It’s pretty common for us to write about some cool car, truck, motorhome, or tractor that we have found on Craigslist or Ebay or at the local swap meet. What you don’t see though are all the other things we wish we could buy that might seem, well, weird to some folks. Clearly we aren’t alone in digging these, because someone created them, but lets just say not everyone is going to “get it” when we slam them all together in this special Top 11. That’s right, Brian, Nutting, and I have all three thrown some of our favorites from the last week into the pile and out came the following Top 11 Weird Vehicles The BangShift Staff Has Decided We Want This Week.

Keep in mind that these are in no particular order because, well Brian is kinda sensitive and Nutting said we shouldn’t hurt his feelings because he seemed particularly fragile this week.

(Brian note: I am always suspicious of items like this. Chad was way too happy to tell me to throw my picks in here first. Something’s up. If I get hung out to dry on this deal….)

Woah! Shocker here, right? I really, really want a B-series Mack this week. This continues my personal hot streak of EVERY FRIGGING WEEK I HAVE BEEN ALIVE. I would like to make mine a late 1950s model with a Mack Triplex transmission (three range five speed) and a 707ci Thermodyne inline six. Preferably it would be a B-61 or B-73 because those were on the beefier end of the breed. It should also be some kind of horrendous color like the construction yellow over here on the left or tattered orange or something. I want it to have rust, squeaks, rattles, and look scary enough that people will think bad things about both me and the truck. I’m weird, you know that.

An Austin-Healey 3000 with a hard top is on my list this week. Why? I’ve been having this English sports car craving for a little while now mainly because I like things that are inherently flawed, run intermittently, and aren’t all that fast. Basically things that are like my actual life. These cars have a Shelby Cobra coupe feel to them with softer lines and their air of English coolness. While I have never driven a Healey with the “big six” providing the power, lots of people swear by these cars and they had the suds to stand up to pretty much all comers in their weight class back in the day. I’d pound the stuffing out of a car like this because that’s what Donald Healey would have wanted.

Like I said, I am on this English car kick and have been for a little while. My craving for an MG GT goes back a long time, like years. These cars are comically small. The first time I saw one I didn’t know what it was. Oddly, I have absolutely no interest in owning or even being seen in the presence of an open topped MG-B. Put a roof on that same car and I’m a slobbering mutt. You’ll ice pick your screen when I tell you that I’d buy one of these for the purpose of swapping one of Ford’s new 1.0L turbo three cylinder engines into it. Those little things make about 130hp and 150 lb/ft of torque in completely stock form. Touched up I bet you could make more. Why one of those tiny engines? They weigh 213lbs, they are tiny, and the car itself weighs like 2,300lbs. It would be a fun, zippy little machine with a six speed transmission and the right gearing.

If you’re going to hate on me for wanting an early Datsun Z car, you need to get a life. These are awesome looking cars and their inline six engines can be zooted up quite nicely. I’d want mine outwardly stock, looking just like the one in the photo. I’d have the rear wheels widened a little to get some more tire back there but keep the hubcabs. The engine would get a cam, header, and other bolt ons but that’s about it.

I have some unfinished business with Z-cars as the UMass Motorsports club inherited one when I was a senior. The car we got was a later (1980s) version that had been a factory sponsored Nissan road racer for years before landing in private hands where it was basically raced to death. We never had the time or money to get the car going but we did have time to work on it enough that the gas tank (which was full) nearly squashed me under the car one day. Ahhh, memories.

Yep, back to England one more time before I hand this baton of badness off to Chad. Why do I want a Jensen Interceptor? Look at the thing. These cars are ridiculous in all the right ways. It has a schnozz like Barbara Streisand, a strangely appealing hatchback/fastback/Gremlin-esque style arse, a Chrysler big block in the front, and there aren’t that many of them running around. Make no mistake, I like these cars a lot and I don’t think there is any shame or need to apologize for that.

A stroker big block wedge and burnouts for days while impressing the ladies is pretty much the basis for my WANT of a Jensen.

(Nutting: Whenever Brian or Chad start off a conversation with “Hey, I’ve got something fun for you”, it typically means that whatever “it” is will be either: Hazardous to my health, potentially embarrassing, or require some some sort of a waiver and a helmet. Often, it’s all three. This time it’s “only” a list, but we’ll see where this goes…)

Mitsubishi Evolution V

All of this talk on the internet of the newly revealed 2015 Subaru Impreza WRX and how much of a disappointment it is compared to the previously shown concept has me waxing nostalgic about the late 90s and the first generation WRX STIs and Evolutions. Not that today’s versions of the Evo and STI are down on power (In fact, they’re arguably as fast or faster than ever), but they’re bloated and softened versions of their ancestors, which came as close as you could get to a street-legal rally car without sourcing a Ur-Quattro or something ridiculous like that.

