Just A Car Geek

1965 (Wink, Wink) VAZ "Russian 4X4 Jeep"

2012-02-23T11:45:00.000-05:00

From "guest writer", Blair Russell...

Would you believe that there's a titled 1992 UAZ 31512 on sale in the United States?

The UAZ 469 is a famous off-roading Jeep clone from the Soviet Union which is well-known for being both reliable and a serious off-roader. Introduced in 1973, the 469 was renamed the UAZ-3151 for the military and UAZ-31512 for civilians.

The seller explains that he went to Moscow in 1992 to purchase the 31512 and then he exported it to Texas, titled as a 1965 so that he would be able to have it registered. In the seller's 20 years of ownership only 2447 kilometers (1520 miles) have been put on the 4X4.

While it is curious the seller says the vehicle was made by VAZ instead of UAZ-as the two Russian automobile manufacturers are distinctly different companies-it otherwise is a really rare opportunity to own a famous Russian vehicle in the United States, as long as you are able to fork over 18,000 bucks via the eBay buy it now feature or try to get it for less by placing a bit. The price seems ambitious but I suppose exclusivity will cost you a pretty penny, along with the opportunity to drive what may be the cleanest example of the vehicle you can find anywhere in the world.

Offered for sale by Houston Corvette Service, Inc., the eBay ad can be viewed here.
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Great stuff, Blair! Thanks! (And I agree, $18K is "ambitious".)

Behind the Wheel in the Free Republic of Northern California

2012-02-22T17:37:00.004-05:00

This is from "guest writer", Brandes Elitch. Brandes writes for Veloce Today.

(Photo courtesy of "Daffodil")

Behind the Wheel in the Free Republic of Northern California

I appreciated the recent article about driving in New Jersey. Here is a similar article on the driving experience on the Left Coast. Since I am from NJ originally, I can identify five differences, as follows.

-Roads. I live in Sonoma County, about 70 miles north of San Francisco. The roads are like something in the Third World. Our county has 1384 miles of roadways in the unincorporated areas outside of the nine cities. There is only enough money in the budget to maintain 150 miles of these roads; the rest will apparently eventually revert to gravel. Keeping them in shape would cost $55 million a year, ten times the county pavement repair budget. The problem is the distribution of revenues from the state gas tax, which at 18 cents a gallon, is low relative to other states. The state keeps half, and the other half is split between the cities and counties. Each of the 58 counties gets a share based 75% on the number of vehicles registered and 25% on the number of road miles. This is bad news for a rural county. What about property tax, you ask? Out of each dollar, 72 cents goes to the state; 28 cents goes to the county general fund, and a half cent goes to transportation and public works. Driving around our county, which gets 7 million tourists a year, reminds me of the old saying about driving a Morgan: to keep comfortable, you should keep an old piece of inner tube between your teeth. When we visit NJ, we are always astonished at the high quality of the roads there.

-Traffic Enforcement. One of the most amazing things about driving here is the danger of getting a very expensive ticket. The Sonoma County DMV shows 331,556 licensed drivers. In 2010, there were 80,485 traffic citations, almost a 1:4 ratio! Even more shocking is the cost – state and county assessments can increase the cost of a $35 ticket for running a stop sign to $234, and boost the cost of a $100 ticket for failing to yield for an emergency vehicle to $480. Speeders are the biggest violators, with cellphone users close behind. I got a ticket for making an illegal left turn, and the fine was $400. I told the judge he could send me to jail, but he sentenced me to work for 25 hours in the Goodwill store, where I spent $400 on the goodies which were unloaded every day. Did I mention that our gas prices are the highest in the US? When we visit NJ, we are surprised at how much cheaper the gas is there.

-Wrecking Yards. Here is one area where we have an advantage. Since my daily cars are all at least 20 years old, I need to get parts at our local Pick and Pull yard. Unlike NJ, where the wrecking yards are pretty messy, ours is as neat as a pin. When you walk in, the tires and batteries are all displayed indoors, carefully sorted. The yard is segregated by GM, Ford, Chrysler, import, Japanese, and truck. Each vehicle is up on wheel rims, with plenty of room around it, and many cars are completely unmolested. The yard is neat and clean, and even loans you hoists and carts, and has clean PortaPotties as well! I have some pretty obscure cars, and I can always find parts cars in the yard with what I need. They even have a for-sale lot, and they post the collector cars on Craigslist! It is a pretty sophisticated operation, and ecologically it is head and shoulders above anything else going on in the automotive world. Of course, the fact that it doesn’t rain between April and November means that the yard is clean and dry. Advantage: CA.

