This is quite possibly the weirdest thing we have ever seen. At first glance it looks like an ambulance, at second glance it looks like something a deranged serial killer would drive. Is it weird we love it?

The car will need a complete restoration as the decades of Maine weather have not exactly been kind to its outward appearance. Apparently the 455ci mill is in good health and the owner claims that the floors and subframe are in good condition. The interior looks like an episode of CSI could be filmed inside. It’s hurtin’ and we think we can actually smell it through the screen of our computer.

You know you want it. Bid now and bid often!

I was fully expecting not to see any donks at SEMA this year–it seemed to be one of those controversial trends that so quickly became its own punchline that no self-respecting builders were producing them anymore. And frankly,  I was a little sad about that. I like high-risers: they’re the epitome of over-the-top, they make me laugh, and they can always be counted on to get people riled up. So I was happy to see this mildly donked Olds in the front hall this morning. Do you think we’ll find any more?

I’ve been on CarDomain for nearly two years now, and in that time I’ve seen some of the most amazing custom cars you can imagine. Camaros, Cobras, Vipers, Chevelles, Cadillacs, all of those you’d expect me to mention, right? Those kinds of cars are the kind you’re expected to fawn over at a show. Me, I love ‘em all, but deep inside is the feeling that the winter beaters we reserve for most of our abuse deserves more respect than any show car trailer queen.

With that said, some of us feel that some beaters are more fun to, well, beat on. They last through it all without a complaint, some need a fix here and there, and some just can’t handle our bad driving and completely drop an engine (for the record, that’s happened to me once). What I’ve done is compiled a list of five beaters that I’d love to have, for the simple purpose of running ‘em until they die:

1. 1992-1998 Geo Metro- 3 cylinder

When I first noticed these cars, I absolutely abhorred their weak engines and their odd styling. Over the last month they’ve grown on me, and now I realize the charm that these little runts have. It’s like it takes hold of your imagination. You hate it, but then again the utter joy of beating the piss out of it is equal to that of, say, a Porsche 911 Turbo at Laguna Seca? I can’t for the life of me think of a way to make it look cool, I do know that window tint would be in order for the simple fact that no matter how much fun it is to ride it like Fergie, it’s still embarrassing to be seen in one. After all, not everyone will see it my way, which, in my opinion, is just another reason that I enjoy them.

Continue reading after the jump!

2. 1989 Toyota Camry LE station wagon

This car takes some getting used to, especially if you go from a world-renowned sports car to a lowly, butt-ugly station wagon. It was a comfy, had every possible option aside from the V6, and everything worked. It definitely had a mind of its own as it sometimes wouldn’t start unless I punched the alternator, would get raving mad and lock its occupants inside, but through it all, never failed to get us where we needed to go. The power steering pump leaked so badly that I started buying motor oil for it instead of power steering fluid because it had a higher viscosity and didn’t leak as quickly. It got a brand spanking new exhaust system after a year or so, it sounded uncannily ballsy. It survived races with other wagons and high-speed drifts (I swear to god). It would’ve made a great redneck rally car, all I’d need is an All-Trac system and a manual, and it’d be good to go. I don’t miss it in the least, but it had potential.

3. 1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser (AKA the “Shaggin’ Wagon”)

This particular beater is currently MIA, missing since my brother had a little mishap that involved speeds of well into triple-digits, a two-lane draw bridge, a Buick Century, the Kentucky River and the cops. He made that car locally famous after that incident, as wherever that car went, they knew who’s it was. I never liked it much, though. Ever since it went missing, it became somewhat of a legend, a folk tale of sorts. Not much else is known about this car.

4. 1988 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale

Out of all the beaters I’ve mentioned, this one takes the cake and runs away laughing. Being an ‘88 model, it was offered with the old, crappy, underpowered 3.8, but thankfully it’s far enough along in the model year that it has the undeniably awesome 3800 series 1. It pays to be lazy, because this baby sports a custom straight-piped exhaust with no mufflers, talk about loud. This car is a definite sleeper; you’d never see it coming. It’s big, full-efficient (it got almost thirty mpg on the highway), fast, it’s the perfect car.

It isn’t hard to understand that the workhorse deserves the best praise. They’re overworked and underappreciated, abused and beaten, but isn’t that their only purpose?

