Press "Enter" to skip to content

Month: February 2015

This site contains Ebay partner affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.

Tuner Tuesday Swede Speed: 1978 Volvo 262C Bertone LS3 Widebody

Published February 3, 2015 by Carter

Okay, before we get going – yes, I’m aware that Volvos aren’t made in Germany. Worse yet, this Volvo isn’t even made in Sweden. But occasionally we like to showcase some European cousins from the land of Abba, so if you’ll grant me a little leeway we’re going to look at this particular Volvo. As Volvos go, I think the 262C Bertone might be the least attractive made. That’s saying something, since I think the 240 might be the least attractive car of the 1980s. But the 262C was basically gone by the 1980s, and it embodied all of the wrong things of the 1970s. There was the chopped-look that Bertone gave the ungainly coupe. It was always somehow out of proportion to me, and despite the top-tier name I don’t think it’s an attractive design at all. Then there’s the reputation of the parts; assembled by Bertone in Turin, Italy, the 262 also featured the anemic and much maligned Peugeot/Renault/Volvo “PRV” V6. Top that off with a vinyl roof, and the 262C always seemed like a bit of a joke to me – what Swedes thought people in Florida would like if they bought a Volvo. So, I was not upset at all to find that someone had modified one. And when I say modified, it’s hard to see what they left alone:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Volvo 262C Bertone on eBay

Read Our PostTuner Tuesday Swede Speed: 1978 Volvo 262C Bertone LS3 Widebody
4 Comments

Tuner Tuesday: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500SL RENNtech 6.0 “SLammer”

Published February 3, 2015 by Carter

Since their launch, the R129 Mercedes-Benz SLs have held my attention. Perhaps it’s because I was heading towards driving age when I first got to sit in a then-new 500SL, but regardless of the motivation I really wanted one. My father used to take me to the local Mercedes-Benz dealership in his W113, so even though I was a child who grew up in the 1980s I was never particularly partial to the R107 – and I’m still not. Early Euro-spec cars look nice to me, but for the most part they look a bit too soft and large. So the R129 was a revelation – it looked substantially more sporty and was thanks to a new 5.0 V8 good for 320 horsepower mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. But for some well-heeled enthusiasts, the $100,000 price tag (in 1993!) wasn’t enough. AMG was in a state of flux in the early 1990s, but there was a new kid in town that was grabbing some serious headlines – RENNtech:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500SL 6.0 on eBay

Read Our PostTuner Tuesday: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500SL RENNtech 6.0 “SLammer”
1 Comment

1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE

Published February 2, 2015 by Paul

$_4 (1)

Earlier today we featured a clean 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL. It’s hard to believe that only two generations separate that car from the 1969 280SE that we see here for sale in California, but such is the staying power with Mercedes’ Sonderklasse. With fuel injection and a four-speed automatic gearbox, this was a car ahead of its time. This particular 280SE is almost identical to the dark blue 1972 example that my grandfather drove here in the US right before retiring back to Portugal. That would be a car that would start a long tradition of Mercedes-Benzes in my family.

Click for details: 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE on eBay

Read Our Post1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE
5 Comments

1986 Porsche 930 Coupe

Published February 2, 2015 by Rob

1986 was a pretty important year for automobiles in the US. Or at least it was for a small group of people who dreamed of the 911. The 911 Turbo was back. After being absent for all of the ’80s Porsche finally committed the necessary funding to bring the Turbo back to US shores and, thankfully, it has been with us ever since. With only 282 hp compared to 300 hp in much of the rest of the world, the US Turbo still wouldn’t possess the full force of the European models, but it still provided an ample increase in power compared to its naturally-aspirated brethren. The example we have here is a very pretty Guards Red 1986 Porsche 930 Coupe, located in Oregon, with a contrasting Brown and Tan interior and 94,684 miles on it.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 930 Coupe on eBay

Read Our Post1986 Porsche 930 Coupe
2 Comments

Motorsports Monday RS Style: 1979 and 1987 Porsche 911s

Published February 2, 2015 by Carter

It goes without saying that the Porsche 911 is one of the most popular modified chassis ever conceived, and a fair amount of those modifications are track-based. The results are sometimes mixed; however, one of the more popular trends which I think is pretty slick is backdating 911s. It’s ironic, since for some time it was more popular to update the looks of many of the older race cars to new 964 or 993 bodies. However, the surge in pricing in the 1960s and 1970s 911 market has resulted in many backdated cars coming to market. Obviously, the advantage is that you get a better driving and more powerful car with more options than original, but it’s got the look of the sought after early models. However, probably the biggest advantage is that of price; with a lower entry cost, prospective buyers aren’t afraid to use the 911 where it is well suited; driving fast on a race track. Today I have two different takes on backdated 911s, both with a nod towards the mega-buck RS model. Which is the one you’d choose?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera on eBay

Read Our PostMotorsports Monday RS Style: 1979 and 1987 Porsche 911s
5 Comments