With that, what I’m really hankering for this week is a first generation Evolution, specifically the Evo V as I think that it’s one of the best looking of the bunch.

There is a snag: while the Evo V was offered in Japan and Europe, it never made it to US shores. Instead of the Lancer and the Lancer Evo, us Americans were stuck with a weak sauce 1.8L Mirage up until the introduction of the Evo VIII in 2003.

Here’s the part that makes it Bangshifty: While completely lame in stock form, the 1995-2000ish Mirage is basically the same chassis as the Evo that the rest of the world got to hoon around in, and through the magic of online auctions a “half-cut” (Typically the entire drivetrain plus everything forward of the windshield) of an early Evo is only a few clicks of the mouse and a few thousand dollars away. There’s a handful of guys as crazy as me in the US that have already done this conversion, so it’s not a pipe dream. Oh yes, this will be mine.

First generation Celica

Ever since writing about them a few weeks back as a car that should be “Pro-Toured more”, I can’t stop thinking about them. Their stance is a little awkward looking as-shipped from the Land of the Rising Sun, but admittedly so is the early Mustang, especially in base-model trim. With a suspension rework, some better wheels, and a few other performance tweaks, they’re badass. Don’t believe me? Look at the photo again.

I would take mine with a V8 with independent throttle bodies, manual transmission, mechanical limited slip differential, and a badass suspension. Oh, and JDM fender mirrors. I am a sucker for those.

Seriously, just look at this thing. It is BEAUTIFUL. Everything else on this list sucks.

2015 Ford Mustang

Love it or hate it, the new Mustang is coming. The first few photos I saw from Ford were a bit “Eh”, but after seeing a few renderings of the car in different colors and lowered, I’m fully on board. People that are throwing themselves out of buildings because of the independent rear suspension need to have a reality check: This car is meant to handle, and a well thought out IRS suspension setup will beat a stick axle any day. Besides, 90% of the people bitching about this car would never buy one anyways, regardless of what it came equipped with.

I want one with an EcoBoost 4 cylinder and a Nurburgring sticker on the trunk, because if you’re going to piss off the purists, you might as well go all the way.

An American truck, three British Cars, and a Nissan for Brian. I didn’t see all that coming. I am worried about him now, but whatever. I can get behind a couple of those. Nutting on the other hand went for the EVO , Mustang and Celica. I have to say, I am slightly worried about both of them, but less so for Nutting. I absolutely 100% agree with him on the Toyota Celica. I know, I know, you guys are all freaking out now, but it really is a bitchin little car and just this weekend at the Pomona Swap Meet I had a conversation with my buddy Jay about import cars I like. It was in the top 3.

Now it’s time for my wants for the week, and I had more than three but Brian got all excited so I’ll let him roll with it. I was worried some of you might think mine were way out there, but then Brian saved me with his English cars so here goes. I’ll start off with the weirdest one.

1970’s Winnebago Motorhome

These suckers look bitchin and I want one so bad I can taste it. Do it up all Rock My RV style and maybe do a late model diesel swap in one. It would be killer and looks way cooler than the newer ones. I’d get the Chieftain cause it’s longer than the Brave pictured and then haul some cool trailer behind it with cars and BangShift gear in it. How cool would this look with BangShift.com down the side? It would be the most pimptacular broadcast rig ever!

1970’s Jet Boat

I will agree this is the least appropriate vehicle for the current weather conditions in the United States. But… come summer here in SoCal it’s time to hit the river and have some fun in killer hot rod boats like this one.

Mine would be 19-21 feet, seat 4-6, and be powered by a Big Chevy with a set of Twisties like this one has. Tunnel ram or blower, either one will work, a nice Berkeley or Dominator Jet with a droop, jetavator, and all the other goodies.

With the right stuff 100 mph boat is doable without making it no fun to drive at 50. I want one bad. Oh, and it has to have cool old school graphics or it doesn’t matter how fast it is, it still wouldn’t be cool.

2.5 Ton Deuce and a Half Army Truck

This may be the most appropriate vehicle for current weather conditions in the United States. Sure Nutting’s EVO will probably get you there with very little drama and has a cool stereo in it, but nobody is going to deny the bad assery that is going on with this bad boy.

I could be the savior of dozens of people with this thing. Maybe hundreds. And, it would bring amazing joy to my heart to pull people, buildings, and anything else I want to hook up to, out of the way and out of danger.

Oh, and we can run over stuff with it to. Yeah, like RUN OVER IT.

We have multiple friends who have these. We want into the club.

What do you think of our choices?

Do you have some weird vehicle that you either own or wish you owned? Send them to us! Email a picture, and a little info on what it is and why you want it, to [email protected] and we’ll see if we can put together a Top 11 Weird Vehicles Our Readers Have Decided They Want.