Just A Car Geek

Come Up With A Caption...

2012-01-26T11:51:00.007-05:00

I'll be taking a few days off. I thought I'd leave you with this picture. It comes from JaCG reader, Todd. It's a limo towing a Lada. It's real and not photoshopped.

There has to be some sort of clever, funny, snarky comment that can be attached to it.

Leave yours in the comment section.

1953 Triumph Mayflower

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

The seller states that "only a few Mayflowers were imported to the USA". True, but it wasn't for lack of trying. The Mayflower was aimed directly at the US market. It missed the mark. Still, it's an interesting car...

The folks at Triumph noticed that we Americans loved the big luxury cars from Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lagonda, et al. The idea behind the Mayflower was to create a small, relatively affordable, car that looked like one of the big expensive cars. Good idea, maybe, bad execution, definitely.

The body was designed by Leslie Moore, chief body designer of Mulliners (a UK coachbuilder). Moore most likely designed some of Mulliners very impressive bodies, but he did Triumph no favors with the Mayflower. It just looked wrong; sort of like a little person who had done his clothes shopping in the "big and tall" section of the clothing store.

The body (which does have a few fans) had a few neat touches. It's a unibody design, which was not very common in the late 1940s / early 1950s. The trunk is hinged at the bottom and forms a shelf of sorts when opened.

The engine was a 4 cylinder that created 38 HP and the transmission was a 3 speed, with a column mounted shifter. 60 MPH came in around 27 seconds.

This Mayflower is an all original, unrestored car. The seller doesn't leave a lot of information, but, based on the pictures, it looks to be complete and in relatively good condition. At the moment it's not running, but the seller believes that with a tune-up and some fresh gas, it will run.

According to the Standard Catalog of Imported Cars, 1946 - 1990, less then 600 Triumphs in total (Mayflowers and 2000 /Renowns) were sold in the US between 1949 and 1953, making this a very, very rare car.

It may not be the prettiest car ever built, but it would be a huge hit at any British car show.

Located in "North New Jersey", click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1958 DKW F94 3=6

2012-01-24T06:00:00.003-05:00

A cool car with an odd name...

Called the F94 by the factory (part of a series of cars that started with the F91), it was sold with the odd name of 3=6. The engine is a 3 cylinder two stroke engine. The name 3=6 started as an ad slogan. The idea was to remind customers that 3 cylinders could be considered the equivalent of a 6, because a 2 stroke engine delivered a power stroke from each cylinder with every revolution of the crankshaft.

I'm not familiar enough with two stroke technology to say if that is true or not, but the car only had a top speed of 75 - 80 MPH and it took over 25 seconds to get to 60. I assume they were talking about two stroke and four stroke engines of equal size, which I'm not sure it was a fair comparison. I'm not familiar with any automobile 6 under 1000ccs, and the 3 cylinder engine in this car was only 896ccs. (The Benelli 750 Sei motorcycle had a 747cc 6 in it.)

All that technology stuff aside, these were pretty cool little cars. The transmission is a 4 speed with a freewheeling feature. The interior is incredibly spacious for a 1950s small car, a feature DKW also pointed out in their ads. The body has an old-school German car charm to it.

DKW was part of the Auto Union group, which included DKW, Audi, Horch and Wanderer. The 4 rings symbol, which, of course, is still seen today on Audis, was meant to symbolize the 4 brands of Auto Union. In the late 1950s, Daimler-Benz took control of the Auto Union Group and sold it to Volkswagen in 1964.

This car is being described as sold with most of its original parts still with it. The seller says it was once "part of a collection of cars that were used as back drops in the movies."

This is a very cool, very unusual car that would be a blast to take to car shows. The asking price seems steep to me (maybe it's at a premium for being a movie star), but you could always make an offer and see what happens.

Located in Hesperia, CA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this car!

1983 Audi UR Quattro

2012-01-24T05:59:00.000-05:00

When it comes to classic Audis (at least classic Audis that were sold in North America), this is the Holy Grail. Very few UR-Quattros were sold in North America in 1983.

The seller leaves a bit of UR-Quattro history in his ad, so I'll skip that.

This car has just 16,069 miles on it. The seller bought it last year with the intention of turning it into a "400 plus hp monster". Fortunately, after realizing how nice the car is, he scrapped that idea.

This may be the same car I wrote about last year, but have no way of knowing.

Located in Gansevoort, NY, click here to see the eBay listing.

Weekend Quickies, Saturday, January 21, 2012

2012-01-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

1972 Ford LTD - Just a Car Geek reader, Dan, sent me the link to this car. He wrote one sentence about this car; "You could play Steve McGarrett in this car!" You could play one of the Golden Girls, too. These were the cars of choice for police departments and the elderly.

This one is pretty remarkable. It has just 24,779 miles on it and is all original. As the seller states, "the car speaks for itself."

Located in Ridgefield, NJ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1999 Mercedes Benz E55 AMG - This is a seriously fast sedan. The V8 engine pumps out 349 HP (4 more than the 1999 Corvette). It reaches 60 MPH in 5 seconds. It has a limited top speed 0f 155 MPH. I does all this despite weighing 3,765 pounds.

This is a 2 owner car with 140,000 miles on it. It essentially bulletproof, but when things do go wrong, they are extremely expensive to fix.

Located in Shelton, CT, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Cory for sending me the link to this car!

1963 Mercedes-Benz 200 Series - This MB is by no means as fast as the one above - not even close - but what it lacks in speed, it more than makes up for in pure class.

This is a well documented, very well maintained car. It would be a hit at any German car show.

Located in Indianapolis, IN, click here to see the eBay listing

A big thanks to John in NJ for sending me the link to this car!

1985 BMW 635CSi Convertible

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

It was only a couple of years ago that I saw my first E24 convertible. I featured a few on this blog. One was spectacular, the other was somewhat less spectacular.

This one falls somewhere in between. This one was created by Coach Builders Limited. The top looks to be very well done. There are a few wrinkles behind the rear window, but that could be from age, or it recently having the top down.

While the seller says "it is in excellent condition for its age", he says it's "inoperable" and will need to be towed. It shows just 28,000 miles on the odometer.

This is a car that you would really have to see before buying. The asking price is $5500.00, but the seller is "open for trades and offers."

If you can get it for a good price, and it doesn't need too much work, this would be a very cool, very unique summer car.

Located in Farmers Branch, TX, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me this link!

Anyone Know What This Is?

2012-01-19T21:04:00.003-05:00

Just a Car Geek reader "JM" sent me this picture. His email was short and to the point: "Does anyone know who made this and what it is?"

I have no clue.

Any ideas?

1975 Mazda Chantez

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have to believe that this is the same car Grey in the USA featured back in January, 2010. (Hoov, start doing updates again. We miss you!)

I'm going to be lazy and steal some of the Chantez history from Hoov...

"The Chantez was produced for the JDM market from 1972-1977. It runs on a 360cc two-stroke engine that's oil-injected and produces around 35hp, and it has a 4-speed manual. Weighing in at just over a half a ton, this car is said to be good for 71 mph."

This car came to the US in 2005. The seller bought it in 2010. He says it "always starts up, runs, drives and stops fine but the brakes may be a tad soft from sitting."

The body is solid and has no rust. The seller is not sure of the car still wears its original paint, but he says it showing some wear.

The interior has a torn driver's seat and the A/C (a dealer installed option) is not working.

If you love JDM cars and are looking for something unique to bring to shows, this car might be the perfect choice.

Located in Kempton, PA, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Brandon for sending me the link to this car!

1979 AMC Spirit AMX

2012-01-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

I loved the original AMX. I loved the later AMX option for the Javelin. (I've probably fawned over them and defended them way too many times on this blog.) But this? Such a sad ending to a great name.

Aside from the 1970s aesthetics, there isn't anything seriously wrong with this car. The Spirit AMX handled decently for an American car and, when ordered with the optional 304 V8, had all sorts of power.

This car has all sorts of power and then some. The 304 has been replaced by a 360. The engine has a mild cam, rebuilt heads, Edelbrock carb and a dual exhaust.

The body is in nice shape. The graphics are a matter of personal taste, I guess. I find them to be a bit over the top. (That's not true, I'm being nice. I can't stand them.)

If AMC had called this car the Spirit GT, or something like that, I might be more accepting of it. But calling it an AMX? That doesn't fly with me. The AMX and Javelin AMX were special cars. This, while a cool piece of US automotive history, just wasn't special enough to be called an AMX.

Located in Midland Park, NJ, click here to see the eBay listing.

Commer Caravan - 1964 Rootes Camper

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

The seller starts off his eBay listing with this sentence: "Now for something completely different!!!"

Yep.

The Commer van was introduced in 1960. It originally came with Rootes' 1494cc 4 cylinder engine. The engines got bigger over the years and this van, being a 1964, has a 1592cc engine in it. Top speed is around 70 MPH. The transmission is a 4 speed manual.

This one is a left hand drive camper conversion. (Or Caravan, as they call them in the UK.)

According to Commervanfan.co.uk, at one point there were around 24 companies converting Commer vans into campers and specialty vehicles. I can't tell from the pictures what company converted this one.

This is a remarkable survivor. I have to think that very few of these found their way to North America to begin with, and of the few that did, most have most likely gone the ashes to ashes, rust to rust route.

This is really not in bad shape. The body is complete and, given its age, amazingly rust free. The same dry Southern California heat that kept the body so nice has taken its toll on the interior, but it's complete and includes a camper stove. Mechanically, the seller says it "starts, stops and steers." All things considered, it doesn't appear to be a really tough restoration job.

This is probably not the best camper to take on a long distance camping trip, but it would be great to take to a British car show or on camping trips close to home. (Being a Massachusetts guy, I'm thinking that this would be perfect to take to Lime Rock's Vintage Fall Festival. Imagine the looks on the other camper's faces when you rolled up in this!)

Located in San Diego, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

1976 Mazda RX4

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

In retrospect, these were cool little cars. Unfortunately, in their day, in North America, they were not big sellers. In the 1970s car buyers here still held the opinion that small Japanese cars should be cheap, simple, economy cars. The RX4 was not. This car cost over $4K, got so-so gas mileage and had a rotary engine.

But it performed very well. The RX4 could hit 60 MPH in around 10 seconds and it had a top speed of over 100 MPH.

This car is a restoration project, but a fairly easy one.

Originally silver, it was painted white in the 1980s. It needs a little bit of bodywork, a headliner and "some cleaning up". It has nice looking aftermarket wheels and Recaro seats.

Mechanically, the seller says it needs a carb and a tuneup.

These cars are not easy to find and their prices have been creeping up over the last few years. If you're looking for an RX4 and don't mind a small project, this car may be worth looking at.

Located in Henderson, NV, click here to see the eBay listing.

1980 Toyota Celica Sunchaser

2012-01-16T05:59:00.002-05:00

I wrote about one of these back in November, 2010. You can find the post here.

Somewhere between 2000 - 3000 of these were built. They were built by the Griffith Company, which was owned by Jack Griffith, the man who dropped V8s into TVRs and created the scary-fast TVR Griffith.

This one has been owned by the seller since 1993. It has some rust and needs a carb and thermostat. It also has a dent in the passenger side door.

This is a no reserve auction. If you're looking for a winter restoration project, bid whatever you feel it's worth. Who knows? You may wind up with a very cool, fairly rare, reliable, summer car for very little money.

Located in Yonkers, NY, click here to see the eBay listing.

Garage of Awesome

2012-01-15T21:20:00.004-05:00

Any automotive website that describes a group of people as "dipshits who would not know a driving experience from an aneurysm", or says about a Nissan, "from a distance, we thought someone had attacked a 1996 Ford Taurus with some modelling clay and a trowel", is alright in my book.

Those lines are from the Australian site Garage of Awesome. They do a thing kind of like I do, or Bring A Trailer does, but it's geared towards Australian cars and much more irreverent than Just a Car Geek or BaT ever dreamed of being. It's a lot of fun.

You can find their website here

Weekend Quickies, Sunday, January 15, 2012

2012-01-15T06:00:00.005-05:00

1992 Toyota Sera - This is a true JDM car. It was produced only for the Japanese market. A few did find their way to other countries, including at least one - this one - that found its way into the US.

Those scissor doors? That's what these cars came with from Toyota.

The engine is the same 1.5 liter 4 found in Toyota's Paseo and the Starlet. That engine is a good, durable engine, but no rocket. Without any real power to worry about, Toyota installed drum brakes in the rear. The Sera was available with a 4 speed automatic transmission, or a 5 speed manual.

Not too surprisingly, this car has no title. Buying it, titling it and registering it would risky, but we all know there are ways around just about every obstacle.

Located in Alhambra, CA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1969 Citroen Station Wagon - How brave are you? This is a serious restoration project.

The seller says this car hasn't run since the late 1980s. It's pretty safe to say that just about everything that moves or even thinks about moving on this car will need to be replaced.

OK, in reality this is most likely a parts car. But, if you have the time and patience...

Located in Topeka, KS, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1984 BMW 633CSi - Wow. Just recently I was having a discussion with someone about how I love black cars with red interiors. This car is absolutely incredible looking. It's a 5 speed with just 110,000 miles on it.

The CSi is a blast to drive. Being a BMW it's reliable and relatively easy to get parts for. You could easily use it as your daily driver.

This car looks to be immaculate. Damn, I want this one. I really want this one.

Located in Missoula, MT, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Clint for sending me the link to this car!

1972 Opel Manta Rallye - Last night, a clean Opel Manta Rallye sold for over $8000.00.

This car is not quite as nice, but it's a decent driver or a really good basis for a restoration project.

This car has a very desirable 4 speed manual transmission. It has had the mandatory - for Opels, at least - Weber carb conversion done.

The body looks good, but the seller mentions "minor bodywork done by the previous owner." (The hood, at least, has been repainted. It no longer has the signature Rallye flat black paint on it.) Opels, like most cars from the 70s, were rust prone, so the body should be checked for badly done rust repair.

Located in Pottstown, PA, click here to see the eBay listing.

Weekend Quickies - Saturday, January 14, 2012

2012-01-14T12:38:00.011-05:00

1951 Muntz Jet - This is older and pricier than the usual JaCG car, but it's impressive, if for no other reason than its creator.

Earl "Madman" Muntz was a master of publicity. After being hugely successful selling used cars, Muntz decided to build his own.

The Muntz Jet started life as the Kurtis Kraft Sport. Muntz bough the rights to the car, changed its name, swapped the Ford V8 for a Cadillac V8 then later a Lincoln V8.

The body is aluminum and it came with a fiberglass hardtop. 50 MPH came in 6 seconds and it had a top speed of 125 MPH.

About 400 were built before Muntz shut down the operation.

This one has had a complete restoration.

Located in Davis, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

Click here to read a little bit about Earl "Madman" Muntz.

1991 Audi 100 - This is by no means the most exciting old Audi you could buy, but if you don't need AWD and don't mind an automatic, this is an exceptionally nice car.

This car has just 84,000 miles on it and looks close to new.

Located in Ft.Lauderdale, FL, click here to see the eBay listing.

1966 Renault R8 Gordini - There's just a little over 1 day left to bid on this car and it's up to $19,000.00. It's good to see these cars getting the recognition they deserve.

The R8 Gordini wasn't the fastest car you could buy, but with a great combination of power and rear engine handling, it was one of the most fun.

This car looks to be in very nice shape, but the wheels have got to go.

Located in Dayton,OH, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Tom for sending me the link to this Renault R8!

1986 Audi Coupe GT (And An eBay Seller Worth Following)

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why these cars sell for so little money. They're great looking, nice performing cars from a respected automaker.

Like most older cars, Coupe GTs do have some problems. Most are electrical in nature. This one has non-working windows, which is very, very common on older Audis. The digital display in the dash is also not working on this car (again, common) and it has a cracked windshield. If you want it to be perfect, you'll need to deal with a few cosmetic issues, too.

Parts, because it shares so many with other Audis and VWs, are fairly easy to find.

This is a car that, if it were closer to me, I'd bid on and use as my daily driver.

Located in Denver, CO, click here to see the eBay listing.

OK, this is a nice car that will most likely make someone very happy. But, that's not the only reason I posted it.

In reading the seller's description, I saw this paragraph...

"Having reached the young age of 65 last year, I am looking forward to retiring in 2012 and have decided reduce my collection of 35-40 cars down to a few to enjoy and have fun driving during my retirement. PLEASE CHECKOUT MY OTHER AUCTION'S, AS I WILL BE LISTING MORE EACH WEEK."

