Three years ago, I revealed Paul’s Official CC Sales Lot to the select few early CC adopters. It was how I intended to subsidize the web site back then, selling some of the cars that I found on my haunts that in one way or another, I was able to spirit off to my lot. The idea was to use CC as a way to promote the business, and get folks across the country to fly into Eugene one way, and send them driving back home behind the wheel of one of our fine Eugeneian classics, preserved by our magic healing rain in a state of suspended perpetual youth.
Well, it didn’t quite work out like I’d hoped; there were some issues about how I acquired some of the cars, and then there were the folks who never made it home, never mind past the city limits. Questions were raised about whether using the name “dePaul’s” was misleading, and….never mind. But that’s all in the past. Thanks to all your diligent ad-clicking, I now make so much money from those Google ads that I’ve paid off all the last of the legal bills and settlements, and I’m rolling in the dough and can’t be bothered with such complications anymore. So I turned over the lot to St. Vinnies, which is a legitimate charity. It’s been a bit painful, but after three years, I was ready to go back and take a look around. Y’all wanna join me?
After Jerry copped that pristine ’72 LTD here for $995, and then sold it off to Germany for four times that amount, I figured it might pay to drop in once in a while. Now I’m in a bit of a hurry today, so I’m gonna walk around briskly, and given the audience here, I don’t need to identify every car. But let’s see what catches our attention. Nice Dodge truck.
There’s some serious variety here. Let’s take a closer look.
But let’s start at the other end. Now these cars have all been donated, which means they likely have certain weaknesses that have made themselves known in such a way that their owners decided it wasn’t worth messing with them any more. Might this Chrysler have the ill-fated 2.7 V6?
Here’s a sweet 190E; Perry and Calibrick can fight over it. Asking price: $1995. But there’s always plenty of wriggle room here, especially if you can point out the obvious defects. Not that this car has any; it’s a Mercedes, you know.
How’s this for two disparate Ford faces from the nineties? Man, those Taurus fish-faces don’t get any better with age either. But that Jag looks compelling.
Yowza! $5995; I didn’t know their signs went up that high. Makes the CC Project XJ6 look like quite the sweet deal. Of course, this one is undoubtedly in perfect condition.
I don’t know about those wheels, though.
A T-Bird with a bra; how quaint is that? And a red Klockau DeVille.
I sat in the Volvo wagon, just to remind me how much I liked them. It felt smaller than I remembered; cars have grown so much. Anybody for a 740i? I’m sure whatever’s not quite right with it will be an easy fix.
It wouldn’t be right not to have a genuine Brougham on the lot. $1595; uh oh, I just noticed the far side front fender has had a bit of damage.
Not just any brougham either, but a Regency Brougham. And with leather interior; well, not having velour might put some of you Broughamophiles off.
A handsome barge.
That T-Bird isn’t a genuine SC, is it? Don’t think so…
Let’s head on over to the side lot, where the more colorful stuff tends to hang out. A matching brace of Yamaha snowmobiles: $595. Is that for each or both?
Oooh; a Prelude. Too bad it’s an automatic.
I didn’t notice at the time, but with those alloys, is that a genuine Touring Sedan? Maybe not…but that is a genuine Mercury Topaz.
Don’t ask why, but for some reason I feel compelled to pop the hood on it. Here’s what two-thirds of a Falcon six looks like, with fuel injection.
What could possibly go wrong with an Audi? The cars on the side lot are the ones that either didn’t sell up front, or aren’t expected to. Take your pick.
And what’s hiding behind the Dodge truck? No less than a 1973 Toyota Corona. Oh no; I know this car! I shot it at Jerry’s a year or two ago, and never wrote it up.
Here it is, back then. A young kid, maybe eighteen, was driving it, and we spoke for a while. I’ve forgotten the details, but he picked it up somewhere and was having fun driving it around. And I saw it several more times on the streets, until about six months or so ago. Well, I guess he wore it out. It’s hard to imagine him taking advantage of the tax deduction, though.
Hmm; the radiator cap is off, and it looks dry in there. A blown head gasket, perhaps? This is the 18R-C engine, the first in a very long line of legendary SOHC fours by Toyota. How many tens of millions did they make over the decades? The Japanese Chevy small block.
