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Author: Andrew

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1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E

Published February 24, 2015 by Andrew

I knew I had to write this one up as soon as I clicked through the link.  In my opinion the W123 platform is the peak of Mercedes’ restrained design that is still head turning and beautiful. It is truly hard to imagine any automaker coming up with such a tidy package these days, especially Mercedes, what with their current love of creases, creases and more creases. This is truly an elegant machine, built for cruising out to the country house with family or the beach house with the tennis instructor, either way you’d get there in comfort and style.

I’m a big fan of the Astral Silver paint on this extremely low mile example. It can appear to have a greenish tinge to it when in the right light, really a unique look that fits the vibe of the car perfectly. I hope the buyer lives in New York too because that plate looks just right. It’s a very minor detail that people often overlook on their otherwise obsessed over vehicles but I think a license plate can make or break the look of a car. In this case, it is very much make, thanks largely in part to the yellow euro lights.

Of course the interior is something to behold as well. It’s perfectly sparse, like a corner office in 1970s Germany. One of the things I like most about the W123 is that it’s a 70s design that carried over into the 80s. Sure I’m a fan of the W124 as well because they’re practically indestructible and it’s the first Mercedes I ever rode in but it doesn’t hold a candle to its predecessor. Years of beautiful Bavarian design influence is clearly evident in this car and it’s not hard to see why they’re collector items for people who simply love great design.

Click for details: 1981 Mercedes Benz 280E on eBay

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2004 BMW M3

Published February 21, 2015 by Andrew

The E46 M3 is a car that truly needs no introduction which is nice because I can get right down to brass tacks. The market for this car is a very curious one to follow. On one end of the spectrum you have high mileage examples with aftermarket parts and evidence of having spent many a weekend at the track. These cars are tempting for many an enthusiast who has always dreamed of hunting apexes with a high revving inline six and doing so with a bit of style. At the other end of the spectrum you have cars like this one that are very clean and are either stock or have been modified with OEM approved parts. These examples come at a premium and I’d say that’s fair given how desirable these cars are when well taken care of.

Having covered only 48,000 miles in 11 years on the road, this particular M3 appears to be in fantastic condition. The Carbon Black over Cinnamon Leather combination is a very sharp look for this car, classier than the usual Silver or Grey over Black. I drove an Emerald Green over Cinnamon Leather model earlier this week but the leather had been poorly cared for and had cracked badly in many places. However even in that rough condition, that interior really made it stand out in a sea of other postings, so much so that I drove an hour to go see it. Makes me appreciate the fine job this owner has done maintaining these seats and the interior overall. Almost completely makes up for the bird poop damage on the roof.

Click for details: 2004 BMW M3 On Craigslist.com

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1993 BMW M5

Published February 20, 2015 by Andrew

It’s hard to find a single owner “M” car these days, even harder to find one that was assembled by a single person. This 1993 BMW M5 checks both those boxes and has the added bonus of having traveled a paltry 9,880 miles in its 22 year lifespan. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t get sticker shock when I reviewed this listing. I get it, this is an extremely rare opportunity to drive a legendary vehicle in true showroom condition. If I had $63k to spend on a car I would go out and snatch this thing up right now. I mean, you’d have to be crazy to get a comparably priced new BMW instead of this car. By the time you put any kind of major miles on it the value will have only held steady or decreased very little. Aside from just being a fun to drive, final year North American M5’s are highly sought after for their minor cosmetic upgrades like the iconic “Throwing Star” wheels and the Shadowline Exterior package. The fact that these were the last handbuilt BMW’s available in America only adds to this car’s intriguing portfolio. Seriously, there’s so much to love about this car from an investment standpoint that you almost forget that it’s also just a damn fine car to drive.

The E34 M5 was powered by the S38 inline-6, the last M5 motor to share DNA with the legendary BMW Motorsport engines. It made 310 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque; not crazy by today’s standards but it’s enough to put a big old smile on your face. Europe saw powered bumped to 335 hp in ’91 and the addition of a 6-speed manual transmission in ’95 because it’s Europe and they get all the good stuff. Speaking of which, in 1992 the folks at M Division built their first estate car and it remains, in my humble opinion, the coolest fast wagon in the history of fast wagons. I will endeavor to find a solid example to write about in the near future as we are only two years away from being able to legally import those beauties. For now we’ll just have to make due with sedan examples like this one, I suppose it could be worse.

