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Every now and then, you come across a car that reminds you of your youth. This 1991 Volkswagen Jetta GLI with a VR6 heart transplant puts me squarely back at the end of high school and beginning of college. It was around that time that I was running a 1998 GTI 2.0 and VR6 engine swaps into earlier A1 and A2 chassis Volkswagens were just catching on. While some of my classmates turned towards the Japanese tuning scene, I was firmly entrenched on the German side of things. I didn’t do a lot of modifications to my GTI, but I enjoyed going to shows and races alike with my friends in the Vee Dub circles.
Time moves on, and a few Mercedes-Benzes later, I’m back into a (half) German hatchback, a MINI Cooper S. I still have a hankering for an A2 GTI or Jetta, though. I can’t put a finger on it, but there’s some reason I like the A2 series better than the original. This Jetta GLI for sale in Ohio is modified just enough to sate the youthful enthusiast still inside of me.
This 325ix looks like a complete time capsule, but digging deeper reveals an E30 that has been subtly enhanced and revamped at no small cost to the previous owner. The whole drivetrain has just 60k miles, and the interior and exterior have been updated to look even better than stock. In addition to a high-quality repaint, the door moldings have been shaved to provide a clean contrast to the ix’s standard M-Tech body kit. No badges or spoilers here, just a very sharp 4-door sedan hiding all-wheel drive and a smooth inline-6. The interior has been updated with some leather/cloth Recaros to continue the slightly-better-than-stock theme. The biggest detractions are the overall mileage (236k) and the autobox, but the pristine condition and overall package still have the seller asking for strong (but reasonable) E30 money.
The 1991 Volkswagen Cabriolet Etienne Aigner Edition is back up on offer, this time with a Buy It Now price. If you’re looking for a summer cruiser and a manual gearbox isn’t high on your list of priorities, keep reading…
By the time the 1990s dawned, the tap on gray market imports to the US had been closed off. However, a few cars still trickled in, especially via our neighbors to the north, Canada. This 1991 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC for sale in New Brunswick is a one family car, having been shipped from Germany to Canada. It looks to have led a pampered life, with under 40,000 miles on the clock.
I like older cars that are loved, maintained, and well-used in the manner they were built for. This means that high mileage is, to me, a badge of honor, and replaced and upgrades parts are more a sign of perseverance and attention than decay. Like my old cars, this ’91 Westy appears to me as a shining example of just how good 200k+ miles can look. Sure, there are some stone chips and patina, and the engine and transmission have had to be replaced, but from the wheels to the tent and all through the inside it looks a great, functional adventure van. Instead of the 2.1-liter gas engine, it now has a 1.9-liter TDI conversion that was truly done right, with some nice engine mods along with a re-geared transmission and a Peloquin differential to resist those annoying one-wheel spins in traction-deficient situations. The condition and upgrades more than offset the high odometer reading, so the auction is starting at a strong $29k.
