Happy Halloween to all DT readers out there: Those who are still young enough to dress like a super hero, and those who are still young enough to dress like an idiot (male) or harlot(female) and, of course, those who are old enough to look like a ghoul without dressing up. Today is the scariest day of the year because we feature horrorods, so I’ll just put this 1994 Chrysler LeBaron offered for $1000 in Reno, NV via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The Acura Legend wasn’t a car that pushed the boundaries of technology, speed, style or anything…but it did ease into the next boundary with a whimsical smile on its face. It also didn’t make much of a splash when it was launched, but I can guarantee that engineers at BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi freaked out when they discovered the fit-finish-and-finesse of Acura’s luxury sport coupe/sedan entry into what was exclusively a German marketplace. The world of luxury cars has not been the same since. The asking price on this next example is eye watering…but just look at the condition…it’s cleaner than a freshly sanitized shopping cart handle. Find this 1991 Acura Legend 3.2 L with 5-speed offered for $14,500 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
This next car comes as a tip from Art C who writes; 4×4, 3/4 ton, 350, 4 speed, AZ truck with zero rust…$5k cash gets it for ya. Great unique dd work/cruise truck, or resto-mod it on the cheap with a cleaned up engine bay, bolt ons, cam, wheels and a drop… and get $15k for it…Probably bring $7k in new england/ny as is. Yes, this is indeed a sweet old truck and could probably be restored and flipped, but I think I’d just keep it as is and drive it. Find this 1979 Chevrolet K20 3/4 Ton offered for $5,900 in Tucson, AZ via craigslist.
I am constantly amazed at how much Fiat-Chrysler-Daimler-Stellantis can charger for a new Jeep Wrangler. The things start at $28k MSRP but can exceed $50k with options. Really, people are willing to shell out $50k for a car built on a chassis designed during WWII? For my money, I’d get 10 used Wranglers for the same amount of cash…or just one Wrangler and save the cash for a getaway home in the high desert somewhere. Find this 1988 Jeep Wrangler offered for $4400 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
Sometimes you find a car that must be a good deal because it is offered at a fraction of the cost of the parts to build it, nevermind the builder/seller’s time involved. This next truck is one of the millions of the third generation C/K trucks built by Chevy over a 19 year production lifespan (1972-1991)…but it has a diesel title and a built 402 ci big block under the hood — not a bad combo for California if I say so myself. Find this 1982 Chevrolet C20 Scottsdale offered for $8999 in West Hills of the SF Valley, CA via craigslist.
If you think we feature too many BMWs on the pages of Daily Turismo, rest assure it isn’t because we are closet BWM fanboys…no, it is because we are fully open about our BMW fanboyishness. It is simple, while other major luxury OEMs decided that the American market in the early 2000s only wanted slushbox equipped luxury sedans (Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Acura, Cadillac, etc), the guys over at BMW decided that perhaps some people wanted manual gearboxes, and wagons. Of course they will still only be offered in lame shades of white/black/grey, but at least getting a wagon with a stick is an option in BMW. Ultimately, BMW didn’t sell many of these (1 of 429 according to the seller) so you can’t buy a NEW BMW with a manual in a wagon body today (meh, don’t blame me, I don’t buy any new cars…oh…wait…maybe you can blame me…) but you can find used ones for sale, occasionally. Find this 2007 BMW 328iT Wagon offered for $13,500 in Napa County, CA via craigslist.
Back when I was in college, I a friend who always drove when we went on a road trip. It wasn’t because he was the best driver or had the biggest or nicest car…no it was much more simple than that. He had the car that would always get us to our destination and back… and his car was a mid 80s Subaru Leone wagon. It didn’t have a turbo or all-wheel-drive like today’s example, but it always got a load of college kids to/from a concert, camping, or wherever college kids needed to go. He sold the car years ago, but I can only assume it is still being used by college kids to get around, or at least I hope it is. Anyway, if you want to make a political statement get a Tesla, but if need a car to get you places, get this 1985 Subaru Leone Turbo AWD offered for $6,000 near Santa Cruz, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
When Dodge released the SRT-4 version of their Neon econobox, the SRT (Street and Racing Technology) group did so with an extended middle finger to the automotive establishment. BMW could take their rear-wheel-drive balance and shove it — Subaru could put their all-wheel-drive grip where the sun don’t shine — and Audi put their refinement up their nose if it could reach that high. The SRT-4 Neon was a front-drive line walking burnout machine with a frontier wagon interior and all the class of Dale Watson singing “I Lie When I Drink” and all the subtlety of Johnny Cash signing “Cocaine Blues.” I have to admit that as a used car junky I salivated at the idea of the SRT-4s hitting their depreciation curve and you can get this 1 of 1175 ACR edition examples (the ACR added wider wheels/tires, lowered ride height, thicker rear sway bar, adjustable shocks, and other stuff) for next to nothing. It is indeed a big upgrade in speed/performance/fun versus the basic Neon we posted the other day. Find this 2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4 ACR offered for $6000 in Las Vegas, NV via craigslist.
It is hard to argue with the dollar per pound proposition of a used classic– particularly when the car is clean and in great condition. It isn’t that I’ve got anything specifically against new cars, it is just that used cars offer so much more per dollar. Just look at this next thing. You can’t find a car half as cool at a new car dealer for ten times the price. And while it might not conform to the latest fuel economy standards or offer apple car play…ehhh…who cares, a real pimp don’t need Waze or Google Maps telling them where to go anyway. Find this 1982 Lincoln Mark VI offered for $6,500 in Glendale, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
This next yellow thing comes from tipper JB1025 who writes; Toyota Corolla super low miles Cleaner then Skeeter’s Peter. Is it worth this money ? Hard to find this clean! I’ve answered this question before, but I’ll ask again; Why is it that the nicest preserved classics are always equipped with automatic transmissions? Because the […]