Porsche 1973 911: When Honesty is the Best Policy

July 29th, 2010

Here is a neat 1973 Porsche 911 that has been altered a great deal.  As the seller states this is not a car for the purist, it is a driver’s car.

“If you value originality, you probably don’t want this car.
If you are looking for a concourse car to show, you probably don’t want this car.
If you want a powerful sound system with huge subwoofers, this car isn’t for you.
If you want a comfy, quiet ride, and convenient cup holders, this car will disappoint.”

1973 Porsche 911 Coupe:

Some further details on the car -

“1973 911 no-sunroof coupe, powered by a 3.2 liter engine.
-Fresh tranny, with 7:31 ring & pinion, Quaife limited slip.
-23mm front, 31mm rear hollow torsion bars.
-SSI heat exchangers, Triad West dual-in dual-out sport muffler
-Body is stock, except for Carrera flares and 935-style mirrors.
-OMP race seats, with 5-point harnesses.
-16 x 7 & 16 x 9 Fuchs wheels
-Also have an “S”-type front bumper, waiting for prep, paint and installation

What it isn’t:

-No Radio
-No Cruise Control
-No power windows or locks
-No A/C
-No PS
-No PB
-No BS

Just a hot-rodded early 911 that spends too much time just sitting under a cover in the corner of my garage.”

I posted this for the description as much as the car itself.  You have to admit the car buying/selling process is pretty ridiculous at times.  On one hand you have the seller trying to squeeze out as much as they can from their car, this becomes very tricky if the seller is heavily emotionally and/or fiscally invested in the car.  On the other you have the buyer that is always trying to get maximum value for the lowest price.  I would have to think an honest description would go a long way towards weeding out those who may not be interested in this sort of car. 

The car itself looks well done, for all the honesty in the description the ad could use more pictures to complete the story.  If the mechanics checked out and the car is cosmetically up to par I think the asking price is a good start for negotiation. 

~Aaron.

Posted by Aaron in Porsche, Uncategorized | July 29, 2010 | No Comments »

1993 Volkswagen Corrado SLC with 55,000 original miles

July 28th, 2010

The late ’80s and early ’90s produced some of the greatest hot hatchbacks of our time. Cars like the Honda CR-X, Acura Integra and Mazda MX-3 are lameted these days, due to the increase in size and weight of all vehicle segments. Taking the place of the Scirocco, the Volkswagen Corrado was a welcomed German addition to this once sizable segment. Unfortunately, many of these great machines have been torn up and modified over the years, or just plain neglected. Here we have a nice example of the later VR6 engined Corrado.

The seller states:

1993 VW Corrado SLC VR6, 5 speed, silver w black leather, only 55,979 original miles! Bilstein struts, new pads and drilled rotors, cold air intake, Neuspeed exhaust… otherwise, stock from the factory! Slight clear coat peeling on right side in a couple smaller areas.

As of writing this, there are no takers at the $7,500 starting bid. Others in similar condition that I’ve seen in the past year have been going in the $5,000 to $6,000 range, so this asking bid may be a bit optimistic in enthusiasts eyes. The only thing that would detract a buyer in my mind would be the non-standard exhaust pipe (looks a bit ridiculous sticking out that far) and the added audio equipment. Other than that, this is a chance to own an unmolested example of Wolfsburg’s (well, Karmann’s) finest.

-Paul

Posted by paul in Volkswagen | July 28, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Perfect Low Mile 2001 Black M Coupe

July 27th, 2010

I think I’ve said this before but I once hated the original BMW M Coupe.

Blasphemy! I know, I know.

I was young and naive; I didn’t understand the appeal of a “Shooting Brake” or cars designed after ankle boots.  Then one day, like I was struck by lightning (or more likely common-sense) I fell in love.  The Coupe tickled my senses with its rugged, utilitarian design while the Roadster now looked like something my mom’s hairdresser would drive.

