had a ‘79 Chevette. I got it free-for-the-hauling, partly assembled. The experience of getting it back on the road taught me many useful lessons. The first was: Don’t be afraid to just dive in and work on it!

There’s probably a serious problem awaiting the new owner.