I remembered this being an automatic, and by this time, it was a three-speed, not the two-speed Toyoglide of earlier times. Talk about cozy in here; I remember half a dozen of us piling into one of these back in 1975.
Here’s what a vintage Toyota dashboard looks like.
The odometer was just turning all of its digits when it gave up the ghost. At first glance I thought it might be 99999, but it’s 69999. How many times has it turned completely over?
We’re near the end of the line here, but there’s still a couple of gems left. Like this fine un-gelded Versailles, with its rear axle still intact.
And a couple of classic Eugene-mobiles. Looks like the car between them recently left, as there’s no grass growing there. Under it’s own power? Not too likely.
So who wants what? I’ve got dibs on the Topaz.
Related reading: Paul’s Official CC Sales Lot
I’ve never owned or driven a Toyota Corona, but I have always liked the 1973 Corona. My aunt and uncle had one similar to this when I was a boy.
At the time I would not have considered a Corona (I was 18) but now it looks like it is a simple nice car. Looking at the underhood picture the rusty water stain is on the air cleaner and mostly on passenger side wheel housing, maybe a burst hose or radiator leak. I wonder if the driver shut it off before engine warpage occurred,
oh never mind, it is about as far from me as possible and still be in the USA….what would a new interior cost…
I agree. I thought the 1970-71 Corona Mark II was better looking than this. But these days, I look for one whenever I can.
So do the plates follow the car in Oregon? In New York this is not the case, so seeing a sales lot with plated inventory looks quite weird to my eye.
Yes; and why not? The registration is already paid for, so one just pays for a title fee and a changed registration paper. And it’s all very cheap. And no inspections of any kind.
Ah, okay. That makes sense. Sounds like its much cheaper to own a car in Oregon!
Also, no sales tax in Oregon.
Oh my, could I spend some money in this lot. Either the brown or the red Dodge Truck would suit me just fine. That Lincoln Versailles could also find a spot in my garage. In fact a Versailles and an old Dodge pickup could probably fulfill pretty much all of my automotive needs, don’t you think?
I do; and quite perfectly at that. Time to sell those modern cars of yours.
Those Dodge trucks still have hundreds of thousands of miles left in them!
I want to relocate to this lot, live on-premises, and spend my days performing repairs on last-chance cars. Then I’d sell them to good people for fair prices, making just enough to pay the taxes and take a fishing trip in the spring.
I’d roll the dice on that Mercedes W114/115…shame the Volvo 240 wagon is smacked on the right front.
WRT the fish-faced Taurus: Is it just me, or does anyone else think that maybe Ford was trying (very unsuccessfully) to channel the front of a Lotus Europa with the relationship of the turn signals to the headlights? More likely I’m just hallucinating after a long week of work…
Europa
Taurus
When they changed the nose of the Taurus and the Merc Sable to this, I was pissed. I thought it was so butt ugly, I couldn’t imagine anyone buying something that ugly.
It had to be done. Sweet dreams…
Interesting with the pictures side by side there certainly is a resemblance.
I see it, even the ovalish grill is there, albiet over vs. under the bumper line.
If Ford did use the Europa as inspiration I’d say it’s styling was a success, they’re both equally ugly.
Blasphemer.
I agree. It looks better on the Lotus Europa than on the Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable.
Shame about the automatic in the Prelude as that generation is about the best looking. I like something about that brown Dodge pickup. The S10 would likely be a more practical size for me however. The Corona would be awfully tempting but I’d need a engine donor lined up preferably with a 5spd attached.
That Mercedes W115 is almost a dead ringer for a my old ’71 220D parts car with the cream exterior and red interior. Fantastic handling and driving cars.
That Corona is indeed fascinating. I guess the 62 Ford was not the last column-shifted automatic with an old-school exposed shift tube.
Those fish-face Tauruses (Tauri???) are horrendous. Ford went nutso with all of the oval shapes on those poor things. I also had a W115 parts car…bodysides looked good but the floor was rotted out of the poor thing. Rusted right down the middle, but that huge white steering wheel was cool.