-Old Cars. You don’t see old cars on the road in NJ, but you do here. We don’t have an annual inspection like NJ, but we do have a smog test. However, if you live in the rural areas, where there is no smog problem, there is no requirement for a smog test, except when you first buy the car. This means that you can buy a car and drive it for decades without ever having it inspected. Actually, with all of the cars I have bought, I have only had one fail the test, and it was permanently labeled a “Gross Polluter.” It was an Alfetta GT, and it was my fault for failing to adjust the carburetion. While you don’t see as many old cars as you did when I moved here 30 years ago, you do see a lot of old trucks, which never seem to die. Advantage: CA.

-Rust. There is no rust in CA. ‘Nuff said.

Conclusion. I’m not sure you can draw any definitive conclusions, but if you drive old cars every day, I think that CA has an advantage.
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Brandes is a long time JaCG reader and a great writer. I'm flattered that he took some time to write and contribute this piece. Thanks, Brandes!

1977 Pontiac Grand Prix

2012-02-20T13:31:00.003-05:00

From "guest writer, Clint H.

I really like this car. To me, it epitomizes the late 70's Detroit styling that, although the emissions choked engines didn't produce big performance numbers, you could still get there in style.

Not much is said in the add but the seller does state the car is in original, excellent condition with only 60k miles.

1977 was the last year for the 3rd Gen Grand Prix's and the last year to be guaranteed a V8. Their were four options for engines and the seller doesn't state which is in the car but they all came with the three speed Turbo-Hydramatic auto.

Although more than 270,000 Grand Prix's were made in 1977, I doubt many are left with 60k miles or less and that look this good. This car would get a lot of attention at your local cruise-in. Well, at least more than an Oldsmobile Omega.

Located in Newnan, GA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.
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Thanks Clint!

Weekend Quickies - Saturday, February 18, 2012

2012-02-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

These are from "guest writer", Colin Stacy

1979 Fiat X1/9 - First off, Fiat X1/9s, while not that common in general, are well represented in Minnesota. Every summer, we have a Wheels of Italy car show, and there's usually 11 or 12 that show up.

This yellow example looks pretty good on the surface, but I did noticed a rather nasty dent in the driver's door. The seller says it needs some TLC, and insists that it could be a $5000 vehicle.

While that may be true, I've never seen a non-project for sale so I wouldn't know. I would much rather be seen in a $1500 sports car than some ragged Camry that's for sure.

Located in Apple Valley, MN, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1975 Chevy Vega GT - Ah, yes, the vehicle that (supposedly) rusted faster than it could leave dealer lots. Honestly, I think that may be a myth; I have always liked Vegas from a styling standpoint, but the mechanicals were a severe letdown. Thankfully, this one fixes that; gone is the pathetic little four cylinder, and inside the engine bay is shoehorned a 327. I've never driven or ridden in a Vega, but I can say that the 327 surely adds enough oomph to justify the GT badging.

Located in Fargo, MN, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

Thanks, Colin!

A Poem From Peter...

2012-02-19T05:59:00.002-05:00

This is great! This email arrived this morning...

My name is Peter DiBiase and I am in the 3rd grade at Kittredge Elementary School in North Andover, Massachusetts.

I love cars, and my dad has a 1988 BMW 325ic (convertible). I also love to draw cars, read about them and even write about them ! I am attaching a poem I wrote in school about a race. I hope you enjoy reading and publish it too ! (I am a big fan of your website, and yes ... Dan DiBiase is my uncle! He wrote the story about New Jersey drivers!)

Peter's poem:

“Race Car Show” by Peter J. DiBiase

I’m going to a race car show,
Engines roaring
Gears shifting
Transmissions humming
Lights flashing
Cars bashing
The smell of popcorn,
Waving over the track
I like the blue BMW
No, the yellow Porsche
Wait, the orange Chevy
Can’t pick a car
Doesn’t matter, though
Turn attention back to track
Race is ending
Cars stop crashing
And bashing
Orange Chevy wins
Crowd silent
Seems like I’m
Back in bed
Suddenly the crowd erupts
Into cheers
Fireworks spray into friendly
Colors
Driver climbs onto car
Throws something
Sails toward me
I catch it
It’s a signed paper on a rock
I wave thanks
I feel all happy inside and can’t wait
Till next race
...

Thanks, Peter!

When I was 9 I was writing about cars and drawing them, too. (My dad worked for GM. At around Peter's age, I would write all of my ideas about what types of cars GM should build and give them to my dad, hoping he'd somehow put my ideas into action. Given the troubles GM went through later, I'm not sure my ideas were all that bad...) I stopped drawing them because, believe it or not, my skills as an artist are even worse than my skills as a writer. You're never too young or too old to be a car geek! - Dave

2004 MG ZT-T 260 Estate

2012-02-18T07:40:00.006-05:00

From "guest writer", Richard Burgess.
...

