Weekend Quickies

1991 VW Vanagon Carat w/ 250 hp Audi Turbocharged Motor - While I have been known to occasionally listen to a Grateful Dead CD (American Beauty is a brilliant album), I've never worn tie-dye and I've never had a desire to own a Volkswagen van. Part of that just changed...

I still don't see myself wearing tie-dye, but I could see myself in this van.

This is a really nicely customized 1991 VW Vanagon. The VW engine has been replaced by an Audi 5 cylinder turbocharged engine. The seller writes that the vehicle has been "set up as a custom South African type speed wagon w/ SA front grill, upgraded/vented front brakes, H&R lowering springs, new Bilstein shocks, and '91 Audi B3 Turbo charged and intercooled 5 cyl motor w/ 7,500 RPM redline." All the work was done professionally by a shop in Oregon.

The coolest thing about this van is the looks you'll see on the faces of kids in their modified rice rockets as your VW van leaves them in the dust.

Click here to see the eBay listing. The seller includes some good, clear pictures and lots of information.

1976 Mercury Capri II Ghia - Back in the early 1980s I dated a girl who owned a Capri. I had my Opel GT at the time, which, while a great car, had no trunk and limited room behind the seats. When went anywhere that required us to carry anything bigger than a 6 pack of Pepsi, we took the Capri. I always drove. The Capri was a ton of fun to drive and, with its V6, quicker than my Opel.

Built by Ford of Germany, Ford imported a lot of these cars. But, like so many cars that were common in their day, very few remain. Like so many 70s cars, rust took its toll (Chris' car, although maybe only 6 or 7 years old at the time, was starting to show some serious rust)

This car, while in need of restoration, appears to be rust free. The seller claims the engine was rebuilt and there are some rare performance parts on it.

A Capri will never get you the instant respect that a BMW 2002 will get you, but, as the seller states, "the car has a lot of potential and would make a great 'sleeper' and daily driver." A very fun daily driver at that.

Click here to see the eBay listing.

1962 Fiat 1500S - This is pretty interesting. This is a Fiat 1500S. The good looking body was designed by Pinninfarina, but what makes this car really interesting is the engine. The engine was developed by OSCA, which was owned by the Maserati brothers.

According to the seller there were only 80 of these cars made.

This car is in need of total restoration. The upside is that all the parts, except for one hubcap, are still with the car. The downside is rust and plenty of it.

This is not a project for the faint of heart, but it's a car that deserves to be restored.

Located in Orlando, FL, click here to see the eBay listing for this car.