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My '95 Mercury Cougar XR-7 was a BOL: V-8 Engine, Pearl Paint (extra cost), but had No Moonroof (wanted an after-market one to keep the dome-light, w/ dual map reading lamps to evoke the '70's era I was trying to parlay, along w/ the green leather/cloth interior w/ only a power driver's seat) and at least keyless entry, but standard stereo & a buggy-whip antenna...

Little did I know, I would want the Automatic Temperature control; the standard system got too hot or too cold... And a red/blue "Cool" / "Warm" setting on the dial no longer cut it on such a big, classy car; if only FoMoCo just stuck numbers along side the dial for temperature settings, along w/ "Auto" added to the variable-speed Fan setting...

But the digital electronic display on the optional system just seemed too out there & I did not want the Auto Lamp feature, though I think the "extra knob" was something I would later envy...

An after-market moon roof would render the stock dome light impractical, as the light would be over the rear seat, map lights and all (the earlier FoMoCo design had projected beams for the earlier map light design)...

This was my 3rd car & I had to better my 1st car a 1984 BOL Ford Escort, which had the dual remote control sport mirrors & low-back reclining seats, but no gauges, no over head console & not even Air Conditioning! It was a SAPPY Escort, white w/ red interior that faded w/ every sunrise, sunset...! My 2nd car was at least a 1987 Dodge Charger--a silver one & best damn ride that I'd ever had!

"Get a Truck!" I was told...--I should have listened!

-- Dave
 
BOOOOOOOOOL

I drove a Chevette as my 1st car. Over the years I've owned over 12 of them in various states of driveability. The 1st one I had was a deluxe model with A/C, Automatic, chrome everywhere and fancy interior. Others were mid-line models with various options. The only BOL one I owned was what they called the Scooter, it was an orange 76 and it was BASIC. That car did not have a back seat from the factory. Among the other things that were missing, no cig. lighter, glovebox door, cardboard door panels, missing console, radio delete (but did have the speaker, wiring and antenna), lack of passenger sill light switch, wooden stick for the hatch, manual brakes and the car was devoid of any chrome, even the bumpers were painted silver as opposed to chromed. That car also had the rare 1.4 liter engine that was only offered the 1st 1.5 years. The ONLY option if you will was that it was an automatic, a 3 speed THM-200 with a 4.11:1 rear axle. 60mph was about it literally, but a great around town car that got about 37mpg, with the low gearing the car felt nimble up until about 50-55. Miss that one, it was unique and I loved the Burnt Orange color

 

Other BOL cars I've owned, all cars after the Chevettes had power brakes, thank god:

 

1988 Festiva Base:

1.3L L-4 carbed Engine

4-Speed
Radio Delete (even lacking antenna, and speakers as well
Plain Door Panels (No trim)
No A/C

No P/S

12" Wheels

No Passenger Mirror

165k Miles

38-44mpg

 

1995 Geo Metro Base

1.0L L-3 TBI Engine

5-Speed

Radio Delete

Black Trim & Bumpers

Painted Silver 13" Wheels w/Center Caps (no hubcaps)

Standard Headlights (instead of composite lenses)

No P/S

No A/C

No Passenger Mirror

87k Miles

50-55mpg

 

1988 Toyota Corolla Base (a little nicer than the Geo or Festiva, but BOL for Corolla)

1.6L L-4 Carbed Engine

Black Trim & Bumpers

AM/FM Radio (2 4" Dash Mount Speakers Only)

3-Speed Automatic (A131L)

A/C

Painted Silver 13" Wheels w/Center Caps (no hubcaps)

No P/S

27-32mpg

235k Miles

 

 

I only need 2 options on a vehicle, one required. A/C with cruise control preferred or added. Summers here are just too brutal. I love the simplicity of a car without it, but I'm not a fan of heat, so I've moved away from the cars like that. I have a 1991 Geo Metro that I love, it's an upscale LSi model which is unusual and has all the options for a Metro that year but no A/C. The A/C on that car was ASKED TO BE OMITTED, who does that in southern IL?

