The Track Star by the Stevens Motor Car Co. (271 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA 95603, 916/823-0944), is an easy-to-build kit car that makes use of a long overlooked street rod drivetrain—the Ford Pinto.

The list of cheap cars in America is shrinking fast. Granted, “cheap” means different things to different buyers, and we’re setting our own bar at an even $20,000 because that’s the lowest ...