To the inexperienced eye, the M-coupe is an ugly duckling but to a true enthusiast, who knows what they’re looking at, the M Coupe is the ultimate driving machine.  The M Coupe was designed by a small group of BMW engineers who got their hands on a pre-launch Z3 and wanted the functionality of a small wagon but with the performance of a sports car.  Voila!

This example on eBay is EXACTLY how I’d want my M Coupe served up:

In this case, less is definitely more.  I don’t need a whole slew of engine upgrades; in stock form the M Coupe bests the performance of an E46 M3 and out handles it too.  You can see that true BMW buffs appreciate this M’s condition as well, with a current bid of over $25,000.

Sure the Z4M is prettier and the E92 M3 is faster.   But you buy an M Coupe for its individuality, its performance and its function, not for its form. When’s the last time you saw someone driving a Z4 or M3 with a dog and some spare tires in the back?

-Ben

Posted by Ben in BMW | July 27, 2010 | 2 Comments »

2000 Mercedes-Benz E55 for sale

July 27th, 2010

The W210 Mercedes E-Class represents one of the first times I started seeing M-B as capable of the bruce I knew so well from their Bavarian counterparts.  The sport-edition E430 certainly looked the part with some slick 5 spokes and near-AMG body kit, but the real beast of the litter- subtly aggressive on the outside and packing tire-roasting torque on the inside- was the E55.  Now, some may scoff at its 349hp, 5.4L V8, but realize that we live in the most golden age of horsepower wars. Though it even gave up some power to its contemporary M5, the tides were reversed when it came to torque, making this a true muscle car from the great Hammer tradition.

2000 Mercedes-Benz E55 for sale

This one comes in clean silver, showing off the well-shaped hood and clean lines front to back.  It has 133k miles and a less-than-descriptive listing so it could use a thorough pre-sale inspection, but it looks to be in good condition inside and out and is priced at a mere $10,000.  For 10 grand, you’ve got your own German ape-in-a-business suit, ready to spin those AMG monoblocks and look classy doing it.

-NR

Posted by Nate in AMG, Mercedes Benz | July 27, 2010 | 4 Comments »

1990 Audi 200 DTM Racer

July 27th, 2010

Here is a turn key race Audi DTM spec race car. The car comes with a 3.6 liter V8 good for 420 horsepower, but you also have the option of buying a spare 4.2 liter 450 horsepower Audi engine as well. All the major components look to be genuine Audisport items and it appears the car started out as a Audisport body in white, not a converted street car. The car has a six speed transmission and looks good.
The ask is $60,000. I bet this is a blast out on the track. It looks like there are plenty of spares to be had for the new owner too.

More pictures can be seen on the seller’s website here:

http://www.eurospecsport.com/For%20Sale/Audi%20DTM.html

~Evan

Posted by Evan in Audi, Race Cars | July 27, 2010 | No Comments »

Q-Ship Benz – CL65 AMG

July 26th, 2010

The term “Q-ship” comes from WW1 British Navy merchant ships that were unassumingly designed to lure German submarines to the surface but were also heavily armed with concealed weaponry allowing the Royal Navy to fire and sink the enemy.

The “Q” label has been passed along to the tarmac-version of a vehicular wolf in sheep’s clothing.  Those of us from the Home of the Brave know the Q-car as a Sleeper.

One of my favorite examples of a Q-ship (and yes, I believe this Mercedes should be classified as a ship rather than a car) is the CL65 AMG.  At over 16 feet long and tipping the fishscale at 4,800 pounds the CL is enormous.

In order to move this behemoth Mercedes took AMG’s hand built, 6.0-liter V-12 and slapped on two big snail shells.  The result was earthshaking: 604 horsepower and 738 pound-feet at just 3000 rpm.  It’s said that big 12 could make 885 pound-feet worth but it would simply grenade the transmission so Mercedes had to limit it to 738.  Speaking of limits, the CL65 is limited to a top speed of 186 compared to the typical 155mph limit we see on most German engineering.  This of course didn’t stop dealers and owners from remapping the ECU which allowed these Silver Arrows to exceed 200mph.

