Fact or Foolish: 1980 Pontiac Phoenix LJ- SOLD?

by Guys with Rides | Apr 2023 | Classifinds, Malaise Monday

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Fact or Foolish: 1980 Pontiac Phoenix LJ- SOLD?

May 5, 2023 Update – While the seller deleted their Craiglist ad, we highly doubt anyone purchased this 1980 Pontiac Phoenix for anywhere near the seller’s asking price of $22,000. $2,200 might have even been a stretch in what appeared to be a joke ad, anyway.

Part of the fun of searching Craigslist ads to feature in the GuysWithRides ClassiFINDS section is when we come across sellers with a genuine sense of humor. Given the seller posted their ad on April Fools Day 2023, we’re pretty sure the Craiglist ad for their brown 1980 Pontiac Phoenix LJ four-door hatchback for sale is a joke that will be taken down very soon.

Currently offered for a ridiculous $22,000, we’re fairly certain either the seller inadvertently added an extra zero in the price, or the ad is likely a good April Fool’s prank. Scroll down to the seller’s description for a good laugh.

The Collector Car Market Review Online Tool reveals the seller’s ask is way above this guide’s #1 “Excellent” appraisal of only $7,700.

Suppose your corporation has five car divisions, and four of them need a fuel-efficient compact car to compete with an increasing amount of well-built Japanese competitors. How would you arrange the management of the four divisions so that they could develop such a car for each business unit? General Motors proved that dividing development (one division handled powertrains, another suspension, etc.) among divisions not only caused production delays but launching the car without sufficient development and testing is a recipe for disaster.

Such is the story of General Motors X-Body cars launched in 1979 as 1980 models. While initial sales, guided by a substantial marketing and advertising campaign, quickly soured when early adopters found the cars to be unreliable and unasfe under hard braking.

The Bionic Disco YouTube Channel features this launch commercial for the 1980 Pontiac line of X-Body Phoenix cars:

If you are serious about buying this Phoenix, you can start the conversation by contacting the seller using the information provided in their Craigslist ad. When you connect, please remember to mention you saw their restored pickup featured here on GuysWithRides.com. Good luck with the purchase!

Here’s the seller’s comical description:

“Well here it is in all it’s glory, my 1980 Pontiac Phoenix with the most powerful engine GM ever made the IRON DUKE. This car has left me stranded several times in just the last month so you better hope you have AAA. Thankfully you can never get lost though since it leaves a trail of transmission fluid everywhere it goes. The Brakes lock up if you try and stop at over 34mph, so to help with this I usually turn the car off and put it into park. Another last resort effort trick that works, is putting your feet through the rust holes in the floor to try and “Flintstone Stop,” just make sure you’re not wearing Heelys. For fuel economy it’s not too bad averaging about 12-15mpg on the highway, so at least its doing better than most vans.Anyway that’s all there is to say about it. Mechanical components are impossible to find but you can find trim and other cosmetic items very easily since there are still thousands of these on the road in every single state.

Don’t call, don’t text, don’t email. If you’re serious, you’ll leave your number on the wall in the Burger King restroom on W 11th in Eugene. I’m in there all the time so I’ll see it and contact you. Gotta do everything I can to avoid the scammers.“

Fool or Fact: Do you think this is an April Fool’s Joke? Please comment below and let us know!

1 Comment

Steve on April 3, 2023 at 9:15 AM

One of the ugliest body styles GM ever produced.
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Fact or Foolish: 1980 Pontiac Phoenix LJ- SOLD?

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