Take a look at some of the cars behind the Audi. There are quite a few interesting cars in various states of repair and disrepair, including the Jeepster below.

This guy's auctions may be worth following.

1966 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider - A Little Eye Candy For A Wednesday

2012-01-11T05:59:00.000-05:00

Throughout most of the 1960s, Alfa's 2600 cars were the top of the line Alfa Romeo.

There were 3 different body styles; sedan, coupe and a 2+2 convertible. As was common back in the day in Italy, the bodies were designed by different companies and shared few parts. The sedan was done in house by Alfa, the coupe was from Bertone (Zagato built a stunning 2600 coupe, too) and the Spider, like this one, was from Carrozzeria Touring. Around 2200 Spiders were built between 1961 and 1968.

The 2600 was not considered a success in its day. People expected crisp handling sports cars from Alfa Romeo. The 2600 was more of a touring car; fast and luxurious.

For many, many years, you could buy a 2600 for relatively little money. Not anymore. As people begin to appreciate the 2600 for what it was, the prices have risen dramatically.

This car has been restored to a nice standard. As I write this it has 27 bids and the price is over $40,000.00, with over 4 days to go in the auction.

Located in Santa Barbara, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

1991 BMW 325iX

2012-01-10T16:54:00.007-05:00

I've written about these cars a few times in the past.

As I've said before, these cars were not very well promoted by BMW. Less then 3000 came to the US between 1988 and 1991.

In general, I love the look of the E30 4 doors and the AWD cars look spectacular with their body molding.

This car is a well taken care of 325iX. The seller says it has no rust.

Recent work includes a top end rebuild.

Located in Raleigh, NC, click here to see the ad on BMW2002FAQ.com.

A big thanks to John for sending me the link to this car!

1969 Citroen DS - Being Offered By A True Citroen Fan

2012-01-09T06:00:00.004-05:00

One of the big reasons I'm still doing this blog is Brandes Elitch. Brandes writes for Veloce Today, one of my favorite online magazines.

I started Just a Car Geek back in 2008. It was invisible for awhile. It would get around 200 hits a day. Maybe. On a good day.

Some time in 2009 I checked my email and saw one from Brandes Elitch. I knew his name from Veloce Today and couldn't understand why he would be emailing me. Part of me was afraid to open the email, fearing it would say "Look, man, would you please stop writing about cars... You have no idea what you're doing and you give those of us who do a bad name." But he didn't say that at all. It turned out Brandes liked Just a Car Geek. We exchanged a few emails and he encouraged me to keep writing. In fact, he liked JaCG enough to write about it in Veloce Today. I was stunned. I was flattered. After his article, Just a Car Geek took off. Brandes and I have stayed in touch.

It should come as no surprise that Brandes has a nice collection of cars. As you would expect from someone who writes for Veloce Today, he has plenty of French cars, but he also owns an NSU Ro 80 and has a "thing" for old Imperials.

This is one of Brandes' cars. Basically, like so many of us, he has too many cars and too little time. Something had to go. This car is now for sale...

I could write about it, but why should I? His original Craigslist ad is better than anything I could write. I'm just going to paste it below...

1969 Citroen DS

Speedo shows 87,XXX

Like many things, there is a story behind this car. I am a Citroen collector. I bought my first DS in 1969, which I still have with 50k original miles. I also restored a 5 speed SM. Citroen never sold many cars in the US, but one of their most successful territories was the San Francisco Bay Area.

There was a Citroen garage here called Executive Motors, run by 2 guys Donn and Bill. Bill, whose real name was Zvonko Pribanic, became a personal friend because he lived in my town, and was pretty recognizable because he drove a D he had converted into a pickup. Bill, who went by the name "Bratso" was a Croatian who came to the US in the 1950's and became one of the first Citroen mechanics. About ten years ago, he called me and said that we were going to look at a car he had found for sale in Marin County.

I already had enough projects, but I could never say no to him, so we went. The car had been parked for probably six months and wouldn't shift. Because it was a Citromatic, I was a little concerned, but he got it running very quickly and told me to buy it. When we got it home, it was apparent that it needed all new spheres and a probably a new wiring harness, which was a problem with the '69- models. (I say this because the '69 cars were red fluid - brake fluid - cars and the '69 cars are green fluid LHM cars, which frankly are a lot more desirable because brake fluid is hydroscopic, which means it attracts water, which deteriorates the system, which can be quite expensive to fix. This is why people want the later cars, and no, you cannot convert a red fluid car to green fluid without replacing the entire hydraulic system, an impossible job.)

Well, by then Bratso had retired, so we took the car to Lon Price, who has a Citroen garage in Santa Cruz. Lon confirmed that he would have to replace the entire wiring harness and most of the hydraulic system. Lon kept the car for many months and all the work was done, which cost at least $3000 at the time. Lon can confirm all of this, and you can reach him at Garage Longueville in Santa Cruz (831.476.8395). When Lon finished the work, I drove it home and put it in the garage, where it has been ever since.

If you are not a Citroeniste, let me quickly explain what you are looking for when you go looking for a DS. First, the D does not have a traditional body on frame arrangement, nor is it a true monocoque structure. It is really built like a sandwich, which means that if any water gets into the platform, it will cause perforation rust. So the one and only thing you need to know about a D is that it does not have any rust. Enough D's were made (over a million) that all parts are available for the car, either via Western Hemispheres in Santa Cruz, or from suppliers in France, so parts are not a problem, even the tiniest trim part.

Now you may be thinking that you would rather have a 4 speed box than the Citromatic, but this is the way the Pallas came, and the truth is that all the factory rally cars had the Citromatic because it shifted faster than the manual box.

Regarding this car, the original color is "aubergine," which means "eggplant." The car needs to be resprayed, but there is no body damage and no rust, except for a hole in the trunklid, and I will replace the trunklid. The cost of the respray will be in the neighborhood of $4000, so if you are not prepared to do this, do not buy this car. I have a local body shop that I use which I can recommend. The interior has been re-upholstered in brown velour to a very high standard, certainly a higher quality than the original Citroen velour, and is unmarked and undamaged, so it wouldn't make sense to replace it because only a Citroeniste would be able to tell the difference. If you do, I have the black leather interior mentioned earlier for
additional cost. I want to see this car restored sympathetically by someone who can do it now. If you think you are this person, please contact me or call Lon Price, who can be relied on for an honest description. If not, thanks for looking.

I believe with a little detailing and a new paint this DS would become once again a beautiful example of this classic Citroen model.

Car is located in Sonoma County, CA, 70 miles north of San Francisco. We will deliver on the West Coast for expenses.

Price is 6,500, which is less than the cost of the restoration work.

Car is located in Sonoma County, CA, 70 miles north of San Francisco. We will deliver on the West Coast for expenses.

Postscript: Bratso passed away 3 years ago, in his early eighties. He devoted probably half his life to maintaining Citroens, and he was a good person. It was an honor to know him.

If you're interested in this car - and if you're looking for a Citroen DS, you should be interested in this car - email me and I'll put you in touch with Brandes.

Weekend Quickies, Sunday, January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T11:15:00.005-05:00

1974 Chevrolet LUV - Holy cow! I can't remember when last saw one of these at all, let alone in this condition.

The LUV was introduced in 1972. It was built by Isuzu. The name was clever. LUV stood for Light Utility Vehicle, but calling something "LUV" during 1972 - not too far removed from the "Summer of Love" - caught people's attention.

This LUV is in remarkable condition. It has just 30,000 miles on it and it looks like new.

Located in Portland, OR, click here to see the eBay listing (which includes a well written story of how the seller found this truck and a bit of its history).

A big thanks to Tony for sending me the link to this truck!

1978 Volkswagen Dasher - It is so cool to see a car like this in this condition. The Dasher station wagon was a nice car in its day, but not one that you often see preserved or restored these days.

This car has just 22,000 miles on it. The seller says it is original, right down to its tires.

This would be a great classic daily driver.

Located in Marlboro, NY, click here to see the eBay listing.

1974 TVR 2500M - 2000 pounds. 500 horsepower. Enough said.

Located in Hinckley, OH, click here to see the eBay listing.

Weekend Quickies - Saturday, January 7, 2012

2012-01-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

2000 Audi S4 - I don't know this guy and I have no idea if he's a JaCG reader, but he knows how to get my attention... Sell a very cool car and write "100% STOCK" in the title.

"100% stock" may not be 100% accurate - I don't think the wheels are standard Audi wheels - but it's close enough.

This is a very well taken care of S4. The body and interior look great.

Located in Griswold, CT, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1973 AMC AMX Pierre Cardin Edition - The Pierre Cardin Edition had a unique interior. Cardin created an interior with stripes. Lots of them. They're on the seats, door panels and even the headliner. (I don't find it awful, although I doubt I would have ordered it if I bought one of these new.)

What makes this car cool is not the interior, but that it's an AMX Javelin with a 360 V8 and a 4 speed manual transmission. It has just 98,542 miles on it.

The Javelin / AMX is one of my favorite American cars. If I had the spare cash and the extra space, this one would be part of my collection.

Located in Annapolis, MD, click here to see the eBay listing.

1965 Studebaker Wagonaire - This is a cool piece of North American automotive history. By the time this car was built, Studebaker was all but dead. They carried on for another year and then closed their doors.

With little money available for "real" engineering, Studebaker created attention getting cars based on old platforms. The Wagonaire was based on the Lark, whose platform dated back to the early 1950s.

Old platform or not, this is a pretty cool idea. The panel over the cargo area retracted into the roof above the rear passenger's seat, making it a pickup truck of sorts. (GM would later copy this idea with the 2004 / 2005 GMC Envoy XUV.)

This one has an I6 engine (GM sourced - Studebaker stopped building their own engines a year earlier) and a 3 speed manual transmission. It looks to be in very nice shape.

Located in Spout Spring, VA, click here to see the eBay listing.

Chevy / Volvo, Ford / BMW Creations

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just want more horsepower. I'm not really a fan of engine swaps (especially when they involve different manufacturers), but these are interesting cars...

89 Volvo 240 - This Volvo has a Chevy V8 in it.

Just putting a 350 engine in a Volvo 240 would make the car lively enough, but this guy went ahead and did a mild build on the engine. This engine has a competition cam along with a set of ported and polished World Torquer heads. It is also set up for nitrous, but it needs solenoids wired in order for the nitrous system to work. (He calls it a "150 shot" nitrous system... I'm not up on all the latest nitrous terminology, but if I remember correctly, 150 shot means that the nitrous adds 150 HP when applied. If that's so, that's impressive, but I'm not sure the engine could handle it.)

This car needs a bit of finishing. The seller says it will need a carb, battery and the exhaust hooked up.

If you're looking for what I assume is an insanely fast Volvo, and don't mind doing a bit of work, this car is realistically priced at $1500.00.

Located in Haddon Heights, NJ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Cory for sending me the link to this car!

1994 BMW E36 3 Series - This car has the ubiquitous Ford 5.0 liter V8 in it.

Like the engine in the Volvo, this V8 has been mildly worked. It was rebuilt around 2000 miles ago and has Edelbrock carburetor, intake and valve covers. It also has a competition cam and a 3.5" exhaust attached to performance headers. Wisely, the cooling system has also been upgraded.

The transmission is a T5 5 speed.

This is a turnkey car. The interior and body are in very nice shape.

Located in Ransomville, NY, click here to see the eBay listing.

1967 Simca 1000 Coupe

2012-01-06T05:59:00.001-05:00

These are neat little cars.

The 1000 Coupe was designed by Giorgio Giugiaro, who was then with Bertone. The 944cc engine is no rocket, but if given enough time and the right conditions, the 1000 Coupe could do over 80 MPH. The suspension was fully independent and the handling was typical of early sixties rear engined cars.

Simca produced around 10,000 1000 Coupes, but relatively few found their way to North America.

This Simca was purchased from an auto repair shop by the son of the seller. His plan was to put a Suzuki motorcycle engine in it. Fortunately, he never got around to doing that. Unfortunately, the Simca engine is seized and most likely needs a rebuild.

The body is not too bad. There is some rust, but given that it's from the Northeast, it's not too serious. The seller says the floors and the jacking points are solid. The interior is dirty and needs some work, but it looks to be complete.

With so few Simcas left in North America, it would be great to see this one brought back to its former glory.

Located in Mount Kisco, NY, click here to see the eBay listing.

BMW 7 Series Alpina Touring - A Mystery Car In France

2012-01-05T14:04:00.008-05:00

I love a mystery and I love a cool car. (Throw in dinner with an attractive woman and a Bacardi & Coke in front of a fireplace and you've pretty much described a perfect day for me. But, I digress...)

This car was sent to me by JaCG reader, Romain. His knowledge of the French language is better than mine, so I'll quote from his email...

Been reading your blog for a while now and I just stumbled on this cool ad which I thought might interest you.

It is in French but here is what I can tell. The seller calls it a BMW 7 Series Alpina break and claims the break bodywork was done by some garage "du Bac"... He also claims that is was used as a "demonstration and race assistance car", not sure what this means.

The car is 82000kms which is not too much but the engine is said to have only 20000 kms. Is it still an Alpina engine then? Doesn't tell. Oh and it is "full options".

Now, you could use some of your knowledge on this because I am not really sure what is "Alpina" about this one. But being a 7 Serie break is already an interesting fact.

I did a bit of research and found very little.

Anyone know what we're looking at here?

One of Romain's friends thinks it might be the car pictured below.

Maybe.

I assume it is for sale, but no price is listed.

Located in Yerres, France, click here to see the ad on leboncoin.fr

1986 Tickford Capri - 205 HP, 140 MPH, Rare As All Heck.

2012-01-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

This is really interesting...

This is being advertised as an "Aston Martin Tickford Turbo Capri." Officially, these cars are Tickford Capris, but Aston Martin was involved with Tickford for awhile, so you'll often see owners of the cars using the Aston Martin name.

Tickford's origins go back to the 1820s. By the late 1890s it was already developing coachbuilt cars. In 1955, Aston Martin owner, David Brown, bought the company. He eventually move Aston Martin into the Tickford building. In the early 1980s Aston Martin created a separate engineering company and called it Aston Martin Tickford. This was soon purchased by CH Industrials, who ran it until 1990. Several owners and name changes later, Tickford (now called Tickford Powertrain Test) is still in business.

OK, back to the Capri... The history of it is a little blurry, but it appears that Tickford, who had been building turbocharged MG Metros, decided the Capri, being more upscale than the Metro, would be a good car to re-engineer for performance and luxury.

Ford, while not "officially" involved (one website refers to it as a semi-official Ford car), provided support and allowed the Tickford Capri to be sold at its dealerships.

The Tickford Capri's performance is stunning. The Tickford turbocharged 2.8 liter Cologne engine produced 205 hp. It hit 60 MPH in 6.7 seconds. Its top speed was 140 MPH. The brakes and suspension were upgraded to cope with the extra performance.

The Ticford Capri exterior included a large rear spoiler, a body colored front grille, unique bumpers and an exclusive bodykit designed by Simon Saunders, who most recently was involved in the design of the Ariel Atom.

Tickford gave the Capri's interior a luxury treatment, with Wilton wool carpeting, a veneer dash and other luxury touches.

Around 100 Tickford Capris were built. It was essentially hand built and it is said that each car took 200 man hours. It sold for double the price of a V6 Ford Capri.

To the best of my knowledge, the Tickford Capri was never offered outside of the UK and all are right-hand drive.

The seller says that this is Tickford #98. It has some unique features not found on the standard Tickford Capri. It has 3900 miles on it. The asking price is $55,000.00.

Located in Amherstburg, ON, Canada, click here to see the eBay listing.

1956 Siata Zagato 1250 GT

2012-01-04T14:24:00.004-05:00

This is not your typical Just a Car Geek car, but it's too cool not to point out.

Sadly, all I can do is point it out. The seller leaves almost no information in his eBay ad or on his website.

The bottom line is that this car competed at Monza in 1956 and, after a stop in North Dakota, wound up parked in front of some cement lawn bunnies in 2011. Whatever happened in between is a mystery. (Note to friends: When my useful days are over please don't just leave me outside with the lawn bunnies. Dignity. Dignity. Dignity.)

Located in Burlingame, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

Click here to see the seller's website.

1985 Bitter SC - Make It Perfect Or Make It A Driver

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

I would love to own one of these someday.

Erich Bitter was the official German importer of Abarth and Intermeccanica.