I will never understand how this car ended up in the US, the dealer informs us that it’s “Completely Street Legal” and at one point I did hear that this was some top Phoenix employee’s press car. Either way, for $22k this is a steal.

The ZT-T 260 was the first Rover/MG to feature a V8 since the mighty SD1, this time it wasn’t a GM unit, rather the 4.6 V8 from the Mustang. Somehow, on a shoestring budget, the engineers were able to shorehorn the lump in the MG’s small engine bay, the same space used for the small 1.8 four cylinder. Then after converting the car from front wheel drive to rear wheel drive, various suspension and break modifications were also thrown into the mix.

The result was so close…the car was so close to motoring perfection, but it lacked one key ingredient, actual power. From the factory the 260HP was adequate, but the press wanted more, BMW were putting out 400HP with the M5 Touring, Audi with 335HP on the S6 or 444HP on the full fat RS6. Of course, the sticker price on the ZT-T was peanuts compared to its German counterparts, but if you can afford to run a V8 in Europe, the sticker price is of little concern, the badge however, is.

Add to the constant threat of bankruptcy of the MG/ Rover Group, these V8 monsters were left sitting on dealer forecourts, massive discounts couldn’t even tempt buyers. At the time my local dealer had the sticker at the same price as the top of the line Diesel and it still didn’t move. A sad end to such a promising car!

Find it on www.wirewheel.com.

...

Thanks, Richard! (Richard is a long time reader. His Mazda RX 7 and Datsun 280ZX have been featured here.) I would LOVE to own this MG. However, while I might be able to get used to the right hand drive, I could never get use to looking over my shoulder, waiting for the Feds to seize it. If you don't live in Florida - where apparently you can title damn near anything - buying this car would be a huge risk. - Dave

Why New Jersey Hates Cars

2012-02-17T08:58:00.003-05:00

This "guest writer" thing looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. Maybe I'll take more time off. ;-) This is from New Jersey resident, Dan DiBiase. It's a little different than what you're used to seeing on JaCG. Enjoy!

Why New Jersey Hates Cars

First off, let me state that although I am not a native New Jerseyian, in the 16 years I have lived here, I have come to enjoy it. (New Jersey is really more a state of mind than an actual physical place, although if you look at page 66 of my 2006 Rand-McNally atlas, you will indeed see a multicolored picture of a state claiming to be New Jersey.) But I digress.

The roads are not designed for cars in New Jersey. Have you heard of jughandles? No, those are not the protruding lumps of flab that stick out from your side, and I’m not talking ears. Jughandles are the way you turn left by going right in New Jersey. In other words, to make a left-hand turn, you must bear to the right on a curving road where you will just miss the green light to cross and therefore have to wait 10 minutes for it to change back to green.

Not a difficult concept to understand, and not a bad idea. The problem is that frequently, there are no jughandles and to turn left, you actually must ‘turn left’! This maddening lack of consistency causes you to have to straddle several lanes of traffic as you approach an intersection, until it becomes clear where you must go – whether to dart right to use a jughandle or shoot left to get into a left-turn lane. This causes many two-lane roads to become one-lane roads as drivers straddle both lanes in an attempt to keep their options open. Of course, if by some chance you cannot dart over to the right to use the jughandle and decide, ‘No biggie, I’ll just take the jughandle at the next intersection’, well, of course, the next intersection will have a left-turn lane which you will miss because you’re in the right-hand lane (behind a straddler) so you can get into the jughandle which isn’t there…. This could continue until you reach Bergen County or Delaware, depending upon your direction of travel.

Of course, you won’t know that you’re in Bergen County or Delaware because the signs indicating your location are probably faded to the point of obscurity. When I moved into the state, I wondered for months why they went to the trouble of hanging these large greenish-whitish boards next to the stoplights or on poles at intersections. Then a native told me they were the faded street signs. Oh.

Speaking of signs, New Jersey has a system of secondary roads that are maintained by each separate county (21 of them in NJ). These roads are marked by highly-visible dark blue signs with Gulden’s mustard-colored lettering, and they are approximately 12 inches by 12 inches in size and generally behind overgrown roadside vegetation. The Route numbers generally don’t show up on popular navigation sites such as MapQuest or Google Maps. The roads occasionally change route numbers when you cross a county line, and are more generally known by their street names (which also change). So, if you’re driving on Route 613 in Monroe, it will also be known more commonly as Spotswood-Englishtown Road in Spotswood or Devoe Avenue (also in Spotswood), depending on where you are. If you’re driving through Jamesburg and take a left onto County Route 612, it starts as Pergola and ends a few miles later as Matchaponix. Yet no one refers to it as Route 612! And while Beach Avenue in Cape May maintains it’s name on it’s entire length, because it is interrupted by erosion in the center, the part to the east is called West Beach Ave, while the part to the west is called plain old Beach Ave.