 

My contribution, I do like them, and A/C as the only option is still pretty BOL these days.

 

 

@Hunter:

PS your Yaris has a 1.5 Liter engine, not a 1.4
smiley-laughing.gif
and it is one the better, simpler engines that Toyota is making right now IMO

 

 

-Tim

 
I have enjoyed the practicality of econobox hatchbacks for many years... and often they can be fun to drive with the driver having more direct control over a smaller, lighter, nimbler car... Right up there with the Chevette Scooter, my first new car was a Plymouth Horizon Miser... which even said Miser across the back window, something to be proud of! Of course unlike the Chevette Scooter, Misers had a back seat and were actually pretty advanced (transverse engine, front drive, four door hatch) for their time... and with a stick shift, it got over 40 mpgs on the highway, mid 40s above 65, or if you really obeyed that nasty 55 mph speed limit, it could get almost 50! Since then I have owned additional Omni/Horizons, a Corolla, a Civic, a Fit, and now a Fiat 500... all of them have been fun to drive, get great mileage, and can hold a lot more than their small size would appear! And fewer things to break.
 
I learned to drive a stick in a Ford Maverick, I think it was a 72/74 or close to it....3 Speed on the column......6cyl....no air, am radio, manual brakes and steering.....belong to a buddy who was teaching me....if you can drive this, you can drive anything....

remember HILLEROSIS......The fear of driving a clutch, and having to stop on a hill, and then start moving without rolling backwards......

one car I owned....which I absolutely loved.....not BOL, actually TOL and then some.....1985 Chryler Laser XT Turbo Coupe.....full package....I loved that it "talked".....kept me informed of all functions of that vehicle.....these models got a lot of critism from Consumer Reports for this feature, and yet today their "Praising" cars that communicate with the driver.........

my sister was another one who hated that this car "talked"......this from a girl who's idea of an oil change is waiting until the light came on, and kept driving until the engine siezed.....TWICE!.....the one person who needed a vehicle to tell her something was wrong......
 
My father's boss bought him a 1965 Chevrolet Biscayne 4 door sedan in white with turquoise interior. It had three on the column, 6 cylinder, AM radio with no pushbuttons, heater, and FACTORY IN DASH air conditioning. The days when you could order strange combinations on your car. I think that was during the Corvair family car time.
 
In my family it was always my father who loved BOL cars. He also didn't like to buy new cars so he usually had to settle for more features than he really wanted as true BOLs aren't plentiful. I do recall a few: a '60 Chevy two door with manual trans and stovebolt six, an early Econoline van, a '65 Citroen ID19 with no power steering - the ps was virtually standard in American spec IDs after '62 - and a '68 Ford Custom 500. The latter did have a V-8 and automatic but little chrome and no a/c.

 

My own BOL wasn't quite a true BOL but close enough, a '69 Citroen Dyane 6. The Dyane was the middle model of the A-Series cars, with the 2CV at the bottom and Ami at the top, but the A-Series was Citroen's econo line. My Dyane had the "big block" 602cc opposed two cylinder engine which was rather more powerful than the smaller 435cc , so I had a full 28 hp at my disposal. It would do 110 kph (68 mph) flat out all day, and I still recall dicing with semis on the Frankfurt-Cologne autobahn. They'd pass me at the bottom of the hill due to momentum, but I'd get them at the top of the hill only to get passed again downhill. All in the slow lanes of course! The Dyane ended out in Texas where it was pretty happy with the old 55 mph speed limit. I was in college at the time and also had a '70 Citroen DS21 Pallas, kind of old and beat up but mostly TOL, not to mention with a comparitively huge and powerful 2175cc four cylinder engine. Needless to say I took the DS21 away to school and left the Dyane at home, much to my father's delight. It made the old ID19 seem positively plush and so he took to driving the Dyane to work.

 

Pic is not of my Dyane, but it is identical right down to the pale blue color. FYI not only did it not have power windows, it didn't even have wind up windows! The fronts are split and slide back an forth like some house windows, while the rears don't move at all.

hydralique++2-2-2012-21-49-14.jpg
 
OK, my daily driver/commuter these days is a '97 Dodge Neon 2 door coupe.

