Are you a fan of the utility of El Camino style 4-door car-based pickup trucks? What about 5-speed equipped, turbo, all-wheel-drive versions? Down under they call them utes, but up here in right-side-up world we call them uticorns because they are all but non-existent -- and if it wasn't for a little Japanese company called Subaru, we wouldn't have them at all. Find this 2005 Subaru Baja Turbo offered for $9,500 in Pittsburgh, PA via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.
Everything Baja is cool right now -- you can find Baja 911s, Baja Mustangs, and Baja Beetles galore, but I can't say I've seen many Baja-Ghias in my time. But I like it because it combines the basic rugged Volkswagen Beetle powertrain with a unique body that doesn't look like a pregnant ladybug. Find this 1966 Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia offered for $6000 in Phoenix, AZ via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
In the past few weeks I've been to SEMA and to the LA Auto Show (more on that in a later post) and it got me thinking about show cars for this week's Thursday Twister...the quiz with a twist. Find the best ex-SEMA (or other Hot-Rod) show car for sale on the interwebs. Be prepared to defend your choice.
It seems most Type 1 Beetles that still go clackity-clack around the neighborhood are either clean/original show cars or converted into "Baja" style monsters. Baja-izing your Beetle involves adding a heavy dose of off-road capability in the form of added ground clearance, cut (or flared) fenders, roll over protection, giant tires, and (of course) more power. It usually doesn't involve a switch to diesel #2, but today's Baja is something special. Find this 1968 Volkswagen Baja Bug offered for $10,495 in Yreka, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
The Volkswagen Beetle is the best selling car of all times, with over 21 million of the air cooled freeway clogging tweedledee-exahust-note menaces leaving dozens of VW factories around the globe. Most Beetles have long been cleared from the road due to careless owners, structural rust & accidents caused by miserable handling characteristics, and a precious few remain on the road today (okay, by few we mean..maybe...11 million). Of those remaining, they typically fall in the buckets of basket case, trailer queen or baja bug, the latter being our preference. Find this 1962 Volkswagen Baja Bug for sale in Chico, CA for $5,000 via craigslist. Seller submission from B Slus, who says he is "Selling to help fund my 1969 911e restoration project."
The Volkswagen Beetle is regularly transformed into an off-road post-apocalypse survival vehicle and jumped over sand dunes, but the pretty-boy Karmann-Ghia version is usually kept on the street and we don't know why. Break all the rules with this 1974 Karmann-Ghia Baja coupe for sale in Tiflon, GA (not HI as it says in the listing) for the asking price of $2500 via hemmings.com