We all know the story of the multi-colored Harelquin Golf and what a commercial success that was...but did Mazda follow suit with a rainbow colored Miata? Nope, this is just the case of another seller with surplus paint and time. Probably shoulda stopped after huffing the first can. Find this 1993 Mazda MX-5 Miata offered for $3,900 in Land o Lakes, FL via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
You either get the Z32 Nissan 300ZX or you don't. It isn't like the NSX, where everybody begrudgingly agrees that it was awesome (and prices have skyrocketed recently) or the 3000GT VR4 that everyone agrees was sorta trash (even the owners admit the car was the paradigm of the overly complicated lightswitch), but 300ZX lives somewhere in limbo betwix depreciated crap and appreciating crap. Only time will tell which direction we go. Find this 1990 Nissan 300ZX offered for $7,500 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.
For a budget of about $6k, you can get into all sorts of cars that you could daily drive, but most would be a few decades old with some wear 'n' tear. Not that it's a bad thing, because I've daily driven everything from donated Porsche 928s to Saab 99s...but I'm really not that concerned about reaching my ultimate destination in a timely manner. If you want a cheap car and want something that is very likely to get you there...consider a late model econobox with a manual gear changer. Like this 2012 Chevy Sonic LTZ Turbo offered for $6,200 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.
I hate the idea of buying a 70s land barge American car and then putting a bunch of time/money into restoring it...because they drive terribly can look odd...but getting a 70s land barge that looks awesome AND is in fantastic shape has serious appeal. Let's just hope the reserve on this "Midnight Chamois" (whatever that means) edition isn't set to crazy high levels. Find this 1978 Mercury Cougar XR7 here on eBay bidding for $9,100 reserve-not-met with 3 days to go, located in Dallas, TX.
A few years back, when retro styling was all the rage, the guys at GM decided to break another glass door in the automotive world. They introduced what was probably the worlds first mass market convertible pickup truck -- there was the ill-fated Dodge Dakota Sport, but that was another ASC hack job, not to be confused with a car purposed built from the factory like a Ford Model A pickup. Regardless, the SSR was built on the Chevy Trailblazer platform and was motivated by a 6 liter version of the LS2 V8 and it was gloriously fast and retro (in contrast the Fords anemic Thunderturd from the same retro-era). Although the styling left something to be desired, and the SSR had the torsional rigidity of a wet churro, a remarkable 24,000 were produced from 2003 through 2006, so expect them to be cheap in the coming years as the original owners have their cataracts removed. Find this 2005 Chevrolet SSR offered for $15,900 in Chapel Hill, NC via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
The Austin Healey Bugeye (or Frogeye if you are British) Sprite is a car that can always put a smile on your face. Its own bug eating grill is permanently frozen with a look of glee and optimism -- you just can't hate the little guy, even if it is a disaster on a trailer. Find this 1960 Triumph Sprite offered for $1500 CAD ($1119 USD) in Vancouver, BC via craigslist. Tip from Erik202.
Apparently, Canadians have a few major advantages over their neighbors to the South. First, they are born with an extra set of chromosomes that makes them funny (John Candy, Mike Meyers, Norm MacDonald, Martin Short, Phil Hartman, Leslie Nielsen, Dave Foley, Rick Moranis...do I need to go on?) and, more importantly, they have a shorter 15 year import rule for grey market automobiles, so you can drive sweet 2000s Alfas without fear of the man storming into your house with concussion grenades. Not sure the Mounties even use shape charges in their "knock and breech" protocol, but they'll certainly apologize if they forget to read you your the right to remain chilly. Find this 2000 Alfa Romeo 156 Momo Edition offered for $6000 CAD ($4,479 USD) located in Vancouver, BC. Tip from JB1025.
The Ford Thunderbird started life as a lithe 2-seat sports car competing directly with the Chevy Corvette - but by 1967, by then in its 5th generation, it had morphed into a big block monster of a 2-door, and was being driven upmarket by sales of the super popular Ford Mustang. It was restyled in 1969 to include a prominent bird beak that was slightly de-emphasized by 1972 when this one broke free from the GIANT egg that all T-birds hatch from. Find this 1972 Ford Thunderbird offered for $5,500 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
I remember quite vividly the first time I drove a Cadillac CTS sedan in anger. It was at one of those GM ride & drive events that were all the rage before the 2008 carpocalypse killed many a marketing boondogle budget item -- but GM put us in the seats of a CTS, BMW 3-series, and some kinda Volvo (forget which one...it was that good) and told us to tear up an autocross style parking lot cone track. The BMW handled the best out of all of the cars, but the CTS was shockingly well composed compared to the previous "grandpadillacs" that we were used to seeing from the brand that claims to be "the Standard of the World". The CTS in 2.8 or 3.6 liter trim wasn't as fast as the CTS-V version, but the V6 was peppy and the car was happy to NOT attract the attention of the 5-0 or leave pieces of carbon fiber and plastic on every speed bump in town. Prices when new were approaching an Audi/BMW/Merc, but now they are used and cheap cheap cheap..which is exactly how I like my manual gearbox equipped late model luxury sedans. Find this 2006 Cadillac CTS offered for $4,500 in Cohocton, NY via craigslist. Tip from Joker.
