Every summer, it happens many times in America: Someone has an old car with resale value hovering around scrap levels on one side of the garage … and cutting tools on the other side of the garage. Next thing you know, that car has had a roof-ectomy, becoming what is known as a Sawzall roadster. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those machines, found in a Denver-area self-service yard recently.
Higher-end 1999 Saturns could be bought with DOHC engines, but this car has the base 1.9-liter SOHC four-cylinder, rated at 100 horsepower and 115 pound-feet.
So, resale value on a 24-year-old cheap car with too many pedals, faded paint and a worn-out interior was quite low. Its final owner broke out the saw and got to cutting. Here you can see how complex the layers of metal are in modern unibody vehicles.
I've documented a few Sawzall roadsters prior to this one during my junkyard travels, including a Volvo 244, a 1953 Chevrolet 210 and a Dodge Raider.
In addition to enhanced danger from unpredictable chassis flex and zero rollover protection, the sharp metal edges of the cut-off areas can slice up occupants.
The expended shotgun shells, Red Bull cans and cigar butts indicate that this car's final days were full of excitement.
Dent-proof plastic body panels, cheap lease deals. What more did anyone need in 1999?