Being one of only 194 built (W215-chassis) and originally having a MSRP of almost $180K makes this Benz look like the deal of the century. At a current bid of less than 40K not only do you get stupendous power and speed but unparalleled luxury and comfort of a flagship Mercedes-Benz.

I apologize for my word choice in this post but a big car calls for big words…and this is as big as it gets.

-Ben

Posted by Ben in AMG, Mercedes Benz | July 26, 2010 | 2 Comments »

1991 GTI VR6 Swap For Sale

July 25th, 2010

The MkII GTI has always been in an odd no-man’s land for me.  I respect the styling and the large tuning community of it, but any time I consider one myself, I wonder why I wouldn’t just get a MkI.  When I see an example like this, however, I start to covet them a little more.  They may not be as pure and old-school as the original, but they’ve got some serious style, a bit more “grown-up” cred, and can obviously more readily accept modern parts.  Case in point, this fast 1991 with a healthy dose of modification that stops short of going overboard.

1991 VW GTI VR6 for sale on Craigslist SF

Despite a misunderstanding of quotation marks’ function, the seller provides a good rundown:

HI I have a 1991 gti white with about 70K on the engine. This car is faster then my 2004 vw r32. I have about $6500+ into this car not including labor or the car itself. Most if not all the parts on this car have under 500 miles on it including wheels and tires. This car can be a show car the way it sits.
ENGINE “less then 500 miles on engine parts”
The engine has 268 cams, lifters and springs to go with the cams. The intake manifold is shaved and painted black and the spark plug wires run under it ” for a cleaner look”.
The engine mounts have BFI inserts. ” they are stiff”
Corrado radiator and fans with there own relay set up
Samco hose kit
Neuspeed P-flow intake
Brand new cats
New magnaflow muffler and resonator the car is quiet but still sounds like a VR6 and you can hear the cams lope.
Fairly new clutch
SUSPENSION/wheels
H&R ultra low coilovers from a mk3 vr6 jetta “stiffer springs” “less then 500 miles on them” the car is stanced out and can be more to your liking
BBS RM’s fresh powder-coating 15×8.5 REAR, FRONT 15×8 flat black faces with gloss black lips…… both front and rear have good size lips. brand new bbs bolts.. these wheels are worth about $2,000
ALSO has BRAND NEW disc breaks all the way around.
INTERIOR
Is in good shape has recaros out of another mk2 gti
MK3 guage cluster.
everything on the inside works.
BODY
Also has keyless entry
Has the dual-round headlights with badgless grill, also have quad-rounds that come with the car.
led tail lights ” doesn’t look as cheap as you think”
16v fender flair all the way around
The paint is about a 7 out of 10 stock alpine white paint and the body itself has some dents ” its a 19-20 year old car”
The powder-coated BBS RMs look about as perfect as you could get. I love older German cars in white, and the VR6 must make this the right kind of handful.  $8500 is a bit steep for a MkII Volkswagen, but this appears to be a well put-together total package.  Sure, there’ll probably be several similar GTIs if you go to a local VW show, but maybe that’s just a testament to how well this package works.
-NR

Posted by Nate in Volkswagen | July 25, 2010 | No Comments »

1992 Porsche 968 With a Story

July 25th, 2010

Normally a car with a story is not a good thing, engine fire, blown this or that, or flood damage are not the kind of stories a prospective buyer wants to hear.  Every once in awhile, you hear a story that actually adds to the cache of a car.  Take this 1992 968 for example, owner buys car new and drives for 40k careful miles only to park it and abandon it with a ton if Porsche rarities for a little more than a decade.

Some lucky fellow backs into bidding on the treasure including said 968.  What the new owner finds is a car that is lightly disassembled but in perfect shape otherwise.  I suggest you give it a read, this is the kind of stuff that my Porsche dreams are made of.