This was a well-organized, professional job involving at least five people. Only one car has been recovered (though it was stripped). Keep a lookout. Rewards of up to $10,000 have been posted. More details over at Hemmings

Wouldn’t it be cool if this ‘85 Toronado could say this someday? Once the Cash For Clunkers nightmare is over, I’d like to print bumper stickers bearing the phrase and distribute them to every cool old heap still on the road. Sure, it’s true that right now the program is mostly just turning a bunch of Ford Explorers into metal cubes–but with trade-ins piling into the tens of thousands, you’ve got to know that plenty of rare old junk is surely being lost as well. And yes, Oldsmobile’s fugly front-wheel-drive weirdmobile might today be considered just an automotive freak of nature, hardly deserving of historical note and certainly not worth plucking off the scrap heap. But I’m betting that someday we’re going to be sorry that we crushed them all. I sure hope this one finds a good home.

I was trying to find “Corvair wheels” for my 24 Hours of LeMons entry when I came across Larry Boardman’s website Classic Wheels, LLC. Along with promoting his business as a certified classic car appraiser and listing his credentials, he also showcases his current crop of collectible iron. One car in particular, the Torvair, has to be the mother of all mongrels.

This particular car piqued my interest as it was basically a Corvair coupe with an Oldsmobile Toronado drivetrain tucked under the stylish body in a mid-engined format. There were many Corvair V-8 conversions, but marrying the two most innovative GM creations of the sixties was a stroke of genius. So, after looking at this wonderful beast on his site, I contacted Larry to find out what the Torvair is all about.

And what do you know, it’s up for sale! Read more at Automotive Traveler.

When it comes to popularity, muscle cars are still as hot as Las Vegas pavement in August. Despite the economy, Detroit muscle from the sixties and early seventies are the dominate vehicles at shows, tours and auctions.

The credit for the birth of the muscle car segment generally goes to the 1964 Pontiac Tempest GTO. The same year, however, the Oldsmobile division of General Motors released its F-85 Cutlass hardtops, coupes and convertibles with the 4-4-2 performance package. Like the GTO, the 4-4-2 rode on the 115 inch wheelbase platform and offered a 330ci V8 engine delivering 310hp—just 15hp less than the GTO’s standard 389ci.

Continue reading after the jump!

What made the 4-4-2 different was a focus on handling, which included heavy duty springs and sway bars. The 4-4-2 also featured a more upscale interior consistent with Oldsmobile’s position as GM’s entry-level luxury division above Chevy and Pontiac.

Say “Four-Forty-Two” and Ransom Eli Olds’ faithful will come knocking on your door with lug wrenches in hand. The proper pronunciation is “Four-Four-Two.” In its first year, the name meant a four speed transmission, four barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. In 1965, an automatic transmission option was added, but the V8 was enlarged to 400 cubic inches, allowing the name to be continued in good faith.

The 4-4-2 became known as the businessman’s muscle car, while Chevy Chevelle, Pontiac GTO and Plymouth Road Runner were the standards of the younger crowd. Of course, these younger drivers often found themselves on the losing end of a street race with a 4-4-2.

Today I’m in Seattle to test drive a pristine 1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 convertible. I roll the car cover off the beautiful Nassau Blue Olds to find that unlike many domestic cars of the era, the 4-4-2 doesn’t look bulbous… rather long and low. It’s elegant, fairly sexy, and also racy with its factory black hood stripes.

This car was bought from the original owner in 1986 and got driven daily for another year. It has been fully restored to the condition it left Overlake Oldsmobile’s showroom in Bellevue back in 1969. It even still wears its original license plate and 1969 tab.

The black interior with fake woodgrain is classic GM. Plunking down into the wide Strato-bucket seats, three circular gauges (speedometer, multi-function and clock,) stare back at me. Since this car was delivered with the optional Turbo-Hydromatic 400 automatic transmission, there is no tachometer.

A few punches of the gas pedal primes the four-barrel with fuel. Then with a quick crank of the key, the 400ci V8 springs to life. Another prod of the accelerator brings the idle down to a very smooth, quiet level.

It’s a beautiful day, so I release the two latches and retract the power top. Slotting the console-mounted transmission lever into gear gets it rolling.