It was his experience with Intermeccanica that convinced Bitter to build his own car. His goal was to build an exotic car, but base it on parts from a common, proven, reliable car. He wanted a car that "offered supercar aesthetics and interior opulence combined with everyday reliability". He chose GM's Opel brand to base his cars on.

The SC's styling is very reminiscent of the Ferrari 400i. The engine is a 3.9 liter Opel I6. The car hits 60 MPH in just under 8 seconds.

This car sat "unloved" in a carport for the last decade and then donated to a local charity. It's in restorable condition. The seller says it "drives and stops well", but has a leaking fuel rail.

This is a no reserve auction. Do a little research, find out what it would cost to bring it up to the standard you'd like it to be (a Bitter daily driver would be really cool), and then bid what you think it's worth. Who knows, for less then a price of a used Toyondaai* you may wind up with a pleasant Bitter experience.

Located in Redwood City, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

*I stole that from a reader, Amphicar770, who used it in a recent comment about a JaCG car. Thanks for the new word / brand / term!

1965 NSU Spider - Some Assembly Required

2012-01-04T05:59:00.000-05:00

These cars have a place in history... The NSU Spider was the first production car to use a rotary engine.

This car is a serious project, but much of the tough stuff is done. The body is restored and painted, but needs reassembly. The engine is said to be good, but "needs an ignition module in order to run."

Located in Delran, NJ, click here to see the eBay listing.

Jay Leno owns an NSU Spider. You can see a video of it here.

A brief history of NSU's Wankel rotary can be found on Craig's Rotary Page.

1983 Gray Market Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL

2012-01-03T12:00:00.010-05:00

It is said that the 500 SEL all but established the gray market in the US. The 380 SEL Mercedes-Benz sent to North America was grossly underpowered. People started to look for ways of acquiring the 500 SEL, which was available in the rest of the world. The gray market boomed. According to the Los Angeles Times, there were close to 22,000 gray market 500SELs coming into the US per year in the early 1980s.

Given the number of cars imported, the 500 SEL isn't very rare by gray market standards. That's a good thing. Parts are not too tough to find in the US and, of course, fairly easy to find in Europe.

This car is a bit of a gamble. The body is very solid. I can't see any rust and it has just a couple of minor dents. The interior looks very nice.

The problem is that the seller does not have the keys to this car. Unless you're good at hot wiring a car, hearing it run would be impossible. He also doesn't have a title. Hmmm.... No keys, no title? Ask a lot of questions. Ask a whole lot of questions.

If it runs and you can get a title, the asking price of $1500.00 or best reasonable offer makes it a bargain. If it doesn't run, you might still be able to get your money back by parting it out. If you live in the Los Angeles area and have the time and space to get this running or part it out, this car is worth checking out.

Located in Pasedena, CA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1985 BMW 528e - Just 22,000 Miles

2012-01-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

An E28 made my list of Top 10 cars for 2011. I called it "a no nonsense version of a no nonsense car."

Really, I can call the entire line of E28s "no nonsense cars." They're good looking, well put together, fun to drive and, with routine maintenance, will last a very, very long time.

Of all the E28s sold in North America, the 528e is the least exciting. Built to be fuel efficient, the 2.7 liter ETA engine produced just 121 HP. It did produce 171lbs of torque which made it seem more powerful than it really was and made it very usable. The ETA engine was not well loved, but it's not a bad engine. If you're using your E28 as a daily commuter and not worrying about turning the fastest time on track day, the ETA engine will serve you well.

This is an incredible 528e. It has just 22,000 miles on it. That works out to just about 846 miles per year. I have friends who put more miles on their car in a week just commuting to work.

Everything about this car looks like new. The body and interior are in amazing condition.

If all things were equal, I'd choose a 535i as my daily driver. However, if low mileage and like-new condition were what I was looking for, I'd buy this car in a heartbeat. As the seller says, "this is most likely the most pristine low mile E28 5 series on the planet."

Located in Portland, OR, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to the reader who sent me this. Unfortunately, he or she didn't leave their name.

1961 Singer Gazelle Update

2012-01-03T05:59:00.000-05:00

I posted this car back in August, 2011. (Find the post here.) At the time the asking price was $4500.00, which I thought was high.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it was too expensive... It's still for sale and the asking price is now a more reasonable $2800.

If this car is all the seller says it is, it wouldn't be a tough restoration project. If you spent part of your winter weekends working on it, it would be ready for the car shows in the spring.

Located in Birmingham, MI, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to John in Michigan for sending me this link.

1972 Isuzu Bellett GT

2012-01-02T06:00:00.004-05:00

Wow. An Isuzu Bellel last week and now a Bellett. Obscure Isuzus are just coming out of the woodwork.

This isn't quite as obscure as the Bellel, but it's certainly not a common sight. A few more of these made their way to North America than did the Bellel. Most were sold in Canada. It was a popular import in Australia, too.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Isuzu had been building Hillmans under license. The Bellett - introduced in 1963, two years after the Bellel - was an in-house design and replaced the Hillman Minx in Isuzu's lineup.

The Bellett originally came with 1.3 liter and 1.5 liter gas engines, along with a 1.8 liter diesel.

The Bellett GT was introduced in 1964. Its standard engine was a twin-carbureted 1.6 liter 4. In 1970 it was replaced by a 1.8 SOHC I4.

Like the Bellel, the Bellett has a slightly European look to it. It's rumored that Giovanni Michelotti had a hand in its design.

There isn't a lot of information with this ad, but this Bellett looks to be in decent shape. The seller says it needs a little work, but it looks to be complete.

If the 4 door, diesel powered, Bellel isn't your thing, but you want an obscure Japanese car, this Bellett might be the perfect choice. It's gasoline powered, semi-sporty and, like the Bellel, will be a hit at any car show.

Located in Roberta, GA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to JaCG reader, Clint, for sending me the link to this car!

1976 Corvette "Sportwagon"

2012-01-02T05:59:00.006-05:00

There is not a whole lot of info in this ad, but this is a Greenwood Sportwagon or a replica of a Greenwood.

Unless the owner did some work, the performance of this car should be the same as any 1976 Corvette. (Which means it won't be great. All car manufactures - even the US car makers - were struggling with the new US emission laws in the 1970s. The stock 350 only put out 180 HP, but that was up from 165 the year before.)

Located in Hampstead, NC, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

Just A Car Geek - Top 10 Cars of 2011, Part 2, 5 - 1

2012-01-01T06:00:00.010-05:00

5.1994 Alfa Romeo 155 Q4 - This car would have been higher on the list if it were legal to import it into the US. It was being offered by a seller in Canada, where it is perfectly legal to own.

The 155 Q4 has permanent AWD and an engine sourced from the Lancia Delta Integrale. It's quicker to 60 than than an Audi A4 and has an electronically limited top speed of 140 MPH.

It's cars like this that make me want to move to Canada.

4. 1970 Renault R16 - This is a sentimental choice. A Renault 16 was my introduction to French cars. I was 18, living on my own and driving a Corvair wagon I had set up with a 140 engine and a Spyder dash. One night I came out of my job at a mall record store and found it gone. Someone stole it.

My landlord had a Renault 16 that was her "second" car. (A Mercedes-Benz was her main mode of transportation). She offered to lend it to me until my car was found or I bought another. (My car was eventually found... In a lake. It was totaled.) I loved it. Column shifter, funky looks, great ride. I was hooked on French cars.

This one was in incredible condition. With so few R16s having been sold in North America, it was really great to see one still around and in such nice shape.

3. 1985 Innocenti De Tomaso Turbo - Another car in Canada. Unlike the Alfa above, this one could be imported into the US, as it's 27 years old.

As I mentioned in a 2009 post about a similar car, I got to drive one of these during a trip to Canada. It takes 10 - 12 seconds for this car to hit 60, but behind the wheel they feel like milliseconds. It's like a go kart on amphetamines.

This car was in great shape and looked great with its "European body kit".

2. 1970 Intermeccanica Italia - This is just an incredible looking car. That's the reason it makes the Top 10. Pure and simple.

The Intermeccanica Italia might not be the best known car to come out of Italy, but to me it is the sexiest.

How much do I like this car? One of the pictures from the original eBay ad is now the wallpaper on my home computer.

A reader pointed out that this car doesn't have its original rear taillights. Who cares? It's still sexy as hell.

1.1992 Mercedes-Benz 400E - I was prowling around the internet a year or so ago and found a forum that was talking about this blog. Someone called it a "low budget Bring a Trailer." I was pretty flattered, as I'm a fan of BaT. But, if I were to describe it, I would call it sort of a blog version of the British car magazine, Practical Classics. While I love the oddball, rare cars, the cars that I'm most impressed by are the older cars that can still be used as daily transportation. This car is the perfect example of that type of car.

This is a 20 year old car that you could drive everyday. It's fast, comfortable and reliable. It's body, while not modern and round, is still great looking and classy in ways that many newer cars will never be. The seller had taken care of all of the problems that often pop up on these older MBs. As I wrote in the original post, there is no reason to believe you wouldn't get another 100,000+ miles out of this car.

The asking price for this Mercedes-Benz was $3750.00. That made this car not only a practical classic, but a genuine bargain, too.
...
Those are my favorite 2011 Just a Car Geek cars. Feel free to post your own, argue with me, call me names, whatever...

Just A Car Geek - Top 10 Cars of 2011, Part 1, 10 - 6

2011-12-31T06:00:00.015-05:00

A look back at my favorite Just a Car Geek cars of 2011...

10. 1991 Sterling 827SLi - This was a really nicely preserved 827SLi. It was owned by Dave Destler, the one time publisher of British Car magazine.

I've always loved the look of these cars. It's an update on the SD1 styling.

Early Sterlings had well publicized quality control issues. Even though the 827SLi was much better built than the 825 sedan, few people bought them. They are a rare sight these days.

This was an ex-press car. It was loaded with every available option and looked great.

9. 1989 BMW 325iX - The later E30s, with the smaller bumpers and the 170 HP 6, are great looking, nice performing cars. The iX, with all-wheel-drive adds surefooted to that description.

This was a nice, well taken care of, 325iX. Here in New England, a 5 speed E30 that you can drive in all types of weather is the perfect everyday classic.

8. 1985 Maserati Biturbo - I'm tired of defending these cars. Yes, they are high maintenance cars. But so are most older exotic / semi-exotic cars. Would anyone call an old Lotus, Jaguar, Ferrari, Lamboghini, etc., a low maintenance car? No, of course not. But, I've listened to owners of those cars trash the Biturbo.

This Biturbo was in good shape. It came with maintenance records and was being offered by a reputable dealer. It's an automatic, which may turn a few people off, but as reader Alden wrote, "Actually I always thought the automatic might be the better choice for this car. I think it is a version of the Chrysler Torqueflite, so replacements might be more readily available. Also there would be a very slightly less chance someone had over-revved the thing by missing a shift with the 5-speed."

The best part about a Biturbo is that you get close to supercar performance (and one of the nicest interiors this side of a Rolls Royce) for less than a 10th of the price of some of the "better" names. (Maybe I should encourage people to keep on badmouthing the Biturbo... It keeps the prices low.)

7. 2000 Audi S4 "Biturbo" - I have an odd relationship with Audis. If any friend, acquaintance or stranger came to me and asked what I would recommend for a fun, high performance sedan, I would tell them an M3. Or, if they had a little more cash, an M5. I wouldn't even have to think about it. However, if my son, or anyone else I really love, asked me the same question, I'd recommend this car.

The difference? Audi's quattro AWD system. It makes it almost impossible to get into trouble. On dry pavement, gravel, or snow covered roads, all you have to do is point it where you want to go and it gets you there. It gets you there very quickly, too. No fuss, no drama, no excitement. It's perfect. It's almost boring. It's still very cool.

This car was a - thankfully - stock S4. It looked great in black.

6. 1986 BMW 535i - I love the E28s. They have a great, classic BMW look to them. The 535i is, in my opinion, the E28 of choice as a daily driver.

In the original post, I described this car as a "a no nonsense version of a no nonsense car". It's true. It was a very clean, unmodified example.

An E28 M5 would be a great car to own. However, if I was looking for something for to use as a daily commuter, a classic car that would be subject to stop and go traffic, parking lots, etc., this would be my car of choice.

1964 Isuzu Bellel

2011-12-30T14:10:00.005-05:00

I wrote about one of these back in July, 2009. (You can find the post here.)

Other than producing it in left had drive, Isuzu did almost nothing to adapt it to the US market. They sold around 400.

The Bellel has a place in Japanese car history, as it was the first Japanese diesel production car. It was also Isuzu's first independently designed car.

This one is in rough, but restorable, shape. Finding parts for it will not be easy (and probably close to impossible in the US). Still, it's a piece of automotive history and a car I hope someone takes on.

Located in San Luis Obispo, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

1987 Peugeot 505 Liberte Edition

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting car...

The Liberte was sent to the US for just one year, 1987. Peugeot said it was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.

While this car was a "special edition", there's nothing really special about it, except for the Liberte badge. In fact, the XN6 2.0 liter, 4 cylinder engine found in the Liberte was an older, soon to be discontinued, engine. The rest of the 1987 US Peugeot line had bigger, more modern engines.

The interior is pretty standard Peugeot. Super comfortable velour seats and a well laid out dash.

The ride is standard Peugeot too, which means it rides and handles as good or better than many modern cars.

What makes this car special is not the Liberte badge. It's special because it's a Peugeot 505, a car that, here in the US, was never given the respect it rightly deserved.

Located in Maysville, KY, click here to see the eBay listing.

Datsun PL411 - A Pair in Arizona

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nissan Altima, meet your great-great-great grandparents.

Sold in Japan as the Nissan Bluebird, they evolved and were sold in the US as the Datsun PL411, 510, 610, 710, 810, Stanza and ultimately, the Nissan Altima.

Back when these were new, Japanese cars didn't have the reputation, following, or dealer network they enjoy today. Comparatively, not many PL411s were sold here.(Roughly 45,000 Datsuns - all cars and trucks - were sold in the US in 1967. To put that in perspective, Opel, who had just one model - the 1967 Kadett - managed to sell 51,000 cars here. Volkswagen - selling just rear engined, air cooled vehicles - sold approximately 450,000 vehicles in the US in 1967.)

Low sales and a propensity to rust - like most cars from the 1960s - make these cars difficult to come by these days. This Arizona - and presumably rust free - pair is a nice, unusual find.

Honestly, I have no idea which one is the 1966 and which is the 1967. (Nissan / Datsun fans, feel free to chime in here.) Both have nice bodies (the body was designed by Pininfarina, by the way), but need some mechanical work. A quick Google search turned up a number of parts sources for these cars, so restoring them should be too much of a chore.

These may not be the most exciting old Japanese cars you'll ever drive, but they are a piece of history and would be a hit at any car show. The asking price is a realistic $1500.00 for the pair.

Located in Glendale, AZ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1960 Moretti Spyder

2011-12-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

You know what I'm thinking, right? This is a rare car that should be saved.

I hate seeing cars like this in this condition. I can't find any exact figures, but its safe to say that very few of these were built.

Moretti had an interesting history. They started out in the 1920s building motorcycles, switched to cars in the 1940s. They remained in business until the mid-1980s. They built all sorts of styles of cars and trucks. For the first 35 years or so, they were powered by engines designed and manufactured by Moretti. (You can find out a bit more about Moretti and see some photos of their other cars at Moretti-cars.net.)

This Spyder (and the similar coupe) were sold in the US for awhile. As you can see from the ad below, the price was $3000.00, which was about $500.00 more than a Fiat 1200 Spider and $500.00 less than an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider.

OK, I know. This car is most likely too far gone to be saved. Hopefully its parts can be used to keep another Moretti alive. (The seller says he "may have more parts that go with it in a few days." He also says that he has a 1957 "Alpha Romero" for sale. Ugh.)

Located in Sacramento, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

PS - I swiped the scan of the Moretti ad from a seller on eBay. If you'd like to buy it you can find it here.

"1957-Alpha-Romero-Giulietta-Veloce-Spider"-With-A-VW-Roof-A-New-Nose-A-Lot-Of-Rust-And-I'm-Speechless

2011-12-25T18:58:00.001-05:00

Shortly after I wrote the Moretti post above, the seller listed his "Alpha Romero" on eBay...

Yikes! This thing has a VW roof grafted on to it! And a new nose, too!

I... I... I... I don't know what to say. While I'm completely appalled that this was done to a classic old Alfa (which I assume was in much better shape at the time of its roof transplant), part of me is impressed by the creativity and the amount of work that went into it.

