We’ve seen some cool examples of the standard 535i recently, and today we have another clean, low-mileage example that is coming from its original owner. With just 116k miles, it looks pretty impeccable inside and out. The one main detraction is the automatic, but on the flipside it was just replaced. Having to drop some serious cash on the transmission and brakes was apparently enough for him to decide it was time to move on, as it’s up for sale with no reserve.
Month: December 2014
Many of us car fiends rationalize the purchase of an older car in need of work by repeatedly telling ourselves that we’re saving a piece of history from the crusher – keeping a worthy example of automotive art on the road for all to enjoy. I’m certainly guilty of this myself and will continue feeding myself these lines as long as I can, even as the devil’s advocate says that no one cares about your silly old car and you’re sinking good money into a project that would be better spent elsewhere – perhaps even just on a nicer example of the exact same car.
But, as I said, I’m still a believer, and appreciate that this seller took a beat example of a cool car – the Mk2 Jetta GLI definitely counts as a worthy entry in the book of notable German special-edition sedans – and worked hard to bring it back to life. The salvage title means it will never sell for market value, but the seller clearly knows his VWs (note the collection in the background of the pics) and he put some serious time and energy into making this a decent car. Nothing here is perfect, but a lot of it is really cool. Quad headlamps – check (but that S4 badge – booooo). Porsche 928 wheels – check (but “stretched” tires – lame). Decent roof rack – check (but permanently mounted?! What’d you do?).
On the path of keeping misfit examples of cool older cars on the road, I’ve learned that we must be accepting of imperfections. Overall, I like the gist of this car, and believe it can continue making VW fanboys smile for years to come.
Click for details: 1991 Volkswagen Jetta GLI on eBay
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I love the Mk1 Jetta, funky little sedan that it is. While later Jettas are quite common in the states, the Golf/GTI is far more common from the first generation. Just as the US market dictated the production of the new A3 sedan (meh), in the late ’70s VW realized the ‘Muricans liked trunks and didn’t have as tight of parking restrictions, so they grafted on a third box. The GLI was a one-year special, bringing most of the GTI’s upgrades. International preferences aside, that made for a pretty great little sedan.
While today’s description nearly landed it in the Friday Fail section, the car itself is nice enough to pull it back to positivity-land. The Euro bumpers and Zender lip add to the 80s flair, and there has clearly been some decent attention to making it run as well as it looks. It’s especially attractive without the roof racks and on the upsized RML Snowflakes, but unfortunately those don’t come with the car. The buyer would do well to get rid of the included wheels as soon as possible and get some form of snowflakes – even OEMs would look great. Best of all, in the end it’s a high-mileage, Mk1 Volkswagen, which means the price isn’t going anywhere crazy.
Click for details: 1984 Volkswagen Jetta GLI on eBay
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The fact that many camping Vanagons are going for $40k and up can be daunting for those of us who have aspirations of living the van life. Today we’ll take a look at a couple of 1991 vans that severely undercut the general Vanagon camper market – one pop-top and one rare example that has all the camping accoutrements but no pop-top.
Click for details: 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia on eBay
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The E28 M5 still gets me excited, whether I’m driving mine or just pass one on the road. Today I saw a well-used but sweet example with throwing stars, Euro bumpers, and a nice Dinan badge complementing the standard trunk emblem. While that owner clearly went down the deep rabbit hole of modification, today’s low-mileage example looks almost entirely stock on the outside other than a slightly lowered stance. Some work has been done under the hood though, with the reportedly-howling Euro headers and a chip ensuring this M5 lives up to the legend of hauling ass. It’s not perfect – a few blemishes in the interior and the commonly-scraped front spoiler – but the completeness is what catches my eye here. The full trunk carpeting, first aid kit, and fully-functioning electronics are all items worth paying a little more for. With low (for an E28 mileage), this is a good M5 that could easily be made great.