Ah, the Hyundai Sonata. Even with the V6, this ride is so innocuous, our little test car confirmed the impression I got when I once rented one: it’s The Car Without Qualities. There’s so little to say about it, the only way I could come up with anything was to put it alongside something else. And what was handy? Well, my new AMC Concord for one thing. And why the hell not?  They’ve both got 6-cylinder engines, automatic transmissions, and trunks. You thought the MAZDASPEED3 vs HHR matchup was unfair? Read on for the goofiest, most out-to-lunch comparo you’ve ever seen on CarDomain.

Continue reading "Comparo Bizarro: V6 Hyundai Sonata vs. I6 AMC Concord" »

I welcomed an AMC Concord into my life. Actually, it was that same car I first saw parked on the street outside of CarDomain headquarters a couple of months ago. The owner got the note I left on the windshield, then called me when it came time to get rid of the car, which had belonged to his late mother. The junkyard wanted to give him 100 bucks for it, but instead, for the paltry sum of $75, the Concord became my latest rescue project. It’s a strong-running, immaculately maintained little two-door RWD sedan—and it’s the first car I’ve owned that has either a trunk or an automatic transmission! Check out my new ride page.

How about you? What did you do this weekend?

Last week I showed you the Dave’s Farm video where the guy runs over a bunch of junk cars on his property with a 20 ton bulldozer. Well, today we came across Darrell’s ride page and we’re kind of confused. That Concorde looks pretty solid. Even if it has a blown 2.7, the glass, hood and other sheetmetal have to be worth something. So why crush it?

Continue reading "Why Crush a Perfectly Solid Concorde?" »

Okay, so you have to respect that not everyone who drives an old car is an enthusiast. But since it’s so rare to see one of "my" cars still in daily service, I can’t help but fawn all over it whenever I run across one. I was stopped in my tracks to see this AMC Concord—the non-4wd cousin of the Eagle—parked on the street one night when I was leaving CarDomain World Headquarters, and after taking a bunch of pictures I couldn’t stop myself from leaving my card with a note on it in the window. Could there really be another 80′s AMC living on my block? Note-leaving can be a little risky, because the owner might turn out to be even more crazy than you are. Are they a paranoid recluse? Will they end up being your over-eager new BFF? Will they flip out becuse you touched their car to leave the note?

In-person encounters tend to be a little more predictable. I’ve found most Eagle owners will at least return the honk-and-wave if you see them while you’re out driving, but people with early Escorts are genuinely baffled if you approach them to fuss over their car—like the first-gen owner I met at the junkyard in Alabama, who seemed to think I was just making fun of him. The truth is, a lot of folks who drive the cars I like do so out of abject poverty and nothing else. But most will loosen up after you convey how genuinely enthusiastic you are about your/their car.

How about you? Do people understand when you approach them to talk about the car they’re driving, or do they just think you’re nuts? Ever gotten weird results from leaving a note?

Continue reading "What Do You Do When You See A Car Like Yours On The Street?" »