This "Alpha Romero" is in tougher shape than the Moretti.

Located in Sacramento, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.004-05:00

Abandoned Cars in Corsica

2011-12-25T05:59:00.001-05:00

A little something to do after the presents are opened, the dinner is finished and the dishes are done...

This blog features photos of old abandoned and junked cars and trucks on the island of Corsica. Find it here.

Please note: There are a ton of pictures on each page. They are of high quality. If you have a slow internet connection or older computer, it will take forever for each page to load. It's worth the wait, though.

1982 Ford EXP ASC / McLaren? - I Never Knew Such A Thing Existed...

2011-12-24T06:00:00.005-05:00

I'm not real sure what we have here.

The seller is calling this an ASC / McLaren EXP. Ford, ASC and McLaren were involved in projects in the 1980s, notably the Mecrury Capri ASC McLaren and Ford Mustang ASC / McLaren. But an EXP ASC / McLaren? Until today, I had never heard of such a thing.

The Ford EXP was a "sporty" two-seater based on the Ford Escort. It was the first two-seater built by Ford since the original Thunderbird. The engine was the Escort's 1.6 liter 4, which didn't move the car with any real gusto. In 1984 - the last year of the first generation EXP - a turbo version of the engine became available. That improved things, but it was still no rocket.

So what's with this car? It's tough to tell from the seller's ad. There's no doubt that at least one or two ASC / McLaren EXPs were built. (Find some pictures of one here.) Autoweek magazine wrote about one in December, 1982.

This car definitely has a few things not found on the standard EXP. The seats and steering wheel are different. There is some trim that I've never seen on an EXP, and, of course, there is the ASC / McLaren graphics running down the side.

The seller says ASC designed and installed the sunroof. That makes sense. After that, the ad starts to get weird... The seller writes: "what they actually did is as follows...they took out the a/c compressor in this vehicle and installed a Bendix supercharger, they then installed turbo behind the exhaust manifold , they also took of the carburation system off her and installed a OE fuel injection system." A supercharger and a turbo?

The seller then goes on to mention the suspension and brake changes, which is all pretty standard stuff, but very good stuff.

The seller says this car has been "sitting in a field in New Hampshire for many years". That's a sentence you never, ever, want to see in a used car ad. New Hampshire is a nice enough state, but not one that's known for its warm, dry climate.

This is a really interesting car and a complete mystery to me. If it is what the seller says it is, it's a rare car that needs to be restored. It won't be cheap, easy or quick to do, however. The best I can say is do as much research as you can. (There is a small discussion going on about this car on the ascMcLaren Enthusiasts board. You can find it here.)

Located in Revere, MA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Paul for sending me this link and to his son for doing a bit of research!

1990 Audi 90

2011-12-23T08:03:00.003-05:00

I've always liked the looks of these cars. Honestly, if given a choice between a new A4 and an older 90, I'd take the 90, just because of its looks.

Everything about this car looks right. The long hood, the short deck, the wraparound taillights; it all looks great.

The interior is typical Audi, with well designed seats and a perfect dash.

This car is a nice, but not perfect car. The exterior looks very good, but the rear seat looks like it was attacked by a dog and now has a lot of duct tape keeping the foam in place.

This 90 is does not have AWD. It's being offered at a reasonable $1450.00. If you're looking for a cheap commuter car, one that's entertaining and better looking than most of today's inexpensive cars, this Audi might be a nice choice.

Located in Santa Clara, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

1989 BMW 325iX - The All Seasons E30

2011-12-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

BMW sent us less than 3000 325iX cars from 1988 through 1991.

It almost seems like BMW only created this car to show that they could create this car. It's as if they just wanted to show the world that Audi wasn't the only German high-end car manufacturer who could build AWD cars. They spent very little time or money promoting it.

The ironic thing is, they created a car that in many ways was better than Audi's 90 Quattro. In a 1988 comparison test, Road & Track wrote: "Once again, the BMW AWD system proved superior to the Quattro arrangement."

The one big downside to the 325iX was rust. BMW put some body molding around the wheels and over the rocker panels. These tended to collect water, salt,sand, etc. One of the very common places for rust is just behind the front wheel wells. Other than the rust issue, these cars are as basically bulletproof as any E30.

This 325iX looks to be in nice shape. The seller say the body has one small ding, but he doesn't mention rust. Looking at the pictures, I can't see any in the usual places. The interior looks good, although the seller says it has a cracked dash. The seller says the car runs rough, and that concerns me. He attributes that do a leaky exhaust, which is possible, but it's also possible it's from something far more serious and expensive. This is a car you should check out - or have a knowledgeable BMW mechanic check out - thoroughly before bidding on it.

This is a no reserve auction. Even if the car needs more work than just a new exhaust system, you may be able to buy it cheap enough to justify spending the extra dollars on it. The seller is also offering free shipping for up 1000 miles.

Located in New Paltz, NY, click here to see the eBay listing.

1980 Volkswagen Van - This One Should Have No Problem Getting Out Of Its Own Way...

2011-12-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

I've never been a huge fan of VW vans, but I wouldn't mind owning this one...

This van has a Porsche 2.7 liter flat 6 long with a 915 gearbox.

The seller doesn't leave a lot of information, but he says it is "1 of 10 built as a support vehicle for the World Rally Championship in the early 80's. After which it was shipped to the UK and professionally converted to right hand drive."

The seller says it is not running and could use some bodywork.

Located in Annangrove, Australia, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Michael for sending me the link to this van!

Saab Thoughts

2011-12-21T05:59:00.001-05:00

Saab filed for bankruptcy a few days ago. It's a sad ending to a car company that for most of its life built unique, thoughtful cars. As I've mentioned before, I owned a 9000 back in the early 1990s. It was a nice car. My only mistake was not getting a turbo. It was a little slower than I would have liked it to be.

For those of us who like older cars, Saab's bankruptcy is not all bad news. Prices usually drop on orphan vehicles, at least early on.

In the short term, getting parts shouldn't be much of a problem. Used parts will be plentiful as will NOS parts. As time goes on I would expect to see Saab specialists creating some of the parts (especially body parts) that start to become scarce.

Some of the best bargains will be the NG (New Generation) 900 cars. Designed and built after GM's takeover of Saab, they were never really loved by Saab enthusiasts, but sold quite well. There should be plenty on the market to choose from.

The NG900 was introduced in 1994. It's built on an Opel Vectra platform and uses a number Opel / Vauxhall parts. It may not be as "pure" as the first generation 900, but there's still enough "Saabiness" about it to keep it entertaining.

I'll keep my eyes open for some good NG900 bargains and post them over the next few months.
...
Back in 1986, Saab took 3 9000s to Alabama's Talladega Speedway to prove the reliability of the then new car. Saab set 12 world records for speed and durability.

In 1997 Saab did it again, this time with 6 NG900 cars (turbos, V6s and non-turbos). When all was said and done, Saab had set 40 international speed records. (You can find a Motor Trend article about the event here.)

In 1997 and 1998 Saab offered a Talladega edition 900 to commemorate the event. It came with a front spoiler, different wheels, a two-tone interior and a few other items not found on the standard 900.

The car pictured at the top of the post is a 1997 900 SE Talladega. It appears to have been well maintained and in nice condition. It's located in Goodyear Lake, NY. You can find the Craigslist ad for it here.

A big thanks to Dan M. for sending me the link to this car.

1995 Volvo 960 - An Alternative To The Germans...

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

During my recent quest to drive every older used car in New England, I came close to taking a 2 hour drive to New Hampshire to drive one of these. It was on a dealer's lot. It looked great in the ad. I called the dealer to get some more info. The guy I talked to was a complete ass. I started asking a few specific questions. He had the same answer for all of them; "Come look at the car." I explained that I was 2 hours away and didn't want to drive all the way there if the car was something I wouldn't want to buy. His response to that was - I'm not making this up - "Well, maybe you should look for something closer to where you live." OK. I will.

I don't know if this is officially called the second generation 960, but that's what I'm calling it. It's a restyle of the original 940 / 960, which itself was a restyle of the 700 Series cars. It is rounder, sleeker and has a better suspension setup than the earlier cars.

The 960 is a rear wheel drive car. It was the last RWD Volvo sold in North America. (It was rebadged as the S90 for one year.) It's big, comfortable and reliable. The 2.9 liter I6 (not to be confused with Volvo's earlier PRV V6) puts out about 180 HP and moves the car to 60 MPH in the high 8 second range.

If maintained, not much goes wrong with these cars. Suspension bushings wear out quickly, but according to a couple of Volvo sites there are stronger aftermarket ones available. All US 960s came with an automatic transmission. A common problem is the PNP (Park / Neutral) switch. It seems like eventually they need to be replaced on all 960s. Another, more concerning, problem is "porous block syndrome". The engine is aluminum and some cars suffered from a block porosity problem due to improper casting. Basically, the engine would start to leak coolant from pinholes that developed in the block. There seems to be a debate as to how many cars had this problem. It seems like it was most prevalent in 1992 960s, but happened to later cars, too. Volvo replaced many of the blocks under warranty. This problem seemed to happen pretty early on in the car's life, so it's my feeling that if it hasn't happened to a car by now, it most likely won't.

This car is a nice looking 960. It has a few scuffs and a piece of molding missing, but all-in-all, the body looks clean. The interior, which features all the amenities you's expect to find in an expensive European sedan, looks to be incredibly clean.

If you dig deep into some of the Volvo sites, you'll see that these cars easily run for 250,000 miles. This one has 117,000 on it, so it's only halfway through its life. I read somewhere (and now, of course, I can't find the link) that the 960 / S90, because of its durability, is the preferred car of Volvo mechanics.

The 960 is a cool alternative to cars from the German luxury brands. (It just doesn't have the "Ooooh factor" of those cars.)

Located in Kinzers, PA, click here to see the eBay listing. This is a no reserve auction.

83 Saab 900 - Little Info, Little Price

2011-12-19T22:29:00.004-05:00

Not a lot of info here, but if the body really has "minimal rust" and all it needs is a heater core and some fuel delivery work to be a decent daily driver, it could be a bargain.

The seller is looking for $800.00 or he'll trade for a small pick up, older VW or an E36 BMW that needs work.

Located in Clifton Park, NY, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Dan for sending me the link to this car.

Weekend Quickies - Sunday, December 18, 2011

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

1978 Reliant Scimitar GTE - I wrote about one of these back in April, 2009. (You can find the post here.) As I mentioned in that post, the Scimitar has a good following in the UK and receives great reviews in British classic car magazines.

This Scimitar was imported by the seller in 2006. It had a "body off restoration to concours standards" and has won numerous awards.

I've always liked the looks of these cars and would love to own one. But, to the best of my knowledge, they were never built with lefthand drive, and driving a righthand drive car in the US would probably scare the bejeezus out of me.

Located in Flint, MI, click here to see the dealer ad.

A big thanks to John for sending me this link!

1959 Ford Thames 800 - Here is the little bit I think I know about these vans... Built by Ford in Great Britain, this van was known in its home market as the 400E. It came with a 1700cc 4 cylinder engine and a 3 speed transmission. Lefthand drive versions - like this one - were produced for sale in parts of Europe.

That's the extent of my knowledge, and I'm not 100% sure I'm correct. Feel free to correct me or expand on this.

This Thames 800 looks to be complete, but in need of a complete restoration. It looks like it's remarkably rust free.

These are not very valuable vehicles and parts are close to impossible to find in the US. Given that, the $7500.00 asking price seems high, but you could always make the seller an offer. It would be a really cool vehicle to bring to a British car show.

Located in Gallup, NM, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this van!

1991 Saab SPG Convertible - While it's not looking too good, I'm still hoping that Saab survives and goes back to building cars as fun as this one.

The SPG came with a 16 valve turbo engine. 60 MPH came in the mid to high 7 second range. It came with virtually every bell and whistle Saab had to offer. The body had some tasteful body moldings that were unique to the SPG.

The seller says that just 362 SPG convertibles were sold in the US. I'm not sure if that is in 1991, or from 1985 - 1991, the years the SPG was imported. Either way, the SPG is a rare model, with just 7000 sold in the US over 7 years.

This is a very well maintained SPG. It has a 194,000 miles on it and recently had the clutch replaced.

Located in Kennebunkport, ME, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

Weekend Quickies - Saturday, December 17, 2011

2011-12-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

1956 BMW 501 - I don't often write about cars this old, but this is so unusual that it's worth a mention.

Introduced in 1951, the 501 was the first car produced by BMW after WWII. While the car was all new, the engine was an updated version of BMW's pre-war 2.0 liter I6. It produced somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 HP, and the car had a top speed of around 90 MPH. One of the car's more unusual features was the 4 speed transmission. It was not attached directly to the engine, but was mounted towards the middle of the car and had a shaft coming into it from the engine and one coming out of it, going to the differential. The shifter was column mounted and it is said that BMW set it up this way to increase the interior space.

The 501 is a rare car on this side of the Atlantic. BMW was not the "name" it is now and very few were imported. This car looks to be in rough shape. The seller says it needs an engine, but it looks like most of the trim and interior are still with the car.

Located in Charleston, SC, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this car!

1971 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Ford Custom Station Wagon - This car was built "using authentic RR grill, fenders, bumper, badges, etc." The interior features a "RR dash finished in birds eye maple with matching door cappings" and a "RR Nardi steering wheel". It also has leather seats and Wilton wool carpeting. The rest of the car is your basic Ford station wagon.

A whole lot of work went into building this car. The seller says it's one of eight that were "professionally built". It appears to be well done. I'm just not sure why it was done.

Located in Massachusetts, click here to see the Hemmings ad.

The link to this car was also sent to me by Jon. Thanks again!

1976 Lancia Beta Coupe - You just don't see many of these around today.

Never a big seller in the US, most of the Betas that did find homes here have rusted away or died of abuse and neglect.

This car looks to be in nice condition. The seller says it runs well. There is no mention of rust (although it looks like there might be some on the edge of the hood), but it could use a paint job.

Located in Seattle, WA, click here to see the eBay listing.

A Long, Rambling Post, A 1988 Volvo 740 GLE Turbo Wagon

2011-12-16T06:00:00.007-05:00

(My BMW. I took this picture in October, 2009, just after it hit 200,000 miles.)

I discovered something about myself last month... OK, that's not true. I confirmed something about myself last month.

What I confirmed is that I really like looking at cars. I mean I really like looking at cars. (Every woman I've ever dated, every friend that I've dragged to a car show - and made them look at the same cars over and over - just mumbled, "Gee, Dave, ya think?")

Last month I mentioned in this blog that a chunk of tree fell on and through my BMW in late October. I love my BMW. I've owned it for 14 years. I bought it with 18,000 miles on it and it just rolled over to 231,000 last week. There are very few things that have been in my life for that long.

As much as I love the BMW, seeing it with a smashed window and a broken exhaust (not related - the exhaust broke a week or two before the tree fell on it) was pretty disheartening. It's starting to have other problems, too. There are a few small spots of rust below the trunk (which really wouldn't be too noticeable if it wasn't a white car) , the throwout bearing has been growling for awhile and the headliner has started to sag in a few places. None of those problems have become too bad, but I know they're not going to get better on their own.

Looking at the BMW in such a sad state made me think it might be time to buy a new car. Not a "new" new car, but something else. I have two close friends whom I consider true car geeks. Both attempted to give me some advice. One thought I should buy a newer car, something "built in this century". I understood her point, but I wanted to practice what I preach in this blog and buy something older. The other was advising me to buy another BMW. "Look at how well your car has held up to your abuse". That was also a very valid point. But, I've owned cars built by Audi, BMW, MG, Triumph, Rover, Austin, Alfa Romeo, Sunbeam, Renault, Peugeot, VW, Saab, Opel, Chevrolet (Corvair), AMC and Jeep. I even once owned an NSU, but I never got to drive it. I wanted something I hadn't owned before. Something that could keep up with cars "built in this century" and hold up to my "abuse".

With that in mind, I decided to look for a Volvo 740 Turbo wagon. (I would have considered a 960 wagon, too.)

Pretty quickly I spotted a Volvo 740 GLE in Rhode Island listed on Craigslist. It was cheap, $1500.00. I called on it. The seller said it was still available, but he was going away for a week and wouldn't be able to show the car until he got back. I asked him to call me when he was available to show the car. He said he would. In the meantime, I figured that I'd check out a few other cars.

During that week I looked at 2 740 Turbo wagons, one immaculate 740 non-turbo wagon, 1 960 wagon and 1 940 wagon. I was having fun. A lot of fun. I was driving all sorts of Volvo wagons in various states of repair and disrepair.