Abandoned 1992 Porsche 968 for Sale:


From the seller -

“Once upon a time this car came up for sale in some local publication, I can’t even remember what it was, but it was in storage in a rental unit over in Bainbridge Island, WA. I had taken the ferry over to look at it, and the owner of the storage unit kindly let me peek at it for a few minutes. This was to be a car for my father, and the seller disappeared and we were unable to reach him any longer. But, we kept in contact with the manager/owner of the small storage unit complex, and she said that he owed on the unit, and the whole unit would go up for sale if he didnt pay. Guess what, he didn’t pay.
The weird thing is that I believe he bought the car new, spent a lot in extra parts, and then just went off the radar and left it and all his stuff.

We had the inside info on the unit since I had been there, and when it came time to bid, a heavy hand and wallet acquired everything. Let me tell you, this was a find.
In that storage unit was a rolling tool box with top box, drill press, 911 euro sport seats that looked like NOS parts, 8 and 9″ D90 wheels that looked brand new, and notable money in other Porsche goodies, including a full shop manual set, factory tensioner gauge, etc.

The car however was the real gem. Not only was this car clearly never in any accident, it had 42k miles, M030 suspension parts, adjustable Koni’s, nearly every original piece to the car, and it was a black on black 6 speed with NO SUNROOF and sport SCRIPT interior, all perfect.
Once under the car, I could see all the cosmolene still on it.

The catch was that it had been sitting for 12 years, but it looked like it was sitting for 12 weeks! The front of the engine was partially disassembled, bolts were in bags, and you couldn’t really tell why or what had prompted the owner to tear it apart and put it in storage.

So, after getting it back to the garage, I began working on it. 3 days later, I was driving it.

It now has a mere 44k miles on it, and it is the cleanest, nicest 968 I’ve seen, and let me tell you, its a good one.
It has 2k miles on the timing belt bits, all new fluids (good fluids), brakes, battery, windshield (it had a ding), fresh AC charge with R12 (and yes it works), new alternator, etc.

The car handles very well, transmission is smooth, engine runs perfect, and the only thing that doesn’t work is the original radio doesn’t turn on any longer. Darn. “

Neat neat car, the Porsche script seats, suspension, and non-sunroof option are all very rare in an of themselves.  Add them up and they are unheard of.  The original condition and unmolested nature of this 968 are also something to behold.  Is this a $25k car?  I think not, this would be a great buy at $6k to $7k less but if the seller is patient they may find someone willing to pay the premium for this beautiful 968.

~Aaron.

Posted by Aaron in Porsche | July 25, 2010 | No Comments »

1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Estate

July 24th, 2010

In an era of SUVs and minivans, the estate, or station wagon, is fast becoming a less favored mode of transport. One manufacturer has stayed true to this body style since 1978: Mercedes-Benz. This clean, low mileage W124 E320 wagon is my favorite of the breed and perhaps one of the best engineered, as well. Rarely do we see Mercedes-Benz wagons with such low mileage but here’s a chance to bid on a classic.

The seller states:

This is a really nice 1995 E320 wagon that has been in California all its life. It was bought new by an older lady in Los Angeles. She kept the car for just over 11 years and put only about 35,000 miles on it in that time. Her daughter acquired the car in 2007 and it has been in the Bakersfield area since then. This car was built in September of 1995; making it one of the last w224 cars to be built. This was also the year of any U.S. model Mercedes wagon until 1998. Unfortunately, 1998 was also the first year Mercedes began using the new V6 motor. So, 1995 was the last year Mercedes made a wagon with the better in-line 6-cylinder motor. Since a new body style was introduced for 1996, this was also the last of the over-engineered E-Class cars. Just like the 1993 190-Class, the 1999 S-Class, and the 2002 SL-class, this car was the last of its kind, and they truly don’t build them like they used to. By Mercedes’ own admission, they do not over-engineer these cars any more. This car is the last of the best.