Mine was the same. Looked ok-ish from the outside but the inner structure was so rotted I didn’t even want the jack the car up.
I know this is going to make you check the name this is written under…but I’m curious about the red Accord sitting next to the Ninety Eight Regency Brougham!
My W115 caught on fire once…I was towing it with a dolly and one of the rear wheel bearings seized, damn thing had flames coming out of the wheel opening. Made for a scary tow too, because the tail had been trying to wag the dog…once the bearing seized, I knew why.
This “place of Paul” is challenging my long standing rule of never buying a used car from a dealer. How can one place have so many of my favorites?
And how is this for sick? I ran a Carfax on that 740 GLE wagon using the Oregon license plate. Would have done it on the 190E too if I could see the plate. The reason being that it has the four square lights, non faded paint and no luggage rack.
It turns out the no smog situation in OR cuts both ways. In CA cars get tested every two years at which time the mileage gets recorded. It’s super easy to verify actual miles that way, using a Carfax.
The last recorded mileage on dePaul’s Volvo was 130,000 back in 2001 when the car was sold at auction. Seeing as how it’s probably an ’89 a simple straight lining of the annual mileage at that time would put it at approx. 262,000 today.
A bit high, even for a Volvo, so I’m not gonna buy that plane ticket just yet but may give Jerry a call.
I checked the mileage: 214k. The driver’s seat wouldn’t move…but it wasn’t too bad inside otherwise. Not pristine, mind you.
I can’t believe it, but I’m actually thinking about that Corona, how much is it? Of course my Grandfather’s was a 72, but I have a treasured memory of sitting in it by myself and listening to the gentle tick of the clock.
And the BMW, hmm, if it was a standard transmission… I’m such a sucker for unloved cars, it’s probably a good thing I don’t live anywhere near Eugene.
The column shift in the Corona is a trip.
I agree. The nearly 12 o’clock position reminds me of a 70s Cadillac shifter. When I first saw one I was intrigued that so much thought could go into the shifter and dash layout. Lincolns used that ubiquitous Ford stick at 2:00 year after year. Boring and cheap.
I’m sure the intention on the Toyota was to clear that cigarette lighter with the car in Drive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more prominently placed lighter.
Gee, that Passat is only 15 years old. What could go wrong? *cringe*
Those S-10s may be the most no-nonsense-styled vehicles ever to leave a factory in the US. It doesn’t look like a heap, I could give it a few jobs – but I’m sure if it’s a 4.3 V6, double-digit gas mileage is out of the question…
That one is a 4WD model which is very cool.
That red Dodge looks like a 3/4 ton, so it is like a half-step away from being indestructible. The name on the hood is the biggest perceived demerit of this rig, but for pickups from the ’80s, a Dodge is my first choice every time.
This era Dodge pickup is also much more rust resistant than its competitors.
“This era Dodge pickup is also much more rust resistant than its competitors.”
Whaaaat?
Up here in Wisconsin I think I’ve seen two from this generation in the past year. I look for them because I was a fan of its simplicity. When I was 14, my dad bought a new 1989 3/4 ton 4×4 to replace our rusted Wagoneer. It had the 318, cloth bench seat, automatic transmission, AM/FM radio, and that was it. We pulled in to the driveway from the dealership with 12 miles on it and Dad went to roll up the window and the window crank fell off. Typical Chrysler quality. No matter, Dad took pride in his truck. He put on running boards and a topper and washed it once a week, but that didn’t stop the rust. By the time I graduated high school in June of 1993 the top of the rear chrome bumper was rusted off, the tailgate was peeling strips of rust, the rear wheel wells were bubbling and the drivers door had a rust hole just above the door trim. When he sold the truck in 2003 the tailgate was gone, the bumper was ready to fall off, the rear wheel wells were rotted through, and the drivers door was rotted and held on by one hinge. Still hated it see it go because that 318 was dependable and was a great runner, and it was my dad’s first new vehicle.
The comment about the R series engines being the small block Chevy is pretty funny and true. The #1 and #2 rebuilt engines sold by a number of the big re-manufacturers, at least a couple of years ago, were the 350 Chevy and the 22R.