One of the major north-south roads in New Jersey is the Garden State Parkway. Being a Parkway, it is cars-only, no trucks. Umm, except for coach buses, which apparently are cars and not trucks. Except that they are extremely wide and the lanes on the GSP are slightly narrower than the norm (and your average full-size pick-up truck). Also, there are numerous bridges crossing the GSP, many of them an attractive stone-arched design. Of course, the height of the archway is tallest in the middle, so you can be cruising down the middle lane of the GSP at a leisurely 75, being passed like you’re standing still, when a bus blows by you. If you’re approaching one of these bridges, you need to immediately slow down as the bus will slew into your middle lane to ensure it will clear the bridge. Since you’re struggling to just stay in your lane because of the wake turbulence generated by the bus, it’s usually not an issue.

It is apparently a statute that all new developments in New Jersey have curbs made from Belgian block, which is a rough squared-off stone intended to decorate the side of the road and provide multiple, daily opportunities to shred tires and wheels. No other area I have lived in has as much of this miserable stuff. Having personally holed a tire when parking (albeit badly) at a doctor’s office, I can attest for the dangers inherent in Belgian block curbing. All four of the wheels on my Audi are marked, to various degrees, by their encounters with the curbs around the state. Because they even use it at the end of the driveway, I have a 3-inch lip that I have to negotiate just to park in my driveway (which I generally do looking over my shoulder to see if the neighborhood teens are screaming around the corner in their riced-up Civics as I inch my way over the lip).

Have you ever gassed-up in New Jersey? No, I’m not talking about the late, great Dayton Diner but our filling station industry. You know, the ones where you’re never allowed to pump your own gas? Admittedly, when it’s 10 degrees and the wind is howling, it’s certainly a benefit. But mostly it’s a curse to those of us that don’t like the sides of our cars stained and paint peeling from overflows and drips of gasoline from ham-handed pump jockeys. Or asking for premium and getting a tank full of regular rot-gut and having to live with the mistake through 350 rough-running miles. Or wondering why exactly they need your credit card when they start pumping, if not to run off 73 copies of illegal cards now sporting your credit card number.

One of the most exciting aspects of driving in New Jersey is the new driver’s road test. This is done on a road course set up next to specific Motor Vehicle Commission offices. The potential driver gets to navigate this road course with an evaluator sitting in the passenger’s seat, while the parent paces up and down on the walkway outside the test building, watching this process proceed, muttering under his breath ‘Use your blinker, use your blinker!’ ‘Slow down!’ Look both ways at the stop sign!’ And finally, the parallel parking! ‘Cut the wheel! Cut the wheel! Now the other way! No! NO! Too sharp an angle! Arghhh!’ I’m sure they have a defibrillator on site.

New Jersey is a wonderful place to live and visit, as long as you don’t have to drive here.
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Thanks, Dan!

1961 Hillman Super Minx

2012-02-16T12:22:00.003-05:00

From "guest writer", Richard Mendell.

This Hillman is a complete but tired example in that great automotive bazaar known as Florida. Not a lot about it on the craigslist ad, but it appears to be a complete and running example.

For those of you not familiar with this classic British marque, it was part of the (in)famous Rootes Group, also home to brands Humber and Sunbeam. This Super Minx was one of the last of the "all Rootes" vehicles though, as Chrysler would take over the company by the end of the decade.

This example clearly needs some attention. The exterior looks to be complete and straight, but whether the paint will clean up or not is an unknown.

The interior is similarly complete, although it appears to be filthy (look around the window cranks...egads!!!).

The seller promises: Runs and interior in good condition. All parts for engine, brakes and other accessories included. All new parts in box.

Hard to tell if that's a good thing or not, but if you want to be the only kid in town with a toy like this, here's your chance.

...

Thanks for the post, Richard!

Writers Wanted... Impress Your Friends (Not), Make Big Bucks (Definitely Not), Have Some Fun (Absolutley)

2012-02-15T12:27:00.010-05:00

Have you ever read this blog and thought "Hey, I can do what that guy does"? (And, if you're even remotely literate, not only can you do it, you can probably do it better than me.) Well, here's your chance.

The next week or so is going to be very busy for me. I'm not sure I'll have time to update this blog. So, I'm looking for a few "guest writers".

Here's the scoop... Write something in your own words, but in the Just a Car Geek "style"; not too critical, not too wordy. Include some pictures along with your text and email it to me. I'll take care of the rest.

