I know that we featured another Kammback Vega the other day, but that was a special Yenko Stinger tribute with a Buick V6, but today’s example is a bone stock survivor. So, how do you like your Vega wagons, modified or stock? Find this 1974 Chevrolet Vega Wagon bidding for $7,177 in Woodland, CA via ebay with 1 day to go. Tip from Rock On!
We posted a nice E39 the other day that had two things wrong with it — first it wasn’t a wagon, and second it had two too many cylinders. I know the 4.4-liter V8 (why didn’t they call it a 544i…eh?) in the 540i is a sweet piece of machinery, but it isn’t an inline-6, and BMW is known primarily for its supremacy with the inline-6. Smooth, fuel efficient, and long is an inline-6 and BMW has made some of the best ever produced. So if you are going to step back into a 90s BMW, why not make it a wagon (that is grounded to the ground low) that is manual gearbox and inline-6 equipped, because BMW didn’t make a manual V8 wagon for the USA market. Find this 1999 BMW 528iT Wagon E39 offered for $11,995 in Los Gatos, CA via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.
This next car is an oddball. It isn’t sporty or fast, or cool, or sexy…but it is special. First you’ve got to admit that any wagon with rear facing seats is something special…and then you’ve got to honor the souls of all the muppets who were killed and skinned to cover those seats. And finally, this is a Hunsbloger approved Sable — the corporate cousin of the Ford Taurus that is both cheaper and more interesting than the Taurus bidding for a pittance with a few days to go. Find this 1992 Mercury Sable LS Wagon bidding for $2200 in Tucson, AZ with 3 days to go via carsandbids.com.
The Audi A3 was released into the US market in 2005 with the sporty Sportback 5-door model. They were hot, hot, hot when new — I had a friend who purchased one sight unseen from the dealer because he was so obsessed with the shape. He later returned the car to the dealer for a large restocking fee plus a new A4 because he hated the seats — he says they were as comfortable as a concrete park bench…I sat in the car, they felt like seats to me. The rest of the car was on-par with any of the best German cars from the era, and you hardly notices the front wheel drive platform. Anyway, even though it was just a Golf in Horch fur, the A3 was the hot hatch to get in the late 2000s, but they are cheap today. Find this 2009 Audi A3 Sportback offered for $6,500 in Mountain View, CA via craigslist.
This next car comes as a tip from Jim H who calls it an “honest ad” with “Hallmark card pricing.” Hallmark greeting cards might be expensive for greeting cards, but they are assuredly cheaper than the average Mercedes-Benz wagon, let’s take a closer look. Find this 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300TE Wagon offered for $1499 in Pittsfield, MA via craigslist.
The Chevy Malibu was a forgettable midsized sedan from the 80s and not worth a second glance…unless someone has shoved a giant 454 cubic inch V8 under the hood, painted the bumpers, and do some massive burnout in the advertisement photos. Today’s feature has been transformed from Maliboring to Malibadass. Find this 1983 Chevrolet Malibu Wagon offered for $9,500 in Boston, MA via craigslist.
When this next car came into DT’s mailbox, I recognized something…and it wasn’t the car. It was the location. I’d seen this rooftop parking structure with another well preserved Japanese wagon…ahh, here it is; the ’89 Corolla All-Trac Wagon from a few months back. It seems we have a connoisseur on our hands. The seller is either an enthusiast who is thinning his collection, or a flipper who buys these things from grandma and then wheeler dealers them on craigslist for a tidy profit. Find this 1990 Toyota Camry offered for $5,700 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
The 900-series platform was the final iteration of Volvos front-engine rear-drive sedan/wagon platform that started with the 140-series in 1967 (which itself was derived from the Amazon/120 platform which launched in 1956 based on the previous PV444…you see where this is going). Regardless, the V90 was the final name put on the back of a rear-wheel-drive Volvo with properly positioned drivetrain and the only logical choice if you want to shove a V8 under the hood and chew anybody’s ass from 20 to 100. This might not be the legendary third Newman-Letterman V8lvo, but it is offered for a price that isn’t insane and should be great to haul around your family. Find this 1998 Volvo V90 with LS-swap offered for $13,900 in Laguna Niguel, CA via craigslist. Tip from Cory.
One thousand smackeroos doesn’t get you much in a used car these days…it barely gets you a set of tires, to be honest. However, this next Volvo is offered for one crispy Ulysses S Grant plus a ten Benjamin Franklins…that’s less than $0.33 per pound. Cheaper than a frozen turkey. And like a Butterball, this thing won’t pass CA smog check without some fixin. Find this 1984 Volvo 245 offered for $1,050 in Richmond, CA via craigslist.
The world as changed a great deal in the past 6 months. Buying habits, selling habits, living habits, hygiene habits …just about everything has changed in some fashion due to the coronavirus, except for the awesomeness of a Wagonstang. Because a first generation Mustang converted into a sedan delivery vehicle transcends even the worst plague of the 21st Century. It isn’t in the best shape, but it’s not like Mustang Shooting Brakes are easy to find. Find this 1966 Ford Mustang Wagon offered for $8900 in San Diego, CA via craigslist. Tip from Fueltruck.