Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
The 1970s weren’t a particular promising time for most automakers, but Mercedes-Benz nonetheless pushed on in the face of every tightening energy supplies and tougher safety standards. The W116 would carry the S class torch through this decade, introducing new luxury and safety features that would become commonplace today. These aren’t the most particularly loved classic Mercedes models, but this two owner 450SEL has been a Texas car all its life and looks great for its age.
Winter. Not many of us look forward to it, even in the depths of a sweltering summer. It’s not usually the cold that gets everyone, or even the holidays – no, a fair amount of people seem to have a very healthy fear of driving in the elements. If I could have a dollar for every time I heard “my car just isn’t good in the snow”, I’d be a very rich man. The reality is that it’s generally not the car’s fault – unless, perhaps, you drive a Lamborghini Countach or Reliant Robin. Pretty much any car can be passable in snowy conditions – what you need is a good set of tires and some time testing them out to understand how your car reacts to snow and ice. What better way than to head to a Winter Driving School (WDS) put on by the Audi Club?
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Last year I wrote up a very cool Caddy, almost completely redone with great mods like a 16v and Brat seats in the bed. At the time, the seller was asking almost $15k, which seemed a bit optimistic. Today’s fully redone Caddy is gorgeous and leans a bit more towards the subtle end of aesthetics, but has a 16v ABF engine among a very nice list of performance improvements in addition to the cleanliness that can only come with ripping something all the way down. Unfortunately, while $15k seemed optimistic (and was… it sold for $10,900), this seller has started his auction at $12k and is asking $19k. I love Rabbit Pickups, it was my first car and I will own one again etc., but that white one represented the top of the crop. This one may be there, but that market is still short of the opening bid.
This particular car intrigues me so I’ll get right to it. Here we have a 1980 Porsche 911SC with a little under 60K miles. The intriguing part to me, though, is the color: Talbot Yellow over Brown. We simply do not come across many of these cars. I’m always a fan of bright colors on particular cars, even though for my own car I almost always choose black. My personal contradictions aside, there is a particular allure to such a popping color and while not every owner enjoys the lack of subtlety these cars provide there are few that would deny that these cars represent something a little more special than what we get from most of the popular color options. Talbot Yellow over Brown is definitely a period-correct choice and sure to please many enthusiasts looking for a 911SC that stands apart from the crowd.
The more I write about these cars, the more they have grown on me. Like many, I was never a huge fan of the body design of the 996, but I have gradually come to admire these cars over time. I will never like the headlights, but the rest of the shape bothers me far less than it once did and for any buyer’s performance dollars the 996TT is seriously tough to beat. I especially like a black 996TT, like the one featured here: a Black on Black 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo that clocks in with a mere 6,200 miles. While a standard 996TT is hardly a slouch, this one has had some engine work that’s sure to make what was already a quick car, even quicker still. Thankfully, the car retains its stock appearance, something that anyone shopping for a 996TT knows, sadly, is not always the case.