Ah, the simple pleasure of the road trip. Is there a better way to get from point A to point B than in a car you’ve poured your own blood, sweat and (occasionally) tears into? Is there a better way to see the country than at ground level, an ever-changing tableau of American landscape unfolding across your windshield?
Enjoyable as they may be, road trips have their own drama. Motels run out of rooms, camping sites can be few and far between and gasoline occasionally goes up (or way, way up) in price, making that cross-country odyssey as unobtainable as a week at a five start hotel in Paris. Fear not, fellow road warrior – this installment of the $5,000 challenge offers five vehicles designed with road tripping in mind. From a gas-sipping economy car to a rolling B&B (assuming one brings their own breakfast), the only thing missing is some restoration, a map, and a sense of adventure.
1938 Nash La Fayette
Travelers were a bit more intrepid in 1938, as sleeping in the car was perceived to be a sensible way of hitting the open road. Today, most prefer hotel beds (or tents and sleeping bags), but this 1938 Nash La Fayette presents an interesting alternative: its back seat converts into a bed, so long as one is comfortable sleeping with legs in the trunk. That would, of course, displace luggage room, and finding bathroom or shower facilities is another potential challenge. Getting to that point, however, will likely require a bit of restoration, though the amply patina’d car is described as being in “excellent running condition.” The $3,800 asking price seems like a bargain, especially when one considers the price of hotel rooms these days.
1977 Datsun B210
As anyone who’s owned a Datsun B210 will tell you, there isn’t much room to stretch out, and neither the front seats nor the rear make an acceptable substitute for a bed. When it comes to fuel consumption, however, the B210 was known to be particularly miserly, meaning a cross-country trek likely won’t break the bank. This example boasts a few performance improvements, such as a high-compression head and a five-speed manual transmission from a later 210 model, but its light weight and 1.4-liter engine mean that fuel economy should still be exemplary. For $3,500, it should prove to an entertaining travel companion.
1990 Mercury Colony Park GS
When it comes to long-distance road trips, few vehicles are more versatile than a full-size wagon. With ample luggage room and enough space for the tallest of travelers to stretch out, road-tripping in a wagon means always having a place to sleep. Though perhaps not quite in the collectible range, this Mercury is somewhat rare, being one of just 4,450 Colony Park wagons built during the 1990 model year, and its powered by Ford’s tried and true 5.0-liter V-8. Should a breakdown occur, the nearest auto parts store is almost guaranteed to have the parts you need, at a price that won’t require a second mortgage. For the asking price of $4,995, the Merc could also double as a practical second car, that won’t be out of place at the weekend show and shine.
1978 Superior Buick Precision Crown landau end-load hearse
Once one gets past the creepiness factor, hearses make great mini campers. There’s plenty of room to stretch out in back, and the lack of windows ensures a higher degree of privacy than a station wagon. This modified Buick Estate Wagon was one of just 63 examples converted by Ambruster Stageway in 1978, so your odds of seeing another on the road are slim to none. Its working life was spent at a Texas funeral home, so rust shouldn’t be an issue, and there’s reportedly just under 81,000 miles on the 403 V-8. It will need new tires, the A/C doesn’t hold a charge for long, and the body isn’t perfect, but for the $2,950 asking price, those flaws are easily overlooked.
1979 Dodge D-150 Custom
This Dodge pickup is a camper shell away from being road-trip perfect, or if the budget allows, an actual in-bed camper would turn this into a decent low-buck RV. From the seller’s (extensive) description, most of the hard work has already been done, meaning the pickup won’t need much attention before setting off on your own quest to find America. Even as a haul-stuff-to-the-dump truck, this D-150 should be more than capable, and it appears to be just about show ready, even in its current state. For $3,950, it’s hard to find a more functional choice.
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