Caveats: There is, of course, no pay involved here. You will get credit for writing the piece. (Let me know what name you want me to use.) I reserve the right to edit your article. Please don't write about some new fangled product you're trying to promote or a product website. That type of stuff won't get published. I may not be able to publish everything submitted to me. Don't take it personally if your submission doesn't get published.

That's it. Easy, right?

I've never done this before, so I have no idea what's going to happen. It will be a new experience for all of us!

1982 Oldsmobile Omega With Just 158 Miles

2012-02-14T06:00:00.004-05:00

"Either she never learned to drive, or right after she bought the car, she realized that she had bought an Omega and was too embarrassed to be seen in it!"

That was JaCG reader Dan's comment in the email he sent me with the link to this car. I love it!

This Oldsmobile Omega has just 158 miles on it. One-hundred-fifty-eight. I know people who put that kind of mileage on their car everyday, just going back and forth to work.

According to the seller, this car was "bought new in the spring of '82 by an old lady who never learned how to drive." Of course, if you're going to buy a car you'll never drive, you don't want to get a stripped model, so, "She ordered every option including all power options which is very rare for an Omega." I'll bet it is.

Except for the battery, everything in this car is original. The fluids are still original! The new car window stickers are still on the car.

There is one very odd thing about this car... If you look at the pictures, the bumper fillers are missing. No explanation is given.

Until this moment, my desire to own a 1982 Oldsmobile Omega was about the same as my desire to own a rabid dog. (Actually less. In general, I really like dogs.) But, there is just something amazing about a 30 year old, 158 mile car. If I had the spare cash and, more importantly, the spare space, I'd buy this car.

Located in Northern New Jersey, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1985 Audi 5000 S Station Wagon (Avant)

2012-02-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Right upfront I'll say that I think this car is over-priced.

I've always liked these cars. They have a very cool, unique station wagon / hatchback look to them.

The engine is Audi's 2.2 liter I5. It's not a rocket, but it's powerful enough to move the car at a reasonable pace.

These cars are fairly rare today. They were never big sellers in the first place, and value of Audi 5000s dropped to next to nothing after the "unintended acceleration" report on 60 Minutes. Many cars that could have (should have) been saved were scrapped.

This car has 86,000 miles on it. It looks to be in nice shape. However, it's a non-quattro, non-turbo, automatic. That makes it a fine commuter car, but for the asking price you can find plenty of other, far more entertaining cars to drive to and from work.

Located in San Diego, CA, click here to see the eBay listing.

Weekend Quickies - Saturday, February 11, 2012

2012-02-11T18:03:00.000-05:00

1984 Jaguar XJ6 - This is a story I've heard before... Guy buys a Jaguar XJ6. Spends big bucks restoring / repairing the Jaguar XJ6. Finds out that a perfect Jaguar XJ6 isn't worth a lot of money and a less than perfect one is worth much, much less. Sells the Jaguar XJ6 at a substantial loss. That's what happened to this guy.

If the ad is true, the seller spent over $13,000.00 restoring this car. He says the wheels alone are worth $1500.00 He's now trying to sell it for $2000.00.

Me? I'd sell the wheels for $1000.00, put another $1500.00 into it to make it right, and, for $2500.00, I'd have a pretty nice daily driver.

Located in Harrisburg, PA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this car!

1981 Datsun 510 - This was known as the Stanza in most of the world. In North America, Datsun / Nissan decided to call it the 510, to capitalize on the original 510, which was an impressive car with a great reputation.

The original 510 was pretty close to being a true sports sedan. It could easily hang with the BMW 1600. This version of the 510 was a low-priced family car. It was meant to compete with the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, which it did.

There are very few of these left in North America. They were cars that were used up and thrown away.

This one appears to be in nice condition and looks like it just had its oil changed. (Why leave that stuff in the picture???)

Located in Vancouver, BC, Canada, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Milo for sending me the link to this car.

1959 Goliath Empress Tiger

2012-02-10T18:07:00.003-05:00

I have to admit to knowing very little about this car.

Goliath was part of the German Borgward group, along with Borgward, Hansa and Lloyd.

This is the best I could find out about this car...

"The Goliath Empress was a more deluxe version of the Hansa 1100 standard sedan. In Europe it was called the Luxus. This car featured many of the high performance options also found on the Tiger Coupe. This included the more powerful 63 hp, engine with dual Solex carbs, higher compression ratio, and an integrated oil cooler (the standard engine was 46 hp). Interior features included: leather reclining seats, cigar lighter, electric windshield washer, radio and a horn ring on the steering wheel. Exterior options often included full wheel covers and wide whitewalls. Another distinguishing feature was that both the Empress sedan and Tiger coupe used white rubber moulding around the windshield, the standard Hansa used black rubber."

