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Month: April 2014

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1989 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6

Published April 17, 2014 by Carter

A few weeks ago, I popped this 190E 2.6 up on our Facebook Fanpage; while it looked quite nice at the time, there weren’t many photos and the pricing seemed a bit high. But the big question was “Why?”; why would someone choose to convert the less desirable 2.6 inline-6 automatic model into a fast Benz when you already have a solid starting point in the 2.3 and 2.5 16V models? In part, the seller answers that in their description below; but to me, it doesn’t necessarily matter what the base model is – after all, there are plenty of people modifying Porsche 912s and 944s, there are countless E30, E36s and E46s that aren’t M3s that people choose, and even plenty of Audi A4s that get turned up in favor of the S4. Why not the 190E 2.6, then?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6 on eBay

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1997 BMW 318ti California Roof

Published April 16, 2014 by Paul

It seems that another generation of small BMW hatchbacks – I’m looking at you, 1 series – will be passing us by here in the US market. But, not many people can blame BMW, as there were few takers for its mid 1990s experiment, the 3 series Compact. Sold here as the 318ti with the 1.9 liter four cylinder engine found in the Z3 Roadster, this car was all E36 saloon from the A-pillar forward but carried a vastly redesigned hatchback rear section with trailing arm rear suspension and simpler, one piece dashboard inside. This 318ti for sale in Pennsylvania has the rare California Roof option, which equips the 3er hatchback with a canvas folding roof, providing almost targa-like motoring pleasure.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1997 BMW 318ti California Roof on eBay

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Wednesday Wheels Project: BBS RS Refresh Part 1: Center Caps

Published April 16, 2014 by Carter

Some time ago, I picked up a set of BBS RS wheels for my Audi Coupe GT. I’ve always been a big fan of BBS wheels, and of course by 1980s standards, the RS is the Holy Grail of road wheels. They have an accompanying price to go along with their desirability, however, as most clean sets will easily set you back over $1,000 dollars. When you factor in the number of sets that are available in the Audi Coupe’s 4x108mm bolt pattern, there just aren’t many options. However, SPG SAABS had the same bolt pattern and were available with 15×7 BBS RSs from the factory. What I was able to track down was a set of just those wheels, in original and un-modified shape. That was a plus to me, because I’m honestly not a fan of the overly polished or crazy colored BBSs, so finding an original set what great. Unfortunately, that meant they also had 25 years of wear on them, and in many areas – especially the center caps – they looked quite tired. I mulled over what to do for years, between sourcing replacements, having the wheels refinished, or just trying it myself. And to be honest, although there were many “DIY” BBS RS rebuild threads, I wanted to see if I could refresh these overall clean RSs that just needed some love without pulling them apart. So over the next few weeks I’ll do my best to chronicle the cleanup. I started with the center caps, replete with peeling, pitted and corroded clearcoat:

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2005 Audi S4 Avant

Published April 16, 2014 by Carter

Last week, Paul wrote up a nice 2005 Audi S4 Avant, one of the few manual V8 wagon options ever offered to Americans. The package of the B6 and B7 Avant were certainly quite desirable and as Paul also noted, they developed quite an enthusiastic following. As they should have; as enthusiasts, we hear constant whining about all of the cars that aren’t offered to U.S. markets; yet when afforded the option to buy these cars, often the folks doing the complaining won’t ante up and buy them. Consequently, we’ve seen the S4 Avant model leave U.S. shores in favor of more and more “sport” utility vehicles. What are we to do as enthusiasts? Snap up the remaining clean examples of Avants, that’s what. And today, if you want to stand a bit apart from the crowd, there is one of the rarest color combination B6 Avants available:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2005 Audi S4 Avant on Craigslist

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