Not exactly BOL, since it has AC, automatic trans., radio, power windows, and power door locks.

It languished for two years needing a transmission rebuild (at about 80k). Last winter I replaced the head gasket, timing belt, water pump, cam belt tensioner, my self. Runs fine now. Good on gas too. Gets 26 mpg in aggressive combined driving. Probably could get 30 mpg on highway, held back by three speed auto on better mileage. And my tendency to stay in the fast lane.

What I like about it is that it handles like a slot car. The ride is rough compared to bigger, more expensive, more recent cars, but it's still good enough for me. I would have rather had a stick shift but for commuting an automatic has some advantages.

PS-The Citroen 2CV has a certain impish charm. But the Dyane... wrote the book on automotive ugly ;-)...
 
ford fiesta

one of my high school teachers had a ford fiesta(back in '85,plenty of these in the
student parking lot too)Teacher was a coach too,and one day some football players
picked up the fiesta and placed it between two posts with about 2or 3 inches of
clearance to wiggle it free LOL.I have not seen one of these on the road in some
20 years,but there is one i see beside a shed-has been there since at least 1990..
 
But the Dyane... wrote the book on automotive ugly ;-)...

...you may think so, but I'd have to suggest that the Citroen Ami is less attractive....

 

Mind, I can't talk - I'm a Citroen tragic having had 2 Xantia, CX, GS and now a DS23...not to mention Renaults...

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en.wikipedia.org
 
1967 Ford Falcon

In 1967 my father had the chance of buying a Ford Falcon that was actually meant to be part of a fleet to be shipped overseas (to some Caribean country, if I'm not mistaken). It was brand new, and he got it for something like US$ 900. Man, was that car BOL! No padded dashboard, no seat belts, no radio, no heater, 3 speed on the column with un-synchronized first gear, no power steering, no power brakes, 1 speed wiper, and no washer with the wiper! I can't recall the motor size, but the car had something like 90 HP, or even less. It run on regular gas. It also had a manual throttle, which you had to pull out half way in summer and all the way in winter in order to be able to start the car. That's the car I learnt to drive with, but I must admit the car was simply awful!

I even think that in 1967 selling a car without seatbeats was against the law, but there it was allright, with no seatbelts! Unbelievable!
 
Other Chrysler Firsts!

Power steering, 1951, Sealed beam headlights, and hydraulic brakes 1928 ! electric wipers in 48, As for the 60 Ford, they did have a booster pump on the fuel pump, My Mom had a 60 Galaxie, no power steering or brakes 292 V8 with 3 on the tree, She said she would have never gotten rid of it if she had not wrecked it in 68, a teenager pulled out in front of her in a new Falcon, needless to say the Falcon was demolished!! the Galaxie was pretty banged up and rather than fix it she bought a 66 Cutlass with AIR!!!!
 
1972 Nova

My first car was a hand-me-down 1972 Chevy Nova coupe. It was a strippo: 250 straight six, manual drum brakes, rubber covering on the floor instead of carpets, no chrome mouldings, no cigarette lighter, no day/night mirror and no dome light switch for the passenger door. It had the factory "baby moon" hubcaps with body-colored wheels and blackwall tires. It was a burnt orange color and would have made an awesome sleeper. The only options were power steering, AM radio (with one of those lousy windshield antennas) and the archaic two-speed Powerglide automatic.

I'd love to have it back today as I'd slip a late '60s Cadillac 472 and Turbo-hydramatic in it for fun :)

Mine was just like the one in the link except for the color and mine had no bodyside moulding. It was an indestructible car but I sold it to buy a '78 VW Rabbit 4 speed with a fuel injected gas engine (a lot peppier.)

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www.novaresource.org
 
I recall my mothers old 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air. It was Robins Egg Blue and had absolutely no options whatsoever. No power steering or power brakes, manual windows, a three speed automatic and probably a 283 I6 under the hood. That was the car they took me home from the hospital in after I was born.

