Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Time for another parts roundup, and today I’m focusing on some aftermarket and rare parts. There are some really desirable pieces here, and some pretty horrible looks (I’m looking at you, Kamei). What’s your favorite, what would you like on your ride or what would you like to see?
Well, I hope this will stir some interest, as I think this is a bit of an interesting comparison. What level of performance can you buy for $10,000 (give or take) these days? Surprisingly, there are a lot of options – and those options vary pretty seriously in their execution and packages; there’s a wagon and a sports car, two sedan-based coupes and a hatchback. Engines range from a 2 liter turbo to a V8, with a bit of everything in between. Yet, what appears to be a very strange comparison linked only by price is revealed to be much closer when you look at performance figures:
E36 M3: 240 hp, 0-60 6.0 seconds, 3,200 lbs
944 Turbo: 220 hp, 0-60 5.9 seconds, 2,900 lbs
CLK500: 302 hp, 0-60 5.7 seconds, 3,800 lbs
S4 Avant: 250 hp, 0-60 5.6 seconds, 3,700 lbs
GTi: 200 hp, 0-60 6.6 seconds, 3,200 lbs
The range is much closer than you’d expect – especially when you consider that these figures could easily be equaled in margin of error, driver skill and reaction time. In the twisties, the lower powered cars like the GTi catch up to the higher power CLK and S4. All are, in one way or another, practical choices. Some are destined (or already) classics, while others will likely fade away. So what would be your choice? Let’s start with an M3 we’ve already seen:
Having just embarked on a summer road trip, my thoughts wandered while driving towards fuel economy. My MINI Cooper S certainly does well enough, but sometimes you want something a bit more suited for cruising. Which is where this Mercedes-Benz 300TD comes in. It’s not the fastest car out there, but once up to cruising speed, it’s a capable motor with the range and reliability of diesel power and a good amount of carrying capacity. This particular 300TD for sale in California has been converted to run on biodiesel and is a two owner car, having lived its live out in the western US.
It’s a rainy day here in New England, so I spent some time finding my favorite wheels on Ebay. Most of these are period option or aftermarket wheels, but all of them are pretty cool. I especially love the BMW Ronal wheels, the ATS AMG wheels in nearly new shape and the amazing BBS magnesium Bugatti EB110 wheels. Which are your favorite?
Update: thanks to reader KevinR for correctly spotting the Mercedes-Benz wheels were Centra Type 31s. Thanks!
Sometimes there is that one possession that we wind up hanging on to for years, whether it is for sentimental value, material value or perhaps it is just plain cool. For me, I have a vintage watch that I have prized for years and look after. On a much larger scale, the same thing seems to be true with the former owner of this 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL, who kept the car for the last 42 years. This was a car that helped propel Mercedes into the spotlight with luxury car buyers stateside, as the Gullwing and later Roadster variant we see here were cars flaunted by the rich and famous. With matching numbers and documentation dating back to when it was purchased, this will surely be a prize in any collection.