If you're looking for something unique and intersting to restore, this might be just the car for you.

Located in Mesa, AZ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1959 Fiat 1200 TV (Turismo Veloce) - Another Cool Fiat

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'd love to know if the seller gets his asking price for this car.

There was a time, not to long ago, that Fiat's horrible reputation in North America meant that any Fiat - no matter how rare or how cool - sold for next to nothing. Even Dinos could be had for well under $20K.

That doesn't seem to be true anymore. One of these - in spectacular condition - sold at a Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction for over $60,000.00 back in 2010.

This car is not in spectacular condition, but I don't think it would take much to get it there.

According to the seller, this car is "very solid, very original, very complete and in running condition." He goes on to state that "all of the impossible to find parts are with the car and in good restorable condition."

Located in Orlando, FL, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Tony for sending me the link to this car!

1967 Datsun 411 - An Unmolested Survivor

2012-02-09T05:59:00.000-05:00

There is very little info in this ad, but I had to point it out any.

The 411 was a Pininfarina design and had a European look to it. It was Nissan / Datsun's first real success in North America. In 1964, the year it was introduced (as the 410), Datsun sold over 100,000 cars in the US for the first time.

This car is an unmolested 42,000 mile survivor. The body is said to be solid. It has a new carburetor and brakes. It recently passed British Columbia's AirCare emissions test.

These cars came in two versions; PL411 and RL411. The PL411 had a single carb 1299cc engine that produced just 67 horsepower. The RL411 came with a 1595cc engine with dual carbs that produced 97 horsepower. Sadly, this car appears to be a PL411.

Even though it's not the faster RL411, this car is still remarkable for its original condition. Let's hope the new owner appreciates that and keeps it as is.

Located in Vancouver, BC, Canada, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Milo for sending me the link to this car!

1962 Fiat 2300 S Coupe - Rare and Beautiful

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. Is this a pretty Fiat, or what?

The 2300 line of cars were Fiat's upmarket cars throughout most of the 1960s. All 2300s came with a 2.3 liter straight 6 and many of the amenities you'd expect to find in a near-luxury vehicle. The sedan was designed by Pininfarina. It was boxy and - to my eyes - not bad looking, but not very exciting either. The coupe however, was something else.

Designed by Ghia, it was all curves and had a dramatic wrap-around rear window. The running gear was straight out of the sedan. Being a 2300S meant it had dual carbs. With that setup, the engine created around 136 horsepower (as opposed to 105 in standard 2300).

This 2300S Coupe is in very, very nice condition. It will be interesting to see how much it sells for.

Located in Moncalieri, Torino, Italy, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Michael for sending me this link!

1985 Merceds Benz 300CD - A Stylish Old Oil Burner

2012-02-06T14:24:00.007-05:00

Personally, I'm more of a fan of gasoline engines than I am of diesels.

But, there are plenty of diesel fans out there, and the oil burners do have some pluses. Diesels usually get better gas mileage than equivalent sized internal combustion engines and many will last well over 200K miles before ever needing any major work.

The durability of Mercedes' diesel engine is legendary. If treated well, they'll blow right past 200K and do 400K without too much fuss.

In the US we never took to diesels like the rest of the world did. Until recently, the few diesel engined cars that were offered here here were usually large sedans or small "economy" cars.

The 300CD is different. It's not a sedan, nor is it a small hatchback. It's a really stylish coupe.

The Mercedes W123 sedans are legendary. They are built like tanks. The same holds true for the coupes. Things just don't often break or wear out.

This 300CD is in very, very nice condition. I really like the color of it. Like most older cars, the 300CD was prone to rust - although not nearly as badly as other European cars from the same time period - but this one is rust free.

If you like old diesels and want something a little stylish, this car might be worth checking out.

Located in Cape Coral, FL, click here to see the eBay listing.

Weekend Quickies, Sunday, February 5, 2012 - All Turbos!

2012-02-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

1981 Porsche 924 Turbo (931) - Despite what you might hear from a few Porsche people, the 924 was not a bad car. It was what it was; an entry level Porsche. It wasn't as quick or as exotic as a 911, but it could compete with - or do better than - most other cars in its price range.

The 931 / 924 was Porsche's first step at bringing the car up to the level of performance people expected from a Porsche. Porsche used the same Audi 2.0 liter 4 found in the standard 924, but lowered the compression, used a different head and added a turbo. The difference in performance between the standard 924 and the 931 / 924 was dramatic.

This 931 / 924 looks to be in very, very good condition. It's been dealer maintained and has just 68,349 miles on it.

Located in Papillion, NE, click here to see the eBay listing.

A big thanks to Mike for sending me the link to this car!