This car has as much cargo space as a mid-size SUV with the middle and rear seats folded. It has the third row seat which makes it a true 7 passenger vehicle. However, the back seat is best for kids or adults you don’t like. It has a cargo cover to hide items in the back and a cargo net that can be used as a divider with the rear seats up or when they are folded. It also has a luggage rack, complete with the cross bars. All that combined with the self-leveling rear suspension makes this car really versatile.

The bad:

After sitting for approximately 2 hours, sometimes the car will not start without touching the gas pedal lightly. A little more or less time sitting and it starts up normally.

There is a small oil leak that leaves a pea to dime-size drop on the ground over night. It looks like it is coming from the front of the engine; maybe around the timing chain cover.

The left rear floor mat is missing.

One of the wheels has some curb rash (see pictures).

There are a couple of dings on the tailgate (see pictures).

There is a ding at the bottom of the left quarter panel that caused about a 3/4″ crack in the paint along the bottom edge (see pictures).

The lower panel on the right rear door has some light scratches (see pictures).

The rocker panel on the left side has some scratches (see pictures).

The right rear door had a scrape at the top that has been filled with touch-up paint (see pictures).

There is a scrape over the right rear wheel that has been filled with touch-up paint (see pictures).

The driver’s window regulator will need to be replaced soon as it stops about 1/8″ short at the top of its travel and makes a clicking noise.

The left rear window regulator probably needs to be replaced soon. It is making a noise.

As of 3 days ago, the air conditioning stopped being cold when the car is idling in direct sunlight. It gets very cold at all other times.

The left tail light has a crack in it that has been repaired (see pictures).

The radio is an after market CD unit that cannot be turned off. However, you can turn down the volume all the way or remove the face plate if you don’t want to hear it.

Barring the list of faults, many of which are minor imperfections, this wagon is a solid bet. Besides the W123 wagons, this was perhaps one of MB’s best, in terms of durability. Whoever gets their hands on this low mileage example will enjoy years of utilitarian motoring with a touch of class.

-Paul

Posted by paul in Mercedes Benz | July 24, 2010 | No Comments »

1968 Euro 911S Softwindow Targa For Sale

July 24th, 2010

While scanning Samba this week I stumbled across this super rare imported 911s softie for sale.

Imported 911s Softwindow Targa:

From the seller -

“Very rare 68 S Targa Softie. Those cars rarely come to market and are particularly rare in the US as they were never offered here officially.
This car made its way over from Germany in 1972 and stayed with one family in Kansas for 30 years, before it was purchased by the current owner. Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of documentation accompanying the vehicle, except for a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, which confirms this to be a fully numbers matching car.

The current owner had the car restored about 18 months ago. The body was taken down to bare metal, repaired and painted in its correct polo red. The top and interior was completely redone and all trim and chrome pieces were restored or replaced.

The engine was rebuilt under the first US ownership but we’re missing the paperwork on the work. The engine would probably benefit from a re-seal due to its long non-operational status. It runs great and pulls strong all the way to redline.

The car is missing its original heat exchangers and runs headers currently.

This is a very rare opportunity to purchase a true blue chip collectable Soft Window S Targa, all numbers matching in a wonderful color combination.

Price: US$ 89.000″

You can’t deny the rare nature of this 911 and it looks like the recent cosmetic restoration was carried out with a very high level of detail.  At $89k you could argue that this car is priced with the highest quality domestic S cars of the same vintage. 

However, if I am spending almost $90k on a car it better come with a full set of records.  In fact I am a bit shocked how little is known about this and the 30 years it spent in Kansas.  If the rarity of this car is worth a little mystery to you then have at it.  For my money I would hold out for a pristine domestic S sans soft rear window with a detailed record of ownership and maintenance. 

Maybe something like this…

~Aaron.

Posted by Aaron in Porsche | July 24, 2010 | No Comments »