You might look at this car and ask "what is it?" But the better question is -- "what isn't it?" and "why wouldn't you daily drive it?" Because the world doesn't need yet another new crossover almost-wagon/almost-car with a perplexing name like the BMW X2 M235i...(which I spotted on the road today and had to pull over and re-organize my list of top 10 ugliest cars on the road -- it was a breakthru into 7th place, yowza!) but the world does need another Lazer 49er on the road. Find this 1970ish Volkswagen Lazer 49er by Elite offered for $2,300 via the Samba forums in Millington, MI. Tip from MunkyKing
The worst thing about a 2 wheel drive pickup is that they have no traction in the wet...or maybe that is the best thing about a 2WD pickup (depending on how you drive...but I digress). The Ford Courier pickup was actually a Mazda B-series that was available over the years with a number of small powerplants, including a Wankel, but today's example has been converted into a boxer-4 powered all-wheel-drive custom. Find this 1973 Ford Courier offered for $7500 in Salinas, CA via craigslist. Tip from Safety Fast.
This next car really tugs at my heartstrings...because no matter how terrible a vintage Saab might be on paper with regards to acceleration, handling, reliability, parts availability...etc...it is still a sweet car, I do miss the ole Draken DT project car. And those soccer ball alloys...hrrrnnngggg...me gusta mucho!! And with Bosch fogs? Welp...I wonder if the wife will forgive a second Saab "sight unseen" purchase? The couch is comfortable anyway. Find this 1975 Saab 99 EMS offered for $6,400 in Berkeley, CA via craigslist. Tip from Safety Fast.
If you'd like to get into a 500 factory horsepower hot rod without liquidating your 401k, there are a few options. You could get a high mile V10 BMW M5, but if you prefer something that is more grunt and two fewer cylinders, the choice is easy...E63 AMG. Find this 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG offered for $13,500 in South Elgin, IL via craigslist. Tip from Tyler.
If the original 2CV isn't strange enough for your garage, you might want to consider a Hoffman 2CV...wow that sounded like a good idea when it was in my head, but now that I read it on paper..yikes. Anyway, back in the late 1980s a German bloke named Wolfgang Hoffman decided to sell a kit car cabrio body using glass reinforced plastic, steel frame, and running gear from a 2CV that the buyer provided. Typically, a kit car will transform the original into something exotic -- a Beetle becomes a 356 Speedster, or a Fiero becomes a Ferrari, or a Eldorado becomes a Batmobile, but the Hoffman kit takes 2CV drivetrain parts and makes a...2CV. Find this 1986 Hoffman 2CV Cabrio offered for $15,600 in Williamsburg, VA via hemmings. Tip from Rock On!
America's obsession with the giant pickup truck started many years ago, back when gas was cheap and safety was a consideration that was second to most...but gas is still cheap when adjusted for inflation and safety is still something that people struggle to understand. So enjoy the good old days with this good old pickup. Find this 1986 Chevrolet C/K 3500 Silverado here on eBay bidding for $8,100 with 3 days to go, located in Oakland, CA.
If you've ever said to yourself: Self, what I need is a car that looks like something from a Richard Scarry book, accelerates like a big wheel, handles like a roller skate, and is as safe as a skateboard...well...you are in luck, because we've got a JDM thing for you today. Find this 1991 Honda Beat offered for $5000 in Pensacola, FL via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The first generation Chevrolet S-10 Blazer/Jimmy was a compact SUV built on the S-10 pickup chassis starting back in the when Sting recorded "Every Breath You Take" and ended around the time of "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You". The Blazer offered some level of truck utility and seating for 5 people, but did not offer a removable hardtop like the full-sized K5 Blazer/Jimmy. Find this 1992 Chevrolet Blazer SLT here on eBay bidding for $3250 with a few hours to go, located in snowy Struthers, OH.