Press "Enter" to skip to content

Month: March 2015

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

1988 BMW M6

1988 BMW M6

Published March 26, 2015 by Carter

To me, part of the insanity regarding the E30 M3 pricing revolves around the other important BMW models that you can get for much less money. Take this M6 for example; the E24 was a landmark design for the company, making BMW even more popular in the refined personal luxury coupe market. If the argument is that the E30 shared race-bred DNA, so did the E24 M6; it was the car that replaced the legendary CSLs on the race track, flying the BMW colors in the European Touring Car Championship and FIA Group 2 (later Group A) competition. The motor was also race bred, having derived directly from the original M car, the M1’s legendary M88 mill. It rolled on race-inspired BBS wheels and, like all M-products back in the day, was manual only. The M6 also added a seriously healthy dose of luxury, with leather trimmed interiors, rear air conditioned compartments and fit and finish second to none. This was no buzzy entry-level, junior-executive ride – this was a car designed to grab headlines and attention. Why, then, hasn’t the market on these super coupes appreciated?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 BMW M6 on eBay

Read Our Post1988 BMW M6
5 Comments
1987 Volkswagen Quantum Syncro Wagon

1987 Volkswagen Quantum Syncro Wagon

Published March 26, 2015 by Carter

The B2 Quantum has always been an interesting car to me. As my first car was an Audi 4000CS quattro, there were aspects of its Volkswagen sibling that I really liked. First, while I wouldn’t say that the Quantum was more handsome than the 4000, it was certainly more distinctive looking. There are some downright odd angles on the Quantum, but somehow the design pulls it off. It’s also more rare to see them, or at least it felt so when I was driving around in the 4000. Then there were more practical things; for example, unlike Audi who ran the odd 4×108 pattern for slightly larger brakes, the Quantum stuck to smaller stock and retained 4×100 mm wheels. That made upgrades a bit easier and gave the Quantum a signature look with the GTi-sourced snowflake wheels. You could also get the 5-cylinder in front drive sedan configuration with the GL5; it was something Audi offered early on but had dropped, instead having only the Coupe GT be the front drive 5-cylinder. But the real trump card for the Quantum was undoubtedly the Syncro Wagon, as there was no Audi B2 wagon available in any configuration:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Volkswagen Quantum Syncro on eBay

Read Our Post1987 Volkswagen Quantum Syncro Wagon
3 Comments
1978 Porsche 928

1978 Porsche 928

Published March 25, 2015 by Paul

In the realm of Porsche 928s, there are two models to keep an eye on these days. The ultimate version of this GT car, the 928GTS and very early versions, such as this mint 1978 928 with only 34,709 miles and equipped with the desirable 5-speed manual gearbox. This example comes to us from our reader Joe, who is friends with the folks over at 928 Classics. This 928 is listed concurrently in our Self Service Classifieds and is a very early model, serial number 0241. There are a few issues on this one to iron out, but nothing major. In silver with Pinstripe cloth, it’s a livery that still looks fresh to this day.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Porsche 928 on GCFSB Self Service Classifieds

Read Our Post1978 Porsche 928
3 Comments
1991 BMW 850i Euro-Spec

1991 BMW 850i Euro-Spec

Published March 25, 2015 by Carter

Euro cars always hold a special appreciation for me, especially from the 1970s and 1980s. First off, they were much better looking, generally with slimmer bumpers and larger, more clear class lights. There were colors and interiors that we didn’t get in the U.S. as well, helping to set yourself apart. Sometimes there were low-spec engines not imported, but usually the output of the motors that were similar to U.S. cars was higher, giving more performance to enthusiasts. Sometimes that gulf was huge; while usually around 10% higher, a great example is the Quattro which was a full 25% more powerful in Europe than the U.S. restricted version. But as we got towards the late ’80s, the gap inbetween both the looks and performance of the Euro models versus the U.S. models closed steadily. True, in some cases we still didn’t get the full-fat versions of cars like the M3 until the E46 chassis. But for most models, there was a negligible difference. When it came to the BMW E31, in fact, there were almost no differences between the U.S. models and European models; styling was exactly the same, as were the wheels, most of the colors and interiors, and the basic suspension and engine. So, it’s just not nearly as exciting to see a European-spec newer model like this ’91 850i pop up for sale, though it is a bit odd:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 BMW 850i Euro on eBay

Read Our Post1991 BMW 850i Euro-Spec
2 Comments
2008 Mercedes Benz E350 4Matic Estate

2008 Mercedes Benz E350 4Matic Estate

Published March 25, 2015 by Andrew

 

I am officially dubbing this week “Mercedes Week” for myself. The majority of my recent posts have been BMW’s as that is mostly what I am in the market for but since the universe sadly does not revolve around me, I figured I best mix it up. What spurred this line of thought was a friend who suddenly found himself in the market for a new vehicle and asked for my help finding one. He wanted a wagon, preferably one with AWD as he lives up a particularly nasty dirt road in Vermont and his budget was about $10k. As with most folks in my native state, his first choice was a Subaru Outback and he found a couple solid examples right away. However given that he wasn’t completely married to the idea of having a Subie, he asked me what else he could get in the same price range with similar functionality. A4 wagon prices have stayed strong, particularly on the manual ones but the E-Class wagons, well those have depreciated significantly despite being a rather reliable rig. I found a few of these in his price range and a few that were decidedly not, clearly this one is the later.

At first glance I didn’t much care for this particular example, I’m not a big fan of tan interiors or light woodgrain accents. I much prefer a nice alcantara or perforated leather wheel, subtle dark wood trim if wood at all. However the more I scrolled through the pictures the more I began to appreciate the vibe this car is putting out.  It conjures up images of trucking kids to private school and neighbors in a freshly minted subdivision waving to each other in acknowledgement of their mutual success. While that might not sound all that great I think it perfectly captures why this car is a solid option for the enthusiast with a family, ultra sleeper status. Nobody expects they grey wagon with a beige interior to be a fun drive anymore than they expect the Inquisition. A set of sticky tires, upgraded sway bars, bushings, and CAI would make for an entertaining and very incognito daily driver indeed.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2008 Mercedes Benz E350 4Matic State

Read Our Post2008 Mercedes Benz E350 4Matic Estate
1 Comment