True to his word, the seller of the 740 GLE wagon I first called on contacted me when he got back home. I drove to Rhode Island the next night to look at it. The owner was a Volvo enthusiast and the car, while not 100% perfect, was very, very nice. It was certainly the nicest Volvo 740 Turbo wagon I had seen so far. I had the full asking price in my pocket and could have made an offer right there and then. I didn't.

I didn't because I wanted to drive more cars. I started calling on - and driving - cars other than Volvo wagons. A BMW wagon in Vermont caught my eye, but the very expensive self leveling suspension was shot. An '89 BMW 325ix looked promising, but it had more Bondo than steel in the body. I drove a Saab convertible that I really liked, but the dealer was asking way too much money and wouldn't budge on the price. I called on and drove a few more Volvo wagons. I was having a ton of fun. But, I still had a crippled BMW.

Reality hit me the night I went to dinner with a friend. I had never gone out with this woman before and rolled up to her house in a car with plastic over the rear window and an exhaust note that would have made any wannabe gangsta jealous. It was not very impressive. We ate at a restaurant a few blocks from her house just so we could walk and I wouldn't have to explain the state of my car. Ugh.

The next day I decided I wanted the 740 GLE I saw in Rhode Island; the first one I had called on. It was very well maintained (it came with records), the seller was a very honest, nice guy and I was pretty certain it was a car that I could get a couple of years out of with minimal fuss. By then of course, it was gone.

Over the next few days I frantically checked every possible source of used cars for a Volvo 740 wagon. Other than a few of the "lesser condition" ones that I had already looked at and dismissed, there weren't any available. I decided to repair my BMW. I took it to a glass shop and had the rear window replaced. I convinced my friend Jeff to help me weld a new exhaust system on to it. (A new system from BMW is very expensive. More money than I wanted to spend on a 16 year old, 231,000 mile car. I decided to create one. ) Jeff and I went to an auto parts store and bought all the necessary pieces. We found just one muffler that would easily fit where the rear muffler was. It's made by Thrush. (I had no idea they were still in business. It even came with the classic Thrush sticker.) It gives the car a bit of a growl. My 12 year old son thinks it sounds cool. I'm not so sure that's good.

I don't regret repairing the BMW. As I said, I love the car. We've been through a lot together. (The whole time I was driving and thinking about buying another car I felt guilty, almost like I was having an affair. - Any psychiatrists read this blog? Can you cut me a deal on some couch time?) I'm hoping the throw out bearing lasts the winter. I'll replace it in the spring. I put a bit of paint over the rust spots and maybe I'll treat it to some real bodywork in the spring, too.

So why did I just write this way too personal, rambling post? 1) To answer the emails I've gotten asking me what I replaced my BMW with, 2) To have something on record to look back on the next time I think it's a good idea to pass on a nice car in order to drive more cars, and 3) to point out this car...

1988 Volvo 740 Turbo GLE

I can now attest from personal experience that a well maintained Volvo 740 Turbo wagon will keep up with - or blow the doors off - most cars "from this century".

These are pretty amazing cars. 60 MPH comes in 7 seconds. They are RWD and handle almost as well as my BMW. The interior sports a dashboard that is not as refined as those from Audi and BMW, but has all the right gauges and controls in all the right places. The seats are extremely comfortable and do a decent job of holding you in your place.

There are a number of mods that can be easily and safely done to this car. I've been told that the boost can be doubled (7 PSI is stock) without any real damage happening to the engine. There are suspension kits available that will give it sports car like handling.

As I found out while looking for one, the prices for 740 Turbo wagons are all over the place. This one might be just slightly nicer than the one I saw in Rhode Island, but the asking price is a bit over 2 1/2 times the asking price of the Rhode Island car.

Located in San Antonio, TX, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to John for sending me the link to this car. (Thankfully after I repaired the BMW, or I might have been on a plane to TX!)

1978 Toyota Celica GT

2011-12-14T20:39:00.006-05:00

When was the last time you saw one of these in this type of condition?

This is the second generation Celica. It was designed by David John Stollery III, an American designer. Before studying design at the Art Center College of Design, he had been a child actor who appeared in a number of Disney movies and TV shows.

The Celica came with Toyota's 2.2 liter SOHC "20R" engine. It's a good, durable engine, but not especially powerful, putting out just 95 HP.

This is a typical Craigslist ad; short on details and pictures. The seller says it has just 47,000 miles on it. It looks like it's completely stock (yes!) and in very nice shape.

Located in Brunswick, GA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1972 Saab 96 Convertible

2011-12-12T21:23:00.005-05:00

What have we got here? A cool car an abomination? You decide.

The seller, "Loose Nut Behind The Wheel" (Yep, that's the name of the shop), always has a bunch of interesting cars and seems to have a very good reputation. (Check out their website. They also have a 1965 Volvo pickup truck conversion, which just looks cool as hell.) They did this chop job and "extensively" reinforced the chassis before cutting off the roof.

OK, back to whether this is cool or an abomination. In my eyes, it's both. A cool abomination.

This is a cool car to look at. If the chop job was done as well as the seller say it was, it's probably a cool car to drive. Me, though? I'd pass on this car and spend half the asking price for both a 96 with a roof and a classic 900 'vert.

Located in Marietta, PA, click here to see the CarsForSale.com ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this car!

1997 BMW 740iL 6 Speed

2011-12-12T20:57:00.007-05:00

Like the Subaru below, this is an ad with frustratingly little information.

This 740iL has a 6 speed manual transmission.

No info is given as to whether this is a grey market car or something customized in the US.

I'd take the tint off the windows (Are the headlight covers tinted? If so, that has got to go, too.) and swap out the wheels, but other than that, this is a nice looking car.

Located in Queens, NY, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Cory for sending me this link.

1986 Subaru GL Coupe - Has To Be One Of The Nicest Around

2011-12-12T20:28:00.006-05:00

This is one of those cars that when new, I wouldn't have given a second glance. Now that it's 25 years old, I'm looking at it and thinking, "Hmmm... that's not too bad,"

This is the nicest GL coupe I have seen in a long, long time.

It has Subaru's 1.8 liter flat four (Subaru called it a "quadrozontal" engine), a manual transmission and 4WD.

The seller claims that this car has 22,375 miles on it. Based on the pictures, that is very believable.

Unfortunately, the seller does not show a price in his ad. If you're interested, you'll have to give him a call.

Located in Ann Arbor, MI, click here to see the dealer ad.

A big thanks to Steven for sending me the link to this ad.

Weekend Quickies - December 3, 2011

2011-12-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

1958 Bedford Dormobile - There's a part of me that would love to buy a camper / RV and just take off. I would love to take a year or two off and explore the country.

Of course, given what you know about my taste in cars, I wouldn't just go out and buy a regular ol' Winnebago, I'd buy something like this...

Dormobile is a brand name of a type of camper conversion carried out by a UK company called Martin Walter Ltd. Eventually the company became known as Dormobile.

Bedford was the truck division of Vauxhall, GM's UK subsidiary.

This Bedford CA Dormobile is interesting for a couple of reasons; 1)It's in the US, and 2)It's left-hand-drive.

This Bedford CA Dormobile is in very restorable condition. It would, of course, not be very practical to actually use on a cross-country journey, but it would be a very cool vehicle to take to British car shows.

Located in Bryant, AR, click here to see the eBay listing.

Dormobile-cars.com has all sorts of great info about Dormobile vehicles.

1990 Peugeot 405 Mi16 Sport Wagon - Now this is cool. This 405S wagon has been turned into a 405 Mi16 wagon.

It's everything that was great about the Mi16 wrapped in a station wagon body. It doesn't get much better.

This is a no reserve auction with an opening bid of $2,250.00. It will be interesting to see how high the bidding goes for this car.

Located in Washington, DC, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Blair for sending me this link!

1989 Merkur XR4Ti - This might be a nice winter project for someone. The seller says it has a leaking front transmission seal. (He's including a new seal with the car). Other than that and a few new bushings (also included), all this car needs is a bit of surface rust taken care of and a paint job. (Or, forget about the paint job and use it as your commuter car / daily driver.)

1989 was the last year for the Merkur line in the US. This car has the smaller rear spoiler, which I like better than the earlier "bi-plane" spoiler.

The asking price is a reasonable $650.00.

Located in Racine, WI, click here to see the eBay listing.

1985 Audi Quattro - Wow. Some people just know how to do things right. This car is done right. This eBay ad is done right.

Every modification done to this car has been done to make it perform better. There are no boy-racer mods, no lame graphics or wheels. It's a modified car that an adult could and would be proud to own.

The eBay ad is informative and honest. The seller includes a link to some short videos and a Picasaweb photo album. Perfect.

Located in Portland, OR, click here to see the eBay listing.

1989 Laforza - A Personal Favorite

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I'm a big fan of the Laforza.

The Laforza started life as the Rayton Fissore Magnum 4x4. The body and chassis were designed by Tom Tjaarda, who also designed the De Tomaso Pantera.

A couple of US businessmen saw the Magnum and decided that, with some modifications, they could sell it as a luxury SUV. The bodies were shipped from Italy to the US, where a 5.0 liter Ford engine and transmission along with a NP 229 transfer case were installed. They started selling them in 1989.

It was a good idea, but the idea of luxury SUVs was just taking hold in the US. The Land Rover and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer were the big names in the market. People weren't keen on spending big bucks on an unknown SUV when, for the same money or less , they could buy an SUV with the legendary Land Rover and Jeep names. This attempt at selling the Laforza lasted about a year before the company declared bankruptcy.

In the mid 1990s a man named David Hops, who had made a name for himself by installing V8s in Mazda Miatas and calling them Monster Miatas, bought the remaining Laforza stock and chassis' and relaunched the brand. By this time virtually every major manufacturer had a luxury SUV and, once again, people weren't keen on buying an expensive SUV with an unknown name and miniscule dealer network. By 2003 this attempt at selling the Laforza was also bankrupt.

The ironic part of all this is that the Laforza is a damn nice SUV. Contemporary road tests praised it's ride and handling. It seems to have been well put together and older ones have held up well.

A few of the common Laforza problems are an overwhelmed electrical system (there's a kit to fix that available from a Laforza specialist in California) and a less than sturdy radiator support (easily repairable).

Parts for the drive train can, of course, be found at any local auto parts store. Most of the suspension is from Iveco and can be sourced in Europe. Switches and most other electrical items are from the European Fiat / Lancia parts bin. The headlights are from a US spec Audi 4000.

This Laforza appears to be in nice overall condition. One of the seats has a ripped seam and it also has a non-functioning door handle. (Parts sources can be found on Alessio's Laforza & Magnum 4x4 Forum.) It is said to run and drive well.

The prices for Laforzas are all over the place. This one, given its apparent nice condition, is reasonably priced at $2950.00.

Located in Columbus, OH, click here to see the eBay listing.

1936 (?) Oldsmobile Rat Rod (Or Something Like That) - Now In France At 5 Times The Price

2011-12-02T05:59:00.001-05:00

Remember this beast? I wrote about it back in July. (You can find the post here.) It sold for $5200.00

It's now in France and being offered for sale again. This time the asking price is €20,000, which is roughly $27,000.00. Unless the seller paid to have the Concorde pulled out of mothballs to fly this thing to France, that's a helluva markup.

As far as I can tell nothing has been done to it. The pictures used in the French ad are the same ones used in the earlier US ad. (Which is a bit suspicious.)

If you live in Europe and have always wanted to spend a lot of money on a bizarre, homemade US car (one that is a huge project, no less), here's your chance.

Click here to see the eBay France listing.

A Whole Lotta Ladas

2011-12-01T22:55:00.008-05:00

This guy has 4 Ladas for sale on eBay. Each listing has a message to email or call the seller, but no other information. They're located in Oregon...

1994 Lada 2108

1986 Lada 2107 (With an automatic transmission)

1994 Lada Niva

1991 Lada Niva (With ridiculous wheels)

1963 Volvo 122S - This Could Be A Genuine Bargain...

2011-12-01T06:01:00.000-05:00

The Volvo Amazon / 120 cars are the cars that gave Volvo their reputation for building tough, dependable cars. In an age when 75,000 miles was about all you could expect to get from a car, the Amazon / 120s would easily double that mileage (and more) with very little fuss. (These cars were only called Amazons in Nordic countries due to an agreement with a German moped manufacturer who was using a similar name.)

The Amazon / 120's styling was done in-house by Jan Wilsgaard. It takes some styling cues from 1950s American sedans.

The engine is Volvos unexciting, but unbelievably durable B18 engine. (This is the engine that is in the world's highest mileage car, a 1966 Volvo P1800. That last I knew it had over 2,500,000 miles on it!) In the 122S it puts out about 85 horsepower.

The seller says he inherited this car from his great aunt and uncle. It has recently had brake work done and a tune-up. He says it "runs, but inconsistently". The body and interior look to be in very nice shape.

The asking price for this car is just $1800.00 and the seller is willing to take a "reasonable offer". If this car is as nice as it appears to be, it's a genuine bargain.

Located in Flagstaff, AZ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this car!

Lancia Scorpion

2011-12-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

If looks were the only thing that mattered about a car, the Lancia Scorpion (which was known as the Montecarlo in most of the world) would have been a best selling car. The Pininfarina designed body still looks great today.

Unfortunately, here in the US, the Scorpion's power didn't match its looks. While the rest of the world got a 1995cc, 120 HP engine, we got an emissions strangled, 1756cc engine that put out just 81 HP. We also got the federally mandated big bumpers, which added weight, and taller springs, which did nothing for the car's handling.

The good news is that there are a bunch of different ways to bring the Scorpion's performance up to more than respectable levels. How respectable only depends on how much money you want to spend. (One of the coolest ways is by installing a turbo, as the owner of this car did.)

The Scorpion was built by Pininfarina. Maybe because of that, the Scorpion didn't rust as badly as the Lancia Betas from the same era. However, these cars are old and Italian, so checking thoroughly for rust is a must.

This is a typically frustrating Craigslist ad. The seller gives virtually no information about the car. He doesn't even mention what year it is. (It would have to be a 1976 or 1977, the only two years they were sold here.) Based on the pictures it looks to be in nice shape.

Located in Cleveland, OH, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to John for sending the the link to this car!

Why Buy One Old Renault When You Can Have Four?

2011-12-01T05:59:00.001-05:00

This person is selling 4 old Renaults...

He has 3 4CVs, one of which he is describing as being in "amazing shape".

Also included is a Dauphine.

The seller says there are "more than enough parts to make a cool car".

Located in Cleburne, TX, (Which I'd bet - just based on this person's collection - has more Renault 4CVs per capita than any other town in Texas), click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me this link.

1982 Datsun 200SX Convertible

2011-11-30T22:04:00.006-05:00

I don't think I have ever seen one of these before.

American Custom Coach Works did the conversion on this car. I can't find any numbers, but it's safe to say very few of these were built. (I did see a few others while researching this.)

According to the seller, this car "runs and drives well, except for (now) sticky throttle" He says it has some surface rust and could use upholstery and new tires.

The asking price is just $1600.00. With another $1000.00 - $2500.00 worth of work (depending on what you do with the body), you'll have a very unique car with all the considerable attributes (mainly reliability and parts availability) of a Datsun.

Located in North Granville, NY, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Michael for sending me the link to this car!

Citröen Ami 6 Break (A Couple of Pictures From Iñaki)

2011-11-30T21:36:00.006-05:00

Iñaki is a Just a Car Geek reader from Spain. In his travels around Europe he finds and photographs some of the coolest old cars. He occasionally emails some pictures to me. I'm always psyched to open his emails.

I recently received this from him:

Hi Dave,
It's Iñaki from Spain here again.
Last Sunday the 27th of November I found a Citröen Ami 8 Break in San Juan de Luz (France). It belongs to another french surfer who uses it to travel about. On the car's roof he has built a kind of an iron rack to put his surfboards. This is a car made in the early 70s. It still has the old french car plate (black colour) and it belongs to the Pyrénées occidentales (Nº 64).

Hope you all enjoy the sight!
'till later.

Iñaki

Thank you, Iñaki!!

Weekend Quickies - Saturday, November 26, 2011

2011-11-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

1988 Pontiac Firebird GTA Notchback - According to GTANotchback.com, "The 1988 GTA Notchback edition was a one year-only production option that was only available on the 1988 Pontiac Firebird Trans AM GTA. A total of 718 GTA Notchbacks were produced in 1988."