That Tbird raises some red flags. It’s a 96/97 but the trunklid, taillights and center reflector(non-LED) are from a 89-91 base. The window trim on the right side appears to be 89-92 base sourced as well since it was black only from 93-97 and this has the chrome trim(which probably means the door isn’t original either).
This lot sort of reminds me of a U Pull where they forgot to take off the wheels and block up the cars.
More likely given how much of the back half of that T-Bird is older style is that the newer front clip was swapped onto it.
It has the newer interior so I’d say that it’s a 96/7. Plus it’s got the correct moldings/rear bumper, it’s just the decklid and lights that are incorrect
Nice timely article, Paul. Me and Jerry checked there a week ago and we both zoomed in on the Corona, but couldn’t get the hood opened as the release cable was stripped out.
And I had the exact “Damn! It’s an automatic.” reaction to the Prelude.
My neighbour just got rid of of an Audi similar to the back lot car. It had just cost her $2000 in repairs. She bought an Alfa…
So she paid $2k in repairs and *then* got rid of it?
And bought an Alfa?
Hmmmm.
I do like the Corona too…Toyotas of that age are pretty much extinct on the east coast, even in less “salty” locales like NC. Even as a child in the 80’s, I don’t even remember seeing many Coronas older than the late 70’s versions.
Other than maybe in Eugene, Toyotas of that vintage are pretty much extinct on the West Coast too. Even in Santa Cruz and Berkeley. Maybe there are some in Arcata ….
Those polished Torq-Thrust wheels suck all the classiness out of the Jaaaagggggg.!
I know that I will be pilloried but, I like the look of the original ovoid Taurus. What I did not like about them was the equally ovoid Tupperware interior and the vague steering. My brother had one and, pressed into distance driving duties, it was the awful steering that turned me off. I had been driving Chrysler Minivans at work and, despite their shortcomings, I thought that they steered wonderfully.
I love those old catfish faced Taurus’s as well. I had a ’99 wagon back in the day.
And I love car lots with older items in them. They don’t really exist any more, except in Oregon I suppose. I remember going to car lots when I was in my 20’s (1980s) and walking directly to the back row. there I would find gems like- a Pierre Cardon AMC Javlin or a wierd light green AMC Pacer with a 3 on the tree, etc. Those where the days!
Does that Regency Brougham have a CB antenna?!?
It’s not the fact that it has one that I find compelling. It’s where it’s mounted! Absolutely horrifying, an abomination under God.
Everybody in CB/Scanner/2 Meter Ham circles knows antennas go on the rear deck, period, unless you want to drill a hole in the roof.
Not only for aesthetic purposes, but signal propagation reasons as well. Maybe he wanted it to double as a corner-of-car proximity aid. If that’s the case he had it on the wrong side to do him any good.
It’s not the fact that it has one that I find compelling. It’s where it’s mounted! Absolutely horrifying, an abomination
You guys are thinking about this all wrong. The antenna is there so the 5 foot nothing driver can see where the end of the car is. Note there is no antenna on the other front corner, and that corner is dented, proving the driver couldn’t see where it was.
This is the effect the owner was going for
For me it would have to be that prelude. And the a h22 five speed swap would be in order. Then I’d upgrade the suspension and leave everything else as is. It would make a great little driver.
The 73 Corolla is pretty whipped and looks like it needs considerable investment. Forget the Broughams with peeling, chintzy trim and smelly disintegrated GM foam seats upholstered with soiled velour. Nothing says money pit like an old Mercedes, Jaguar, or Jetta, either.
No, the real star of this lot is not the carp faced Ford in marine green. It’s the unassuming light colored 1987 AE82 Corolla, with no tags. the rear is visible in photo 4, behind the gold Playskool convertible…its front is seen in photo 10, at the end of the row with the Volvo brick wagon.
Simple, bullet-proof power trains, durable, and cheap to keep. This one looks like minimal effort will get it back on the road – there isn’t much expensive on these that breaks. Simple and durable interiors, but watch out for falling headliners. With minimal tweaks, they can actually be fun to drive.
Just missed an eBay listing to bring another one here. The 5,000 mile round trip for this one isn’t happening, either.