Press "Enter" to skip to content
Warning!
We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.

Tag: Tuner

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

1990 Volkswagen Corrado G60

s-l1600 (1)
You might not like this Corrado when it’s angry. In fact, you may not like it ever. With a face only its builder could love, this G60 has had enough modifications under the hood that the new front-mounted intercooler got pushed outside, like a child reluctantly spitting out chewed metal. I think the seller probably envisions the FMIC as an ersatz lower grille, but it mostly looks like a fragile and expensive snow plow. God help the buyer if they ever see a speed bump – say bye-bye to all that expensive plumbing.

This little Hulkorrado actually has received some good attention to make this a strong runner. Yet while the seller has updated and redone a lot of parts, I’d be wary of all the relocating causing headaches down the line. That’s if you don’t have a headache already from the proboscis, super-Green pearl, O’Reilly tail lights (both fake AND real!) or hood louvers. However, if you are blind or really good at dissociating form and function, it’s actually a decent G60 deal.

Click for details: 1990 Volkswagen Corrado G60 on eBay

4 Comments

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

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

4 Comments

1984 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

$_57 (6)
I love the Mk1 Jetta, funky little sedan that it is. While later Jettas are quite common in the states, the Golf/GTI is far more common from the first generation. Just as the US market dictated the production of the new A3 sedan (meh), in the late ’70s VW realized the ‘Muricans liked trunks and didn’t have as tight of parking restrictions, so they grafted on a third box. The GLI was a one-year special, bringing most of the GTI’s upgrades. International preferences aside, that made for a pretty great little sedan.

While today’s description nearly landed it in the Friday Fail section, the car itself is nice enough to pull it back to positivity-land. The Euro bumpers and Zender lip add to the 80s flair, and there has clearly been some decent attention to making it run as well as it looks. It’s especially attractive without the roof racks and on the upsized RML Snowflakes, but unfortunately those don’t come with the car. The buyer would do well to get rid of the included wheels as soon as possible and get some form of snowflakes – even OEMs would look great. Best of all, in the end it’s a high-mileage, Mk1 Volkswagen, which means the price isn’t going anywhere crazy.

Click for details: 1984 Volkswagen Jetta GLI on eBay

4 Comments

1993 BMW DTM M3 Tribute

$_57 (3)

It’s always fun to see what the creative engineers can come up with out there. The guys at CG Motorsports clearly wanted to show their building skills, so they went a roundabout way of making an E36 DTM-style M3 tribute, albeit in show/street-car guise. I will admit to a guilty love of wide-bodies, though this love is confusingly matched with a distaste for wings and overdone wheels. These guys took the basic-but-capable 318is and stuck M3 bits all over, including some body parts, suspension, transmission, and engine. Add a DTM-style widebody kit, and you’ve got a tuner’s show car! They’re selling it in a way that sounds like more trouble than it’s worth – offering the chassis and body alone, or with all of the running gear and additions – that just makes me scratch my head harder. Taste and selling tactics aside, it is a clean FrankenBimmer that, at least to me, has some potential.

Click for details: 1993 BMW 318is/M3 on eBay

1 Comment

Tuner Tuesday: Extreme 1989 Volkswagen Cabriolet

$_57 (6)

Convertibles are usually met with skepticism by enthusiasts, but there are always exceptions. For me, driving a Z8 helped me change my tune, followed by the decidedly non-German but incredible experience of hooning a Miata. When you live in Hawaii, it’s hard to imagine hiding from the sun and rising scenery of the islands, and VW Cabriolets are a very popular choice. Commonly associated with teenage girls, today’s cab comes with Berg Cup fender flares and enough performance upgrades to terrify teenagers and prompt families to hide their kids and hide their wives. A turbocharged 16V helps it back up the crazy flares and charge up the mountains like a true Berg Cup competitor. It’s a little out there, but to be honest, I’m kind of in love with this car. A serious rollcage counteracts the lost rigidity and fits in perfectly. The bodykit is just so out there that it works for me and I love the cream color. If I were to buy a convertible, I think I want it to be this one.

Click for more details: 1989 Volkswagen Cabriolet on eBay

2 Comments