I'm not sure I like the look better than the standard Firebird, but it's certainly rare and a cool piece of American automotive history.

This one is being described as "kinda rough but runs and drives good."

Located in Jeffersonville, KY, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT - As I've mentioned a number of times in the past, I once owned an Alfetta GT. I liked it a lot. But, a new Milano and then a couple of Spiders relegated it to the garage where it remained for 10 years or so until I sold it to a guy in Vermont. (You can read a post about it here.)

When I see a car like this it makes me wish I hadn't sold mine. They are really nice looking cars and are a blast to drive.

This is a remarkably rust free Alfetta GT. It runs and drives, but could use some minor attention.

Located in Palm Springs, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Sam for sending me the link to this car!

1962 Land Rover Series llA Forward Control - Even though I have absolutely no use for it, I would love to own this vehicle.

These old trucks look menacing and, because they're Land Rovers, will go though or over just about anything in its way.

This one has had its engine replaced with a Chevy 250ci inline 6. Yeah, I know, it's lost some of its originality, but the Chevy engine is more reliable and parts for it can be found at your local NAPA store.

Located in Ludlow, VT, click here to see the eBay listing.

The link to this car was also sent to me by Sam. Thanks again!

1980 Lada Niva - Posted Here 2 1/2 Years Ago, It's Back...

2011-11-26T05:59:00.003-05:00

I posted this car on March 11, 2009. (You can see the post here.)

This was the first Niva I posted and I received a ton of email about it. Until then, I had no idea these vehicles had so many fans in the US.

Tonight I received an email from a friend of the person who bought it back in 2009... "Hi. My friend purchased the Lada Niva you had on your site back in 2009. Just wanted to let you know we have had to (sadly) put it back up on ebay, just in time for Christmas."

This Niva has a 1981 Fiat Spider DOHC 4 cylinder with Bosch fuel injection. It has a 5 speed ZF transmission. Both the engine and the transmission have been rebuilt.

The seller states that it also has a rebuilt clutch, radiator, steering box, front/rear driveshafts and brake system. It also has new CV joints (both inners and outers) and ball joints. The tires are also new.

The body could use a little attention, but all-in-all this is a very nice Niva. The past two owners have been fans / enthusiasts. Let's hope it finds a home with another one.

Located in Petaluma, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

A Lada Niva in a Pepsi Commercial...

(If you receive JaCG via email you'll need to click here to see the video.)

1992 Mercedes-Benz 400E - The Best Of The E Class

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

For my money, this is the best all around E Class sedan you can buy. It's modern enough to be driven everyday, but still retains some of that great old-school Mercedes-Benz style.

There are many people, myself included, who believe that the W124 models were that last of the "over engineered" Mercedes-Benz cars. Introduced in 1985, the W124 cars were available in sedan, station wagon, convertible and coupe form.

The 400E came with a 4.2 liter V8 that moved the car to 60 MPH in around 7 seconds. Traction control was standard, as was most of the goodies you'd expect to find in an expensive German luxury sedan.

This 1992 400E is owned by an enthusiast, who just bought a 500E. (A very cool car, but for everyday driving, I'd take the 400E.) It has been maintained very, very well.

Two of the most common W124 problems are the wiring harness (which was biodegradable, but unfortunately would start to biodegrade long before the rest of the car was ready for the bone yard) and the automatic transmission. Both have been attended to on this car.

This car has 117,000 miles on it. With by the book maintenance, there is no reason to believe this car won't double (or more) that mileage.

Located in Stamford, CT, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Cory for sending me the link to this car!

1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin Edition - #143 of Just 264 Built

2011-11-25T05:59:00.005-05:00

Back in the early 1980s I had a roommate who had a Saab 96 that looked like this car. We called it the "Circus Car".

Ronnie's Saab was many different colors because Ronnie tended to drive into things. (To be fair, things - a motorcycle and a Buick - drove into him a couple of times, too.) This VW came from the factory looking like this.

This is a Volkswagen Golf Harlequin Edition. The story is that Volkswagen created a few of these cars to display at auto shows. The idea was to show off the colors available on the Golf. Apparently a large number of people (or their seeing eye dogs) thought the cars looked good, so Volkswagen built some for public consumption. 264 to be exact, and they were all sold in North America.

The Harlequin Edition came with a multicolored body, multicolored upholstery, silver faced gauges and upgraded wheels.

Underneath all those colors is your basic 1996 VW Golf GL; a nice car that's affordable and a lot of fun to drive. (And looks perfectly fine in just one color.)

The Harlequin Edition Golf is one of the rarest VWs ever produced. The problem is, most people will have no idea this is a limited edition car. They'll probably think you have a Golf with a salvage title.

If exclusivity is your thing and you don't mind explaining your car to the unknowledgeable (which would have included me until tonight), this is a cool car to have. (And it even comes with a Betty Boop steering wheel cover and floor mats...)

Located in Monroe, MI, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1985 Maserati Biturbo

2011-11-23T06:00:00.003-05:00

If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know about my love of the Maserati Biturbo.

As I've mentioned in the past, if you're looking for a trouble free, low maintenance car, don't buy a Biturbo. However, if you don't mind doing a lot of maintenance, a Biturbo is a fast, fun, semi-exotic car that can be bought for the price of a used Hyundai.

The 2.5 liter, three-valve per cylinder (two intake, one exhaust) twin turbo engine puts out roughly 185 HP. It gets the car to 60 MPH in less than 7 seconds. It's a tough engine that, if treated properly and well maintained, will last a long time.

Biturbos have more than their fair share of problems. Electrical problems (lots of them) being the most common. Other issues include faulty timing belt tensioners and leaking carburetors. (Yes, inside that beautiful plenum is a two-barrel Weber carburetor.)

When buying a Biturbo it is best to buy one from an enthusiast owner or reputable dealer. Buying one off the back line of your local used car lot or finding an unfinished project is usually a recipe for disaster.

This car is a one owner car that is being offered by a reputable dealer. It has a bit of rust (most in the Northeast will, but Biturbos don't rust as badly as most similar era Italian cars), but the interior looks to be in good condition, with just a couple of seam splits in the front seats.

To some people this car's automatic transmission will be a deal breaker. In my mind though, this car is not a racer, but more or a weekend cruiser. In that context an automatic wouldn't be too bad.

The asking price is $3200.00 and the seller is taking offers. There is also something about the car qualifying for "$550.00 cash back", but it's not explained, so you'll have to contact the dealer to find out what that's all about.

Located in Staten Island, NY, click here to see the eBay ad.

1991 Audi 100 - A 22,000 Mile Survivor

2011-11-23T05:59:00.002-05:00

1991 was not a good year for Audi. 60 Minutes aired its unintended acceleration report titled Out of Control in November, 1986. Audi's US sales started free falling and bottomed out in 1991, with total sales of just over 12,000 cars.

The combination of low sales and the usual old car attrition rate means that there are very few 1991 Audi 100s left. This one has to be one of the nicest.

The seller says this car has 21,562 miles on it. Frustratingly, he doesn't give any background. (There has to be some sort of story behind a car that has traveled just a little over 1000 miles per year.)

There's not a whole lot I can say about this car. Except for a small crease near the left rear wheel well, it looks perfect.

The asking price is high, but if you're an Audi C3 100 fan, this is probably the nicest you'll ever find. It may well be worth the price.

Located in Lake Forest, IL, click here to see the eBay listing.

The link to this car was sent to me by a JaCG reader who didn't leave his name. Thanks!

3 Years Of Cars (and Typos)

2011-11-22T06:00:00.009-05:00

Image stolen from Sweet Celebrations.

A few weeks ago, while my house and business were without power and there was chunk of tree sticking out of the back window of my BMW, the 3rd anniversary of Just a Car Geek slipped by.

A few rambling thoughts, better late than never...
...
My favorite part of this site is the comments section. I love reading what you think about the cars and the blog.

This recent comment caught my attention. It made me realize that not everyone has figured what I'm doing here...

"I was clicking around and stumbled upon your website. Why the hell do you start your posts with on the defensive way! Ex: I just posted this because... I'm not telling you to buy this but..."

"In other words: don't think that I post this because the car is good, or because it's a real car and I didn't know it was art..."

"Terrible to read! Thought I'd let you know. Now I'll disappear in the internets again."

Except for maybe the "terrible to read" part (if you ignore the typos), he's right. That's the way I want it to be...

Imagine Just a Car Geek as a big street. Each day we walk down the street and see a car that we haven't seen in a long time. Sometimes it's a great car, one we'd love to own. Other times it's a not so great car, one we have forgotten about. In my mind both are interesting, although in different ways.

If I were looking for a car and was given the choice of say, a nice BMW 2002 and a Chevy Vega, I would, of course, choose the BMW. Even though I don't want to own the Vega, it's still interesting and I respect the person who has kept it alive for all this time.

Not every car posted on Just a Car Geek will be perfect, rare, collectable or valuable. Hopefully, it will be interesting.

All-in-all I love the comments this site receives, even the critical ones. Keep 'em coming.
...

I'm often asked if I make any money off the cars I feature. Nope. Not a dime.

99% of the time the seller has no idea I've posted their car. A few have found the site and emailed me to thank me. A few have mentioned that their car sold because of the site. That's cool. I'm happy to have helped. I know of only one person who has been pissed off by what I wrote. He was selling a basket case Bristol and decided I was "clueless". That may be true about life in general, but I stand by what I wrote his car. (You can find the post and his comments here.)
...
Submissions are always welcome and encouraged. It can be a car you spotted somewhere on the internet, or it can be your own car. The only thing I ask if you submit your own car is that it be listed for sale somewhere on the 'net. I don't want this to become a free classified site.

Don't be offended if I don't use your submission. Sometimes I'll get a submission of a really cool car and not use it. Usually it's because I posted one just like not too long ago, or it's already been posted on other sites. Most likely it will have nothing to do with the car.
...
I recently took a giant step into the 21st century and set up a Just a Car Geek Facebook page. It's open to the public, so you don't have to be a Facebook member to see it. On occasion I'll post a few things there that don't make it to the blog.
...
Typos, bad grammar and misspellings... The bottom line here is that I don't proofread. I guess if I get to a point where it looks like I can make some money from this site, I'll take the time to proofread. For now I just type out what I have to say and click on the "post" button.

The cars are more important than anything I have to say, anyway.
...
Technically, I can no longer call JaCG a labor of love. Back in May I got a check from Google for the little ad box that is on the right side of the blog. The payment amounted to roughly 10 cents per day for almost 2 1/2 years. I'm not exactly a making a fortune from blogging.

You can give me a "raise" by clicking on one of the AdChoice ads each time you visit Just a Car Geek. You don't have to buy anything, just check out an ad. (I'm not telling you what to do here, I'm just sayin'...)
...
I really can't post this without thanking all of you. Without you I wouldn't be doing this. I appreciate all the support. Thank you, very, very much!

1988 Daihatsu Charade CLX - Even The Japanese Make Mistakes...

2011-11-21T08:08:00.006-05:00

The title of this post is a bit misleading. The Charade, for what it was, was not a mistake. Daihatsu's timing and US marketing plan was.

Daihatsu was the last Japanese car company to take a shot at the US market. Their basic plan was to sell the Charade as an upscale mini. They touted its "BMW like build quality" and made references to it being a second car, or commuter car, for BMW, Audi, Saab, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz owners.

That was their first mistake. This was 1988. Gas prices were falling and people with money often used their BMW, Audi, Saab, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz as a second car to their Range Rover or Jeep Grand Wagoneer. They didn't need or want a tiny 3 cylinder car, even if it did get over 40 MPG. The people who did need and want a small, fuel efficient car - students, etc. - often found the Charade's price - over $6000.00 - too much to pay.

Part of this strategy may have had to do with the import quotas placed on Japanese cars in the 1980s. Daihatsu was allowed to bring roughly 12,000 cars into the US per year. Not being able to sell in volume, Daihatsu had to maximize the profit of each car sold.

Daihatsu's small, regional based, dealer network didn't help things either. Here in New England, where we love - and tend to buy - imports and slightly off-beat cars, there were no dealerships. The same held true for the Midwest, parts of the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the South.

The last mistake was, of course, the name. One of Webster’s definitions of charade is "a pretense or fiction that can be seen through readily; a travesty." 'Nuff said.

The sad part is that the Charade really was a well built car. It was relatively roomy and comfortable. When ordered with the CLX package like this one, it was well appointed with power windows and locks, air conditioning and other features not found - or in some cases even offered - on the small economy cars of the day. Had Daihatsu waited 20 years to introduce a car like this to the US, they may have had a huge hit.

This Charade CLX is a survivor. It's a Texas car and the seller claims it has no rust. Being a Texas car however, means the paint is faded and the interior could use some work. The seller says it runs and drives well.

The asking price of $2,995.00 seems steep, but the seller is taking offers.

Located in Austin, TX, click here to see the eBay listing.

Weekend Quickies - Saturday, November 19, 2011

2011-11-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

1973 Volvo 140 - Another low mileage Volvo.

The 140 Series cars were the first boxy Volvos.

The 140 was introduced in 1966. In 1973 it received a bit of a facelift that included a new dashboard with big round air vents and an instrument cluster with round gauges.

This 140 has just 51,000 miles on it. It looks to be in very, very nice shape.

Located in Hampton, NH, click here to see the carsforsale.com ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this car!

1995 Alfa Romeo 164 LS - As I wrote in a post back in October, it could be argued (and I know I'll get an argument) that the 164 was - overall - the best sedan Alfa ever offered in the US. The engine is a jewel, the styling is fantastic and - when compared to earlier Alfas - it's reliable. It also doesn't rust as badly as earlier Alfas.

This is a very well maintained 164. At first glance, the Buy It Now price of $8,633.75 (I'd love to know how some people come up with their prices. $8,633.75? What's with the .75?) seems a bit on the high side, but with over a day to go in the auction, it's been bid up to $6700.00 (no .75), so who knows, it may sell for over $8K. It looks like well taken care of 164s are finally getting the respect they deserve.

Located in Royersford, PA, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Mike for sending me the link to this car!

1982 Wartburg "Volkspolizei" Station Wagon - It says a lot about a country - in this case the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) - when their police cars - which in most countries are usually very fast cars - were 3 cylinder, 2 stroke Wartburgs. But, then again, since they were usually chasing Trabants, that was most likely all that was needed.

This car is an oddly cool piece of history. (I love the corded telephone sitting on the dash!)

Located in Leipzig, Germany, click here to see the eBay listing.

1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9

2011-11-18T08:10:00.006-05:00

Arguably, when it comes to sedans, this was Mercedes-Benz finest moment. The 450SEL 6.9 was a technological tour de force.

The 450SEL 6.9 is a huge sedan that in many ways doesn't realize it's a huge sedan. The 6.9 liter V8 moves it to 60 MPH in just over 7 seconds. It has a top speed approaching 150 MPH.

The 450SEL 6.9 rides and handles like few, if any, other sedans of this size do. The suspension is a Citroen-like hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system. Back in 1977, Car & Driver wrote; "The 6.9 feels more nimble, more agile than any other Mercedes we can remember. The new suspension makes it possible to toss the big sedan around like a bug-eye Sprite."

All this technology, along with MB's legendary build quality, didn't come cheaply. This car sold for well over $40,000.00 back in its day. Sold in the US for 4 years (1977 - 1980), a little over 1800 of them found homes here.

This one belongs to JaCG reader, Spencer. He is the third owner. It is not a perfect car, but a very, very nice driver. (It wouldn't take much to make it perfect, but why bother? This is a car that needs to be driven, not stored away and brought out for the occasional show.)

The exterior is very nice with just "one spot of rust bubbling under the drivers front fender". The interior looks to be close to immaculate.

When buying an old Mercedes-Benz, getting maintenance records is extremely important. A well maintained MB will run forever, a poorly maintained one will bankrupt you in no time flat. This car comes with "an entire file folder full of history, services, part costs, and maintenance records".

This cars's few flaws are minor. There is a crack in the right headlight. The sunroof and A/C are not working. (One or both will need to be repaired, or summer driving could become unpleasant.) That's it. For all intents and purposes, this is a buy and drive car.

This asking price is about a 10th of what the car cost in 1979. Even though it's 30 years old, you're still getting a lot of car for very little money.

Located in St. Louis Park, MN, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1969 Opel Kadett Rallye - And Then There Was One...

2011-11-18T07:47:00.004-05:00

This car was part of a pair the seller had listed on eBay back in August, 2010. You can read my post about them here.

