Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Obviously I’m the big Quattro fan here at GCFSB, and I’ve carefully tried to track nearly every example that comes to market in the U.S.. I was frankly a bit surprised to see this one pop up, as it comes from a fellow enthusiast who has really enjoyed using the car as a collectable show car over the past few years. A staple at European events like S-Fest and Carlise, this Quattro has been seen and admired by many, who now have the opportunity to own their own rally legend:
I’m typically more of an OEM+ swap fan rather than getting near the fiery debate of what constitutes blasphemy. Carter’s documented some great V8 to M3 swaps and noted that it’s a pretty outstanding dollar-to-horsepower option. Even after the seller here spent $60k on parts, a lot of that was on tertiary bits – it’d take more money and a lot more effort than that to get an S52 pushing these nutso numbers. What really draws me to this car is how clean and serious it looks, with subtle modifications on the exterior that create one of the best looking E36s out there. The E46 fender flares look absolutely perfect, and the massive Apex knock-off BBS RCs look great in black and complement the space gray perfectly. And no wing! I want every E36 to look like this, and a sedan would be even better, but who really cares? Unless it’s parked, no one’s going to see this thing for more than a second as it rips by leaving scared children, heated women, and confused Bimmer fans in its wake.
Supercar performance without the supercar price. That long has been the hallmark of the 911 Turbo and is especially the case for the 996TT where values have remained suppressed for some time now. The question is whether they will always remain so. It’s certainly the case that these water-cooled 911s will struggle to garner the same demand as their air-cooled predecessors, but as prices continue to significantly rise for the 993TT the bargain that is the 996TT becomes ever more apparent. It’s impossible for that fact to escape the notice of buyers for too long. What I think will remain the case for the foreseeable future is the value of any 996TT with a reasonable degree of mileage, which is exactly the place where we find the car we see here: a Seal Grey 2002 Porsche 911 Turbo, located in New Jersey, with the optional X50 power package and 58,750 miles on it.
After a day of reflection on independence, I see no better vehicle to represent the ideal than a good, clean Westfalia. Cars in general embody independence, the ability to get in and go, but a Westy means you can go and maybe decide to not come back. Many people live in Westfalias full time, exploring the world and staying in new zipcodes while their pop-top home stays the same. While many command serious new-car money, this 1984 example looks to be an incredible deal. If you can make it through the intimidatingly-long description, you’ll find that this van has been loved, gone through, and updated by someone who knows their stuff and truly cared about making a great, functional camper. This is the kind of independence I want in my future, and if bidding remains at such an approachable level, maybe it will be!
It may sound strange, but this is – I believe – the first non-S, non-Cup 1988 944 Turbo we’ve written up on this blog. While that may not sound outrageous, the 944 Turbo is a staple of these pages and considering the thousands of cars we’ve written up – virtually with every production year covered – it’s a bit strange to me. But as with 1987, 1988 was a year of change for the 944 Turbo; while the standard model carried over the ABS and airbag changes from the previous model, there were no major changes (the DME chip was changed from 24 to 28 pin; that’s about it). However, the big change was the half year introduction of the “S” model; standard M030 suspension and upgraded power were the highlights. While the power increase wasn’t huge at only 30, the limited run status, additional power, cool Silver Rose colors and upgraded suspension mean that it’s the model that we often concentrate on. Of course, that means we overlook the standard Turbo, and that’s a shame – because like the ’86 and ’87 cars, they were still great performance values and offered significant forced induction street credentials. It was, after all, a Porsche Turbo you were cruising in; select Guards Red from the color pallet and you’d have completed the Yuppie dream coupe recipe:
