1980-2000
A few years ago a friend asked for recommendations for a late model 4 seat convertible and as I did the requisite research, I discovered that there aren’t that many convertibles with back seats. They do exist and, oddly enough, Mercedes-Benz built quite a few in the past few years with its S-Class, E-Class, C-Class […]
If you don’t believe in wormholes and alternate universe theories, this next car might change your mind. It is the ultimate in bearded Spock mind chicanery and it includes many elements that would seem normal in a mildly altered universe. Fastback Miata…sure. Stars and moons on door inserts…why not? Matching stars and moons on gauge […]
The Porsche 924 Turbo isn’t an expensive car when crossing the auction block nowadays, particularly in comparison to the 911 or anything with more initials behind its badge. The Porsche 924 was first released in 1976 as an example of what a simple engine and light chassis can achieve together. Unfortunately, a decent quantity of […]
This next car comes as a tip from Vanman in Toronto who writes: I got this e-bay ad this morning and it sounds like a neat car as a second car, but I would suggest trying a test drive in Texas before bidding. I have a 1988 Porsche 924S myself and have always wondered about an engine swap like this? I also don’t see the black paint on the outside, it looks to me like a grey cover? Still, it might be a great toy. Just too far for me to check out at this time. Find this 1988 Porsche 924S bidding for $1,050 reserve-not-met with 3 days to go, located in San Antonio, TX via ebay.
It might seem odd to suggest a Porsche as a first car for a young driver, but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that this next car could be a great first car for a teen. Let’s get past the concerns about speed, because with 160 horsepower (when new…) this thing is going to be slower than a late model V6 Camry. Porsche quality means that when things break, they will be expensive, but well engineered and interesting to fix. Except the odometer gear, why in Stuttgart would you make that thing out of biodegradable plastic? So, I recon that when grandma donates her used/abused Hyundai to the kid as a first car, you should sell it immediately and buy a 944. Find this 1984 Porsche 944 offered for $4500 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
When I saw this next Porsche 928 with an LT1 I had the suspicion that I’d seen this car before…but it wasn’t fully confirmed until I saw the red/black piping on the seats. This car was featured for $5k in July of 2020 when it needed some work to pass smog. Today it is located a few hundred miles north of the previous owner, but it looks interesting even with some added price. Find this 1979 Porsche 928 with LT1 offered for $7500 in Dublin, CA via craigslist.
The seventh generation Impala was launched in 1994 in SS trim, which meant power from a 260 horsepower LT1 borrowed from the Corvette. Unfortunately the Impala SS didn’t come with a manual gearbox and was only available with GM’s 4-speed 4L60E slushbox, but this next car has a T-56 manual 6-speed gearbox and is slammed to the ground with an air ride suspension. If it isn’t stock…it might as well be wild. Find this 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS offered for $26,500 near Phoenix, AZ via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
Loony Labor Day wouldn’t be complete without featuring a vehicle that could be used to smuggle booze or people across state lines…and in this next car you could smuggle intoxicated people with ease. My only gripe is that the seller doesn’t include a good picture of what is going on with that tanker back end…but behind the cab appears to be a sound insulated sleeping area. But there is a photo with people standing up in the “tank” area, so it appears to be a platform, but some clarification is needed. Find this 2000 Ford F350 Tanker Truck offered for $18000 buy-it-now or make-offer located in quirky Albuquerque, NM. Tip from Hugh.
When I first saw the cover shot of this next car…I didn’t know what it was. Not exactly, at least. I knew it was a GM 90s front-drive econobox, but like a small pile of earthworm vomit, it is moderately undesirable, but not as nasty as racoon scat. But I still didn’t know what kind of 90s GM product I was looking at until I saw the badge on the back and was surprised to see the legendary Monte Carlo badge. Somewhere between the old G-body Monte Carlo and the NAHSHCARR styling inspired thing released in 2000 there was a Lumina/GrandPrix/Cutlass that was as boring as the line at the DMV…but almost boring enough to be interesting. Find this 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS offered for $6,150 in Phiadelphia, PA via eBay.
et it. A diesel powered Audi 5000S is going to be slow…really slow. But it has to be faster than a Rabbit diesel and that was one of the most memorable cars I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning/driving. And before you get the idea of LS1 swapping it or putting in a new 600 horsepower Audi inline-5 from an RS-somethingorother, note that this car has rust. So this is the car that you need to just fix the described piston ring issue (maybe new rings, maybe some Marvel Mystery Oil and a case of Seafoam…I dunno, we’ll see where the weekend takes us) and drive it till your wife starts complaining about all of the cars you own. All I can say is — that is the cleanest engine bay in a $1000 car I’ve seen in decades. Find this 1981 Audi 5000S Diesel offered for $1000 in Colorado Springs, CO via facedasher marketbeans. Tip from Mark.