Nothing is mentioned of the fate of the second car, but I suspect the seller had a tough time finding a buyer for two Opel Kadett Rallyes and eventually settled for just selling one.

Opel Kadetts (and Opels in general) are under-valued, under-appreciated cars in the US. Rallyes are the best of the breed and this one seems to be in nice shape.

Located in Perth Amboy, NJ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Dan for sending me the link to this car!

1984 Volvo 244 - A LOW Mileage Example (How Unusual Is That?)

2011-11-17T13:14:00.006-05:00

Volvo 240 owners love to brag about their high mileage cars. It's boring. 240s are so well put together and so dependable that high mileage is common. "Yeah, yeah, your car has 475,000 miles on it. So what?"

Here's your chance to do something different... Own a low mileage 240.

This 1984 244 has just 69,560 miles on it. I've heard 240 owners call 200K "break in mileage". What would this be, then? Test drive mileage?

200 Series Volvos are not sexy, but their boxy look has a certain charm to it.

This is an unmolested car. Other than a couple of small dents on the trunk, it looks to be in nice condition.

This is a 27 year old car you could drive everyday with the same confidence you'd drive a 3 year old car. Plus, chances are, when that 3 year old car has already been recycled into soup cans, this Volvo will still be running.

Or, you could just bring it to shows, keep the mileage low and see the reactions of other Volvo 240 owners... "69,000 miles?!? I thought they all left the factory with at least 100K on them..."

Located in Newport, RI, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

Occupy Mercedes Benz?

2011-11-17T09:35:00.004-05:00

From my friend Jeff...

A petition to stop using Homeland Security funds to seize imported vehicles and change the DOT/EPA exemption to 15 years.

Link

1986 Subaru GL - A Conundrum Car

2011-11-15T08:59:00.008-05:00

This is what I call a conundrum car.

On the one hand, it's a 1986 Subaru GL. A step above basic transportation. (It's not even a big step above basic transportation. But, I give Subarus a few bonus points for their uniqueness and quirkiness.) It's hardly a make-your-heart-race car.

BUT, on the other hand, it's a near perfect, 36,000 mile 1986 Subaru GL. How many of these can there be left in this condition? (With power windows, no less.)

Do you buy it and use it? You could. Subarus, even older ones, are dependable and get good gas mileage. But the car would soon lose the thing that makes it so unique; its low mileage and condition.

Or, do you buy it and preserve it? A Subaru GL doesn't exactly have the panache of an MGB, Fiat Spider or any of the other sportier cars (which would be most cars) that are available for $3500.00. Other than us car geeks, no one will turn their head as you drive down the street in it.

It's a conundrum.

Here's to hoping a Subaru freak buys it and figures out a good compromise.

Located in Linden, NJ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Michael for sending me the link to this car!

A Just a Car Geek Car Becomes A Celebrity

2011-11-13T20:50:00.004-05:00

I featured this Citroen back in May. You can find the post here.

Car & Driver magazine bought it. They tried to send it back to France. Sort of.

You can find the story here.

A big thanks to Just a Car Geek reader, Wes, for pointing this out!

1988 Range Rover

2011-11-13T20:09:00.008-05:00

Nope. I haven't given up this blog.

I've been trying to catch up from the business I lost when my store was without power for 5 days after the freak snow storm we had in late October. (This blog is a labor of love. If I were a young hippie I might be naive enough to believe I could pay my bills with love. Unfortunately, I'm a middle age guy and I realize that I need money.)

I'm also spending a lot of time looking for something to replace my BMW, which had a chunk of tree fall through it during the same storm.

This Range Rover is really tempting. Really, really tempting.

But, I'm not looking for a second car at the moment, I'm looking for an everyday car. A 23 year old vehicle that gets around 12 - 14 MPG just won't fit the bill.

When it comes to SUVs there is nothing cooler than an old Range Rover.

This one appears to be in overall nice shape and reasonably priced. It's about a 20 minute drive from my house. I know nothing about the dealer. That's probably a good thing. Dealer horror stories get around pretty quickly, but few people talk about their good experiences. When it comes to car dealers, silence is often golden.

If anyone one reading this is SERIOUSLY interested in it, email me and I can take a look at it in person for you. (Be aware though, if it turns out to be really, really nice, I may just ignore the poor gas mileage and expensive maintenance and buy it for myself!)

Located in Chicopee, MA, click here to see the Craigslist ad

1976 Customized Mazda Cosmo

2011-11-03T12:41:00.010-04:00

Ahhhhh! I have electricity and heat again.

I live in Western Massachusetts. We get a blizzard, maybe two, each year. Other than a week or so in January or February when the temperature doesn't go much above zero, that's our only real weather issue. This year it's been a tornado, a hurricane, a little rumbling from an earthquake and this weekend's nor'easter. What the hell? What's next? Plague of Locust?

My BMW took a tree limb across the trunk and through the back window. Arrggghhh. Maybe I'll replace the BMW with an RV and spend the rest of my days following nice weather patterns. I could write a Just a Camper Geek blog. ;-)

Power went out on Saturday. I got mine back yesterday, but I have friends who are still without power and may not have it again until this weekend. I could be in worse shape, I guess.

As you can imagine, going without electricity, heat and having limited cell service (a tower must be down) has me playing catch-up.

This was sent to me by Jon, a friend and JaCG reader. To save a little time, I'm going to quote from the seller's ad.

This is something I've been working on for a while. I was hoping to get the paint/body work finished before I sold it, but I don't have the time to get it done anymore, and need the money. I've put hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours into this car, and I hate to sell it, but I have many more important things to work on now, so this is what has to go.

The car is a 1976 Mazda Cosmo. 6port 13b and 5speed trans from an 88' rx7 (I think around 120k miles), with a Dellorto 48dhla carb. Stock distributor ignition. clutch is a 6puck sprung disc, feels really good for street driving, and bites well for racing.

Car starts/runs/drives great, and is reliable as hell, but I'm sure you could get better mileage and power out of it if the carb were re-jetted (also it should be much better at sea level... car is at 5000 feet elevation now). No OMP so you need to run premix. Has factory 3.7 rear end with disc brakes, diff is welded solid. Also has factory power steering, which doesn't work great. A SPAL pusher fan on the front of the radiator is controlled by a thermoswitch and keeps the car right at 180 to 190 degrees, even under full throttle. Has custom true-dual exhaust, with 2 catalytic convertors, and 2 mufflers. The car has an 8 gallon fuel cell (with foam) in the trunk - the stock tank was rusted bad and this is what I could come up with. AN lines supply the carter fuel pump, and I ran a new supply line to the front of the car up to the Holley FPR. The only bad part is the fuel level gauge doesn't work - but I still have the sending unit so I'm sure you could rig it up if so desired.

Suspension is all custom:
Fronts are coilovers- shortened front strut tubes with Koni yellow shocks, wrapped in 385 lb springs. custom machined bump steer spacers from T3, and shortened steering knuckles give great steering response, and also has lots of steering angle.

Rears are also koni yellows, lower mounts have been moved so they won't bottom out. springs are 325 lb coils, cut to length. I have an extra set to go with it as well so you can raise/lower to your desire.

No sway bars, but i have the stock front one if you wish to install it, just no brackets for it, but honestly the car rides great as is. Has great balance near the limits. the springs are stiff enough that it feels good (even with no sways) but its not uncomfortable to drive on the street. wheels are 14x7 0 offset, "5 slot mag" style wheels. Fronts are dual pattern drilled to 4x120, rears have spacers to convert to 4x4.5. I think I also have stock steel wheels I will include. Tires are pretty much completely bald and need to be replaced.

The interior is not great... dash is pretty cracked, seats are bad, and door panels need to be replaced. Everything else is there and in great condition. I also have a cover on the dash and seats (the dash one is not in the pictures). I will also throw in a Corbeau baja seat with a bracket/sliders for the passenger side if the buyer wants. the lower half of the rear seat is great but the upper part is torn - I think it looks cool with the Mexican blanket thrown over though. It has working power windows, and the heat works great as well.

The body of the car has a little rust. A bit has been repaired and the rest was all sprayed with a rust preventative (all this before I got the car 4 years ago). Its very straight for the most part. there is a slight dent in the pass side door, and a very small ding near the fender - I sanded both of these areas to bare metal last week, but haven't had a chance to Bondo over them. Also, the corner of the rear fender well is rusted through. the drivers side is in great condition. NO noticeable damage. The whole car needs paint as its 30 years old and faded and has no clear left at all.

This car is a project, for sure, but much of the tough stuff has been done. The cost of the parts are well worth the price of the car.

Located in Boulder, CO, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

2 Pure Italians and 1 Italian / Polish Mix in New Jersey

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

1976 Fiat 126p "Polski Fiat" - What a cool car to find in North America.

The Polski Fiat 126p was an incredibly popular car in Poland and throughout Eastern Europe. Built in Poland under license from Fiat, FSM (the Polish manufacturer) built over 3 million between 1973 and 2000.(That's almost 3 times as many as Fiat - who discontinued it in 1993 - built of the 126. ) The car was improved over the years and by the time FSM stopped producing it, it was as modern as a 27 year old car could be, with an improved engine, stronger body structure, improved trim and even a catalytic converter.

The seller of this one leaves very little information, but based on the pictures it looks to be in very, very nice condition.

Located somewhere in Northern New Jersey, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1966 Fiat Giardiniera - This is a Fiat 500 station wagon. Most station wagons are just sedans with a wagon back grafted on to them. The underpinnings ans drivetrains remained the same. Fiat couldn't do that with the rear engine 500, so they made some significant changes. The 499 cc, 17.5 HP engine was laid on its side under the floor of the cargo area to create a flat loading surface. The air intakes, which were on the engine cover on the sedan, were moved high up on the rear quarter panels. Fiat also upgraded the brakes and rear suspension.

The seller of this Giardiniera gives a lot of information about the car in general, but almost nothing about this specific car, other than that it was "remodeled" (I assume he means restored) about 8 years ago. Based on the pictures, it looks to be in great shape.

Now that Fiat is selling the new 500 in North America, there's renewed interest in the original 500. If you're looking for a 500 that's different from most of the cars you'll see at car shows, this car is worth checking out.

Located in Bergen County, NJ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1987 Alfa Romeo Milano - I know what you're thinking. I'm going to go off on a spiel about how I owned one of these, how it was my favorite car, etc., etc. Nope. I'm not. If you want to read all that just do a site search for Alfa Milano.

Nothing drives quite like a Milano (known as the 75 in most of the world). The engine is a gem. It's balanced and handles superbly. It's roomy and comfortable on the inside.

Red is my favorite color for an Italian car, but on the Milano black is a very close second. All Milanos have a black body accent strip high on the fenders, doors and quarter panels that follows the contour of the body. It breaks up the lines of the car. When painted black the accent strip blends in a bit, giving the car a cleaner look.

This Milano looks to be in very nice condition. The seller, who describes himself as an "enthusiast", says it's never been driven in the snow. It has just 85,000 miles on it.

The seller is asking $3200.00 for it. There are very, very few European sedans that are as fun to drive as the Milano that can be found for that kind of money.

Located in Essex Co., NJ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Dan for sending me the links to these cars!

1980 Skoda 120 - In Florida (Of Course)

2011-10-27T14:52:00.002-04:00

For years I looked at these Skodas as neat curiosities. Now I kind of want to own one...

Based on Skoda's earlier S100/110 range of cars, the 120 was introduced in 1976. It has a rear mounted 1.2 liter water cooled I4. The rear suspension was a swing axle set up. The Western automotive press, which is prone to hating any car from Eastern Europe, criticized its handling and lack of power, but the 120 was an incredibly successful European Rally racer.

Build quality was not as good as cars from Western Europe. But, while things may rattle and parts not line up 100%, history has shown the Skoda 120 - when properly maintained - to be a relatively reliable, cheap to keep, car.

This Skoda is in very nice shape. The seller leaves a slightly confusing description of the car's history, first saying he's owned it for "years", but then saying it was imported from the Czech Republic "this year". (I can only assume that the owner is from the Czech Republic and brought the car to the US this year.) It has just 32,000 miles on it.

The seller calls the body "basically rust free". He says "it has few rusted spots on the bottom of the car, but nothing serious". I don't know if that means the floors or the rockers. It has a few scratches on the hood. The big upside is that the paint is original, which means there's nothing evil hiding under a new paint job. The interior is in good condition.

The seller says the engine runs well. These early 120s were prone to overheating (usually due to a lack of cooling system maintenance), but the seller says this one runs at the "correct temperature". It does have an oil leak, which may just be an oil pan gasket.

The Skoda 120 is not the most exciting car you could own. As I wrote in an earlier 120 post, today's small, inexpensive cars are better built than this car. They're faster and more fuel efficient. They have standard equipment that wasn't even available as an option on this car... But what they don't have is personality. This car has tons of personality. In my world that makes it a very, very cool car. Yep, I'd love to own one.

It should come as no surprise that this car is located in Florida, where apparently you can get a title and registration for just about anything. Click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Todd for sending me the link to this car!

Reader Submissions: 1968 VW Fastback, 1963 Volvo 544

2011-10-26T17:42:00.007-04:00

Just a Car Geek reader, Matthew sent me some info about two cars he's selling. Both cars are in amazing shape and priced accordingly...

1968 Volkswagen Fastback - VW launched the Type 3 cars in 1961. The first was a 2 door coupe. It was a more "upmarket" car than the Beetle, but retained the rear-engine layout VW was known for. In 1962, VW introduced a station wagon version (known as the Squareback) and in 1963, the Fastback. The Type 3 was the first VW passenger car to feature the "pancake" engine.

Matthew states that this "black /yellow plated 1968 VW Fastback Type III has spent its entire life in California and until recently brought to Northern California to complete the restoration project."

He went on to write, "Original mileage reads 81,000 on the odometer. There is not one thing that doesn’t work on this vehicle. Some but not all that have been done are a repaint in the original color and body repair, no rust, new body trim molding, fender beading, front bumper, bumper guards, (2) hubcaps re chromed and trim rings polished, interior upholstery is redone, and carpet set in great shape, dash repaired and reconditioned, the original headliner has (2) minor imperfections, turn signal relay switch and brake light switch replaced, gas tank overflow tube, vacuum line air cleaner to breather hose replaced, rear shocks, tail light seals and the tires have great tread left."

I don't know if it's a regional thing, but suddenly I've noticed a bunch of nicely restored Type 3s driving around my area. This one, priced at $8996.00, isn't cheap, but it's one of the nicest I've seen.

Click here to see a Photobucket album with 36 pictures.

1963 Volvo 544 - The 544 was an upgraded 444. The major differences were a different dashboard, windshield and taillights. The transmission was a 4 speed as opposed to the 3 speed found in the 444. In 1962, the 544 got Volvo's B18 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine and a 12 volt charging system.

This 544 has been slightly modified. Like Matthew's VW, it is in incredible condition.

From Matthew's email:

"This 1963 Volvo 544 Sedan has spent its entire life in Southern California and until recently brought to Northern California to complete the restoration project."

"Included with the sale is a very complete history with service receipts. Everything has been gone through and there is not one thing that doesn’t work on this vehicle. Some but not all that have been completed are all wheel cylinders, brakes, some minor dents repaired and painted, no rust what so ever or what little there was has been repaired, hubcaps, the new supple tan leather interior is exceptional with a brand new head liner and carpet set, the dash pad is repaired and reconditioned, the steering wheel has been professionally painted a faux wood grain and the dash board are from a 1950’s 444 (I have the original if wanted), with new modern instruments and speedometer sensor and cable, the original radio has been changed from AM to FM, even the black/yellow license plates have been refurbished . The original B18 engine was reinstalled (after a B20 engine was poorly installed) and has had a major tune up including valve adjustment, (125 # in each cylinder), duel carburetors, a new/used 4 speed manual transmission, battery, alternator, new body trim molding, chrome, rubber gaskets, steering rod replaced, rear main axle outer/inner seal, service wheel alignment, pitman arm replaced, muffler hangers. The body repaint has a good shine and the tires have great tread left."

At $15,500.00, this is not the cheapest 544 you can buy, but it might be one of the best.

You can find the Photobucket album for the Volvo here.

Both cars are located in Northern California. Send me an email if you're interested and I'll put you in touch with Matthew.

1971 "Bizzarrini - Lamborghini Targa"

2011-10-25T12:09:00.005-04:00

I have to admit to knowing nothing about this car.

According to the seller, "this car was built by Giancarlo Reali in Livorno Italy with initial help from Giotto Bizzarrini." It supposedly sits on a Lamborghini 400GT Jamara chassis.

