eBay Auction of the Day: Pimped Out 1975 Bricklin SV-1
Ever wonder what would have happened if Mark Hamill had starred in Bricklin Summer, turning his attention to Malcolm Bricklin's pet project instead of a Corvette? Neither had we, until we stumbled across this 1975 SV-1 coupe on eBay. As the seller puts it, this gullwing sports coupe is "highly modified" - a statement we certainly won't argue against.
Mechanically, the car is relatively stock, using the 351 cubic-inch V-8 and three-speed automatic tranny sourced from Ford, but there's not a panel on the exterior that hasn't been modified with questionable taste. The pop-up headlamps have been scrapped in favor of sealed-beam lamps mounted behind a "floating" grille; that modification also replaces the factory bumper, abandoning what had been a somewhat rakish nose. The posterior isn't stock either; the Triumph bezels replaced in favor of some bland assemblies (we can't tell what they're from - post your thoughts in the comments section) while the "Bricklin" trim has been fiberglassed over.
It's not a pretty look on an already scarce car (fewer than 3,000 were made), and bidding reflects that. This SV-1's opening price on the 'bay was $19,500, and after three days of bidding, no one's taken the bait. Who says common sense isn't common?
Comments
Emro
horrible...
dante
That's good money for an unmolested Bricklin. Looks like a Bradley II now.
Ducati Minor
The seller is an idiot, but the car is interesting. I have harbored a fondness for 1970s cars. Yeah, they had overdone paint schemes, poor reliability, and weak engines. But with the right tuning, they could be decent.
I wish there was more on the SV-1 made available. A book, diecast model, something. I have a Car and Driver edition featuring a comparison test between the Bricklin and the Chevy Corvette. The 'Vette handily won, but the article author did express respect for the potential with the Bricklin. It was slower, uncomfortable, had all sorts of problems, and was far more expensive.
But those were the 1970s, and anything different was something to have hope over. For the few folks interested in a Bricklin, a solid runner can be had for $7,000 to $10,000. Modest engine tuning on the Ford 351 and a good 4 spd. manual, disc brakes (which the car didn't have originally), and you have a pretty cool gullwing machine.
Son of a Beach
I have to agree with DM that SV-1 is an intriguing machine that was never able to reach a level of sophistication to be respectable. I guess I'm a sucker for gullwings. Considering the rarity of Bricklins, the owner is an imbecile, but the result is still kinda funky-cool in a Barris sort or way.
Greg
1. Gull-wing doors leaked, and weighed 45 kg each
2. Electrical problems
3. Headlights would fail to pop up
4. The acrylic body tended to crack and warp
5. High sticker price
6. Easily locked out
Todd
I just caught Demon Seed (1977) on the Chiller channel. The scientist/husband character drove an SV-1. Near the end of the movie, he pulls up to the curb of his house in a hurry -- after the car stopped it rocked fore and aft like a 'mid-sized' (Lincoln Continental IV) malaise-era domestic family sedan...
Adam
Tails from an '98 300ZX.
Adam
Tails from an [‘89] 300ZX.
Rick R
the original tails were from a pantera not triumph. There is no accounting for taste so a s long as the owner is happy with car so be it, At least it isn't as bad as the one they riced out on speed channel
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