The 4-4-2 is a very composed car, offering excellent capabilities as a daily driver. Even under acceleration with the top down, it’s easy to carry on a conversation – or hear the tunes on the factory 8-track player.

As I start thinking this might be a soft car, I plant the accelerator. With a respectable 325hp and head-snapping 440 lb-ft of torque, (25 lb-ft more than offered by Chevy’s contemporary top-gun 375hp Chevelle SS396,) the 4-4-2 is capable of putting a smile on any face. Power delivery is ultra-smooth and seamless.

Where most muscle cars lose points is handling, but the 4-4-2 seems to forget its size and grips admirably. This car actually wears original-spec redline bias-ply tires, so adding a set of modern radials would make the Olds marvelous on winding road…provided the driver remembers it’s a sedan-based muscle car, not a true sports car. The brakes are capable of immediately slowing the car. The 4-4-2’s only downside is the Roto-matic power steering, which despite a good ratio, delivers GM-typical one-finger effort and less feedback than a mid-road-test driver’s licensing official.

The 4-4-2 begs to be driven, be it hard or just relaxed cruising. It might be the ultimate muscle car for collector use. The Olds is comfortable enough for long touring with three passengers, beautiful enough to show and powerful enough to win its fair share of races against other better recognized muscle cars.

A couple years ago we knew a guy who put a 427 in one of these cars and it was just ungodly fast. We like the idea of the big-inch Olds even better though as it’s the proper brand-in-a-brand situation.

This car would be bad ass to roll into the local ice cream or burger joint with on the weekends. Especially if there were some extracurricular activities planned later in the evening. Leaving the car in primer gives it the street tough look and feel. This thing has all the qualities of a great street bruiser and that 455ci Olds mill should be making cruise ship torque. For a finished, running, caged car, four grand seems like the right price.

If you buy it we get to drive it at least once. See it here.

1979 OLDS CUTLASS STREET/RACE. I AM SELLING DUE TO A NEW PROJECT AND GOT BORED WITH THIS ONE. IT TOOK ME 5 YEARS TO FINISH THIS ONE. I HAVE TOO MANY PROJECTS.
SPECS ARE:
455 BORED .040 OVER
ARIAS FLATTOP PISTONS valve reliefs
442 C CASTING HEADSWITH RACING VALVES AND SPRINGS
1.65 ROLLER ROCKERS
HARDENED PUSHRODS AND GUIDEPLATES
COMP CAM #42-224-4 274 intake 286 exhaust DURATION .520 int. .523 exh. LIFT Lobe seperation @ 110.0
ARP HEAD STUDS
ARP MAIN STUDS
TORQER II INTAKE WITH HOLLEY 600 CARB
MILODON DEEP SUMP OIL PAN
MILODON HIGH PRESSURE OIL PUMP
SOLID ENGINE MOUNTS
8 INCH 3600 STALL CONVERTER
TH400 STOCK W/ SHIFT KIT DEEP PAN
NEW ALLUMINUM RADIATOR W/ 2 ELECTRIC FANS
HOLLEY BLUE FUEL PUMP W/FILTER,REGULATOR
10 PT ROLL CAGE PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED
B&M SHIFTER
NEW DOOR SEALS
ALUMINUM FUEL CELL AND BATTERY BOX MOUNTED IN TRUNK
LIFT OFF 3 HALF INCH COWL HOOD
MINI TUBBED W STOCK AXLE W 411 GEARS
CONNECTED W REAR M/T SLICKS ON CENTERLINE WHEELS
CENTERLINE PIZZA CUTTERS ON FRONT
2 1/2 SPINDLE DROP ON FRONT
NEW FRONT BRAKE PADS
HOOKER HEDDERS W 4 INCH PIPES W/ MOROSO RACE MUFFLERS
ALL BLACK INTERIOR
PRIMER ON BODY, READY FOR PAINT JOB.
THIS CAR RUNS AND DRIVES ON THE STREET WITH 93 OCTANE. PUTTING OUT APPROX 11.5:1 COMPRESSION RATIO.
CAR NEEDS SOME FINE TUNING BUT HAS LESS THAN 100 MILES ON ENGINE
NOT RECCOMENDED AS EVERYDAY DRIVER BUT OK FOR WEEKEND CRUISES AND TO THE CAR SHOW, AND RACETRACK.
NEEDS FEW MINOR REPAIRS TO COMPLETE PROJECT.
SEROUS INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE CONTACT STEVE @9549317851 OR JOE @7042312699 OR BOTH AT 9544360833

We’ve been following Mike’s build for a while now. His awesome project even made our list of top ten ride pages of 2008. Well, looks like the car is nearing completion–check out the new red paint! Oh, and Mike settled on the name “Camino Supreme,” and he even started a new ride page–it’s now listed as an Olds and not a Chevy. Check out all the pics!

