Reports of the death of the manual gearbox are a frequent occurrence in the mainstream automotive press, as is death of the internal combustion engine. But I feel that these reports are exaggerated, or at least over-hyped for the savvy used car buyer in the audience…which is all of you guys and gals. I expect […]
This next car comes from the seller and is described as “something special”…which is an understatement when you consider this is one of the only manual transmission equipped diesel wagons you’ll ever see. Sweet! Find this 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300D W123 offered for $13,500 in Santa Monica, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On! From the […]
Who donates a car that looks this nice to a salvage yard? I get when you have a car that doesn’t run/drive and an older owner…it’s gotta go…but this thing runs/drives and looks amazing for the age. I don’t like dealing with craigslist flakes or furrin scammers on the facemeltbook, but you could get a […]
In 1992 you could get a number of different configurations of the ninth generation Ford F150, but today’s version is something interesting that I’d never seen before. Basic spec of a ’92 F150 started with Custom, but you could upgrade to the XL, or the XLT, or the Nite version you see here. The Nite […]
For better or worse, the manual transmission is going away. It will probably be gone before California bans the internal combustion engine, but I’m gonna miss it. However, it will make you happy to know that you will be able to buy a used car with a manual gearbox for many years…well, until they ban […]
Somebody said something about manual transmission wagons…oh yeah, I just featured a Honda Accord wagon that will get classic wagon lovers in a tizzy. But this next car isn’t a some boring and reliable Accord, this is an exciting Volvo covered in red paint and sporting a high pressure turbo. Find this 1998 Volvo V70 […]
I know what you are thinking…the guy’s at DT have jumped the shark. A base model Honda Accord from the 7th generation (2003-2007) has all of the appeal of a well done t-bone steak from Sizzler. The Accord’s exterior styling is so thoroughly boring that I fell asleep TWICE when writing this feature…but pop the […]
The Volvo 850 was introduced in 1991 as a replacement for the aging 240 Series Volvo that had been the standard for all things boxy but good since 1974. While the 850 brought additional Volvoish safety features like a side impact protection system and self-adjusting front seat belts, it ditched the longstanding rear-wheel-drive architecture that […]
If someone asks you to name an all-wheel-drive Japanese modern classic with a manual gearbox, most people start listings things from the Subaru, Mitsubishi, or Nissan…but the truth is that Toyota probably built more all-wheel-drive cars than any of those specialty makers, mainly because they built a bazillian cars over the years. Today’s example is […]
The Z32 generation Nissan 300ZX is a good looking car in any color, but I think Sapphire Blue is one of the better shades to get. It compliments the Isao Sono and Toshio Yamashita design well — better than the popular silver/gray or the bold red and whites you’ll see around. This next example appears […]