Datsun 240Z + Subaru SVX + Renault 5 TL - Phil's Picks

By: Phil Walker

Date: 27.02.2017

Ask Phil what he loves most about the car trade and he’ll tell you it’s the thrill of the chase. What a time to be alive!

1971 DATSUN 240Z - $58,000

Go shopping for a 240Z with much less than $60k in your account and it’s likely that you’ll be looking at cars that are crustier than a cabbie’s clacker. If you want to avoid the usual bogtrotters, take a look at this gem. It had a full nut and bolt resto at The Healey Factory, has a breathed on 2.6 plus the original L24 mill, it’s got concours prizes and even has a CAMS-approved 6-point cage if you’d like to take in a bit of historic motorsport. The underbonnet presentation and the interior finish are a tribute to whoever built this Zed, so if you’re looking for my pick as bargain of the month, this is it. By a country mile.

1974 RENAULT 5 TL - $7500

Although all the market interest in Renault 5s is aimed at the turbocharged crazy models, there’s something about the base versions that’s more charming and more authentically French. This 1.1-litre TL inhabits the next notch up in sophistication and driveability from a Citroen 2CV and looks in quite inexplicably good nick. An Aussie car with all the docs and a bunch of spares sold with it, you’d be well advised to jump in before these start getting impossible to find.

1997 SUBARU SVX - $6990

Dopey prick. Dropkick. Peanut. Those were just some of my pet names for one of our senior managers when he bought a new Subaru SVX. He thought he was Elon Musk v1.0, but as the years go by, I’ll admit to liking the SVX more and more. This one’s clocked up over 350,000 kilometres so it’s no garage queen but at less than $7k who’s complaining? The flat-six 3.3-litre donk’ll get it to 100 in a nadge over 7s so it’s almost quick. That jumped-up galoot in a suit? He’s now driving an Infiniti.

Unique Cars magazine Value Guides

Sell your car for free right here