I recently got an 81 Vanagon, it's got all of that except hydraulic steering and low weight, but I only have the two front seats which helps with weight a bit, and it's probably close to a light truck weight, back when they made light trucks. It's a lot of fun. No power steering, no power windows, no power from the engine, but I get to stomp on the throttle all the time.
Later model years added all sorts of bells and whistles like water cooling, power steering, and signs of life from the engine, but who needs that.
Ah, that joy. Had it crossing the Atlas mountain in Morocco, in a 35 HP FWD car. Low weight and simplicity, that's the key. Yeah, that won't return any time soon.
At the border crossing, we shared the queue with two of the five teams (according to Wikipedia) participating in the first ever 4L Trophy. When I'm gone (well, when we're gone, me and my peers at the time), those memories will be gone, it's how it is.
Agreed. We bought my wife an NC last year when the criteria was “cheap, petrol, naturally aspirated and Japanese”. The criteria was in response to my Land Rover (Discovery / LR4) which is none of those things and becoming a bore.
After stealing the MX-5 whenever I get the chance I now wish we could run two. That would make family trips troublesome though…
I prefer NA but I can have a lot of joy with a proper turbo or two, or a supercharger. There’s a big difference between a turbo used to pass emissions standards and one installed for fun
I still remember the day I took an audi quattro (not mine, a car like that was way out of my league financially back then) for the first time up a mountain pass road near my home in the 80s.
What an effing rush that was.
Strongly agree for the rest of the list though and would add: "mechanical handbrake" to the list.
These days cars have ugly little electronic handbrakes with a LED on it, what a load of shite.
