Rounding off Turkey Day here at GCFSB, here’s a car that’s could be considered anything but a turkey. A tasty, late model E30 in the form of a 318is. Known in some circles as the “poor man’s M3”, this 3er had the new 1.8 liter M42 four cylinder engine with an updated Bosch Motronic system. With 138 horsepower, this was no dragster, but had excellent weight distribution and was the gateway drug to many great BMWs that would appear over the course of the 1990s. Even though E30 production was soon to be phased out, this model would reaffirm that the 3 series was still the vehicle of choice for those moving up in the world. This 318is comes to us from our reader Corey, who also happens to be the seller.
Month: November 2014
The Porsche 356 is one of those cars to which I always enjoy returning. Whether it simply be to return to a vintage automobile whose lines I always enjoy or to gain a fuller appreciation for the elements of design, shape, and performance that went into these early Porsches. The ethos of the company is built into these cars and even today, more than 60 years since the first model was introduced, we still can see the evolutionary nature of the marque and the relationship not only of design but also performance. With the 356 Porsche had already begun offering their cars in varying levels of performance and here we have the highest available of those utilizing the 1.6 flat-4 engine, the Super 90. While 90 hp doesn’t seem like a lot, tasked with propelling a car that weighed less than 1000 kg these offered brisk performance for their time all while retaining the lightness and directness of feel possessed by many vintage machines. The particular example we have here is a restored Ivory over Tan 1963 Porsche 356B T6 Super 90 Cabriolet, located in Miami, and on auction with no reserve.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1963 Porsche 356B Super 90 Cabriolet on eBay
Comments closedThe E30 Touring influx is reaching critical mass, and where they used to come up once every few months, they are available in various levels of trim on eBay and craigslist around the country. The black on black one we recently featured was very tempting, but pretty spendy. Today’s receives negative points for the automatic transmission, but overall is looking outstanding in Royal Blue and some shiny BBS wheels. 167k miles is nothing to sneeze at, but the bids are starting much lower than the black edition’s $12,500 asking price. If you’re third pedal-averse but live in an area with actual seasons, this is the E30 touring for you!
Click for details: 1988 BMW 325ix Touring on eBay
4 CommentsMuch of my affinity for BMW’s Estoril Blue was my introduction to it on my friend’s father’s E36 M3 sedan. It was part of the car’s identity, always referred to as “the Blue car” and perfectly supporting the E36 M3’s understated aggression with a hue that is gorgeous but not extreme. Techno Violet may carry a more intimidating name, but it serves a similar purpose in the BMW palette. It shines a deep, gorgeous purple, but is neither garish nor loud. The E36 M3 sedan is one of my favorite performance values – maybe not moreso than the E39 5-series, but available for even less money.
Today’s M3 looks well cared-for, with just one large blemish: a rust spot in the rear fender from a “low-speed slide into a guard rail,” aka someone hit the gas too hard in the rain. Beyond that, the maintenance records, clean interior, and restrained upgrades (Dinan suspension and chip are no-brainers) make for a high-mileage M3 that’s worth taking seriously. With a Buy-It-Now of under $6,500, it’s clear the seller is serious about selling it, too.
Click for details: 1998 BMW M3 Sedan on eBay
1 CommentI think it’s quite fair to say that vintage Audi parts are quite hard to come by and they’re probably the least supported aftermarket manufacturer in the realm of German cars. Compared to the amount of vintage Volkswagen, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW parts floating around, it’s just downright rare to come across period correct vintage Audi pieces. Today I’ve assembled a few rare to see bits, plus a neat and inexpensive wheel set if you’ve got a Q7. The Treser wheels are just mega-cool; directionally veined, they where cutting edge back in the early 1980s and the signature of the aftermarket tuner. Unfortunately, they’re metric sized only – so you’re going to have to pay a lot of tires, but they’re available at least. The seller’s claim that they never come up for sale is a bit off base as we typically see them about every six months, and the condition of these wheels isn’t the best – so the asking price is well out of line. However, they’re always neat to see. I’m not a fan of the styling of the Treser steering wheel but it’s period correct and different from the typical Momo or Nardi wheels. The middle wheel I’ve never seen and can’t identify; do you know the model? The Votex Q7 wheels are a twist on the normal wheels but very neat – and in this case quite cheap for a 19″ OEM wheel set. And finally, the Nardi Audi Sport wheel is one of my favorite. They’re always expensive but very cool to see and set off early B2 Audis well. Which is your favorite?