Archive for Convertible
1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL with ZF 5-speed
Besides the original 300SL gullwing and roadster, the Pagoda SLs that succeeded them have always commanded top dollar. The 250SL represents the mid point in the evolution of the W113, which ran from 1963 through 1971. While this generation represented a shift towards more of a boulevard cruiser, you could still order your SL with a manual transmission. This particular example has the rare ZF 5-speed. Given that only 1,791 examples of the 250SL made it to the US, this is a rare piece indeed.
Yes it is a factory 5 speed ZF manual transmission, one of only 882 Pagodas with the special Mercedes ZF 5 spd built only for the SL models. And it is pristine! It is stunning and beautiful and runs like a Swiss clock. I can go into any detail you like as far as the condition but it is easier to assume it is exactly how the pictures depict it to be without any rust at all.
Chrome, paint, wood, interior, original hubcaps and beauty rims, mechanical condition all is in excellent condition. It is restored where it needed to be and has original carpet and seats and dash (still in excellent condition). It is a low mileage car with a clear CA title. The dash was never taken apart or repainted. New tires. Soft top is brand new too (didn’t have help removing hard top but all is perfect and of the highest quality correct German top).
By the way all the chrome is original except the back bumpers have been rechromed. The tail lights, grill, door trim and interior chrome trim is all original excellent condition, as new. It has been unbelievably well taken care of. I have a new trunk mat but wanted to show original mat. Underneath is perfect, no surface rust either. Well detailed car throughout. No excuses and show worthy. I am the third owner and don’t know the first but the second owner had it since the seventies.
While $55,000 seems steep for a 43 year old machine, it’s right in line with current W113 pricing. This is perhaps one of the most sought after generations of SL, especially with the 5-speed gearbox. I have to say, this is one of those cars I would pick if someone told me “you can drive one car for the rest of your life.” These roadsters are completely usable as everyday classics and the extra gear makes this a tasty proposition for highway cruising.
-Paul
1982 Euro Mercedes 280SL 4 speed
Very nice looking Euro 280SL twin cam. Despite being a Euro car it is registered in California so you can be sure it has been setup to pass emissions requirements. The Euro car has the nice bumpers and headlamps. It also features the somewhat hard to find 4 speed manual for added entertainment. The interior looks wonderful despite 128,000 miles. It include the hard top as well as the canvas top. A great boulevard cruiser for summer nights. $12,500 buy-it-now price.
~Evan
Summertime 1990 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet
Convertibles, drop tops, hairdressers cars, whatever you want to call them, they’ll always have a place in my heart. Sure a coupe is more rigid, handles better, generally looks better, weighs less, ect. But having owned a convertible myself, driving windy back roads, hearing the echo of a sport exhaust bouncing off the walls of a tunnel, feeling wind in your hair, it’s a completely different driving experience and one that I happen to love.
Just in time for summer, I found this 1990 Porsche 944 S2 Cab. This was the first time Porsche offered the drop top formula for the 944. These cars also received the 3.0 Liter 4-banger which at the time was the largest production 4 cylinder engine.
This one has seen 120K sun-filled miles but don’t shy away just yet. It’s had some necessary maintenance done such as a new top, clutch and timing belts. The 18″ Keystone Cup wheels and new rubber definitely add to the overall appearance.
Take a look.
I’m a huge fan of the 944 S2. It’s one of the few understated yet still strikingly handsome Porsches. Having perfect 50/50 weight distribution, go-kart like handeling and a peppy normally-aspirated motor only add to the appeal. At $6,900 you’re looking at a good deal. We’ll see how much higher the bidding goes.
-Ben
Reader Ride For Sale: 2002 BMW M3 SMG Convertible
John dropped me a note to let me know about his lovely and low miles e46 M3 convertible that has just been listed. Sporting a very low 24k miles with Titanium Silver on Imola Red leather, check it out on Autotrader for an asking of $25,500:
quote from his listing:
Out of my private collection. I am a collector of rare American muscle and high performance cars and am the original owner of this car. Unlike multiple owner M3s or dealer offered, you can be confident of the following. This car has NEVER seen rain/snow, NEVER been valet parked, NEVER tracked or raced, NEVER touched by a detailer or buffer, NEVER run through a car wash, NEVER smoked or eaten in, NEVER parked within doors reach of another car, NEVER damaged or modified, NEVER spent a night outside and NEVER serviced by anyone except a BMW dealer. I bought this car new from Joe Perillo BMW in Chicago. It lives in my climate controlled building and is only driven on nice days, in season. I have never had the car detailed and have done all the care my self. Hand washing, waxing, and clay barring. The battery is maintained on a smart system and it has always been stored properly from fuel to tires. All original with the exception of Fresh OE rubber. It is practically flawless with the exception of a few blemishes on the front and a minor scuff on the outside edge of one rim. This is truly an opportunity to purchase a car that has been pampered, never beat on (as many of them are) and has low mileage, of which the preponderance, are recreational country drives. I do not need to sell this car, I am considering changing up my collection. Please don’t quote me values, as NADA or KBB cannot sell you a car, let alone one of this pedigree and condition. I have the original window sticker as well as all records (including insurance receipts for withdrawal of use every season) The car was built with the following options. Heated seats Bi-xenon headlights Harmon Kardon sound system The phenomenal SMG transmission (I’m an F1 nut bought this car for the tranny and it rocks!) Includes OE BMW windscreen (pictured) If you have been looking for an M3, this is THE right one.
We’re always happy to help our readers get more exposure, especially with examples as nice as this. Good luck with the sale John!