Welcome to the CarDomain Obscure Muscle Car Parking Lot, a regular feature which aims to expand the notion of what a muscle car is, and to expand conventional thinking while we’re at it. A few weeks ago, I ran a feature on the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, and asked whether or not a FWD, V8-powered car could ever be considered a muscle car. The overwhelming majority of you said NO, so this time, I thought I’d reach back to the 1968-through-1970 time period. This was the true peak of the classic muscle car era, rife with fire-breathing HEMIs, Ford Cobra Jets, and at least four different GM big blocks. Let me introduce you to a true full-size coupe–but one with over 400 hp driving the front wheels. I give you the Oldsmobile Toronado W-34.

The Oldsmobile Toronado was what you would call a breakthrough car when it debuted in the fall of 1965. General Motors was at the top of its game back then, with the recent introduction in 1965 of their entire stable of all-new full size-cars (from Chevrolet right up through Cadillac), a redesigned Corvair, their now 2-year-old mid-sized cars (Chevelle, Special, F-85, and Tempest), along with freshened versions of the Corvette and Chevy II. It was now time to come out with something that was sports-car inspired, but large enough to be a luxury car (remember, we’re talking about the mid 60’s!). After 8 years of research and tests, Oldsmobile was confident enough in the engineering of the components that would be used in their first FWD muscle car, and so the Toronado was put into production.

The Toronado was GM’s first subframe automobile, which means it was a partial unibody with a subrame that ended at the forward end of the rear suspension, serving as a mounting point for the leaf springs. It carried the powertrain, front suspension and floorpan, allowing greater isolation of road and engine harshness. The radical new ride was a styling success, but not much of a sales success.

The Toronado went on for the 1966 and 67 seasons with few changes, however, there were changes coming. A special option code called W-34 was available on the 1968–70 Toronado. This option included a cold-air induction system for the air cleaner, a special performance camshaft and a “GT” transmission calibrated for quick and firm up-shifts and better torque multiplication at 5 mph (8 km/h). Dual exhaust outlets, similar to the 1966–67 model years with cutouts in the bumper, were also included with W-34. The W-34 option provided an additional 25 horsepower from the 455 by using larger intake valves, and was similar to a W-30 442 option in a rear-drive Olds. The compression ratio was 10.25:1, and the final drive ratio, 3.07:1.

For 1970 only, the W-34 option also included special “GT” badges on the exterior of the car. The W-34 Toronado was capable of 0–60 mph in 7.5 seconds and the standing 1/4 mile in 15.7 seconds @ 89.8 mph. With its low stance and 400 front-drive horsepower, there was nothing else like it in 1970–it was a unique luxury-muscle coupe with more hp per pound than any production FWD car until the Cadillac Allante.

Of the 25,433 Toronados built in 1970, only 5,341 were Toronado GT models, making the GT the rarest of Doctor Olds’ “W” Machines (W-34). Advertising copy of the day described it as ” A One-of-a-Kind Car, in a Carbon Copy World.”

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Here’s Jerry’s 1968 Olds Toronado W34, from Sebago, Maine. Jerry states that this car will never be up for sale. And look, he has another 68 Toronado W34, in red. Not sure if I like the painted bumper, but looks good nonetheless.

And here’s Mac’s 1970 Olds Toronado GT, from Spokane WA. Only 2 pictures here, but still looks great. Post these guys a comment if you have time.

There you have it: a large, comfortable, 2-door coupe, its expansive hood hiding a 400 hp V8 mated to a beefed-up transmission.  I ask, is this not the definition of an Obscure Muscle Car? Or should it be disqualified by its fwd, like the last front-drive car in the series? State your case and be ready to defend it.