Some trucks are painted yellow to stand out. Others are painted yellow because subtlety was never an option. This GMC Sierra C30, slathered in bumblebee (or taxicab?) brightness, goes a step further: it ditches the factory Detroit Diesel V8 for a Cummins 12-valve 5.9L 6BT turbo diesel mated to an NV4500 5-speed manual. The result […]
The Mercedes-Benz W123 platform was used to build a staggering 2.7 million cars in 4-door, wagon, coupe, and limo configuration from 1976 through 1986. Obviously a cheap version will have some flaws (like a rusty roof and busted engine) but with some time and care this wagon will once again terrorize the slow lanes in […]
This next car has a small turbodiesel engine and a 5-speed transmission that will seem a bit strange on the wild Interstates of America, but over across the pond, this is what they drive. Or drove, since they’ve now gone to automatic gearboxes and hybrids and electrics and other such nonsense. Anyway, the E290 is […]
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!
This next Previa looks so familiar at first glance, but falls apart under scrutiny. What’s up with those headlights? Is that wing stock? Why is it so narrow and skinny? Why are the bumpers so trim and tight to the body? Why does it have a postal truck backup mirror and a bumper mounted parking pole? The engine starts with the glack-glack sound of a turbo diesel 4-cylinder? White curtains and seat cover doilies? But the steering wheel on the right side is what gives it away — this is a sweet Japanese Domestic Market version of the Previa, known as the Estima Lucida and it comes with Lexus rims, a 3C 2.2 liter turbo-diesel, 4-wheel-drive and a manual gearbox. Looks like fun. Find this 1993 Toyota Estima Lucida offered for $13,890 in Canton, GA via eBay.
In Episode 2 of Season 9, the guys at Roadkill take a Ford Torino Wagon that is powered by a gigantic Cummins 6BT inline-6 under the hood… well… actually, it doesn’t have a hood. Anyway, the guys at Roadkill didn’t build it, but they did drag race it against another Cummins swapped classic American body-on-frame thing. You can find the episode on streaming on the Motortrend App, or you can watch this low-res bootleg version before it gets taken down. Anyway, that same Torino is now offered with the Cummins diesel and offered for sale. Find this 1972 Ford Torino Wagon offered for $9000 in La Habra, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
You probably know that Audi/Volkswagen diesels as the modern and fuel efficient machines that cheat on emissions tests, but there was a time when Audi was known for cars that accelerated without warning (warning that youtube link has the most awesome vintage commercials but you can also watch this awesome Audi PR film with an detailed rebuttal by Bobby Unser)…but these next two cars aren’t going anywhere fast. First they were equipped with an 84 horsepower 2.0 liter inline-5 turbocharged oil burner. It wasn’t as slow as the non-turbo cars from 1980-82, but after a few decades in a barn…these things are not going anywhere quickly. Find these 1983 Audi 5000 TD s (two of them) offered for $600 in Pittsfield, MA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The 6.0 liter Powerstroke V8 was introduced to the Ford SuperDuty pickup in 2003 and it packed quite a turbodiesel punch. In 2005, it was further upgraded to 325 horsepower and 570 ft-lbs of stump pulling torques — which is very nice when matched to a 6-speed manual box. Find this 2005 Ford F-350 6.0L PowerStroke […]
The Mitsubishi Delica was a compact Japanese van with unibody construction, a mid-engine RWD or 4WD drivetrain, and a smattering of engine options. These were sold in North America under the creative model names Van and Wagon, and only lasted a few years here (1987-1990). Those were basic cargo and people mover versions, but if Mitsu […]
The Silverado name first appeared on the side of a Chevy pickup in 1999 on the replacement for the 75-98 Chevrolet C/K pickup, but there were two different versions of the Silverado. The first is a light duty version that could be purchased in 1500 and 2500 versions, but there was heavy duty version that […]