Click for details: 1993 BMW M5 On California Beemers

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2008 BMW 335i

Published February 19, 2015 by Andrew

Before I began contributing to GCFSB I was a daily reader. I enjoyed the site more than other used auto blogs because I found that on GCFSB, many of the vehicles were of the more reasonable variety. Perhaps it’s because I grew up flipping through Used Auto Digest far more often than the duPont registry, though I did enjoy doing that once in awhile just for fun. I like to fantasize about $100k + investments in the classic car market just as much as any other enthusaist but I think it’s far more interesting to learn about vehicles which are grounded in reality. So it is with that mindset that I bring you today’s post, an E90 BMW 335i with 3 pedals.

For those folks that are on the casual observer side of the automotive world, this car doesn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary and in some ways they’re right. It’s a RWD, Grey over Black four door sedan with pretty basic features and a manual transmission. It doesn’t demand attention the way an E90 M3 does, what with its vicious soundtrack and more muscular body but I think that’s part of what makes it attractive. The 335i is no slouch in the power department, with the N54 powerplant producing 305 hp/295 lb-ft of torque it always seemed to me like a more grown up RWD, ’11+ STi sedan. Now I’m sure Subaru fans would love to rip me to shreds for comparing their beloved rally machine to this UCLA graduation present but I’d be quick to remind them that it’s really a matter of numbers and function rather than the spirit of the vehicle. Spiritually the STi and the M3 have much in common but they’re vastly different in price and performance so I think that an unfair comparison.

The 335i on the other hand checks many of the same boxes as the STi and ultimately does it all while remaining under the radar. It is this line of thought that got me interested in researching the E90 335i in the first place as I had always wanted to build a “sleeper” STi. Remove the garish wing, add alcantara accents to the interior, upgrade the sound deadening, tweak a few other interior details and you’d have a car that is very similar to this one. However that process can get real pricey, real quick, especially since 2011+ STi sedans are hard to find for under $25k. This 335i is a very reasonable $16,998 with nearly 73k on the clock and I think that for the money, you’d be hard pressed to find a car that offers this combination of performance and luxury.

Click for details: 2008 BMW 335i On Cars.com

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1986 Mercedes Benz 500 SEC Convertible

Published February 18, 2015 by Andrew

One of the reasons I enjoy writing about cars, especially used ones, is that they remind me of a certain era. They often take me to a place in my head where I can imagine that vehicle in a particular setting and what kind of world surrounded it. A 1996 Audi A6 Avant makes me think of a Bavarian family on their way to a mountain getaway, an E30 M3 of a group of young Brits headed to the track for the weekend, an E39 M5 of a well heeled man racing across town to an important meeting. My love of cars has always been tied to the stories they have to tell or ones that they make me imagine when I come across them. I think that’s probably why I was drawn to the batshit crazy vehicle you see before you. This Mercedes is completely ridiculous on first glance, a rolling testament as to why money can’t buy you class.

But then a funny thing happens after you stare at it for awhile. You stop laughing and start wondering why the hell anyone would drop over a $100k building such a garish ride. Suddenly it’s not so funny anymore and you want to get to the bottom of this mystery. Was the person who paid for this mentally fit when they signed the papers to have Marque Motor Coach Builders cut the top off a W126 500 SEC? Did they loose a bet with a friend who had them paint it canary yellow? Did they grow up in culture where brown and yellow are the colors that represent the height of luxury? So many questions we’ll sadly never know the answer to but alas, such is the nature of many used vehicles. What I think we can assume happened here is someone had some extra money burning a hole in their pocket around the end of the year and in an altered state of consciousness decided to blow said money on a custom convertible I’m going to henceforth refer to as “Big Bird”.

Click for details: 1986 Mercedes Benz W126 500 SEC Convertible

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