No Puffer: 1997 Volvo V90 LS1 swap

What is it exactly that makes a slab sided Volvo wagon with an American V8 so cool? Try to explain to a non-car enthusiast what exactly is so special about a Volvo wagon and you will get a puzzled look or get your sanity questioned. The now famous Paul Newman and David Letterman stories have undoubtedly added to the appeal of this engine swap. Find this very well executed 1997 Volvo V90 with a LS1/T56 swap for sale in Farmington Hills, MI for $11,400. Sellers take note, this is how to write a proper car advertisement.

V12 6spd Convert: 1995 BMW E34 550i

The E34 generation BMW 5-series (1988-1996) sits in the happy depreciated valley that all luxury sedans hit after the narcotizing new car smell is gone and the bills start to pile up.  However, this simply means that ownership transfers to a dedicated group of enthusiasts that consists of die-hard model fanboys, older folks who remember a time when stuff lasted for years, and speed junkies who modify anything that moves...this was owned by the latter.  Find this 1995 BMW E34 550i V12 6-Speed offered for $7,999 in Burlington, KY via craigslist.  Tip from Mrkwong.

5k: Injected Style: 1969 Toyota Corona Mark II w/3SGE +6spd swap

The first generation Toyota Corona Mark II was an intermediate model between the luxury Crown and low end basic Corona models sold between 1968-1972.  We see Mark IIs from time to time, but most are rusty and powered by a version of the underwhelming Toyota R series cast iron boat anchors, but the one we have today is a bit of a hot rod.  Find this 1969 Toyota Corona Mark II with Altezza 3SGE + 6 speed manual for sale in Alhambra, CA for $7,500 via craigslist.

10k: Redcrested Bluebird: 1972 Datsun 510 w/S2000 i-4 and 6spd

The Honda F20C engine from an AP1 S2000 is a modern marvel in mass production internal combustion engines.  It employed an array of bespoke racing technology to obliterate similar sized naturally aspirated engines in power density and is known to last well into the 200k miles with minimal issues.  The S2000 roadsters have dropped to a price point where a good crash will cause the car to get parted out, allowing all manner of plasma torch wielding mad scientists to use their greasy bits for transplants.  Find this 1972 Datsun 510 w/F20C and 6-spd for sale in Raleigh, NC currently bidding on ebay for $8,000 with a 4 days to go.

5k Face-Off: Clash Of The Teutonic Titans: 1997 BMW 540i 6spd vs 2001 Audi A6 2.7T 6spd

The Daily Turismo is proud to introduce a new kind of post, the Face-Off, where we compare and contrast two similarly priced cars.  Today we offer you 6 speeds for 6 thousand dollars, a fantastic speeds/dollar ratio and each transmission is wrapped with German steel, style and luxury.  The contender on my left is a 2001 Audi A6 2.7T 6spd from San Mateo, California weighing in at 3750 lbs and wearing blue coat for the asking price of $6200 via craigslist. The challenger on my right is a 1997 BMW E39 540i 6spd from Austin, Texas weighing in at 3748 lbs, wearing a silver coat for the asking price of $6,800 via craigslist. Thanks to tip from Kaibeezy on the A6 and OneFish TwoFish for the 540i.

10k: 1989 Chevy Corvette C4 6spd

The C4 generation Corvette is the unloved sibling in the Vette family, the red-headed step child that was born in the Malaise era and surprisingly transformed into a sophisticated and remarkably fast car by the end of its production run.  This 1989 Chevy Corvette convertible with hardtop and 6-spd manual is offered for sale in Miami, FL, bidding at $11,600 reserve-not-met with 1 day to go.

10k: 1992 Volvo 740 LS1/T56 Swap... is back on eBay, now with lower price

The 1992 Volvo 740 featured in Nov, 2012 is back on ebay, but this time with a lowered starting bid of $9k and buy-it-now of $10,500.  Find it here on ebay or go test drive it in Fallbrook, CA and send us the details - we'd love to know what this thing drives like.  The only reason we haven't just purchased this car for our own DT fleet is the California smog hassle we'd have to deal with, but the prospect of needing to get it BAR referee certified is looking better each time we think about it.  Update 2/1 8:52amPST: BAR ref certification not required to renew its diesel title if you willing to live life under the radar - and worst case you could get it certified to 1999 C5 Vette smog levels and be 100% legit.

Please buy this car before we do...our wives will thank you!

5k: 1986 Volvo 740 Wagon with LT1/T56; Thorsday Ultimate Sleeper

Thorsday is back with a bang!!  We've seen so many Volvo wagons with V8 swaps recently that they almost don't qualify as a sleeper anymore..almost, except for the fact that when we see a clean 740 on the road we instantly assume its family oriented driver will stay within the speed limit and only pass people in VW Beetles.  That isn't the case with this 1986 Volvo 740 Wagon that has a Chevy LT1 V8 swap with T56 6 speed manual transmission, for sale in Atlanta, GA for the bargain price of $5900 via craigslist.  $5900 will barely cover parts for a budget V8 swap, so we expect that this is a screaming deal unless the head gasket blows and the chassis rusts into 2 pieces the day after the new owner picks it up.

5k: 1995 BMW 540i M-Sport

We just featured a e39 BMW 540i yesterday and while some would say it is too soon to feature another used/abused 5-series, we say its never too soon to share a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan that today is selling for 1/10th of its original MSRP.  The e34 BMW 5-series is considerably more dated in appearance and therefore gives fast examples a 'sleeper' status since most e34s you see today are 525 automatics driven by professor types.  This rare 1995 BMW 540i M-Sport 6-spd is not a car to drive your Yorkie to the pet salon, on the way to the used book store - it is a legitimate hoon-mobile and for sale in Fresno, CA for $5499 via craigslist.

10k Flash: 1997 BMW 540i 6-spd

The BMW 5-series was well established as the upper end luxury/sports sedan to have when the e39 series was introduced in 1995.  Most were ordered with automatic transmissions but a few lucky individuals picked up the 540i V8 model mated to a 6-spd manual transmission - basically a poor man's M5.  These are still somewhat desirable today - although with prices of e39 M5s still dropping, its hard to justify the 540i-6spd unless it is in fantastic shape and a great deal.  This 1997 BMW 540i 6spd is for sale in the SF Bay area for $8500 via Craigslist (thanks to tip from Kaibeezy T)