DailyTurismo

September 3 2021

Cheaper Beater: 1981 Audi 5000S Diesel

DailyTurismo Modern Classic 5000, 5000S, Audi, Diesel, German, Slow 1

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.

August 3 2021

Somewhat Mobile Storage Pod: 1972 Mercedes-Benz O309D Omnibus

DailyTurismo Classic Bus, Diesel, Mercedes-Benz, O309D, Omnibus 3

What has….a diesel engine, manual gearbox, UNIMOG off-road chassis, and seating for 22 people? If you said “my dream vehicle,” then this next feature might just make your day. But for the rest of us who don’t have storage for a giant vehicle that leaks as much oil as it burns, this is mostly a curiosity. Find this 1972 Mercedes-Benz O309D Omnibus offered for $12,000 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.

August 2 2021

Twofer: 1985 Peugeot 505 D Turbo Station Wagon

DailyTurismo Modern Classic 505, Diesel, Peugeot, Slow, Turbo Diesel, TurboDiesel 6

When you see a car and think to yourself “wow, I’m glad this comes with a spare car” you should probably stop and think carefully about your purchase. Because, as a rule, cars that come with a spare car are ones where the parts availability is limited to what you can find in the homebrew junkyard in your front yard. However, according to a guy I know who grew up in Africa, the 505 was the last reliable Pug to leave the factories in wherever they were built. I think Jeremy Clarkson might have said the same thing, but he doesn’t have the same street cred as a guy who grew up in Addis Ababa. He probably told me some other things about the diesel powered Peugeot, but I should probably should pay more attention when people tell me things. Find this 1985 Peugeot 505 D Turbo Station Wagon offered for $3900 in Fortuna, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

June 17 2021

The Sketch Factor: 1976 Mercedes-Benz 300D

DailyTurismo Classic 300D, Diesel, German, Mercedes-Benz, Turbo Diesel 10

I’ve bought some rough cars over the years — many of them that needed help getting home, but I’ve always been keen on getting a good title and a set of matching keys. This next car comes with neither of those things…or if it does have keys, you need a new ignition switch. It is not likely that this car is stolen, but I don’t believe that “out of the DMV system” is really a thing in California (although it might be a thing in the wild state of Nevada)…but the sketchiness factor to asking price is…ummm…not bad. Just watch your back when heading to a remote desert meet-up spot with $1400 in cash. Find this 1976 Mercedes-Benz 300D offered for $1400 in Pahrump, NV via craigslist.

May 18 2021

Sweet Hauler: 1993 Ford F-350 Car Carrier

DailyTurismo Modern Classic Diesel, F-350, Ford, International Harvester, Turbo Diesel 3

This next car comes as a tip from FuelTruck who writes: F-350 retro car carrier. For the person who wants an unbreakable workhorse to move his racecar(s), or just make a couple of extra bucks on the side hauling other people’s projects out of garages, barns, cow pastures, etc. And you’ll be able to haul plenty of stuff with the 7.3 liter International turbo diesel with a manual gearbox. Find this 1993 Ford F-350 offered for $12,500 in Bluffton, SC via craigslist.

May 15 2021

7.3 PowerStroke Diesel: 2001 Ford Excursion XLT

DailyTurismo Late Model Diesel, Excursion, Ford, PowerStroke, Turbo Diesel 4

This next car comes as a tip from FuelTruck who writes: The seller doesn’t include much info on his engine, but these 7.3 liter Powerstrokes are legendary for their reliability. Typically this truck would be selling for another 10k (at least) on a dealer’s lot. Buy and drive, or flip for a healthy profit. Find this 2001 Ford Excursion XLT offered for $8,500 in Concord, CA via craigslist.

April 26 2021

Hugh’s Truck: 1991 Dodge Ram 250 Cummins Diesel

DailyTurismo Modern Classic Cummins, Diesel, Dodge, Ram 41

This next car come as a seller submission from Hugh, who wants $500 or trade for Miata for his truck: It is time to deaccession this Dalton highway spec Dodge Ram 250 Cummins turbo diesel pickup from the family fleet. My uncle, who crewed on the Garretson Enterprises LeMans ( Paul Newman) and IMSA (1981 24 Hours of Daytona win with Bob Garretson Brian Redman and Bobby Rahal ) teams, drove on the one lap of America a few times, and did the great American cross country race in a Studebaker Indianapolis race car and numerous other auto adventures, bought this for a trip to the Arctic circle because he really liked driving to out of the way places.

April 1 2021

Slow Boat: 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel

DailyTurismo Classic Diesel, German, Rabbit, Volkswagen 2

The Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel is the slowest car you will ever drive. It will get you something near 50 mpg in fuel economy, but the 52 horsepower 1.6 liter diesel is such a gutless pile of scrap iron that you will have a hard time beating a UPS truck to 60mph. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you from enjoying a driving experience that is as pure as they get — unassisted power steering and pizza cutter tires keep you completely informed of the road conditions. Find this 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel offered for $4,500 in Alameda, CA via craigslist.

March 10 2021

Bulletproof Mobile ATM: 2007 Ford E350 Van

DailyTurismo Late Model Diesel, E350, Ford, PowerStroke, Turbo Diesel, Van, Zombie Proof 2

There are a few thoughts when it comes to armoring or protecting valuable assets — one is to lower the visibility of said asset, and the other is to armor it up. If an old dirty van filled with cash is the equivalent of a camouflaged sniper, then this bulletproof ATM is the Maginot Line. However, if you covered up the ATM signs, you could probably use this 6.0 PowerStroke diesel equipped beast as a sweet weekend/camping vehicle, and double as a zombie apocalypses survival vehicle too. Find this 2007 Ford E350 Van offered for $22,995 in Corona, CA via craigslist.

March 9 2021

German Taxi Style: 1995 Mercedes-Benz 250C Diesel

DailyTurismo Modern Classic 250C, 5-speed, C-Class, Diesel, German, Mercedes-Benz, W202 3

This next car comes as a tip from Cory who writes: This is the modern equivalent of the W123 and these W202 cars are all over Europe still to this day. Yup, the basic package of the W202 was rugged and durable, particularly when compared to the overly electronicated throw-away Daimler-Chrysler era cars. When the W202 becomes old enough to be collectable, expect oddball Euro imports like this one to demand a premium. Find this 1995 Mercedes-Benz 250C Diesel offered for $6999 buy-it-now in Columbus, OH via eBay.

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