1983 Mitsubishi Starion - Another cool turbo. Like the Porsche above, the Starion is a rear wheel drive car.

Mitsubishi - as a brand - has never been a big player in the US market. They sold quite a few cars with Dodge and Plymouth badges on them, but the Mitsubishi name itself never got the respect that Honda, Toyota and Nissan received. Car geeks know better, however...

The Starion is easily able to hang with the Porsche and outperforms the similar year Mazda RX-7 and the Nissan 300ZX.

This car is a nice survivor. It has just 88,000 miles on it. The asking price is $2800.00. If you don't care that most of the world won't know what you're driving or how good it is, this Starion seems like a hell of a bargain.

Located in Los Angeles, CA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Dan S. for sending me the link to this car!

1986 Maserati 425 - I'm not real sure why the seller is calling this an "Alfa Fiat replica". The 425 was essentially a 4 door Biturbo. It has all the considerable attributes and flaws of the Biturbo.

As long time readers know, I'm a huge fan of the Biturbo. They are not maintenance free cars, but they are not the nightmares that many people have made them out to be.

This car has 97,000 miles on it and recently had the timing belt and water pump done. (That is not an easy or cheap job on a Biturbo.) The seller says it has a few dings, but is presentable and everything works.

Located in Staten Island, NY, click here to see the eBay listing.

Weekend Quickies, Saturday, February 4, 2012

2012-02-04T06:00:00.002-05:00

1974 Supercharged MGB - I know, I know, I'm the last person on earth who should be pointing out the typos and misspellings of someone else, but this ad is pretty amusing.

This is a really cool car. This 1964 MGB has a Moss Supercharger on it. (Or a "supper charger" as the seller calls it. - For more info on the supercharger, click here to find a PDF of the Summer 2003 issue of British Motoring magazine.)

The asking price of $8000.00 seems very reasonable given the supercharger and the condition of the rest of the car.

Located in Jackson, MI, click here to see the dealer ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to this car.

1974 Alfa Romeo Berlina - I have a soft spot for Alfa sedans.

This car has only been in New England for a year. It was a California car prior to that.

It needs some minor work - maybe two or three weekends worth - to be a near perfect car.

There aren't many classic Italian cars that are this fun to drive and can hold 3 of your friends.

Located in Attleboro, MA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

Another big thanks to Jon for this car!

1985 BMW 745i - BMW never officially sold the 745i in the US, but quite a few made it here via the grey market.

This car has 200K miles on it, but looks to be in good shape.

It's important to get maintenance records with this car as parts, many of which need to be ordered from Europe, are expensive. The asking price is just $4000.00, but you could easily spend double that just to keep it on the road if the proper maintenance hasn't been done.

Located in Lake Arrowhead, CA, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Dan S for sending me the link to this car!

1949 Packard - A Real Barn Find

2012-02-03T16:18:00.006-05:00

This is a little older than the cars I usually post, but I thought it was pretty cool that the seller included pictures of the car and the barn it was found in.

I'm not all that knowledgeable about Packards, but my guess is that this is a Packard Eight.

Packard was a force in the US luxury car market until the 1950s when some design and management mistakes lead to a merger with Studebaker and the ultimate end of the marque in 1958.

The engine in this car is a "L head" 8. Even in 1949 it was an old design and not very efficient. It put out just 130 HP.

This car is a genuine barn find. The seller says it's complete except for the horn ring.

I have no idea if it's restorable, but if you buy it I'd love to know what you do with it.

Located in Gardiner, Maine, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Paul for sending me this link!

A Pair (!) of Goggomobil Projects

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Looking for something completely different? How about a pair? If so, this is your lucky day.

Goggomobils were officially imported into the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s by a company called Continental Car Combine. (They were also the folks who imported Skodas into the US during the same time period.) Very few were sold here and it's not too hard to see why...

These are tiny, slow cars. Both the sedan and the coupe came with rear mounted, air cooled, 2 cylinder, two stroke engines. The 1958 sedan's engine was a whopping 296ccs. It had a top speed of under 60 MPH. If it made it to 60, it took 30 seconds to get there. (Count that out in your head and imagine trying to merge onto a highway in the late 1950s with all the behemoth US cars whizzing by you. Yikes!) The coupe most likely had a 392cc engine in it. It had a top speed of around 65. I couldn't find any 0-60 times, but I assume it's not whole lot quicker than the sedan.

Both of these cars are serious projects. Both have quite a bit of rust(although most of it looks like surface rust) and the coupe is missing it's engine. (I'll refrain from the "not that you'll notice" jokes here.)

Micro car fans love Goggomobils and I suspect there are quite a few parts available for these if you know where to look.

The Goggomobil was not the most practical car ever sold in the US, but it's a neat piece of history. Restore these, bring them to an import car show, and you'll get as much attention as the Ferraris, Lamborghinis and all the other exotics in the show do.

