Uncle Phil's choice picks from the Unique Cars classifieds
2016 Ford Mustang 302R Moffat Edition
$200,000
race Tribute cars need to be done really well to work for me, and this one looks like it might fill the bill. It’s done by Mustang Motorsport and tips its lid at Allan Moffat’s famous 1969 Mustang Boss 302.
A heap of work has been sunk into this one, including a retrim, extensive bodywork, suspension, wheels, the list seems to go on forever.
It’s claiming 470 horses (350kW) from the normally-aspirated engine, which is significantly more than stock, though not as out-of-control as some of the supercharged offerings out there. This would still be a very quick car. Nice.
1997 HSV Manta VS
$12,000
it’s weird but values on older HSV cars have been soft for a fair while now – unless they are the absolute top-line models. Given Holden is no longer building local cars, and the HSVs were always at the premium end of the market, I reckon that can’t last forever.
The Manta was built for VS Commodore only and was pitched as the value package in the HSV range, in this case with the 185kW 5.0lt V8 and an auto. This was a $46,000 car back in the day.
Condition and books are what you should look out for with these and this one looks like it might tick both those boxes.
1975 Datsun 180B
$8000
what the hell? Have I finally lost the plot? Well, maybe not. Okay I didn’t buy them when they were new and I’ve never been a massive fan. But you know what? With classic car prices going through the roof, this is starting to make a whole lot of sense.
The Japanese classic scene has been quietly bubbling away for a long time and they definitely have a big fan base.
So what’s good about a 180B? A lot of people will relate to it, as they were a popular family car. Secondly, they’re simple and generally reliable, so it would be easy to run. Check it out carefully, and it could be a winner.