My mother got rid of it because she said, "It drove like a tank."

It was replaced with a 1970 Chrysler New Yorker, one model up from the Newport. My Dad picked it up for $700 back in 1983 and we drove it until 1992 when the frame finally rusted through. We sold the engine out of it for $500.

It was a luxobarge in comparison to the Bel Air, with power windows, power steering and power brakes. Oh, Headrests and shoulder belts too! Compared to a modern car though, it was a very basic car. It only had an AM radio and that was about it.

I've been finding that more and more, cars today come pretty much "loaded" now as basic models, all the options you find on cars now are for the "Fluff" like Navigation Systems, Sattelite Radio, Moonroofs, etc.

My 2003 Hyundai Elantra is pretty much "loaded" as a basic model. The next model up had leather seating, sunroof, traction control and anti-lock brakes, mine doesn't. I suspect it'll probably be the last car I'll ever own that doesn't have anti-lock brakes. (It makes driving in winter so much more interesting!)
 
Chrysler Ahead!!!!

I had a 41 Chrysler Royal with 2 speed electric factory wipers,they were standard on the Chryslers and Desotos and Dodge,optional on Plymouths.All of my 1940s Chrysler products had electric wipers.I had a real plain 53 Plymouth with electrics.Chrysler products also had great brakes.They didnt fade like general motors and ford.
 
To Whirlaway

My father's first car, a 1955 Chevy Bel Air, had vacuum actuated wipers...

Whenever he'd go to pass someone on a rainy day, they'd stop working.

They also deliberately designed them so that they'd rust above the headlights. Very common problem with those cars.

I have to admit, outside of that 1970 New Yorker, I've never driven a car older than me. I bet it would be a very different experience being behind the wheel of a car from the 1940's... especially considering I've never driven a three on the tree before.
 
In 2008 My dad bought a brand new Kia. They were offering a special for the BOL model(Not sure which model but was the four door car) for just under $10,000. No pwr steering, no pwr windows, no pwr locks, manual transmission, no a/c and no radio. I didn't even think they made new cars without pwr steering.
Now on the oppsite end of that, I am looking at a 1984 Cadillac Seville Elagante that I am really intrested in purchasing.I think the guy is a few thousand dollars over priced, but maybe in a few months will be willing to negoiate more. It has pwr everything in there. Beautiful car.
 
cadillac seville

i kinda like those '79-85 midsize cadillacs,a couple years ago noticed a 1979
eldorado for sale locally-it had the bendix fuel injection oldsmobile 350,i have
plenty of cars,all keepers,but i was thinking it would be cool to have that eldo.
The '79 eldo was downsized to "only"about 3900LB from the previous 5300lb+ eldo,
so may have been able to slip it into the driveway LOL.The delco cassette radio in
my z28 if from an '84 seville(awesome unit BTW,better sound and durabilty than
the aftermarket raios i tried)AFAIK,the biggest potential problem area with an '84
seville is the HT4100 engine,250CI is a little smallish to propell a 3900 lb+ car
and durability problems have been spoken of-never been able to get a straight
answer on the details;but i have heard of camshaft wear problems,head gasket
problems and block distortion.On the other hand,i have heard of HT4100s running
well past 200000 miles without problems.Intoduced around 1981,the HT4100 has iron
heads on an aluminum block. If i had an'81-85 cadi with the HT4100 and wanted
more power,i'd be tempted to swap in an olds 307(used in toronado of same era)
or better yet a cadi 368(6.0L-used in certain full size cadillacs '80-84,some
368s had the imfamous V8-6-4 varible displacement system-won't go into to many
details,but slow mode changeover and rough running in v-6 mode were a couple
faults LOL
 
For me I had just one BOL car. It was a 1991 Buick Century Cutom, it did have pwr steering and brakes and locks, manual windows, the seats didnt adjust, had steel rims with a center cap,  it had other items deleted but I dont recall what.

Both before and after that car I have had MOL and have since moved up to TOL cars and I do like all options except navigation and moonroof.
 

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