Located in Galatia, IL, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

A big thanks to Jon for sending me the link to these cars.

A Really Nice 1967 Renault R10

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Just a Car Geek reader, Dan, sent me this link. In his email he wrote: "This looks suspiciously nice for a $5k car..." Yeah, it does. But, the seller leaves a phone number and an address, so my thoughts are that this is a real ad.

As I mentioned in a 2009 post, the R10 was touted by Renault as "the Renault for people who swore they would never buy another one." Renault's US reputation took a beating with the Dauphine, and the R10 was meant to win back buyers.

All thing considered, especially when realizing that it was meant to compete with the VW Beetle, it wasn't a bad car. But Renault's reputation, which it could never really shake, along with its relatively small dealer network meant that the R10 never really stood a chance against the Volkswagen. In 1967 Renault sold 21,219 cars in the US. VW sold 454,801.

This car looks to be in incredible condition. The seller doesn't mention if it's restored or original. He does say you could drive it home. (If home is say, west of the Mississippi, you might want to think twice about that, however.)

Located in Cape May, NJ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

1973 Lincoln Mark IV

2012-02-01T05:59:00.000-05:00

If cars were sold by the pound, this would be a heck of a deal, especially when compared to the Renault above. The Renault will cost you $2.18 per pound. This Lincoln is just .50¢ per pound.

It's a bit coincidental that JaCG reader, Dan, sent me the link to this car today. I saw one for sale - not even close to as nice as this one - Monday and commented to a friend about how massive it was. These cars are huge. My BMW looked like a Smart parked next to it.

This was Lincoln's "personal luxury" car in the 1970s. It had all the (now cliche) things Lincoln was known for; a spare tire bump (which didn't hold a spare tire), opera windows (I have no idea why they were called that), vinyl roof, tall upright grille, etc., etc.

The Mark IV came with a 460ci (7.5 liter) V8. It was huge, but not especially powerful. In 1973, it produced just 209 HP. (To put that in perspective, and to show how far we've come in engine technology, the 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine found in a 2012 Audi A4 creates 211 horsepower.)

The Mark IV did have one really neat feature, a braking system Lincoln called "Sure-Track." It was an early form of ABS.

The Mark IV was a sales success. Lincoln sold just under 70,000 of them in 1973. Cadillac, whose Eldorado had been the benchmark for US personal luxury cars, sold 62,000 Eldorados. It was the second year in a row that the Mark IV out sold the Eldorado.

This Mark IV looks to be in very nice shape. The seller says it has just 89,000 miles on it and has a rebuilt engine and transmission.

Located in Franklin, NJ, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

Come Up With A Caption...

2012-01-26T11:51:00.007-05:00

I'll be taking a few days off. I thought I'd leave you with this picture. It comes from JaCG reader, Todd. It's a limo towing a Lada. It's real and not photoshopped.

There has to be some sort of clever, funny, snarky comment that can be attached to it.

Leave yours in the comment section.

1953 Triumph Mayflower

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

The seller states that "only a few Mayflowers were imported to the USA". True, but it wasn't for lack of trying. The Mayflower was aimed directly at the US market. It missed the mark. Still, it's an interesting car...

The folks at Triumph noticed that we Americans loved the big luxury cars from Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lagonda, et al. The idea behind the Mayflower was to create a small, relatively affordable, car that looked like one of the big expensive cars. Good idea, maybe, bad execution, definitely.

The body was designed by Leslie Moore, chief body designer of Mulliners (a UK coachbuilder). Moore most likely designed some of Mulliners very impressive bodies, but he did Triumph no favors with the Mayflower. It just looked wrong; sort of like a little person who had done his clothes shopping in the "big and tall" section of the clothing store.

The body (which does have a few fans) had a few neat touches. It's a unibody design, which was not very common in the late 1940s / early 1950s. The trunk is hinged at the bottom and forms a shelf of sorts when opened.

The engine was a 4 cylinder that created 38 HP and the transmission was a 3 speed, with a column mounted shifter. 60 MPH came in around 27 seconds.

This Mayflower is an all original, unrestored car. The seller doesn't leave a lot of information, but, based on the pictures, it looks to be complete and in relatively good condition. At the moment it's not running, but the seller believes that with a tune-up and some fresh gas, it will run.

According to the Standard Catalog of Imported Cars, 1946 - 1990, less then 600 Triumphs in total (Mayflowers and 2000 /Renowns) were sold in the US between 1949 and 1953, making this a very, very rare car.

It may not be the prettiest car ever built, but it would be a huge hit at any British car show.

Located in "North New Jersey", click here to see the Craigslist ad.