This is not your typical Just a Car Geek car, but I had to post it just so I could post the picture of the engine compartment. It's car porn at its finest.

Located in Asheville, NC, click here to see the eBay listing.

Two Top Dollar Cars...

2011-10-24T12:09:00.017-04:00

Sorry about the lack of posts for the past week. I've been busy at work and that, along with a dead computer and the effects of the respiratory infection from hell, have put me a bit behind schedule. (I may have single-handedly caused the stock price of whatever company makes Robitussin to rise a few cents. You know you're sick when you actually start to enjoy the taste of that stuff.)

These cars are VERY pricey, but worth pointing out....

1970 Datsun 510 - This car has just 68,000 miles on it.

According to the seller "has never left the town it was purchased in" and was purchased from a "little old lady". (That term is such a cliche that I have to imagine that anyone who uses it today is actually stating fact.)

This is a rust free Arizona car that is - thankfully / mercifully - unmodified.

Located in Prescott, AZ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me this link.

1985 Merkur XR4Ti - When I opened the link to this car I started coughing. Part of that is due to my cold, but part of it was from choking when I saw the price. $14,500 for a stock Merkur??!!??

But, it's a 12,000 mile Merkur. That's about as close to a new Merkur as you'll find today.

There's not much I can say about this car other than it looks like new. Other than the mileage, the dealer leaves no info in his ad.

For the most part, Lincoln / Mercury dealers hated this car when it was new. (I tried to buy a new one back in 1986. The salesman talked me out of it. I really got the feeling that if I had dropped a wad of cash equivalent to the asking price on his desk, he still would have not sold me the car. It was surreal. He even told me a joke... A salesman goes into the office of the owner of a Lincoln / Mercury dealer. He tells the owner he has good news and bad news. The owner asks for the good news first. The salesman says "I just sold the Merkur we had sitting on the lot". The owner says "That's great! But what's the bad news?" The salesman replies "I sold it to your daughter.")

This car is being offered by a Lincoln dealer, which makes the lack of info in the ad very, very frustrating. Did this belong to someone at the dealership? Did they sell / service it since new? Are they one of the few dealers who knew how good the Merkur was and appreciated it? I guess if you want the answers and are thinking about spending top dollar for a Merkur, you can give them a call.

Located in Chambersburg, PA, click here to see the dealer's ad.

A big thanks to Gregory for sending me the link to this car!

1959 Hillman Minx

2011-10-20T12:15:00.001-04:00

If I'm reading this ad correctly this a restored Hillman Minx that's in need of a fuel pump.

The seller claims to have spent 8 years restoring it.

If it's everything it appears to be, the $1500.00 asking price is reasonable.

Located near Tuscon, AZ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this car.

1964 Volkswagen "Dunk Bus"

2011-10-19T19:50:00.006-04:00

This is not the usual type of JaCG post, but this VW is just too bizarre to ignore.

I have no idea what to write about it, so I'll just cut and paste the ad...

It is basically a 1964 VW bus that has been turned into a carnival style dunk tank. It's a lot of fun and a guaranteed crowd pleaser wherever it goes.You can rent it out to people for fairs and festivals, use it for partys or whatever you want to do with it. It currently has no engine so it has to be towed. It has no title but we will supply a bill of sale. We're asking $3,000 for it. For an additional $500.00, we'll throw in a running 1600 dual port engine.

Just when you think you've seen it all...

Located in Arvada, CO, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this vehicle.

1962 Renault Dauphine - An Easy Restoration?

2011-10-19T06:00:00.004-04:00

In the US the Dauphine was a direct competitor to the VW Beetle.

Unlike the Beetle, the Dauphine had 4 doors. The interior was relatively roomy and comfortable. The engine, like the VW's, was mounted in the back, but it was water cooled, meaning you actually got real, non-toxic heat in the passenger compartment. The ride was typically French comfortable. On paper it was twice the car the VW ever dreamed of being.

Too bad we don't drive on paper. In reality it was a nightmare. The engine was prone to overheating. Clutches failed at an alarming rate. The electronics were iffy. Worst of all, the dealers were completely unequipped to deal with the problems. They often lacked the parts needed to perform the simplest of repairs and, even when they had the parts, the mechanics were not well trained on how to work on the car.

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Dauphine, once the second best selling import in North America, gave Renault a poor reputation, one from which they never fully recovered.

This is a pretty impressive looking Dauphine. The seller days it needs a "complete restoration", but I've seen cars in much, much worse shape.

The seller includes a video (below) of the car running and it sounds pretty good. I can see no serious smoke coming from the tailpipe and it appears to be running on all cylinders. It's revving pretty high at idle, so a carb adjustment is probably in order. It also looks like it's going fairly slow for the engine speed, so it also may need a new clutch.

The interior is complete and not all that bad. The front seats need to be recovered and the steering wheel is broken, but the door panels and headliner look like they're in remarkably good shape.

The body, assuming it's not loaded with Bondo, is in very nice shape. Most of the trim pieces are still with the car. The rear window is missing, but the hard to find gasket and chrome trim are still there. The rear bumper will need to be replaced. I can't see any serious rust on the body or inside the trunk. Dauphines rusted badly however, and this car should be thoroughly check for bad rust repairs before you bid on it.

If this car is everything it appears to be in the pictures, it could be a real bargain and an easy restoration.

Located in Fraser, MI, click here to see the eBay listing.

1967 Sunbeam Alpine - A Very Nice Example

2011-10-17T18:34:00.002-04:00

This is a very nice, unmodified Alpine.

The Series V was the last of the Alpine roadsters. Unless you preferred the big fin styling of the earlier cars, it's the one to own.

The engine was a 1725cc, 5 main bearing version of the Hillman Minx engine. It produced around 93 HP. 60 MPH came in the 12 - 13 second range and it gave the car a top speed of over 100 MPH.

The Series V Alpine was also the first to come with an alternator. The interior was comfortable and well appointed. (Although all Alpines were comfortable and well appointed. Even early cars had roll up windows and standard heaters when the former were not available and the latter was optional on many UK roadsters.)

This car is an original spec, unmodified car. It's been repainted and some trim pieces have been replaced. The seller calls it "high quality driver".

Sunbeam Alpines used to sell for very little money. They were overshadowed by the Tiger and didn't have the name recognition of MG, Triumph, etc. That's all changed. They are now finally being recognized for what they are; a fun, good looking, relatively reliable, British roadster. The prices have risen accordingly.

Located in Orange County, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.
....

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my first British roadster was a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine.

Actually, my first and second British roadsters were Sunbeam Alpines. I drove the first one for less than 5 minutes before it was wrecked. I'm not kidding.

My grandmother worked for Rootes in Manhattan. When I was a kid I would spend hours thumbing through the brochures she would often bring to me. Before I was a teenager I knew I wanted a Sunbeam.

In the early 1980s I found one. It was in Methuen, MA, about an hour ride from my house. The seller had rebuilt the engine and welded in some patch panels. Basically, it needed a paint job and some tidying. I had a friend who was teaching me bodywork and I could use his "spray booth" (a cordoned off section of his garage) to paint the car. I paid for the car, got the title and told the seller I'd be back in a few days to pick it up.

I registered the car and few days later one of my employees, Mark, drove me to pick it up. I put the plates on it, fired it up and drove away from the seller's house.

This section of Methuen had very narrow streets with row houses and tenements on each side. As I was driving up the street I saw a pick up truck coming the other way. A young girl was driving it. She was laughing, waving and shouting at people in the windows of the top floors of the tenements. She was also drifting into my lane.

One of the things I didn't check before I bought the car was the condition of the horn. I pushed the horn ring. I think I heard something, but not much. The girl in the truck probably heard nothing. In a matter of seconds the pick up truck hit me head on. Mark, who was following me in his Honda, then hit the back of the car. (We never figured out whether he hit me, or if I was pushed into his car. It didn't matter, his car suffered no damage.)

I knew things weren't good even before I got out of the car. The hood was now obstructing the view out of the lower quarter of the windshield. The girl was screaming and crying. She kept saying "My dad is going to kill me". Maybe not. I was thinking of doing it first.

Someone in one of the tenements said they would call the police. I asked Mark to find a phone (this was pre-cell phone days) and call my girlfriend. Her dad ran a Cadillac / Oldsmobile dealership just a few miles away. I figured he had a wrecker and could pick up the Sunbeam. I also hoped he wouldn't mind storing it at his dealership for a few days.

According to Mark, my girlfriend at first thought the call was some kind of joke. After he convinced her that it wasn't, she called her dad, who sent a tow truck and said I could keep the car at his dealership for as long as I needed to.

There is a happy ending to this story. The girl's insurance company was clueless about the value of a Sunbeam. About a week later I got a call from them. The adjuster starts in about the pre-accident condition of the car. He went on and on about how it needed paint and the top was old and the carpet was faded, etc., etc., etc. He ended his spiel by saying that they couldn't give me much for the car. I was bracing for a fight. "How much?", I asked. He threw out a figure. It was $1500.00 more than I had paid for the car. I was stunned. Just to see what would happen, I told him that wasn't acceptable and asked for an additional $1000.00. He said no, but that he would give me another $500.00, but it would then be my responsibility to dispose of the car. I was now going to get $2000.00 more than I paid for the car a week earlier and get to keep it. I accepted the offer.

The car was eventually towed to my friend's garage. I thought maybe we could do the bodywork and get it back on the road. My friend (who used to run a professional body shop) declared it too twisted to attempt to repair.

I took out the drivetrain and a few other parts, hoping I could make a few more dollars by selling them. I then called a junkyard to pick up the carcass. The guy who answered the phone at the junkyard took all my info and the casually mentioned that they had just taken in another Sunbeam the day before. "Nice car", he said. "Got a hole in the block, though." (!!!) I asked him if he would not allow anyone to take parts off it until I had a chance to look at it. He said he'd hold it until the next day.

It turned out to be pretty nice. The top was gone and the interior was rough, but the body was straight and amazingly rust free. A deal was struck and instead of picking up my old Sunbeam, they wound up delivering another one to me.

It took about a month to get everything from my old car into the new one. The engine fired up on the first try.

I kept the car for about 2 years, eventually trading it towards a Triumph Spitfire.

The photos above are of the first Sunbeam. They were taken the day after the accident. The car was still at my girlfriend's dad's dealership.

The photo below is of the second Sunbeam, just as I'm about to start it for the first time. I'm looking a little maniacal with my oh-so-1980s full beard!

A Pair Of Opels (And They're Not GTs!)

2011-10-16T08:34:00.000-04:00

1974 Opel 1900 - This is not the most exciting Opel you'll ever see, but it's a nice survivor.

Although the seller doesn't say, it sounds like this is a one owner car. It has 74,000 miles on it. The body is in nice condition, but the seller says the weatherstripping is shot. The interior looks good. There are covers on the seats and the front seat headrests are missing. The seller say it runs good, but "the carburetor (should be) rebuilt or adjusted". Wrong. It needs to be replaced. A Weber conversion is the only way of curing an Opel's carburetor problems.

With its automatic transmission and lack of "fun" options, this is not a car you'd want to spend a lot of money on restoring. However, once you replace the carb, it could become a very cool "commuter classic".

Located in Boonsboro, MD, click here to see the eBay listing.

1975 Opel Ascona / 1900 Sportswagon - This one is a bit more of a project.

This is a station wagon version of the 1900.

This is a 1975 Opel, which means it originally came with a Bosch fuel injected 1900cc engine. 1975 was the last year for Opel in the US and the only year they came with fuel injection. (The performance of a FI Opel was very, very close to that of a BMW 2002. GM decided however that the American public didn't want small, performance oriented German sedans and discontinued the Opel line in North America. A few years later, after seeing BMW's sales grow to a point where they were too big to ignore, GM decided the answer was not an Opel, but the Cadillac Cimarron. It's a wonder GM stayed solvent as long as they did.) Unfortunately, this one lost its fuel injected engine at some point. It now has a carbureted (Weber, thankfully) 1900cc engine.

The bad news is the transmission. It's an automatic. The good news is that it's shot. At this point, since the drivetrain is not original anyway, you might as well convert it to a manual transmission.

The body looks solid, with just some surface rust. The pictures of the interior are dark, but it looks like it's complete.

I always liked the looks of the 1900 wagon. With a bit of bodywork and paint, along with a pair of European bumpers, this would be a great summer cruisin' car.

Located in Kennesaw, GA, click here to see the eBay listing.

1958 Skoda 440 - Save It From Becoming A Lawn Ornament...

2011-10-15T07:31:00.007-04:00

Skoda and Wartburg were the only Eastern European car manufacturers brave enough (dumb enough?) to attempt to market their cars in the US during the height of the Cold War.

They didn't sell many, but a few did manage to find homes. (Click here to see some amusing / scary mail directed at the car's importer, courtesy of wartburgusa.com.) This is one of those cars.

In 1958 the 440 was priced around $100.00 more than the standard VW Beetle. It came with a front mounted 1100cc engine. Like the VW, it was slow (top speed: 72 MPH, 0-60: 34 seconds), but got good gas mileage (35 MPG). The interior was - when compared to the VW - decently appointed and comfortable. By most accounts it was a well built, reliable car.

One of the coolest / oddest features of the 440 was the windshield and rear window being interchangeable.

This 440 is rough. Very rough. The seller was thinking of using it as yard sculpture. (He must have car geeks as neighbors.) It may be too far gone to be restored, but it looks to be fairly complete and most likely has some very usable parts. It's certainly too good to become sculpture.

Located in Saint Louis, MO, click here to see the eBay listing.

Jeep Viasa - Abandoned in Spain

2011-10-14T12:13:00.006-04:00

I'm still a little under the weather (I have what I've not so affectionately dubbed "the plague". The only good thing about it is my respiratory system is so blocked I haven't been able to smoke a cigarette in 3 days. Who knows? Maybe the plague will finally force me to quit smoking.), but I wanted to post something.

Iñaki is a Just a Car Geek reader from Spain. He sends me pictures of some of the incredible cars he finds when traveling around Europe.

This is another great find...

From his email:
In 1963 Jeep Viasa launched a SV van into the spanish market which was totally designed in Spain and without any equivalent in the range of the USA Jeep manufacturer. It had a good number of variations in its bodywork: paneled van, mixed van for passenger use or cargo, microbus, pick up...... and it has, of course, 4x4 traction.

The "Toledo" variation is the glass window version for passengers.
In the front you can see the Jeep brand printed on the metal.
From what I could see it was totally abandoned.

Very, very cool!

Thanks, Iñaki!

1991 Yugo - Lots of Flaws, Lots of Character

2011-10-10T08:54:00.002-04:00

Even people who like Yugos will admit that they were not great cars. They're slow, noisy, not well put together, not very reliable, and not especially fun to drive.

Zastava knew this too and right up to the very end of their run in the US they were trying to improve the car. After taking over North American distribution from Malcolm Bricklin , filing a reorganization bankruptcy and importing no cars in 1989, Yugo came back with this car.

While it was pretty much the same car, there were some changes. The most significant were the improvements to the drivetrain. The 1100cc carbureted engine was replaced by a 1300cc OHC engine with Bosch fuel injection. Just as significant was the transmission, which was now a 5 speed manual. Inside, the angle of the steering wheel was changed along with some interior trim, but the interior of the Yugo was still a fairly unpleasant place.

None of these improvements made the Yugo a great car of course, but they did improve reliability and made it more than tolerable to drive.

Even with this improved car, Zastava was doomed in North America. For most of the 1990s they were crippled by the UN, US and EU trade sanctions slapped on Yugoslavia. In 1999 NATO dropped a few bombs on the factory which, amazingly, didn't halt production, but certainly slowed it down.

I'll take some heat for saying this, but I like Yugos. I like them for no other reason than because they have personality and character. I mentioned that in an earlier post and JaCG reader, Alden, summed it up perfectly with this comment: "The things that gives cars character, are their character flaws".

This car, even with its "improvements" still has a ton of flaws and a ton of character. As I've said so many times before, that is something that is missing in today's cars.

Apparently, quite a few other people are starting to appreciate the Yugo's character. As I write this, this car - in good overall condition - has been bid up to $1500.00 by 9 separate bidders, with 3 days to go in the auction. For a car that was selling routinely for less than $500.00 just a few years ago, that's huge money.

Located in Shelby Twp, MI, click here to see the eBay listing.

The seller includes 3 short videos of this car in his ad, which you can find here, here and here.