If you have an exception German Car For Sale, email me to get it listed here.
dc
1990 944 S2 Cab with 19k Miles
Here is a extremely clean 1990 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet for sale in Scottsdale. The car sports an interesting color combination and 19k original miles. If you had $30k to spend, would you rather have a used 987 or this mint 944S2. For my dollar and the back seats it would be hard to ignore the 944.
Low mile 944 Cabriolet for sale
“Unbelievable only 19K original miles! This classic, in mint condition was purchased new by my father, an experienced car collector. Carfax will show 2 owners, but both names are the same last name – essentially one family/owner. Out of the $3,000 or so 1990 994 S2 Cabriolets that Porsche built that year only 1,824 were shipped to the U.S. I doubt there are any with this low of mileage on them – only 19,300 actual miles! This is a Barrett-Jackson quality car – other cars from this collector were already sold in the auction in previous years.
This rare car is basically still being broken in! It has never been parked outside the garage over-night and has been driven just enough to charge the battery. The body, the interior and the engine are all in immaculate showroom condition.
Some info on Porsche history & specs of this car – In 1987, the naturally-aspirated 944 S variant was introduced. The 944S had a more powerful 190 PS (140 kW; 187 hp) version of the 2.5 litre engine, with twin overhead camshafts and 16 valve heads. This marked the first use of four valve per cylinder heads in the 944 series. Performance was quoted as 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.8 seconds and 230 km/h (140 mph) top speed.
Please write for more info or more photos. Recent CarFax report with clean title & one family owner available upon request.”
This is an incredibly clean car, there are not many 944′s in this condition out there. If this were a turbo or coupe I could see the seller getting somewhere near the asking price. While this is a beautiful car there is no way anyone will pay anywhere near the $32.5k asking price. Hopefully the seller finds someone who values this car, the condition, and the very low miles.
~Aaron.
Bahnburner SLK available in Miami
I found this SLK32 AMG for sale in Miami. Most of us are familiar with the SLK, a sporty little tourer with a folding hard top that has been often copied and never equaled. The SLK32 came equipped with a supercharged 3.2 liter V6 motor that produced 349 horsepower. Moving this SLK from 0-60 in a mere 4.8 seconds, this performance dwarfed the output of the other SLK models. Other improvements include upgraded suspension, larger brakes, and 17 inch wheels. All of this performance is hard to come by, as only 2,056 were imported during production making this roadster both attractive and rare.
“Purchased certified pre-owned from Mercedes Benz of Manhattan in June of 2005 and driving since without a SINGLE problem. 350 horses ride in that light car… 0-60mph in 4.8s according to Mercedes, and 4.5s according to ‘Car & Driver’ magazine.
I owned a SLK230 back in the days, it can’t begin to compare with this little beast.”
Like the seller I was the proud owner of an SLK for a trouble free period of three years. These are wonderful little cars that are a hoot to drive, reliable, and easy on the eye. My only complaint was the ho-hum performance which this car does not suffer from. My only wish is that the seller provided a more thorough description, better pictures, and washed all that brake dust off of the front wheels. Regardless, at $16.5k this car offers world class performance for Z4 or Boxster money.
~Aaron.
1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible 5 speed
I like to find ads for cars where the owner claims the car is the best of its kind around. Lots of times that isn’t true, sometimes it causes another similar car to come out of the woodwork to prove the owner wrong. In this case we have a 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible with a 5 speed, Number 423 of 600 produced. The owner’s says “in this condition and color combination, this one is the best you will and can find.” What do you think? The owner must think so judging from the high start price.
The car has some nice upgrades that were done at the time of the initial order at Brumos Jacksonville, 3.3 liter, 330 HP, twin plug engine, Turbo S exhaust:
C02 – Catalytic Convertor
018 – Special order Steering wheel
158 – Cassette radio Blaupunkt Reno
220 – 40% limited slip differential
243 – Short gear shift lever
348 – Fuchs wheels painted in white
494 – additional Blaupunkt amplifier
You have to be a collector to want to pay $60,000 for this 56,000 mile car. The car has points that would appeal to a collector, great all original condition, all books and tools. Still that $60,000 would go a long way towards other Porsche vehicles of this era with similar miles and performance. The car is listed for sale at 60,000 Euros on another site, which would be even more expensive.
Despite the upgrades, clean history and numbers matching aspect of this Porsche I just don’t see someone paying that much. It does look nice though.
~Evan
1989 BMW 325i Widebody Convertible
This is not the first time I’ve posted a BMW 3 series oddity on this blog. This 1989 325i widebody convertible is pretty unique. The seller gives minimal description in the eBay auction. No mention of where the widebody kit parts come from or where they were installed. I’d hazard a guess at them being Zender parts maybe. The kit doesn’t look too shabby in my eye, but remember I’m a guy who likes Koenig Miami Vice style 80s Benzs. Love it or hate it those fender flares would be put to better use on something with a bit more power under the hood that could take advantage of the wide tires. $5,000 no reserve with questionable mileage in the 100,000 range.
~Evan
2001 Porsche Carrera Cabrio – Too Cheap to be True?
While surfing Boxster adverts on Craigslist, something interesting crossed the radar: A 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabrio w/ 46k miles and an asking of $16.5k:
quote from seller’s Craigslist posting:
2001 Porsche Carrera Convertible,6Speed,turbo wheels,46k miles,everything works,all power,great running shape,must sell moving
And in case you’ve forgotten, the 996 Cabrio has 315hp and sounds a lot like this:
So why the skeptism? 996′s of any variation start in the high teens, and those have at least twice the mileage of this car. But heaven forbid this is the real deal… well I just can’t believe it is, but it’s fun to imagine.
dc
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