That said, I really do have an insane fascination with highway buses, especially the highly regarded MCI brand. I even have a model of one, and the owner’s manual for one which I’ve perused carefully. It’s amazing how sturdy and failsafe they are – when things go wrong, they tend to limp along at reduced capacity rather than failing outright. For instance, if you totally run dry on DEF (Diesel Emission Fluid) they’ll just limit their maximum speed.
I’ve always thought that converting an MCI bus to be a home or camper would be lots of fun, and traveling around the country while living in it for months at a time would be a fine lifestyle!
'57 Chevy Bel Air. I had my eye on one that had a complete frame off restoration. They dropped a 350 v8 in and it had a 5 speed manual tranny.
It was also upgraded with power brakes and steering. The interior was also refinished.
It happened to be black and white. The same color as my house. I almost wrote a check for that baby. It have been quite cool. Interestingly, there are lots of classic cars where I live.
My first choice would be an orange VW Karmann Ghia convertible, any year.
Also-rans: 1968 Mercury Cougar, 1957 Mercedes 300 SL gullwing, 1974 VW Beetle cabriolet, 1963 Corvette convertible. I’ve driven all of my also-rans. Never got a chance to drive a Karmann Ghia, so it won out.
A 1970 Chevy Nova Z26 (402 big block). Much lighter and more nimble than the Chevelle. I had a 1972 Nova (350 small block) years ago and loved it. It was very tempting to try to put a big block in it, but I was not a mechanic and didn’t have the equipment or location to even try it.
I chose this because it’s easy to repair and good as an everyday driver. I don’t need something that’s going to require a deep pocket and lots of work as it ages.
This, nothing really appeals to me from a driving perspective, so I would opt for a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am Black and Gold Limited Edition with the L75, a manual transmission and T-Tops. Then I would grow a mullet and have a hell of a summer.